Why I Chose IIM Bangalore Over IIM Calcutta

Before I start elaborating on the factors that went into deciding which IIM is better, I would like to mention that being a student of IIM Bangalore, it is natural to have a bias towards the institute. However, in this article, I have tried to remain as neutral as possible basing my decision solely on facts.

IIM Bangalore vs IIM Calcutta:

1. 1. Pedagogy -
      At IIM Calcutta the teaching pedagogy is similar to IIM Bangalore, however there is a huge focus on mathematics. There is also a preliminary quant test that one needs to clear before joining. As I wasn't exactly looking at a quantitatively oriented MBA course, I felt IIMB would be a better fit for me. However, both of these colleges have a mix of lecture sessions and case-based teaching. The faculty at IIM Bangalore however, has more professors with better educational qualifications on paper. This was also one of the factors that I had considered.
   2. Selection criteria of IIMB
      The selection process at IIM Bangalore considers the past academic performance and the consistency of performance in addition to the CAT percentile while giving out interview calls. This ensures that only those people who have always been self motivated since an early age make it to the college. Also the average work experience of students at IIM Bangalore is much greater (3 years) than that of students at IIM Calcutta (1-2 years). This diversity and work experience factor at IIM B makes the classroom discussions rich with experiences from varied fields. This greatly adds to the learning experience and having a work experience of 23 months in an analytics field, I felt IIM Bangalore would be a better field for my further learning.
   3. Geographic location
      IIM Bangalore is located in the heart of Bangalore city with a very pleasant weather. IIM Calcutta on the other hand has severe weather conditions and is situated outside the main city area thereby making it difficult to survive in an already hectic program. Though this severity brings students in IIM Calcutta closer to each other as they bond over the same problems of weather conditions and disconnected geographic location. I personally have been living in Mumbai since my childhood and hence felt that it will be easier to adjust to Bangalore as a location over Calcutta.
   4. Alumni base
      IIM Bangalore had its inception 10 years after IIM Calcutta and hence the alumni base of IIM Bangalore is not as strong as IIM Calcutta which is the oldest IIM so far. Alumni network matters to a great extent while switching jobs but that is a trade-off that I made against the above-mentioned factors.

All in all, both of these institutes have an excellent quality of education, good infrastructure and great alumni. Hence, a choice as to which institute is better than the other is a tough nut to crack. However, I guess ranking the above-mentioned parameters according to their importance for individuals should give a fair idea as to which institute is better catered to an individual's personal interests.

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