GATEWAY TO GET ADMISSION INTO TOP B-SCHOOLS

How to select a B School

chekde — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:49:30 +0000

There are 1000-plus B-schools in India and half a dozen rankings to boot; notwithstanding the numerous claims and counter-claims in the print and/or electronic media. All of these seem to be true at first sight but it really is a Hobson’s choice to decide which one to select and which one to prune out from the wannabe list. Following is an exhaustive list of governing parameters in order of importance, for a student to decide the B-school best suited to his/her interests and competence. The governing parameters have been grouped as PRIMARY and SECONDARY:

Primary Parameters

Industry Interface
Pedagogy and Strength of course
Faculty
Alumni Strength
Specialized B-schools
Placements
Infrastructure
Research Excellence Vs Academic Excellence

Secondary Parameters

Degree Vs Diploma
Boarding Vs Day School Programme
Global affiliations and accreditations
Fee Structure
Location
Timing of entrance examination

PRIMARY PARAMETERS

Industry Interface:
The interface that the B-school has, in terms of quality of the companies visiting the campus, the quality of projects, guest lectures, visiting faculty et el gives an idea of the kind of rapport the institute has built up for itself in the industry. This strong linkage is developed and maintained by both the Training and Placement Departments, along with the active participation of the students. The data, about the companies visiting the campuses for summer or other contact programmes, is available in the curriculum details.

Pedagogy and Strength of course:
Some courses have become synonymous with the very best in the world. For instance IIM-A started with the active participation of Harvard & IIT-Bombay has incorporated the course of Sloan School of Management. Not just the course but the unique pedagogy through which the course is administered also plays a very important part in the development of the future manager. For example, IIM-A administers most of the part through case-studies whereas experiential learning is the norm at FMS, Delhi.

Faculty:
The vision and excellence of the faculty not just in terms of academic qualification but also in researches carried out, papers published, projects undertaken, and the first hand experience of the practicability of solutions juxtaposed with the experience of having done the real thing through the students makes for real learning. These details can be readily sourced from the website and/or the brochure of the institute. While considering faculty, one has to look for the number of permanent faculty, the experience of faculty , their experience, and their business knowledge.

Alumni Strength:
The positions occupied in the echelons of management in the corporate world by the alumni give an ample evidence of the locus standi of the school. This goodwill or confidence gets translated into better placements. One can get a general idea, based on the year of establishment of the school. Generally, the older the school, the larger and probably the more distinguished is its alumni strength. The information about alumni is readily available on the websites, brochures, or generally in the alumni databases managed by al coms (alumni committees).

Specialized B-schools:
A student’s interest in a particular field or subject is a vital ingredient in the choice of a B-school. Some schools have become synonymous with one of the specializations they offer. For example, XLRI and TISS are well known for Human Resources, MICA for Advertising, IIFT for Foreign Trade, IRMA for Rural Management, IIFM for Forest Management, NITIE for Industrial Management, etc. One needs to choose the course according to one’s own inclinations.

Placements:
B-school placements are looked at with awe and expectation by the aspiring students year after year. It includes the number of companies that visited the campus, average salary packages offered by them, quality of the companies, the average number of jobs offered by the companies, and the number of overseas placements. Yet despite this being a significant factor, it is itself dependent on the interplay of a host of other parameters at work and should not be viewed in isolation. Secondly, one should do a careful analysis of at least past two to three years of placements to get a realistic picture.

Infrastructure:
The presence of adequate and state-of-the-art infrastructure is an important determinant to judge whether the school offers qualitative environment conducive to learning. The infrastructure includes not just the lecture theatres, auditoriums, or other such entities, but also the availability of adequate resources for effective and quick learning to take place.
Research Excellence Vs Academic Excellence:
Teaching and research are important to all business schools and a B-school should be able to make a judicious balance between the two. The pointers can be: -
. What percentage of faculty is involved in research ?
· How much time does the faculty devote to research ?
. Is research output academic and theoretical, or applicable and relevant to business ?

SECONDARY PARAMETERS

Degree Vs Diploma:
Even though the most prestigious B-schools like IIMs give you a diploma, yet a student has a tendency to opt for B-schools which offer a degree rather than a diploma. The institutes that are affiliated to a university or have a deemed university status offer you a degree. It is generally believed that a degree holder has far higher chances to apply for a doctoral programme in the Best B-schools abroad.

Boarding Vs Day-school Programme:
A good B-school day would consist of at least 4-5 hours of class room training followed by at least 6-7 hours of working in groups outside of the class. As a result, a major part of value addition happens during learning outside classroom. This not only assists in the development of personality of the individual but also forges teamwork as the way to succeed, using experience and knowledge of one’s peers. So, the B-schools with compulsory boarding programme get a higher rating than the ones with a day programme.

