‘I didn’t prepare well’; ‘it was my first CAT exam in 2014’; ‘I couldn’t score 95+ percentile’; ‘I have scored 75 percentile with a little deviation in sectional percentile, what are my option to pursue MBA’; these are some of the queries hovering the minds of many CAT 2014 test takers after declaration of CAT 2014 result on Dec 27, 2014. Many of these MBA aspirants are fresh graduates while some of them are working executives and are in a dilemma how to tackle the situation.
There is no doubt that there are many B schools who can offer admission to CAT 2014 takers scoring overall percentile between 70 to 80 with no weightage to sectional cut offs. All such B schools are non IIMs and a few of them are good ones while other may not be so good. On the other hand candidates scoring high percentile of 90+ and with balanced sectional percentile can hope for the call from one of the IIMs alongwith from other B schools.
Whether to proceed with MBA admission 2015 depends on many factors and on your confidence level how you perceive the future course of action since pursuing MBA programme in 2015 from a low ranked B school may not be your preference. If you are confident of cracking CAT 2015 with 90+ percentile or you have a good job with decent salary, you can bet for another year.
Couldn’t crack CAT 2015 with high percentile;
Solution to this problem is not difficult to find. It all depends on you. Both the options are open before you-proceed with the MBA admission opportunity in 2015 or prepare well for another year and crack CAT 2015 with a very high sectional as well as overall percentile to get admission in an IIM in 2016.
Option one: Take admission
Please remember even the high percentile of 95 to 99 in CAT with uneven sectional percentile may keep you away from the IIM as the low sectional percentile will render you disqualified from being shortlisted by an IIM. On the other hand, if you have a percentile around 91-92 with high and balanced sectional percentile, with excellent academic profile and a 2-3 years work experience you can expect the call from an IIM.
Apart from IIMs there are good B schools that may not consider sectional percentile scores. If you have scored between 70 to 85 percentile, and if you have applied to the respective B schools, you may expect to be shortlisted by TAPMI, Great Lakes, BIMTECH, IFMR, IFIM and many more. These B schools offer good learning experience and good placement also. These B schools have good ranking in the country and stand better in some cases than any new IIM. If you do not wish to risk another year and have scored the desired percentile you may apply to them and proceed to pursue MBA with one of them.
Other option: Take CAT 2015
The question- ‘how confident you are to score a high percentile in CAT 2015’ can only be answered by you. Your low score in CAT 2014 might not get you a very good B school nor do we advise you to pursue one if you have confidence enough to hit the jackpot in 2015. A percentile range upto 80 may not push you up beyond a second tier B school nor can any score guarantee you admission to IIMs.
If you can improve your performance and have that strong confidence to crack CAT 2015 with a percentile around 95, MBAUniverse.com advises you to wait and don’t be in a hurry to take MBA admission in 2015.
Think where do you stand and what you would be getting after 2 years of your MBA study? The MBA from low ranking B school may not get you anywhere in terms of learning and placement. Let your confidence prevail, nurture it and work hard for next 8 months to get the top ranking B school in 2016.
Working executives: Double loss
If you are engaged in a decent job and are getting handsome salary, why to give it up when you are not sure of getting a very good B school. By taking admission in a second tier B school, apart from incurring high MBA education expenses, you will be losing 2 years of salary which in no way is less important.
Besides, after completion of the course from some average institute, are you sure of getting a salary twice the amount you are drawing? Probably not! If no value addition you are going to get even after 2 years, what’s the use of pursuing MBA now, just for the sake of an additional degree? Why then to give up the job instead of getting exposed to learning more at work place? If you have the confidence, you must work hard to score a high percentile in CAT 2015 and get admission in 2016 in a highly ranked B school.
In case of shaking confidence level and not getting sure to score higher than what you have scored now, it will be better to continue working and along with your work try to boost your confidence level rather than incurring the high costs associated with obtaining an MBA or PGDM from a low ranking B school. How wise it would be to invest 10 lacs to get an annual placement package of Rs.4 lacs after 2 years, that too when I am earning almost same amount before my MBA degree? What’s the ratio of return and why should I go for it? The thought comes and weighs in favour of no MBA from average B school now.
Please remember competition for pursuing MBA/PGDM is only among top 30 thousand candidates who try to enter top 30 B schools every year by appearing in CAT. Interestingly same candidates you may find in every reputed All India MBA entrance test which leads to the admission in good B schools. Increase or decrease in number of test takers by a few thousand hardly makes any difference.
Below the specified level neither there is any substantial competition among the candidates nor the colleges claim any fixed cut off percentile. MBA aspirants can get admission to any other B school with little efforts and low percentile every year. Decision is yours.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com to get more updates on MBA admission 2015
