So you really worked hard and yet nothing happened? You gave your best shot and yet you could manage only 85%ile? Or worse you had reached close to 99 but have not received the calls you wanted? Trust me; you are not alone in this. CAT is a fiercely competitive exam, and thousands of students are exactly in the same position that you find yourself in. You broadly have two options from here: To let go of your IIM dream or to return with even more force and give it one more shot. In case you are thinking of giving up, read this article to find out why IIMs are worth at least one more try.
1) Brand Value: IIMs have a legacy of their own. It’s like a club where most aspirants want to get in. And like every popular club it has a long waiting list. While I won’t get into the age-old debate of whether IITs are a stronger brand than IIMs, IIMs have carved a niche for themselves. Pick up any company, and it is highly likely that you will find people from IIMs there.
2) Network: IIMs will undoubtedly provide you with a strong network. Your current batch mates will some day end up leading multinational companies. In the corporate world, apart from skill, connections and contacts do matter a lot, and that is where your batch mates will come in.
3) Placements: I am sure that every aspirant must have gone through the placement reports of all prominent colleges. While I won’t tell you to treat them as Bible, all I can say that mostly, people do end up getting good jobs.
4) Experience: While all the above reasons are more than valid to give another shot at CAT; I can vouch for the fact that most IIMs provide once in a lifetime experience. These are places where one night you will up till 4 in the morning working on assignments and the next night you will spend partying with your buddies. The kind of experience this place offers is something that all graduates and current students cherish for the rest of their life.
While I strongly feel that IIMs add a lot of value and character in a person, the decision to give another shot at CAT should be taken after giving considerable thought. If you had 99.xx and yet no calls from IIMs, it may be due to your sins of the past (read low CGPA in 10th, 12th and graduation). It is highly unlikely that next year will be any different. However, if a casual attempt has fetched you 85%ile, there is a lot of merit in giving one more try. After all, the experience of studying in one of these IIMs is truly special. 😊