GStudent and faculty exchange programmes are the norm but schools like IIMs and FMS are looking at getting foreign students through GMAT to give an international feel to the programme. Besides, some B-schools are tying-up with other foreign universities to try and offer a joint or dual MBA. Lastly, some B-schools like IIM-L are trying to get European and American accreditations to highlight the quality of their course and give it an international outlook. All this helps define the idea of quality of a B-school for the student.

Fee Structure:
While selecting a B-school, fee can take a back seat, because these days all the banks are providing educational loans at an affordable rate. If you are getting an admission in a good B-school like IIMs, MDI, S. P. Jain, etc., the banks would happily provide the loans to cover the expenditure for the two-year period. Additionally, the terms are pretty comfortable. The important fact unstated is once you graduate from a premier B-school, the placements can take care of the loan amount easily.

Timing of Entrance Examination:
Exams like CET Maharashtra (for institutes like JBIMS, Sydenham, etc.) and admission procedure by institutes like Tata Institute of Social Sciences are conducted in June, by which time most of the schools have come out with their final lists and have even asked to pay part fee in some cases. Even though the programmes, say by TISS, are excellent, a student may not be motivated enough to go through the process again. So the time is important.

Location:
This may turn out to be an important factor in case of a new school. An HR manger would think twice before devoting two-days to visit a B-school in a not-so-well-connected place. On the other hand, new B-schools may get a look in if they are located in metros or industry-centric areas. This factor becomes redundant with time as the school builds up its reputation. Hence, even a seemingly simple decision to select a B-school requires a lot of research to come to the final conclusion. This would give you valuable insights not only on the distinctive fabric of a B-school but also would help you find the best place

