“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
- Frank A. Clark
How was the exam? Was it tough? Did all my months of preparation and hard work went in vain? I hope you must have given your best and will score more than
“Sharma ji ka ladka”. I think answering these questions for aspirants might be a little bit challenging than the CAT exam.
I believe there are three possible answers to the first question - Good, I don’t know, and Not good. Those who belong to the last two, don’t just sit in the corner sulking, now is the time to learn from your mistakes and work even harder by starting preparing for other entrances. Even one week before CAT, one of the aspirants contacted me and told me how he was not scoring well enough in mocks. Instead of sugarcoating my answers, I remained honest with the aspirant but at the same time advised the aspirant to fill for other entrances as well and try to compensate in those entrances.
Top B-schools that accept other entrance scores:
There are other top B-schools that accept scores other than CAT or have their own entrances. Top B-schools like
SIBM Pune and
SCHMRD accept
SNAP scores (candidate can attempt SNAP twice from 2020),
IIFT conducts its own entrance,
XLRI conducts its own entrance
XAT (usually on the first Sunday of January), and XAT scores are accepted in many colleges. It is best not to waste time and start solving the past ten previous years of these entrances. This will help you understand what all types of questions do usually come in these entrances and how you can ace them.
Those who think that
CAT went well for them, kudos to them, but the
war is not over yet. Stage 2 of this war, which is the
GD-PI-WAT process, is difficult than stage 1. Generally, the ratio of selection for the premier b-schools is
more than 1:10, and you have to give your 100% to bag your dream b-school. For that, you need to start working on hygiene questions for the Personal Interview and start reading about the past six months’ happenings, which will help you in GD and WAT. This advice is common to all.
Is my 100% enough?
But sometimes, even your 100% in the second stage is not enough, which is the harsh reality. You might not get your dream b-school. I believe that there is
more than one path to success, some might be crooked, and some might have big pits. Similarly,
CAT is just one path for your road to an MBA. So, it is better to
increase your chances by filling for other entrances as well and try to ace those exams as well.
What about my dream company?
Your end goal might be to get into your dream company, so
IIMs are not just the only way to your dream company; many of the big organizations also visit other top-notch colleges like
XLRI, IIFT, SIBM Pune, SCHMRD, JBIMS, TISS, IMT G, MICA and IMI Delhi. Do research about these b-schools by interacting with current students, read the content about these b-schools that was previously published on the
InsideIIM platform.
Another Attempt?
Still, if you feel that you want to take admission in your dream b-school only, you can always go for another attempt. Again this might be a risky step, so better think about your end goal before taking any further steps. If you are a fresher and want to go for another attempt, it is better to get some work experience or do some course around the specialization you want to pursue during your MBA. It will help in two ways; first, you will have something to answer in your interview. Last, you will understand the specialization in a macroscopic way and help you identify the area of interest in a more wise manner.
I believe in you and you should also believe in yourself. I know you will put your best foot forward and utilize the time well.
Best of luck with your future endeavors.