r/iim_CAT

Hi everyone!

I’m new to this community and wanted to introduce myself.

I’m currently on a drop year and preparing for IPMAT. I completed Class 12 with the PCM stream, scored 93% in Class 10 and 67.4% in Class 12. While my Class 12 score isn’t what I had hoped for, I’ve decided to focus on making this drop year count and give IPMAT my best shot.

I’m hoping to learn everything I can about IPM programs, IIM life, interviews, academics, internships, placements, clubs, hostel life, and the overall student experience. I’ll probably be asking quite a few questions here over the coming months!
I’d love to hear from current IPM students and fellow aspirants:

1.Does my academic profile still give me a realistic chance at the top IPM programs if I perform well in the entrance exam and interview?

2.What mistakes should I avoid during my preparation?

3.What resources or strategies helped you the most?

4.Looking back, what is one thing you wish you had known before joining an IPM program?

Looking forward to learning from everyone here. Thanks in advance!

Hey folks,
Need some help figuring out my MBA path in India.
Profile:
Non‑engineering male

7/7/7 academics (10th/12th/UG)

3+ years of work experience

Current package ~16 LPA

I’ve been told (Vercel) that I should be targeting 99+ percentile to get into the top schools (any ai research and college alumni at my workplace said 97+ should be fine but I’m going with the higher number). I’m fine with grinding for CAT, and also open to putting in the effort for GMAT if that opens up better options.
The dilemma is whether it makes sense to go for a Tier‑2 or below MBA when I’m already at 16 LPA. I’ve seen friends go abroad and then have to come back, so I’d prefer to stay in India.
What I’m trying to figure out:
With this profile, which colleges should I realistically aim for if I hit 99+?

Is a Tier‑2 MBA even worth it in my situation?

Any other colleges/exams I should be looking at apart from CAT/GMAT?

Would love to hear from people who’ve been in a similar spot or know the landscape well.
Disclaimer: I used Copilot to polish up this draft because my thoughts were all over the place.

I'm not an MBA student, but I have friends across several MBA colleges. Among them, what I've been hearing about IIM S has been particularly concerning.

For the past 4 weeks, freshers have apparently been given late-night tasks, deliberately sent out at odd hours, and then scolded the next morning if expectations aren't met. How is this considered a healthy way to build future managers?

From what I've heard, some students are mentally and physically exhausted and close to breaking down, but they stay quiet because they're already overwhelmed with coursework and don't want to create problems for themselves.

Most MBA colleges have orientation tasks or induction activities, but continuing this for weeks, sometimes until 3 AM, doesn't seem like it adds any meaningful value or develops any real managerial skills. Sleeping for 3-4 hours and 2-3 weeks straight and that is a normal expectation is very messed up.

To me above looks like seniors are just bullying to shit out of freshers since they dont have much options elsewhere. Pretty messed up culture.

Another thing that surprised me is the hostel arrangement. Splitting the first-year batch across two campuses means one group spends around two hours a day commuting. That's a significant disadvantage in an already demanding academic environment. (Heard that division is 50-50?)

What kind of culture is this trying to create? Leadership isn't built through sleep deprivation, humiliation, or unnecessary busywork. It risks normalizing the idea that "because we went through it, the next batch should too."

I'm genuinely curious, especially from current students and alumni, is this an accurate picture, or am I only hearing one side of the story?

Edit - The fun part is this is student let tasks, they are not even in main course work, the seniors of same college are sending idiotic form filling tasks at 3am

My academic profile is:
10th-71%
12th-79%
Bcom(mid tier DU)Estimated CGPA of around 8.8 by graduation
Category-General
based on my performance so far.
I’m currently in my final year. If I put in the effort, I think I can get an internship and maybe a mediocre placement but i can’t decide if i want to.
The problem is that I want to pursue an MBA, but I’m worried that my 10th and 12th marks will become a major barrier for top B-schools. For most other MBA colleges, I’m also concerned about the ROI, so realistically I’m only interested in Tier 1 or strong Tier 2 options.
I’m struggling to decide whether preparing for CAT is the right choice. Given my profile, do I still have a realistic chance of getting into a good B-school? And even if I do, will my academics continue to put me at a disadvantage during placements?
My second option is to prepare for government exams because I don’t want to build my career in a field where I’m constantly at a significant disadvantage due to my past academic scores. I’d really appreciate an honest ,realistic answer rather than an overly optimistic one,I want to make the right decision while I’m still in my final year.

