Rupali Patro

They are totally at par with PGP placements! In fact, I must say, some of the talented ABM people have bagged way better placements compared to their fellow PGP peers. The company you'll be placed at depends more on your credentials and capability.

02:35 PM

Rupali Patro

For more information about the sustainable development programme at IIML, please go through this link. There is detailed information pertaining to the course structure, eligibility and admission process, and fee structure. PGP-SM : : IIML

02:36 PM

Rupali Patro

I presume the programmes being offered at every B-school function on more or less similar lines. Therefore, I would reiterate that you take up a course based on your field of interests. If it's placements you're concerned about, I'd suggest you choose PGP over ABM.

02:38 PM

Rupali Patro

Most often, the earliest results are announced in the second week of April. ABC release their results close together, usually within a day or two of one another. The other IIMs take their own time, but by mid-May, all the IIMs have released their results. There are also waitlists for these IIMs; their movements can often last till the first week of June. If selected, by no later than the third week of June you will be busy fighting sleep and juggling your busy schedule.

02:40 PM

Rupali Patro

Let me begin answering this one by stating that I am a proud student at IIM-L. Therefore, this answer rightly deserves to come with a certain bias. I would advise you to take it with a pinch of salt. Comparing the two institutes is paplpably difficult from the point of view of placements, unless one has actually been through the process at either institute. However, I'll throw you some hints. First, if you were to consider the fees XLRI would take you almost 50% more (at 2013 rates) to study at than IIM-L. Secondly, both institutions harbour a variety of firms that come to hire from them. However, it depends on what you want to end up doing (or experimenting with?) if the answer to that is HR than I can doubtlessly say it's XLRI you should choose. If it's not so, then you should pick IIM-Lucknow. Definitely, XLRI has witnessed quite a few firms recruiting across marketing and finance, but IIM-L still simply has more firms that regularly visit across these domains especially if you consider consulting, although to be fair this is only relevant to a smaller set of students but for those to whom it is, it's a huge factor. Next up, infrastructure IIM-Lucknow has better on campus infrastruct ure both for recreation as well as academia. That being said, I honestly dont believe that either campus would really lead to any severe problems on this front. XLRI with a batch of 300 odd (due to increase this year I believe) makes for a much smoother time than IIM-Lucknow's 440 strong batch and is definitely something that gives XLRI an edge. Lastly, on the front of alums I still believe that the IIM tag opens more doors, XLRI is no doubt a great brand too but if one were to factor in the sheer number of IIM-L alumnus out there IIM-L stands out by a mile. So overall, I think the decision boils down to whether or not you want to study HR. If you do XLRI is the better place, if not then IIM-Lucknow in my opinion is the better of the two.

02:46 PM

Rupali Patro

You will be in competition with 100s of others with similarly impressive backgrounds. One of the biggest realizations I had when I got my MBA was that I had access to more interesting opportunities, but the competition for those opportunities is now much stiffer.

02:49 PM

Rupali Patro

They both refer to the same, actually. MBA - Master of Business Administration PGDM - Post Graduate Degree in Management

02:50 PM

Rupali Patro

Life at IIM L can be exactly what you want it to be. The flexibility offered by an MBA is unparalleled. But the best part is that along with this freedom, you will be bestowed a self-belief, discipline and hard-working ability which might sound like oxymoron in the same sentence as freedom, but this is essential for success. Before joining IIML, I thought the peer-learning was overhyped, but now I think every word of it was true. The class discussions, study group assignments and in-general interactions take the learning to a completely different level. MBA provides the right mix of academic rigour and experiential learning. The course itself is designed to cater to the needs of the industry, and MBA students are equipped to hit the ground running as soon as they graduate. Foreign exchange programmes, guest sessions by industry leaders, a two-month summer internship at reputed firms and live projects provide students with opportunities to learn about the different sectors and gain domain insights useful to make a career decision. So, I would advise students who are interested to take up management studies, to work tremendously hard and make the most of these two ‘awesome’ years of their lives. The sheer diversity in backgrounds and profiles opens up so many avenues for learning which, at times, are far more profound than the in-class exercises. Where else will you find fresh graduates sharing desk space with professionals having five years of work experience, or commerce grads rubbing shoulders with science, fashion, engineering graduates?

02:53 PM

Rupali Patro

Yes, definitely. Your CVs are thoroughly skimmed before you have a shortlist for most of the finance behemoths. If you're certified with a CA tag, you already have an edge over others during shortlists. If you hail from a commerce background, you'll be familiar with the entire course while your engineer counterparts would have a bit of a tough time trying to fathom newly introduced concepts in finance and accounting.

