u/Basic-Midnight3986

Exactly a year ago, I thought I had failed at CAT and honestly, at life.

I had studied for an entire year with absolute dedication. Left my job. Cut off distractions. Was scoring well in mocks. And then the exam day ruined everything.

I spiralled. Convinced myself my life was over. Fell into depression. Hit my lowest point. It took me three months just to feel human again.

I slowly picked myself up. Started content creation just to rebuild my confidence. Applied for jobs. Faced rejection after rejection. Finally landed one, moved cities for it. And then... I got fired.

For the lamest reason imaginable. I was lost again.

But that's when life surprised me.

I got a call from that one IIM. I gave the interview.

And I converted it.

1.5 years of pure struggle, discipline, self-doubt, and resilience and I finally landed somewhere. I am not here to sell you false hope that you'll definitely get an IIM.

What I am saying is this:

Your hard work never gets wasted.

Your dedication is always counted, just not always immediately.

And you will land where you are meant to be, even if the path makes no sense right now.

College Comparisons

did my bachelors in engineering from Pune University and tier 69 college. 7cgpa.

Placed in German Oil&Gas in Sales engineering. Spent two years wanted to pivot to more management roles than engineering but I knew could never pass CAT so I left my MBA in India dream. And I wanted to learn business for the sake of learning it.

I applied to German MBAs because it were more industry oriented than finance or consulting. Also Got in a no name uni in Oct 2022. It was decent tuition 14L for the course.

First internship 6mo in Mercedes Benz, second internship was a business challenge program in a Swedish group then wrote thesis for 9months in the same company. Made around 45L in around 19 months internships.

Graduated in June 2025. Got an Leadership development program offer in an American firm (Industrial Automation)in Germany at 65K€/yr first year.

I would have struggled in India but what I did right was I focused my career into a specific niche (B2B industrial equipment Sales) and stuck to it.

This worked two ways because Germany is a hub of industries and I stuck to the same profile (sales) so it enhanced my work experience.

More than uni and work, my biggest learnings and joys came out of staying in a foreign country, immersion in a different culture, opportunity to travel, experiencing different cuisine.

It made me more independent, confident, resilient and street smart.

ROI was insane

1.Bad summers will impact your finals heavily, you can only improve marginally in finals, think seriously if droping out of MBA and going back to your old job makes sense after a bad summers.

2. Academic merit is an illusion in MBA, it is more of a game of information assymmetry or extreme luck.

3. Recruiters and P. Com are against common sense.

4. People who preach how fair and good the system is, are favored unfairly in that system.

5. You never know why someone got selected in some company, maybe the recruiter was from their college, maybe hiring manager was from their community, a good chance it was not conventional merit.

6. Avoid MBA unless you have some existing support or guidance system in the college you are joining.

We are so far ahead in recruitment year, it's disheartening to see that 80 students are unplaced at ISB this year, even though most Tier 1 and Tier 2 colleges have successfully placed entire batch quickly. (Verified the number with 5 students of the current batch)

Many of them have a 50 L loan and joined the institute for it's "global" marketing, but have not been able to secure even lower Indian packages than they came from.

Wondering reasons for this downfall of ISB...

PS - Someone texted me that this post is shared in some ISB alum group and they are asking for mass downvotes - Come on guys, grow up? Hiding facts doesn't change the truth.

PPS - IIM Lucknow placed it's entire PGP batch (2-year program) in 3-4 days. ISBs placements are going on for several months now, still such poor numbers.

Edit - ISB marketing team has reached the comment section and is trying to whitewash the news. Private colleges I tell you <facepalm>

Edit 2- ISBs marketing team is doing aggressive propaganda across Reddit after this post. Hence, for transparency, would like to share below pieces of information I came across:

Most recruiters have been giving poor feedback recently and not doing repeat hiring

• Lot of roles at ISB are in 12-24 LPA range, while even the bottom set of placements at top 10 BSchools are higher.

