It is that time of the year again. With exactly a month to go for CAT, there must be a plethora of thoughts running on your mind. One big question that one faces during this stage are which B-schools to apply for.
Exactly a year ago, I was on the other side of the table going through the same dilemma. It is during that time I came across the School of Ideas popularly known as MICA. It is a B-school with a difference and the favorite destination of aspirants wishing to pursue a career in Strategic Marketing and Communications.
Time flew by and here I am, 4 months down with my MBA at MICA. In this article, I will lay down my perspective on why you should consider MICA over any other Bschool and how to prepare for MICAT and the subsequent stages.
MICA focuses on not just structured learning but also on creativity. There is an equal focus on the development of the right and the left-brain. The MICA entrance process is designed in such a way that it checks an individual on these parameters.
The MICAT exam is conducted twice usually during November and February. The exam is composed of three sections:
I. Psychometric
II. Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability, General Awareness, and Divergent Convergent Reasoning
III. Descriptive Test (consisting of Essay Writing and Story Writing)
Based on the combined CAT/XAT/GMAT and MICAT score, the shortlist for GE and PI is released. These rounds are conducted at various centers across the country. Group Exercise is an interesting team activity that assesses one on thinking on one’s feet, creativity and team dynamics. The candidates then move forward for the Personal Interview stage. After you have made through the final round of the 3-Step Admission process, you are offered the coveted admission offer.
All this might seem overwhelming at the start but with the right strategy, you can make it to MICA. Here are a few tips on how to make it to the final cut by MICAns:
1. Psychometric - This section is unique to MICA. It is a qualifier. There are no right and wrong answers. The way to qualify this personality assessment section is being honest and consistent with your answers. DO NOT leave any unattempted questions as it may invalidate your entire question paper.
2. Verbal Ability - This section tests candidates’ comprehension, vocabulary and grammatical skills.
3. Quantitative Ability - This is the same section as CAT/XAT but with a slightly lower level of difficulty. The key to clear this section is to get your basics right and practice. The questions in this section typically require lots of calculations.
4. General Awareness - This section focuses on business awareness, media industry awareness and static knowledge about India.
5. Divergent Convergent Reasoning - This section is comprised of questions on logical reasoning, visual reasoning, and word associations. This is a section that consumes the maximum time and should ideally be attempted towards the end. Most questions are very intuitive, hence attempt the easy ones and move on.
6. Descriptive Test - This is the make or break section for MICAT as it carries the maximum weightage. There are two parts to it.
(i) Essay writing: This portion requires you to write a positive, negative and neutral standpoint on the topic. The trick here is to pay attention to the details and do not let any bias get in your way.
(ii) Story writing: A sequence of images is given which be rearranged in any order to narrate a story involving those elements. This requires from a creative effort to fetch a good score.
For stage II i.e. the Group Exercise and Personal Interview, you must have a clear understanding of the career path you wish to pursue and what you wish to take away from MICA.
What sets MICA apart from other B-schools is its unique curriculum and various interesting courses such as Imagining India, Visual Culture, Semiotics, and Cultural Codes of Communication.
It is the only B-school in the Asia Pacific region dedicated to core Marketing as its flagship program since its inception 26 years ago. The institute has a stronghold in the industry and has produced thought leaders in various domains of the industry.
If you want to be a part of a fluid community reveling in diversity and have an eye out for Marketing then, MICA is your calling!