The GD-PI round will not be easy irrespective of whether it’s for IIM A or any other college. There are certain non-negotiables in every GD-PI. These non-negotiables usually depend on the objective of the program and the values of the college. If you fulfill these criteria, the GD-PI round will not be that difficult.
Here are some things that can help you perform well in the GD-PI round.
The two most common questions asked during the GD-PI round are ‘Tell me something about yourself.’ and ‘Why MBA?”. So, prepare for these questions.
It depends on board permission and total tuition fees of the program. To avail IIM Ahmedabad scholarships check the following details:
IIMA Special Need-Based Scholarships: All students admitted to the post-graduate programs (PGP & PGP-FABM) whose gross annual family income was below Rs.15,00,000 during the previous financial year are eligible for this scholarship. It is subject to proof of family income, educational loan amount, and past earnings.
Family income includes parent(s)/guardian(s) and spouse if married. Consider pre-tax income. IIM Ahmedabad will decide each applicant's financial aid based on their economic condition, including movable and immovable family assets, the number of dependents on the family income, and any other factors it deems essential.
Other Scholarships:
IIM Ahmedabad will not award the mentioned scholarships/financial aid to the students who violate the Institute's disciplinary rules.
Institute's Financial Aid and Awards Committee may set minimum grade points for scholarship eligibility. A student can get more than one scholarship in an academic year if the sponsors don't object and the total amount does not exceed the actual yearly expenses (PGP fees and other charges plus boarding and lodging).
Usually, IIMs have research internship programs.The preparation would depend on what field you want to work in. Ideally, to get an internship at IIM Ahmedabad or any other elite institute, you should start looking for professors and start applying.
Your CV shortlisting would mostly depend on how well-known your undergraduate institution is, what other experiences you’ve had etc. Start preparing with the trickiest part which is writing a Cover letter and always take help from your professors at college. Start sending out your CV and Cover letter to all the professors you wish to work with and you need to start this procedure 1-2 months before your winter breaks. The usual time to get a reply is a week and you’ll be briefed about the further process in the email.
Remember, it is likely that they assign you some clerical work like collecting articles related to their ongoing research or may send you to interact with NGOs to collect data. Although the experience will help in the future, If you want something more substantial like assisting professors and actually giving your input for their research work you might have to do the extra task and get a reference from your college.
Both are among the top 10 B-schools in the country and each of them excels in certain areas. Picking out a simple winner among them is not really a great idea to identify their true potentials. But still, let us try to compare between the two on some aspects –
Categories |
IIM Ahmedabad |
XLRI |
Placement Percentage |
90-100% |
90% |
Highest CTC |
40 LPA |
40 LPA |
Average CTC |
24 LPA |
25 LPA |
Recruiting Companies |
Google, Microsoft, Accenture, Infosys, etc. |
TCS, HP, IBM, Dell, etc. |
So, in the end, it depends on you, what career path you want to choose to determine which institute is better suited for you. You would not regret getting into either of the institutes.
The decision depends on many factors because CAT is a highly competitive exam that requires dedicated preparation. If you think you can manage your CAT preparation along with your job, you can give yourself a second chance while getting familiar with some of the courses that are going to come up in the PGP program. You should use this time to upskill yourself in your field of interest.
ABC is also a bigger brand than IIM Indore, but ultimately, it's the skills that matter in the long run. The PGP program will be rigorous, and you should be mentally prepared to handle it. Additionally, there are no guarantees in life or in CAT, and the selection process involves an element of luck, with the interview round being extremely subjective. I suggest having an honest discussion with yourself and weighing all your options before making a decision.
CAT, academic achievement, job experience, and selection rounds are among the major determinants considered in IIM admissions. Shortlisting applicants for selection rounds is based on CAT scores.
IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Kolkata demand a minimum CAT percentile of 90 or above for admission.
IIMs demand a bachelor's degree with at least 50% or a similar CGPA. The higher the better the chance for conversion.
While a strong CAT score is necessary, scoring the minimal CAT percentile alone does not guarantee IIM admission. For admission, you need a good academic record, suitable professional experience, and good selection rounds.
When it comes to placements, these are the first few names that come into our heads after the top IITs in India. If you open the placement reports of the listed colleges you’d find almost all the big corporate names and it is implied that are they the ones that are making the median and average of these institutes roar.
Here is a table showing a domestic median package for your reference:
Institute |
Median’23 (in INR) |
Median’22 (in INR) |
Median’21 (in INR) |
IIM A |
33,00,000 |
31,49,910 |
27,60,000 |
IIM B |
33,00,000 |
31,20,000 |
28,60,000 |
IIM C |
33,00,000 |
31,00,000 |
27,67,000 |
IIM L |
30,00,000 |
29,00,000 |
23,50,000 |
IIM I |
27,00,000 |
24,00,000 |
22,00,000 |
IIM K |
30,00,000 |
26,00,000 |
20,00,000 |
Some of the best-paying jobs for MBA graduates from B-schools like IIMA, XLRI Jamshedpur and FMS Delhi are:
Not every IIM discloses the placement statistics to the public. But we can definitely say that IIM Ahmedabad has the best placement statistics.
Institute |
Median Salary |
IIM Ahmedabad |
INR 31.49 LPA |
IIM Bangalore |
INR 31.20 LPA |
IIM Kolkata |
INR 31 LPA |
IIM Lucknow |
INR 29 LPA |
IIM Indore |
INR 24.09 LPA |
IIM Kozhikode |
INR 26.5 LPA |
The table above has tabulated the median CTCs of the institutes you asked for.