02:56 PM

Rupali Patro

You can have an idea about it by visiting each of the B-schools' websites. They have clearly mentioned their respective admission procedures in detail. I think fetching an 80+ would grant them a call from many of the top B-schools. The PI and WAT process would remain at par with general category candidates applying for the schools.

02:59 PM

Rupali Patro

First, I suggest you write a mock test (preferably a previous CAT paper). It will give you an idea of where you stand currently with zero or very little prep. For example: You might realize that you are already quite strong in verbal but are lagging behind in Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Once you get an idea of each section after writing the mock test, make a section-wise plan of preparation accounting for the time you have per week, materials you are going to use etc. Ideally, you should try to finish the learning part of the preparation by the end of June. I have given a rough framework for preparation you can follow for each section: (if you would prefer to watch a video on this then you can click here) QUANT: 1) Make a list of all topics under Quant. Start with a broad classification, like: Number Theory, Geometry, Arithmetic etc and then list out the sub-topics under each heading. You can find the complete list of sub-topics in the video (link given above). 2) Start with any topic you want to. Spend a lot of time getting the basics right, solve all concept level questions and then move to application based questions. 3) Once you finish practicing easy questions from the topic, start practicing CAT level questions. You will find an excellent set of questions to solve here. DILR: There is no well-defined strategy for this section except practicing as many sums (of different types) as possible. Start by understanding different types of charts and graphs (Pie Charts, Bar Graphs, Histogram etc.) and various types of puzzles (seating arrangement, Einstein Puzzle, etc.), though CAT will still ask some unconventional type of puzzle, it is a good idea to know about these standard types. Additionally you can read publications like Mint, Economics, etc. that have a column on Charts and Graphs. You can also get George Summers’ book of puzzles for extra practice. Most coaching institutes’ mock tests have a really good collection of DILR questions. VERBAL: Reading ability matters the most in this section. Read as much as possible (from different sources) in these months leading up to the CAT exam.

03:02 PM

Rupali Patro

IIM A, anytime. It's the foremost B-school in India since 2003.

03:03 PM

Rupali Patro

If you're dilligent and dedicated enough, you'll definitely bag yourself a decent placement regardless of the work experience you have. With 7 years of work ex, you would be eligible for HEPP placements or the equivalent for experienced professionals where great companies choose to recruit them over others.

03:05 PM

Rupali Patro

No, it will not affect your chances of selection. They depend solely on the cat%ile, WAT and PI results. If you get selected, in no way shall it affect your placement opportunities and will accentuate them in fact. Many of the operations-related bigwigs, the likes of Uber and Amazon are on the constant lookout for people harboring such a background.

03:08 PM

Rupali Patro

Summer placements for ABM are totally at par with your PGP counterparts. In fact, the ABMs and the PGPs are seated together in a single classroom. They have a couple of extra courses also. The knowledge they ingrain is all the same for the whole of first year. It's only in second year that the PGP guys get to choose a specializaton while the ABM ones will get to choose a single elective. Whatsoever, there's no compromise in the learning process. IIMA is divine. However, it's up to you to gauge the opportunities you'll have if you choose a PGP program at other great IIMs and pursue a specialization of your choice. Life is all about trade offs, afterall!

03:14 PM

Rupali Patro

Well, last year it was IIM A, this year IIM B. So, connecting the dots, IIM C is a good guess to make. But then, how does it matter?

03:16 PM

Rupali Patro

Yes, your record of extracurricular matter a significant lot. Right after you step into a B-school campus, you'll have to start garnering points to mention in your CV. All your life history comes into the fore at this point. So, in addition to your academic excellence, the activities you took part in, the clubs and committees you were involved in play a massive role in shaping you (or should I say shortlisting you for companies).

03:19 PM

Rupali Patro

No time is too late to give a head start to any ilk of a preparation. Now is the time! Hurry up and start preparing right away! If you belong to the general category males and you unfortunately happen to be an engineer(which I am too), you require a minimum of 99% to get a call from IIM Lucknow.

03:22 PM

Rupali Patro

I don't think it matters a lot if you have other extracurricular activities of interest to cover it up. Sound academics and a diverse range of activities from the past are things that matter.

03:24 PM

Rupali Patro

I don't think so. With all the information being available n the internet, I would suggest you conduct your research based on the placement stats given by the B-schools and take the decision for yourselves. However, I believe the new IIMs are catching up soon with the old and reputed B-schools.

03:26 PM

Rupali Patro

For consulting to be your career option, you are required to have the knowledge about every field in general. You'll get to know the specialization you want to choose after studying all the courses for your first year. By then, you'll have a thorough idea of your field of interests, strengths and weaknesses.

03:28 PM