It is that time of the year again when many b-school aspirants across the country step up with their preparations for CAT. Amidst round after round of mock tests, coaching classes and what not, they often find themselves glaring at the placement reports of various b-schools in the country. Here, the numbers seem to do all the talking and this single page on the website tends to be the game changer for most while nailing down a decision on which college to choose the following year. But there is much more beyond the CTC when it comes to defining the calibre of a business school.
Faculty
It cannot be stressed enough as to how important a criterion the faculty is when it comes to choosing a b-school. An aspirant should make it a point to do a fair bit of research on the faculty of the Institute. The parameters in doing so could be manifold, ranging from industry experience or research credentials to the number of permanent/adjunct faculty members in the Institute. The quality of the faculty in campus in turn sets the tone for the quality of the academic programme in the Institute.
Job profiles offered
It should also be known that the companies that come for recruitment do not give the same job profile to the students across all b-schools. Hence, it is imperative that prospective students also look out for this information. Here, instead of the institutes’ websites, the students currently studying there would make for a better source of the desired information. Moreover, apart from the packages offered, students should also consider job roles offered as a major benchmark of an institute.
International exposure
Apart from all the other activities, international exposure in a b-school can help a student attain a global perspective in various areas of business management. The opportunity to work with students from across the globe is something which should not be easily passed up, especially in this day and age. Some b-schools have multiple programs to ensure as many students to get some sort of international exposure as a part of their curriculum. Hence, aspirants should make it a point to choose an institute which ticks all the right boxes in that regard.
Student involvement
The opportunities to develop one’s personality in a b-school are aplenty. That mainly owes to the student driven culture prevalent in the institutes. But to what degree that happens differs from one institute to the other. So, the students can visit the websites of various b-schools and see for themselves the scope of work for different clubs and committees. They can also check the magnitude of various events that are organised by the students in the institutes. Based on that, aspirants can judge the student involvement existing in the Institute.
Entrepreneurship opportunities
Another criterion on which prospective students can base their decision could be the entrepreneurial culture of the Institute. If a certain student is sure or perhaps considering to start up his/her own business venture after graduating, one must find out whether there is a culture of entrepreneurship prevalent in that Institute. The presence of a good incubation centre for students holding such aspirations can do wonders in giving them the necessary head start for their start-ups. The institute can support such students by providing hardship allowances, placement holidays or summer entrepreneurship programmes, which could put them in good stead in their journey ahead.