In general also there are multiple red-flags with ISB:

• Private college founded by a jailed insider trader

awards neither degree nor diploma, just a certificate

inflated placement stats

for any program ISB never releases detailed placement reports

does no audits of placements

doesn't reveal medians and means

huge marketing expenditure

which goes into 'donations' to ranking institutes

less diverse alum base (presence in just 1-2 fields)

poor ROI

no Top finance roles on campus like PE/VC/IB/ Markets which visit even lower IIMs

use of irrelevant criteria like 'sustainability' to boost rankings

no CV vetting of students during placements, peer distrust

Bain recently decided not to interview any non ex-BCN folk at ISB because of forged CV instances

In last 4-5 years, 80-100 unplaced students each year has been the norm at ISB. etc...

In last 4-5 years, 80-100 unplaced students each year has been the norm at ISB. etc...

Aspirants need to be extra aware these days, especially when the college is private and has a lot of marketing/PR expenditure.

Links to some exposes on ISB I came across which people should look at:

• Expose Part 1:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CATpreparation/s /sjZnGYJ4NL

• Expose Part 2:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CATpreparation /comments/1jdx0ly/

Moreover, ISB frequently compares itself to ABCLKI, FMS, XLRI, SPJain which is a common marketing tactic where you punch above yourself to signal you are as good, however if you start looking at choices made by students who get all these admits, you start to realise that people don't actually choose ISB at the end (some do join, and later drop out once they convert an IIM or another good college)

If you are an aspirant, don't fall for marketing or PR gimmicks (or bots on reddit). Do your own research. Most of the above things are in the public domain, factual and easy to validate. All the best!

Give me range for each bracket of B school. Like for ABC Or BLACKI,FMS, XL, SPJIMR let's say 25 - 30L. For the lower tier 1 B schools like IIFT, MDI some X amount. For 1.5 like the NMIMS, SIBM, Shillong then JAP & CAP IIMs or the other comparable B schools. Also forgoing 2 years worth of earning is an opportunity cost you should consider ideally.

The MBA craze in India is at its peak. We've seen this pattern before. First, the rush for government jobs, then IITs, then CAs and product management, and now it's MBAs. Every year, over 3.3 lakh people apply, and only about 5,000 make it to IIMs. The exclusivity makes it feel like a golden ticket, but the reality is much more complicated. Having just completed my MBA (from an IIM), I can say it can either be the best decision of your life or a financial disaster.

The ROI on an MBA these days is seriously messed up. Fees are skyrocketing, placements are unpredictable, and many students are drowning in bank loans. Unless you land a top-tier job, it can take years to break even. And the job market is shifting the recruiters now prioritize skills over degrees. An MBA surely makes you look attractive on paper, but it's your core skills like problem-solving, analytics, sales, leadership that actually land you the job. The market is moving from degree-based hiring to skill-based hiring, and if you don't build those skills, even an IIM tag won't save you.

That's where the real game of MBA comes in. The curriculum is designed in a way that forces you to speak up, take initiative, and make your presence felt. It's not just about classes; it's about learning from your peers, grabbing every opportunity, and pushing yourself in competitions, projects, and networking. You have to hustle, because nothing is handed to you. And let's be real the IIM curriculum itself needs a serious revamp. The world is evolving, industries are changing, but the way we are taught still feels outdated. More practical exposure, industry-driven learning, and modern skill development should be the focus, not just

And then there's the lifestyle. An IIM MBA is an expensive two-year ride. The parties, the networking, the trips, the endless spending it all adds up. You're in an environment where keeping up with the crowd burns a hole in your pocket. It's fun, sure, but financially draining.

At the end of the day, an MBA is worth it only if you have a clear reason for doing it and know how to leverage it. Otherwise, it's just an overpriced ride that leaves you with a fancy degree, a mountain of debt, and no real skills to show for it.

A massive week ahead for the remaining B-schools' final calls, as most of the remaining results are expected in the upcoming week.

Bhai abhi result ko abhi side, Yeh batao Bengal kaun jeet raha hai? Koi hai kya bangal se yaha