[2011] Which B schools should you apply to? CAT & Related BSchools

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Hi All

With the season 2011 getting closer to the months which are going to be full of applications for different exams, coveted B-Schools and lot of ups and downs, we are back with the thread which has been amongst the most helpful threads for the aspirants.

Here, we help each other to take informed decisions about the B-Schools we wish to apply. It is very important to know how/when/why to apply to B-Schools because many a times candidates have a bad day on the exam day and he cant apply to schools after the results are out and later realize that he missed applying to institutes which were in his range.

Link to last year's thread : http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/54445-2010-b-schools-should-you.html

Here, goes my 2 cents on this :

While applying for any b-school , just don't make its placement as criteria. This does not means to apply in any b-school.

ROI is a matter of concern . But , ROI does not refer to immediate placements which we get from campus. ROI refers to the value addition in long term , which a college provides you. 4-5 years down the line , there are people working at same profiles despite graduating from differently ranked b-schools which provided them different packages.

Also , there are many people who are not clear about the specialization . It is always better if we do introspection before deciding to apply for a b-school. There are few b-schools which provide excellent opportunities in finance , others in marketing and likewise... So, we can select a b-school in alignment with the specialization we intend to make our career in.

One thing more which i have noticed. People select even specializations on the basis of packages they will get from college . It is not the right way. Read books , articles , consult seniors to get idea about specializations and try to find area which attracts you . You can enjoy your job only when you love what you are doing and not when you are forced to love something. And once , you start loving your job, career growth and money comes automatically .

Few major pointers on the factors which play a crucial role in deciding where all to apply :
1. How desperate or keen am I to do an MBA in this particular academic season?
2. Have I set goals and target colleges for myself?
3. Will I settle for a certain college eventhough I might want to go some place better?
4. How many colleges should I be ideally applying for and what have I allocated as budgetary expenditure for the application process?
5. Why do I really want to do an MBA?
6. What are my expectations from the B-School to which I am applying ?

I would like to clarify that this thread doesn't encourage comparison of B schools.Moreover B schoolers and Alumni are requested to be unbiased in their feedback of B schools.Placement figures are something that doesnt fall under discussions of this thread,however B schoolers and Alumni can give a small overview of the overall placement scene in the college.
Few links which would be helpful are:

1. http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/career-discussions/9670-personal-career-cat-job-dilemma.html

2. Section on career discussion : Career Discussions - PaGaLGuY.com - The Everything of MBA in India and Abroad, CAT 2011, GMAT, XAT, MAT

3. Still wondering why MBA