CAT is in some sense a curtain raiser. Conducted during November-December every year it determines a candidate’s standing in the pecking order of the business schools. A very high percentile would mean a good choice of schools. Despite experts take on the ineffectiveness of CAT in discriminating between lower order students, a school which exclusively takes students based on CAT examination stands higher in the pecking order though a school which accepts MAT scores too. Perceptions matter.
For any aspiring MBA aspirant, the basics of selection of a B-School remains the same. The test score primarily determines the choice set. Experts normally categorise schools into dream, possible and sure shot categories.
Dream ones, are the toughest to crack, and sure shot lies fully within the band in which the candidate stands. A good aspirant would form a very rational consideration set. Closer the set is to your capabilities the better are your chances of conversion. Ideally one must apply to about 10 schools.
The first take home from the experts is that, there are some great schools, outside the IIM fold. So keep your eyes open. Recognition of degrees matter, but not to the extend that one forgets the fact that essentially ISB,Hyderabad is also an unrecognised institution. While Satya sets out the premise on what must a govern a B-School programme (pages 32) Manek, gives out an exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts while shortlsting a B-School (pages 36). On the other hand Kamlesh sets out to define scientifically, the probable reasons why one would go for an MBA and lists out various options appropriate.
But invariably, the final choice lies in your hand. Do your research well. Make an honest assessment of your abilities and accordingly select colleges. Do not select a college because your friends or seniors went there. While it does help to have familiar faces, an MBA experience is as much about your peers, as it is about your studies. So go for a college that offers you the best, at good price of course!