Why I Rejected An Offer From SIBM Pune?

Just to give you a background, I scored 97.78 %ile in CAT 2019 and 98.88 %ile in SNAP 2019.
This was my second attempt. In my first attempt in 2018, I scored 84.7% ile in CAT and 214 in NMAT (I don’t really remember the scores in other exams but the percentile was in 70’s).

This year, I had calls from SPJIMR, IIMK, MDI G, SIBM P, SCMHRD and the new IIMs. Out of all these calls, I could only convert SIBM-P and SCMHRD. I didn’t sit for the new IIMs interview as I was pretty sure I would not join these colleges. (One tip I would like to give here for all the CAT 2020 aspirants, do not underestimate the interviews. I know it sounds like an obvious thing but there is a tendency that once we get interview calls from such great institutes, we might end up not thinking in a very smart way.) Now, I know for a lot of people SIBM-P is a dream college and on the other hand, there are people who do not even appear for SNAP. I believe both the groups are right in their own ways. SIBM P, undoubtedly, is a great institute to do your MBA from. It checks almost all the parameters a candidate looks for.

1.     Great location advantage
2.     Amazing placements (Average almost 20 LPA)
3.     Great companies coming for recruitment
4.     Small batch size
5.     One of the top institutes in almost all B-School Rankings etc.

So, then the question arises why didn’t I accept the offer? I have a few reasons for the same. 1. The Potential

I truly believe that it’s not rocket science to crack the MBA entrance tests and anyone who puts in enough efforts with the right strategy can crack them but at the same time, putting those efforts is not as easy as it sounds. We all have a limit and not everyone is able to score 99% ile in these entrance exams.
But since, I was able to score a decent percentile in CAT 2019 and received calls from colleges which, in my opinion, are better than SIBM-P, I thought I can do it again. Perhaps, maybe even better. The reason I say this is because I know I did not give 100% to CAT 2019 and also made a lot of stupid mistakes in the exam.
Hence, I do believe if you are planning to reject a college do make sure that you have the potential to do better the next time.

2. The Time

In some cases, potential does not really matter. I am sure if everyone kept on giving these exams 6-7 times, he/she would be able to score 99% ile + but everyone does not have that much amount of time. The reason for the same can be many, depending on the situation.
In my case, I have been working only for 1 year and I do not really mind working for 1 more year. In fact, I realized that working for some more time will not only improve my chances to get into a better B-School but also improve my learning experience once I get into one.
So again, you should think about whether you have that 1 extra year to give or not.

One more thing I would like to point out here is- it is understandable even if you do have 1 more year and you still decide to accept the offer. Frankly, for me, I am ready to spare even 2 years. So, in case my, if 2020 does not go well, I still have one more chance. Now, this totally depends on much risk you are willing to take because there is a possibility that your next attempt does not go as planned even if you do all the things right. 3.  The Domain

This is one of the most important reasons that I rejected the offer. SIBM-P is a great institute for marketing but I want to build my career in consulting, preferably get into one of the MBB firms. According to my research and the interactions with students, SIBM does not give a lot of opportunities in consulting. I know the chance of getting into MBB is very sleek even if I get into an institute where these companies do come to recruit but I would at least like to have that option open.
So, my suggestion, if you are happy with the companies and the opportunities the institute provide in your desired domain, you should consider it.

4.  The Pandemic

With this pandemic, there are a lot of speculations being made about the summer internships and the final placements for the batch of 2022. But more than the placements what I was concerned about was the experience. Most of the institutes have shifted their 1st term online and this is something I was not ready for. I know it might seem as if I am averse to changes but that’s not the case. One of the reasons I want to pursue an MBA is because of the learnings and experience from the tight/hectic schedules and based on my interactions with students, the most difficult time in a b-school is the 1st term itself.
So, though not a major contributing factor, but this was one of the reasons why I chose not to accept the offer.

These are the four major reasons why I decided to give it another try. But one of the reasons that I didn’t mention here is motivation.
In my opinion, this is one of the most important factors one should consider before even thinking of rejecting an offer. If you do not have the motivation to study and put the hard work for 1 more year, just accept the offer and give your best in the college.

I do believe I have the motivation to get it another shot. I have already started my preparation and hopefully, the results will be in my favour.