Now that the results of all the management entrance exams have been declared, the toughest situation for many students would be choosing the right B-School. The easy doorway to get through the subject matter is to ace CAT and get a call from IIMs. But, out of some lakhs of students who appear for this entrance test, only some thousands of students are going to get a call from the IIMs. And out of the ones who get a call from the IIMs and other top 20 b-schools, fewer students could be able to convert those calls.
The question here is, what about the rest? What about the ones who didn’t even come close to get a call from IIMs or any top b-schools excluding IIMs?
Well, some again try harder by preparing and reappearing for the test again next year. And a few of them would try not to waste one more year by preparing for the exam and decides to get into some random B-School. After getting into some selective B-School, most of the students end up regretting the decision they have made.
It is certain that students who want to join a particular B-School, they would be curious to know the circumspective look of the B-School. They watch YouTube videos about that B-School, etc. But there are other things that students need to know before they keep their footsteps in any B-School premises.
Studying in and out about the B-School you are willing to join is a must. But the question that pops up is how?
So, here is the list of things that every MBA aspirant is suggested to do before they choose any B-School.
Ask your core preference: Certain B-Schools are specific for a particular specialization. Let’s say, XLRI is one of the most sought-after b-schools for students who want to pursue their career in the field of HR. So, it would be wise to know what is your choice of core preference. Well, this can change thereafter when you enter into a certain institute. But it is always good to have clarity about your core preference in the beginning, instead of just choosing a specialization your best friend did.
Go through the institute’s website: Many students don’t just bother about the institute’s website. This is one of the biggest mistakes done by a lot of students. The institute’s website is like a menu card of the B-School. It shows the mirror image of all the activities, events, alumni details, other course details, placement details and a lot more on the site. This data almost gives you half of the information you require, instead of wasting your time talking to some third-party counsellors and knowing about the college.
Look at the institute reviews online: There are a lot of websites that exhibit the details of all the B-Schools, their ex-students reviews, testimonials and a lot more about the institute. This helps to know additional information about the data that a student is looking for.
Get in touch with alumni of a particular B-School: There a lot of places you can look after the alumni of the B-School. The professional way to get in touch would be to check them on LinkedIn. Search the person you want to get connected with, and just text them your concerns or questions you have about the B-School. The other way to find them is, just Google search the name with keywords of the B-School name along with the alumni name. Google shows the list of social media places the person is available.
Check the status of out-going batch students: Certain B-Schools keep the PDF attached files on their website with the names of the previous batch students, the companies they are placed in, and their contact details (email ID). Look after their work profiles on LinkedIn to source extra information. This would give you a clear idea of their work profile and how they are doing after they came out of that B-School.
Visiting guest faculty, if any: Certain B-Schools like IIFT and IIMs bring outside professors or highly-qualified experts from the outside (abroad, economists, industry experts). This is an optional point, but it's a good thing to know about the kind of profiles the B-School is connected with. And that’s one way to know the bright side of the institute’s image.
Professors teaching and industry experience: B-Schools display the list of professors who teach in that particular B-School, along with the subjects they are specialized in teaching and email IDs for the point of contact. By referring to the professors' list, students get an insight into their work experience, achievements they achieved and areas of interest/specialization.