CAT Aspirant from DU: Will taking a gap year hurt MBA admissions more than doing the 4th year?
I’m currently a 3rd year BCom Programme student at Jesus and Mary College (DU), and I’m planning to appear for CAT and other MBA entrance exams this year.
I’m seriously confused about whether I should opt for DU’s 4th year (academic project, not dissertation) or graduate after 3 years and take a dedicated gap year for CAT prep.
My main concern is this: I’ve heard a lot of people say that taking a gap year can become an issue during MBA interviews/PI rounds, and I really don’t want to hurt my chances of getting into a good B-school because of that.
At the same time, I’ve also heard that the 4th year is quite hectic, and I’m worried that the academic project workload might affect my CAT preparation. I don’t want to stretch myself too thin and end up underperforming in both.
For context:
- BCom Programme student (currently 3rd year)
- Goal: CAT + other MBA entrances next year
- Considering 4th year with academic project specifically (not dissertation)
I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation, especially DU students or MBA aspirants.
Would doing the 4th year be a smarter option, or is a well-utilized gap year not as big a red flag as people make it out to be?