Aritro9782 Says

...the hatchet is buried, guys. ...

"Nobody ever forgets where he buried the hatchet." - Kin Hubbard

@Partha, I think it is time the motor of the world be stopped again Reminds of you something?

can somebody post here the body of 'rejection mail' that one receives from ISB, once you have been dinged!


thanks in advance.

Dude, stop preparing yourself so negatively!

This is what it was like last year:

Applicant Name:
Application No.:

Dear ,

The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application for admission to the ISB. Despite your many merits as a candidate, I regret to inform you that we are not able to offer a place in the class beginning April 11, 2011.

Several members of our Committee carefully evaluated your application in the following areas: work experience, career plans, academic, extra curricular and community involvement, leadership and interpersonal skills. Decisions are based upon an evaluation of your individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as your qualifications relative to those of our applicants.

Please note that this decision is not a reflection of your personal qualities and achievements or your potential for success in management, but merely a reflection of the limited number of seats in the class.

I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours, and thank you for your interest in the ISB.

Please note:

All disputes arising out of or in respect of Admission to the PGP shall be referred for Arbitration to the Dean ISB Hyderabad or to his nominee, whose decision shall be final and binding on the parties. The Arbitration shall be at Hyderabad and be conducted in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.



Sincerely,

A.M. Kannan
Director - Admissions & Financial Aid
Indian School of Business
Hyderabad 500 032
INDIA

jayshrej Says

I have my interview on Saturday. Any idea of how much weightage is given to one word essay? Also pls help with good hotels around ISB

The general story doing rounds (and my guess) is that the purpose of the one word essay (100 words) is to make sure that your essays and the rest of the application were written by you and not by someone else on your behalf. I would doubt if there are points associated with it that are part of the overall evaluation, but that's just speculation from me. As long as you wrote your own essays and are good / consistent with grammar, it shouldn't be a problem.

I am sure someone else here can point you to the hotels in ISB's vicinity.

hrishikesh76 Says

Thanks for the great tips crazycalvin, is it possible to change from casuals to formals at ISB itself? How did you travel back to airport, does Meru send cabs to ISB for a pickup?

I did not explore this option since I didn't want any unnecessary baggage with me for a one day trip, but I've heard from others that this is possible. I wouldn't do that though because I wanted to go into "the zone" the moment I stepped into ISB, and changing there would have postponed entering the zone to too late. Good for me, because the moment I reached the desk they asked me if I was ready to be interviewed.

As far as the cabs are concerned, the Meru folks know ISB (Gachibowli). I had taken the cabbie's number and given him the tentative time when I'll need him again. No need to pay for waiting, etc., though that amount won't be much either, if it helps you relax about logistics.

Best of luck!

(Anyone else notice what a pain it can be to put on the collar button with freshly cut nails? )

ShowStoppers Says

... your partial experience too

Alright, you asked for it, so here is the boring part.

Experience: 7 years
Domain: IT security
Time spent:
- Consulting
- Co-Founder (1.5 years)
- Heading a practice now at another startup (since 3.5 years)
GMAT: 760/6.0
Reapplicant: According to the feedback last year, I missed it by a whisker. Yeah, sure! They were just being polite I guess.
Applied as Hyderabad (BLR) at 2330hrs on 30th November, 2011. The interview invite mail had Hyderabad (MUM) listed (okay, whatever works for ISB). Got invite on 6th Jan, 2012.

Interview Panel: 2
Scheduled for 1400hrs. I landed at 1130hrs and they asked me if I would like to go to Panel 2 at 1150hrs since some other candidate had not turned up (yes those who wait in agony, there is hope, for there are people who do not turn up!). Since there wasn't any save-the-planet crisis going on, I guessed a few hours early to the interview wouldn't hurt (just wanted to be done with it). I hung around for around 20 minutes when the woman from the Panel invited me to the guillotine, and I readily obliged.

Three people: One chap from the adcom (He hated me last year and I think he still does. Hatred at first sight, I guess. The feeling isn't mutual though).
Two alumni (a woman and a tall smart Alec).
Brief round of introductions (10 seconds), and then it was a feeding frenzy in wild, wild ISB (funny, I missed their machans!). It was all about:
- My earlier startup
- Things that I would have done differently if I wanted to do that again
- Why ISB
- Question about industry that I want to enter
- What if you don't get a job in that industry
- I am from one of those companies in that industry, pitch yourself to me and tell me why I should hire you over other ISB graduates
- Longer term goal
- What's your one advice to someone starting a company
- Any questions - I had none (there are certain benefits to being a self proclaimed know-it-all).

