Should IIM Lucknow be chosen over FMS or XLRI just for the IIM tag? It reeks of secrecy (no placement reports, no waiting list numbers provided without RTI) and barring the campus life I haven't heard

I have said this before. No college is better than the other. It’s just a matter of preferences and suitability. Yet you are here comparing some 3 best B Schools in India. Neither of the 3 colleges is lacking in any aspect. So you won’t be making a bad choice by choosing one from FMS, XLRI, or IIM Lucknow.

The most crucial step while choosing a college is checking your priorities and knowing what you want from the college and where you are headed to in the future. Once you are determined in what you are seeking no college can really stop you. So don’t worry about the confidentiality at IIM Lucknow. With the right mindset, you can make the best out of it. I think focusing on the following aspects will help you make a better decision 

• Quality of education
• Campus life
• Career goals
• Big companies coming to the campus for placements 
• Fees

Once you have set your goals, all the above 3 colleges will help you achieve them. Lastly, don't choose IIM Lucknow for its IIM tag. If you are honest with your goals, the IIM brand value is not more than a mere tag.

The minimum cutoff for the general category is 90, whereas the cutoff for OBC is 82 at IIM Lucknow.

The final selection of a candidate is based on his position in the merit list. The merit list is prepared by calculating the Grand Total for all the students.

Grand Total = Shortlist Total + GDPI Total