A dilemma that a lot of candidates suffer from after they have missed out from the top b-schools after not being able to achieve satisfactory scores in the Common Admission Test. There are a lot of reasons why it is totally worth giving it another shot.
A plan
The second shot always depends on the goals of a candidate, the resources both time and monetary they can afford and finally the options that are available. Staying fixed in one company or idolizing a definite job role should not be the limit to one’s ambitions.
The target is to get a job that pays well. Not only that, a job that gets you in the frontline of an industry of your choice. So the brand name of the B-school should stop mattering for a while and the chances of getting into your dream job should be increased by utilizing the second opportunity.
Before getting yourself enrolled in a B-school you should have a chalked out career plan. A MBA degree should not be an ornamentation to your degree. Rather, it should be a fruitful investment. So don’t invest so long the course is educational or experimental.
Invest when you have clearly figured out what job role you suit the best and which company you are aiming for. For some people MBA is educational, for some it is a global and conversational way of life that later pays you way, while some just want to live the enigma of the campus life.
Different goals rule different people. You should be clear about what your goal is from the very first day of your second try at your preparation.
The Options to Choose
The choices that are available obviously depend on your goals and also your percentile. So if you are a person who has a percentile less than 60% then it is advisable to not opt for a B-school as it is not worth the time and money.
If any B-school chooses you with such a percentile then do not expect it to pay you off with a job that has a decent pay scale that compensates for the time and money you invest.
Also it is advisable to opt for a B-school that provides you an integrated course of 1 year and by the second year you have the perfect job that gives you an appreciable amount.
Resources
This is the most important factor more than your goal as finance is a big deal and not many can afford to spend for a second chance. On a ROI perspective, paying EMIs around 40k per month when the salary you get in hand is only around 70k, money crunch is bound to be an issue for the middle-class generations.
Also time is a factor. Some people from managerial posts opt for B-schools like ISB which provides a top-notched degree in one year, as they have faced some time crunch in the industry. So time and money both rule your plans and are complementary to each other.
Hence, giving CAT a second chance is totally fine if all the factors are in your favour. But the whole idea of having a settled life after your plan is sorted is paradoxical. So, it is advisable to clearly a framework of the pros and cons sketched out judiciously in your mind.