20 minutes of hell. I am sure 20 minutes of REC (foreign horror film) were more cordial. My guess is it was before lunch, their tummy was rumbling, and I was the catch.

Came out and got the word (I was so keen to do this - it was ages (a year) since I wrote something artistic). The word was "Sympathy". Wrote a kiddo poem about how humour hates sympathy because it kills all the fun! That would have freaked someone out with "social entrepreneurship" on their agenda.

Submitted the paper, got their signature on the gate pass, wished a guy best of luck and meant it, and left.

Overall, I think they had done their homework. For profiles similar to mine, I am pretty confident that you'll not come across any chit chat. You are already into your careers, possibly doing well, so they'll go to the core of why you want to do ISB, and are you really as good as you claim to be on paper?

Oh, and between today and tomorrow, enjoy the kite flying in Hyderabad.

Best of luck!

My interview was scheduled for this Sunday, 3 PM.. Today afternoon I got a call from ISB asking if I can take a 10:40 PM slot if I am landing there early.. Since I was, I couldn't say no.. But now thinking that to show up at ISB directly from the airport (and may be with a crumpled suit ) will definitely not add brownie points .. Any practical suggestions from folks who went to ISB directly from airport, on what to do and what not to? And how to keep the suit crisp :-)?

Fellow puys who have interview Sunday morning: see you there..

ATB to folks having interview tomorrow..

I did the direct-airport-to-ISB rig today.

Take the earliest flight (catch up on sleep on the flight), wake up fresh at Hyderabad. If you take Jet, they don't let you hang coats anymore, so keep a folding coat holder if you have one (or beg, borrow, or pinch). Dress up comfortably at the airport. There is a smoking zone at the arrival lounge as well, in case that helps you get up and perky! Take a meru from outside, and you'll be there at ISB in 35 minutes flat. Fill up the gate pass at the gate (guards are super polite), go straight in till you hit a T, take a left. The place will be on your left. Go up the stairs (ignore those nervous buggers sitting there - Even if you are afraid, pretend to be brave; no one knows the difference!) and announce yourself. After that, whatever is to be done they'll do Best of luck!

PS: If you have time, you get coffee / tea right outside the place where you climb up the stairs.

Does anyone remember the link(s) to the documents posted earlier in this thread where people have contributed their interview experiences? Search ain't what it used to be anymore!

Thank you.

For all those who feel they've made some mistake in the application:
ISB's mindset is of selection, rather than rejection (something that we aren't used to). It is only in the final stages when the rejections creep up due to the sheer number of fine people applying.

So if you feel you've made a mistake or misrepresented something in the application, reach out to ISB Adcom and they'll help you out.

"To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer."

@Calvin - genuine questions yours

I will join ISB if offered. I have not applied to other colleges. And yes, in my interview as well the board mentioned twice about their infrastructure (perhaps) focus on placing students in a different bracket of he market than where I seek a placement.

I don't think this was a discussion on CTC but one on roles and responsibilities, and I told them that I appreciate their apprehensions and that a placement from ISB was not the only thing that I want to get from my stint at the ISB. I also told them that I would love to take part in the placement process and if needed can organise my own placement and also aid the placement process for other batch-mates.

I have a question to add to the list - my job contract requires me to serve a three month notice I am not sure if a March 2011 confirmation would sit well in my scheme of things. How about the rest of us?

My profile 700/10.5 years/ Non IT (BPO and Management Consulting). W/L for 2012.

H.

Good thoughts!
The notice period will be a pain.
But even more painful (to answer) would be to be asked in the interview, "We understand the tremendous responsibility that you carry in your organization, and the fact that the financial year end is approaching fast. Would you quit your organization, giving your company less than 25 days of notice period?"

There is no way I can quit without being around for at least 45 days to hand over, except maybe one.

That will be to find another job, and put in your papers well in advance, so that the ISB joining date approximately coincides with the date you plan to join your new job. This way, the notice period is no longer a concern, and you are better off financially, ISB or not.

Wicked, eh?

Quick question:
How many of you (me included) waitlisted folks feel that:
1. Either ISB feels you will join elsewhere even if offered a seat by ISB
And / Or
2. ISB would (or feels they would) have trouble placing you, given your already high CTC (say around or greater than the current average ISB outgoing CTC)?

Nothing to do with expressing disappointment of being waitlisted and thinking that one had a strong profile. Rather, I am just trying to rationalize stuff.

I am kind of bothered by (2) above.
What about you folks?

Thanks!