The last 2 batches at IIM Indore have had more than 120 women out of the batch of 450 which is a decent 25%+. Why then would IIM Indore want to compromise on merit and add gender diversity points?
Yes. After IIM L,C and K - IIM Indore becomes the 4th old IIM to start awarding points for being female.
(Read our coverage of the selection criteria of the remaining IIMs here - IIM Kozhikode, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Lucknow).
Two major changes in IIM Indore's shortlisting and selection criteria - for this year, CAT score will be considered while drawing the initial WAT/PI shortlist, and IIM Indore starts awarding points for gender diversity.
The main changes in the shortlisting and selection criteria are listed below
- CAT scores will be considered in the shortlisting stage. CAT scores will not be considered in the final selection.
This probably sounds a little strange, but it is true. The shortlisting criteria for IIM Indore last year did not give any weightage to the CAT. Shortlists were made by ranking the students on a composite score which was comprising 35% SSC score, 35% HSC score and 30% for graduation score. In other words, there were only basic filters (90%ile etc.) for CAT score and shortlisting was decided on the basis of composite scores. This year, that has been changed, and the CAT can help you get a shortlist.
This year again, shortlists will be made by ranking students on a composite score which comprises 35% SSC Score, 35% HSC Score, 27% CAT score. Your SSC and HSC scores will be a number between 0 and 1, computed by normalizing the raw scores. The exact process for normalization is not described (we don't know whether adjustments will be made for different levels of leniency in marking across different boards. Getting 90 plus in graduation is definitely easier in the Andhra Board as compared to the Maharashtra board).
By the way - 35% and 35% and 27% - add up to only 97% right? Where does the remaining 3% go? That brings us to the second big change in the shortlisting criteria.
- IIM Indore has started awarding three points for gender diversity. Three points is not a lot and it is a deficit that can easily be overcome by better performance in other sections (perhaps CAT alone). But this is important because it signals a shift in thinking. In such a competitive world as B school selection, the three points are enough to make a difference between making the cut and missing out narrowly.
By the way, we must note that even without applying the gender diversity filter, IIM Indore has been managing to enroll around 130 girls over the last 2 years.
The main features of the selection criteria are listed below:
- Step One: Basic Filters - No major changes in basic CAT filters; filters identical to those at other IIMs
The basic filter of 85%ile in both the sections, and 90 %ile overall (for the general category) remains in place this year. This is similar to the criteria at other top IIMs. Do keep in mind that the basic filters are only a necessary condition, and not a sufficient condition. The students who actually get a shortlist will have much higher percentiles.
- Step Two: Shortlisting for WAT/PI based on "Composite Score" - Two Major changes - CAT scores will now be considered, and girls will be given additional marks.
This has already been explained. The shortlisting will be done by ranking the candidates by a composite score, just like last year. It is the formula for computing composite score that has changed this year. While last year's composite score formula gave 35% weightage each to SSC and HSC scores, and 30% weightage to graduation score (each of these three scores were computed using an undisclosed normalization formula), this year's composite score formula keeps the 35% for SSC and HSC intact, but replaces the 30% weightage for graduation score with 27% weightage for CAT score and 3 marks for gender diversity.
In other words, those of you who have done badly in graduation can breathe a sigh of relief. You will definitely get as good a chance at a WAT/PI shortlist as anybody else (of your gender). However, graduation scores will not be totally forgotten. For that, go on to step three.
- Step Three: Final Selection - No major changes, only minor tweaks to percentages allocated for academic scores.
The criteria for final selection are quite similar to last year. It is a weighted average of your scores for SSC, HSC, Graduation, WAT and PI. Only the percentages have been tweaked, that too very slightly. SSC and HSC scores had a 17.5% weight last year, while this year they will have 17% weightage. Graduation score had a 15% weightage last year, while this year it will have a 16% weightage. The PI score and WAT score will have a weight of 35% and 15% like last year.
The final formula therefore reads as (17%)*(SSC Score) + (17%)*(HSC Score) + (16%)*(Graduation Score) + (35%)*(PI Score) + (15%)*(WAT score).
This is a very minor change from last year. Again, CAT score does not matter in final selection. Performance at the PI stage has the highest weightage in deciding your chances in final selection. Overall, the final selection criteria are balanced between two areas - academic performance and performance in the interviews. CAT scores does feature at the shortlisting stage. Overall, we can say the selection criteria are quite balanced.
Other salient features of selection criteria
- Work experience continues to get no weightage - either in the shortlisting stage or the final selection stage, just like last year. We expect a relatively high proportion of freshers in the new batch (compared to other b schools).
- No weightage for academic diversity. People from non-engineering backgrounds will not get special preference. Chances are that IIM Indore will continue to have a really high proportion of engineers.
The bottomline: The CAT score is once again important in deciding whether you get a shortlist or not. Final selection is based on a set of criteria that are heavily influenced by past academic performance (HSC, SSC, and graduation).
However, do bear in mind that a good CAT score can really boost your chances of getting a shortlist, and you might be able to squeeze in by doing really well in the interview.
We invite our readers to comment with their views on the selection criteria. Do you like it, or do you prefer the status quo?
The detailed shortlisting and selection criteria for IIM Indore is available here.
Visit the Final Admit Page – InsideIIM’s one stop shop for everything related to admissions. Ankit Doshi’s analysis on the changed CAT 2014 can be found here
For last year’s selection criteria at IIM I, read here
For this year’s selection criteria at IIM A, read here
For this year’s selection criteria at IIM B, read here
For this year’s selection criteria at IIM C, read here
For this year’s selection criteria at IIM L, read here
For this year's selection criteria at IIM K, read here
Follow IIM I on InsideIIM here
Selection Criteria for CAT 2013
Our analysis of IIM Lucknow’s criteria
Our analysis of IIM Kozhikode’s criteria
Our analysis of IIM Indore’s criteria
Selection Criteria for CAT 2012
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