Topics for Group Discussion

chekde — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:05:01 +0000

1. Euthanasia should be legalized.

2. The role of press advertising has diminished with the advent of TV.

3. India does not need OKE but cheaper rice.

4. The opportunities and challenges facing India in a unipolar world.

5. India needs a benevolent dictator for the next five years.

6. There should be compulsory sterilization after the first child.

7. India should review its nuclear option in the light of the recent utterances of Benazir Bhutto.

8. Nelson Mandela - Fighting a bigger battle.

9. Film Censorship should be abolished.

10. Voting age for Indians should not be lowered to 18 years.

11. Students must take active interest in politics.

12. In order to check AIDS sex with foreigners and NRIs should be banned.

13. The government should nationalize foreign banks

14. Prohibition should be enforced throughout the country

15. Capital punishment should be abolished.

16. Art cinema is India lacks entertainment value.

17. Cricket is a waste of national resource.

18. Yesterdays man was a finance man, toadies is a marketing man, tomorrow’s will be an HRD man.

19. Communism is irrelevant in today’s world.

20. Use of drugs in sports is justified.

21. India cannot afford a sporting extravaganza like Olympics.

22. In order to check brain drain, IIT graduates should be made to sign a bond to serve for five years in the country.

23. Religion based political parties should be banned.

24. India should cut her defence expenditure.

25. Reservations for SC/STs is necessary for their upliftment.

26. Our education system has drove ineffective.

27. India should follow a two-party system like the U.S.

28. The world is a sager place today as compared to two years ago.

29. India should review its politics towards Israel.

30. The Indian Army should reoccupy POK.

31. With the lowest industry growth rate since Independence, India’s liberalization policy has been proved ineffective.

32. One man’s terrorist is another’s martyr.

33. What India needs most is a presidential form of government?

34. Corruption is a necessary evil for success is any sphere.

35. Modern English education has alienated the Indian youth from the mainstream of the country’s life.

36. Work experience must be a pre-requisite for management education.

37. Modern management education is a perfect example of old wine in new bottles.

38. Public sector in India is a while elephant.

39. Unity in India is a myth.

40. Communism is for the poor, capitalism is for the rich.

41. There is life after death.

42. Women’s liberation is nothing but bra-burning.

43. Use of guinea pigs for medical research must be banned.

44. Politics is the last refuge of the uneducated scoundrel.

45. Art is a four lettered word.

46. The Islamic bomb will lead to world peace.

47. Advertising is a wasteful expenditure.

48. Exploitation of the female anatomy should be banned in advertising.

49. Love marriage is the best form of marriage.

50. There must be some controls for the Indian press today.

51. Doordarshan must be made autonomous.

52. There should be compulsory army enlisting for every male citizen of the country.

53. A wise man is he who prepares his wife for widowhood.

54. Capitalism and communism are in the process of merging together to form a new politico economic order.

55. Sex education should be made compulsory from high school onwards.

56. Ragging is a necessary evil.

57. The biggest problem-confronting mankind today is….

58. Destruction of this planet earlier than expected would be due to a faulty basic premise in economic called “growth”.

59. Professional sportsmen/athletics should be allowed to participate in the Olympics.

60. Burgeoning growth of metros like Bombay can be stopped only be removing the slums.

61. Value based political has no place in Indian politics.

62. Drug peddlers should be sentenced to death.

63. Doordarshan and Air should be privatized.

64. Indian capital markets have come a long way.

65. Yesterday’s was a joint family, today’s a nuclear family, and tomorrow’s will be a ‘no family’.

66. Religion is the root cause of all evils in India.

67. Indian film industry is on its death bed.

68. Screening of cigarette and liquor ads should be allowed on TV.

69. Income tax should be banned to avoid tax evasion.

70. India should align with the U.S. to accelerate industrial growth.

71. Democracy in India is nothing but civilized monarchy.

72. Increasing automation is the only key to industrial growth in India.

73. Only God can save India.

74. Cow slaughter must be banned in India.

75. Sale of gold to the public must be stopped to prevent wastage of national resources.

76. Art is a four letter word.

77. Lip, Lip & Away.

78. When Red sees Red he turns Red.

79. Women Reservation.

80. Conversion: Necessary Evil.

81. Visit of Clinton: Myth of reality.

82. How to check Hijacking.

83. Budget 99-2000 (Myth or reality).

84. Future of Coalition Govts.

85. Match fixing: We are responsible.

86. Only cons is change.

87. Which is best branch of Mgmt.

88. Solution is Pakistan.

89. Democracy or Democracy in India.

90. Legalise Corruption.

List of all Management Entrance Exams

chekde — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:06:04 +0000

A career in management is a hot pursuit in today’s world. In the changing economic scenario all over the globe -the pay and the prestige has soared to unimaginable heights and accordingly the race for getting into the top Management Schools in India and abroad is becoming tougher every day. To guarantee one’s seat in one of the top management schools, it is imperative to put lots of effort into quality preparation in the right direction as well as timely and comprehensive knowledge of the different entrance examinations.

NNE brings you the details of various Management Entrance Examinations held in India -

- List of Management Entrance Exams -

National Level -

State Level -

Exams conducted by other Important Institutes -

IIM’s Hub

chekde — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:03:34 +0000

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)

Ask any MBA aspirant to name an institute from where he would like to gain management education and pat comes the reply-from one of the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs), where else? Yes, this is the reputation and recognition that Seven IIMs have earned for themselves across the globe for imparting quality education since their inception. Every student aspiring to go for MBA has IIMs on his/her priority. Only in the case of not being able to make in these institutes that a student start exploring other options.

IIMs, which carry the crown of autonomous management institutions, were established four decades back. Out of the Seven IIMs functioning at present, IIM-Calcutta established in the year 1961, was the first one to commence teaching. It collaborated with MIT Solan School of Management for teaching and training activities. Later on other IIMs came into existence. The Seven different IIMs are located in

ì Ahmedabad (Gujarat),

ì Bangalore (Karnataka),

ì Kozhikode(Kerala),

ì Calcutta (West Bengal),

ì Lucknow(Uttar Pradesh)

ì Indore(Madhya Pradesh) and in

ì Shillong (Meghalaya).

But all the Seven IIMs enjoy the similar status in the world academic platform irrespective of their age.

The Seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have also made their position in the elite group of institutions like the IITs, NITs, and Research Institutions like ISRO, CSIR, ICAR etc.

To tap the best talent in the country and to train them to be excellent, IIMs take the route of Common Admission Test (CAT). The test takes place annually across the country in which lakhs of aspirants try their skills. The students shortlisted by them are given such sort of training that wherever they go they leave an impact. The manpower mended in IIMs deliver excellent leadership to the society.

The rigorous training imparted by IIMs to their students through out the whole working session bear fruit too. At the end of the session, companies from across the globe come to their campus and offer hefty pay-packets. This is not all. Universities and Institutes of different countries are always keen to have a tie-up or academic collaboration with IIMs. Big industry giants too take pride in collaborating with them for providing training programmes to cater to the industry needs.

The National Network of Education (NNE) provides a unique platform for all the seven IIMs under its IIM Hub. It also provides all the information related to entrance examination conducted by IIMs. The full-blossomed IIMs are idol of inspiration for millions of students and educational community not only in India but also abroad. The National Network of Education (NNE) is soon going to provide a dedicated BUSINESS BUZZ section which will regularly furnish the developments and achievements of IIMs and will bring a round up of campus buzz. This will be an interesting feature for career aspirants, academicians and others.