General candidates as low as 85%ile have got interview calls........apparently 8000 people applied so statistically atleast 1200 general candidates must have been called + the reserved category ones for 70 seats?!!!!

Everyone who got call comment below with percentile and Cat.

Senior,

I'm female........I scored 83% in class 10th and 67% in 12th. My college hasn’t started yet. It’s a tier-3 college and I have taken Computer Science core. I want to take CAT for MBA.

What is the best time to give CAT — is it during 4th year of college or after 2 years of work experience? Also, with my marks and college tier, what should I focus on to build a strong profile? Will I get iim A with my high school score ??? ........

Any advice would help. Thanks.

Yes ik I am late to start my prep, but the issue was monetary - got my first stipend from my
summer internship and now have the money to buy a coaching

I am looking at Rodha + VARC1000 by Gejo, but would love your opinion as well

Also, is it possible if I and my friend share one account of Rodha only and not take seperately, how do they prevent this from happening?

Genuine opinion and help needed

so I wanna take loan for iim
pls tell me what to do
And how to apply for scholarship
What certifications should I prepare
and I heard some institutions give loan and like interest is after u graduate like after 5 years then interest will apply ! But some on Reddit are saying noooo that doesn’t happen

My Friend took a loan of 40 lakh so she used 20 lakh only so the remaining 20lakh she had no interest like it was none of her business cuz it wasn’t withdrawn

SO TELL ME HOW TO DO
HOW DOES THIS WORK

1. TELL SCHEMES AND HOW THEY WORK
2. Tell me what certifications to apply for scholarships like the income certificate and stuff

( I DIDNT APPLY FOR EWS MY CATEGORY IS GENERAL BUT MY BROTHER SAID U STILL CAN GET SCHOLARSHIPS PLS LEMME KNOW )

Looking through the LinkedIn profiles of people who’ve been sending me connection requests after converting IIM Nagpur has been… disappointing.

From what I’ve personally seen, a significant number of admits are fresh BBA/BCom graduates, along with candidates from backgrounds like call centers and lab technician roles. No engineers encountered so far. I was expecting a far more competitive mix but haven’t personally come across many engineers so far.

If this is representative of the cohort, I think it’s a worrying signal. An MBA is only as strong as the peer group it brings together. Diluting the average profile of the batch risks weakening classroom discussions, peer learning, and eventually how recruiters perceive the institute.

IIMs built their reputation by attracting some of the country’s strongest talent. If admission standards are shifting in a way that compromises cohort quality, that’s a decision that could have long-term consequences for placements and the institute’s brand.

I don't think it's worth becoming a doc for me in this thankless country nd sacrifice everything for selfish people who just wants to get a good treatment for their needs and fulfillment. And in return doc doesn't receive much and blessings are really nothing these days u don't get to live happy , peaceful and satisfactory life with only blessings. I don't think this profession would really align with my goals now I want to earn in 5-6 yrs and live a happy and peaceful personal life along with doing my job/work. Travel and spend full time with family in weekends. Coz at the end what I realised ki with time competition is increasing nd 10years down the line there's not much guarantee of mbbs pg would be very much valuable or its roi will be good for the efforts , hardwork, sacrifice u put for this profession. I'm changing my path to BBA now.. will go for masters or some government exams.

After the previous waitlist movement I was waitlisted at 442 and after paying the willingness fee of ₹10000 my waitlist movement decreased to WL - 8 in General category. I thought that now I had very good chances of converting but after waiting for several weeks I was starting to lose hope but then out of nowhere I got a mail that I received my offer letter from IIM Sambalpur at night on 29th June. Now I have to report to the campus on 3rd July which is very close and it will get very hectic. So is there anyone who has also accepted the latest offer letter and is going through the same crisis?

Please drop your advice if you are from one of the mtech or mba community.

