With CAT 2015 in its revamped form over now and the test takers now busy in calculation of their expected percentile based on their performance in exam, it is time to decide whether your performance level is good enough to get the desired IIM or you need to go for plan B.
If you are able to score a high sectional as well as overall percentile of 95+ in CAT 2015, no doubt you stand a good chance of getting shortlisted depending upon other criteria devised by the IIMs but if according to your calculation, you are going to score a slightly low percentile between 75 to 85 what would be your chances in getting into IIMs and other top B schools in admission session 2015? Then what should be your future plan and strategy.
Many candidates who have appeared in CAT 2015 and according to nearly accurate percentile predictor, are not getting the top IIMs, have been raising queries before MBAUniverse.com about their future strategy so that they can exercise their best option to shape their future.
Plan A: Top B-schools
Getting into the preferred IIM or other top B school is the decisive Plan A. However whether you can march on it or will have to drop it, depends on 2 things-your score in CAT 2015 and the shortlisting criteria at the preferred B-school.
Although making your entry in IIMs, FMS, IMI, IMT, SPJIMR, NITIE, MDI will depend on various other factors apart from your score in CAT 2015, still high sectional and overall percentile in CAT 2015 will be one of the key criteria to shortlist you for final admission round in any of above top B schools.
If you are assured of a very good percentile in CAT 2015 and do not wish to take any other entrance exam, experts suggest that you should march on Plan A. It consists of different dimensions of admission opportunities based on your performance in CAT 2015.
The few points you have to consider before marching on Plan A are
-- Excellent academic profile can help you in getting shortlisted at IIMs. Class 10 & 12 marks (85+) will play an important role
-- You need a high CAT 2015 sectional percentile as well as over all percentile. It means a percentile not less than 90 to 95 is needed. Even the new IIMs, FMS, MDI, IMT need a percentile around 95 to 99. In the admission 2015, the cut off at FMS Delhi in shortlisting the candidates was 98+. So be honest while calculating your anticipated scores.
-- All the newer and the newest 12 IIMs would be shortlisting the candidates based on their performance in CAT 2015. Weightage to other factors will be given in final admission round.
-- Older IIMs will take into account other weightage factors also apart from CAT 2015 scores to shortlist the candidates.
-- If you have 2-3 years of work experience, IIMs and other top B schools will prefer you.
-- IIMs also award weightage to gender diversity and to non-engineering back ground candidates. If you have either or both of them, you may gain more in admission 2016.
Get ready for Plan A
If you have all or most of this, you should get ready to march on the Plan A which means your meticulous preparation is needed for final admission round. You are advised to begin your preparation for PI round which has different components in different IIMs.
You may find Written Ability Tests instead of GDs or both in many B schools. A few of them have opted for caselet discussion, extempore speaking, psychometric tests before personal interview or any other component. SPJIMR shortlists the candidates on the basis of their excellent profile in the first round.
Check your CAT 2015 application form
While registering for CAT 2015, whether your application for various programmes in IIMs was recorded, this you have to check in your registration form. You must have taken a print of the same, if not please take it now by login to CAT 2015 site as existing user and check the completed registration form which programmes in which IIMs you have applied for.
Besides at the time of registering and submitting CAT 2015 application form, you are supposed to apply separately for admission in other B schools. If you have done it, it’s well and good, if not you should find out the B schools where you can still apply as number of B schools like FMS, MDI, IMI have closed their admission application process, while SPJIMR will close the application process today on December 9, 2015.
Explore Plan B: More options open
Just in case your Plan-A goes to wait for want of higher percentile in CAT 2015. You may be expecting a very good percentile in CAT 2015 and in all probability your anticipation may turn true to your expectation. But if it doesn’t, where do you stand now. It is always good to have a backup plan-B keeping all the options open.
Apart from CAT 2015 you have not thought of any other exam and probably didn’t appear in IIFT on Nov 22, 2015 or NMAT by GMAC. It may not be material now, but you should appear in 2-3 more MBA/PGDM entrance tests now, if you wish to be considered for admission session 2016 at top B schools. This will keep your options of admission open in the top B schools associated to these other exams.
A few of such other MBA/PGDM entrance exams for admission 2016 are as follows
XAT 2016 is the next most important exam to be held on January 3, 2016 in a single session. XAT 2016 will be conducted by XLRI for admission to 148 B-schools and some of such top rated B-schools that accept CAT 2015 scores will also accept XAT 2016 scores. Admission to XLRI, XIMB, XISS, IMT, SPJIMR, TAPMI, LIBA, Great Lakes and other B schools will be available on the basis of XAT 2016 scores. If you think you have not done well in CAT 2015 you have the opportunity to improve your percentile in XAT 2016. Registration for XAT 2016 is closing on Dec 10, 2015.
-- CMAT 2016 will be the gateway to PGDM/MBA programmes in number of B schools. The test will be held on January 17, 2016 across the country. Registration for CMAT 2016 is open till December 10, 2015.
-- MAH-CET 2015 will also be an important exam for admission to JBIMS, PUMBA, NL Dalmiya, KJ Somaiya, SIMSREE, DSIMS, IESMCRC and other reputed B schools in Maharashtra. Registration for MAH-CET 2016 is yet to open. The exam is expected to be held in the month of March 2016.
In view of experts you should opt for Plan-B while keeping your plan A intact, although you may be sure of getting a very high percentile in CAT 2015. The reason behind is that it will give you more opportunities in more B schools. For example XLRI doesn’t accept CAT scores and IIMs do not accept XAT scores. You can explore admission opportunities in XLRI by appearing in XAT 2016. You may also improve your scores in XAT 2016 and may explore admission opportunities in B-schools like XLRI, XIMB, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI among others.
JBIMS doesn’t consider XAT or CMAT now. If you appear in MAH-CET 2016, you may explore admission opportunity on the basis of CAT 2015 and MAH-CET 2016 scores. Application process in JBIMS, Mumbai is proposed to open by the end of December 2015.
Please remember even scoring 99+ percentile in CAT 2015 doesn’t guarantee admission in IIMs for PGP batch 2016-18. An important fact you should remember while devising the strategy for MBA/PGDM admission in 2016 that the top rated IIMs have also reduced the weightage to CAT 2015 scores and have increased weightage to academic profile and diversity, work experience, gender diversity in their final admission round.
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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2015 & MBA Admissions 2016
