It is true that a person’s caliber can in no way be judged from the Business School that they have graduated from. In practice, however, things work very differently.
The general assumption is that if a candidate has secured a top rank in one of the most challenging exams and studied one of the top curriculums in the country, then they are really good in their field.
IIM A, B, and C have been around for a very long time and its graduates have carved a niche for themselves in the corporate world. Most companies in India and many abroad have IIM A, B, and C graduates in top positions. The alumni spread the goodwill of these institutions in silicon valley and other parts of the world, leading to international repute. These institutions are ‘brands’. An IIM A, B, and C brand opens numerous opportunities for you.
Judging IIMs based on ROI solely is not wise. Most IIM graduates end up paying their loans in a period of 3 to 5 years. Also, keep in mind that salary does not remain constant, it keeps increasing each year. Even if you take a loan to fund your MBA, it will be worth it.
If you get the opportunity to study at IIM A, B, or C you should grab it at the earliest.
To begin with, when comparing two IIMs, the question is which is better, not which is the best.
The answer to this question is, of course, subjective.
IIM Calcutta is a more established institution than IIM Lucknow, and it consistently receives higher rankings. As a result, according to any layman or literate man, it will be better than IIM Lucknow.
IIM C is superior in terms of finance specialization and placements. IIM L is superior in terms of marketing specialization and placements.
IIM C is calm, whereas IIM L is frenetic.
IIM C fees are significantly higher than IIM L fees.
IIM C has a high percentage of engineers who go there, whereas IIM L has a wide range of academic disciplines.
IIM C Has more alums than IIM L. This is also a significant feature of how old the college is.
The laid-back culture at IIM Calcutta does not mean it lacks academic rigor. Rather it’s a college experience and not survival. You meet profiles, not just people. You focus more on results than the intensity of efforts.
As far as academics are concerned, you will meet some of the best professors who will make your experience more appealing. They won’t treat you as children but rather as adults who know what's best for them.
Apart from academics, you inculcate so many skills like people management, leadership, and emotional intelligence. So you can literally pursue your career in any field once you get a taste of life at IIM. Calcutta.
Whether this chill culture will make you successful depends on your own attitude and perception of success. Experience of IIM Calcutta will definitely help you in one way or another in your life.
The first two IIMs were supposed to be in Mumbai and Calcutta. While the land and approvals for Calcutta came relatively easily, the then-Mumbai state government refused to allot land for an IIM in Mumbai and acted rather casually.
Meanwhile, Vikram Sarabhai, the driving force behind the IIMs concept, was eager to get the IIMs up and running as soon as possible. He was well known for his extensive business and political connections, but his entire industrial and research infrastructure was in Ahmedabad (in the then-newly created state of Gujarat).
Vikram Sarabhai was so eager to get the IIM started in western India (one in the east and one in the west was the initial logic, which was followed by one in the south and one in the north as well) that he pulled all the strings for an IIM in Ahmedabad. For the first few years, IIMA was based in Vikram Sarabhai's personal bungalow in Ahmedabad's Shahi Baug area.
He was also the driving force behind the recruitment of other IIMA legends, including Louis Kahn for the architectural plan, Kastoorbhai Lalbhai of Arvind Mills for the donation of all land for the campus, and the mesmerizing Ravi J. Matthai, the institute's first full-time director.
If you are working in a company with great turnover and managing a leadership role, this programme is of little benefit to you. But if you want to open your own start-up and are willing to learn the know-how of business management and leadership skills this course welcomes you. Some major benefits of the course are:
Many companies sponsor for you and are willing to take you back after the course
This programme should be undertaken with long term benefits in mind. You should be confident that broadening your horizons will definitely pay you back one day later or sooner.
For people who are always willing to learn more and more it’s the perfect course. It’s a tightly packed one year programme
But every coin has two sides. As much as this course is beneficial in the long run it has its own drawbacks. Some drawbacks you should definitely know are:
People who have lost their touch in academics will not be able to cope with the tight scheduled course
The placement opportunities are rare around 10-20% of the entire batch
People who are low on budget tend to take educational loans which are not worth this course.
So this course has its benefits but they are long term and one needs patience to uncover them.
As an undergraduate, you must complete the following tasks:
Better 10th and 12th-grade point averages, at least above 80% in both.
Maintain your academic focus.
Choose a non-engineering subject for your undergraduate studies. It will help your profile.
Attempt to score above the 99th percentile on the CAT. If you want, you can do coaching during your undergrad.
Enhance your communication and writing abilities. This will be beneficial in WAT and GD/PI. If you want, you can join Toastmasters or start a blog.
If you want, try to participate in some extracurricular activities. This will not improve your IIM chances (unless you have a national-level certificate), but it will add some vibrancy to your profile. Activities can range from being a member of a club or placement cell to creating your own YouTube channel.
Perform some internships or work as a freelancer on a project. It will provide fodder for conversation in interviews.
It is, indeed. By far.
Whether you want a tech role, a front-end IB role, a PE/VC role, trading, algo trading, a hedge fund or quant role, a risk manager or a financial regulator role, or even a research career in finance, IIM C is by far India's best offering. It has a cutting-edge Finance Research and Trading Laboratory, multiple terminals throughout the campus and the laboratory, the largest annual research output by PhDs in India, and much more.
In terms of both absolute placement rates and batch percentage, IIM C has the highest placement rates in India's finance industry.
Your graduation score is a bit low but it depends on your institute too. If you are from a top college, then this score will be considered pretty good. Moreover, past academics are not the only deciding factor when it comes to admission to IIMs. You do have decent changes if selection viewing your overall profile.
As for the CAT Score, don’t set a fixed target and just aim for as high as you can. The cutoffs keep changing depending on various factors so what should remain constant are your efforts. Additionally, preparing for the interview is very crucial because it determines your chances of admission.
The EPBA program offered by IIM Calcutta is just a certification, but not the kind where you pay money to get a paper from an arbitrary organization. It requires a minimum of two years of experience, and he or she should be employed at the time of admission. IIM C will conduct the screening and selection. You should have a standardized test score, such as the GMAT, GRE, or CAT, that is above the 90th percentile. However, this is not required; it simply adds to your profile.
The program discusses the methodologies and practices that are crucial for data analytics and their applicability in a number of functional areas, including marketing, finance, and operations. It is intended for those who require a managerial introduction to this discipline.
Business analytics is concerned with quantitative analysis and predictive modeling in order to develop data-driven competitive strategies. Examples of analytics in action include businesses that use tools to find their most profitable clients, set the right price, hasten product innovation, improve supply chains, and pinpoint the real causes of financial performance, among other things.
Some fundamental Principles are as follows:
Certification from the country's top business school.
Studying with India's top professors and business professionals.
Boston University provided special contributions.
Course Content that has been thoroughly researched and is up to date.
A strict program structure with assessments for each course.
Simulations and case studies.
Earn while gaining a high-quality certification and improving your eligibility for better job profiles with a recognized certification.
The alumni membership of IIMC is present globally, and has its own set of benefits for participants' identity, brand value, and marketability.
In terms of NIRF 2023 Management Rankings, IIM Bangalore ranked higher than IIM Calcutta. Even in the FT Global rankings 2023 for MBA, IIM Bangalore ranked 52, whereas IIM Calcutta ranked 76.
The alumni of IIM Bangalore are more into research and academia.IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta were open to private-sector jobs since their establishment. IIM Bangalore, on the other hand, was established to produce public sector managers. It was opened for private sector jobs in the late 1990s. IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta had a headstart there which is why they have a greater number of notable alumni in the private sector. Even then, IIM Bangalore does have a good number of alumni in the private sector.
IIM Bangalore is an institution of global recognition and repute. It will offer you all the opportunities and necessary guidance to become successful in your career.