Hi everyone,

My profile:

- 10th: 56.16% (GSEB)

- 12th (Commerce): 58.13% (GSEB)

- BBA: 6.57 CGPA

- Female, General

- Around 6 months of work experience, currently working

- Around a 9-month gap

- No extracurriculars, PORs, certifications, or achievements

I'm planning to appear for CAT 2027.

I need an honest reality check:

- Can I realistically get into any top B-school with this profile?

- What CAT percentile should I target?

- Which colleges should I realistically aim for?

- What can I do from now until CAT 2027 to improve my profile?

- I'm very weak in Quant and need to start from the basics. Which online coaching would you recommend, and what should I study before joining?

- I don't want to go into marketing or sales. Which MBA specializations and colleges should I consider instead?

Please be brutally honest. If my expectations are unrealistic, tell me. If there's a path forward, tell me what I should do over the next year to maximize my chances.

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply.

There were Two panelist M and F (both were pretty chill.) I was the first one to be interviewed there in Panel 1.

I entered greeted them and took a seat.

M took the ECAs folder and asked me to introduce myself.

I introduced myself (M was checking the folder and F was listening.)

Then M asked me two of my favourite Subjects and I said mathematics and accountancy, then he asked what topics did I study in accounts and I said depreciation, Journal entry, balance sheet, financial statements, etc. Then M asked questions from accountancy.

Q1- what is the difference between Depreciation and amortization?

- I explained both of these correctly, then M asked about methods to calculate depreciation and I said straight line method and written down value method, then M asked to explain these and I did that, then M asked if one can choose a method to calculate it or not and I said Yes, then M asked by which method we get more benefit and I said written down value method, then M asked why and I said because we get tax benefit as in this method value of an asset never goes to zero in future so we get tax benefit then M typically said that no this is not right and that we get more benefits from straight line method as we get equal expense every year which gives us more expense to record something like that and then I said ok sir then I might be wrong then M said so you agree or disagree and I said yes sir I agree with you. Then M asked about amortisation and that how do we show it in the balance sheet ? I explained it correctly like we record large expenses as an assets to charge in future year and like that I explained and then M said that for ex if I sign msd for an advertisement which costs 50lakhs then can I amortise it and show it in the balance sheet or will I be in legal troubles and I said yes sir and blah blah something.

(This question went for like 3-4 minutes)

Q2- what is goodwill and can we show it in the balance sheet?

- I answered that yes we can show it but only if we buy any other business which has its brandvalue and asking more money for goodwill but you can't show it in the balance sheet if you are valuing goodwill of your business on your own.

Then M asked me that are you comfortable with money markets, etc (economics stuff), I said yes sir a little bit but not deeply, then M said you had economics na and I said no sir I didn't had economics then M said okay okay and asked me :

Q3- what is sensex ?

- I answered that sensex is a bundle of top companies' stock values that represent indian economy as they constitute a major part in the economy and somthing like that.

Then M moved to mathematics and asked the topic that I have studied and loved in maths and I said differentiation and integration then M asked couple of questions from it.

Q3- What is Differentiation?

- I said Differentiation is the rate of change of a dependent variable Y with respect to an independent variable X. M asked why sinx has derivative as cosx and I said sir because if we move X variable of sinx function then function will move at the rate of cosx, M asked can you prove it and I said yes sir I can prove it by LHD RHD method, then M asked me to prove it then as I wrote the formula of left hand derivative, M interrupted me and said what does this formula means and then I explained him that in this formula we subtract a very infinitely small value which tends to zero from the function and then find their difference and somthing like that and that's how we find the slope at that particular point because the difference is infinitely short it comes of that particular point only whose rate we have to find and since it is a curve that's why it has different rate of change at different points unlike the straight lines in which we find a slope which comes out to be constant.

(Something like that I don't know my exact words but ya and I think M was satisfied.)

Q4- Prove Sin^2(x) + Cos^2(x) = 1.

- I proved it correctly by Pythagoras theorem.

After Acads, M said F to continue and then F asked me if I play cricket and badminton (From my ECAs) and I said Yes maam then F asked me if I watch IPL and I said Yes then F asked me

Q6- As we all agree that IPL is a very big sporting event, so how will they earn money?

- I said by selling their broadcasting rights and selling teams and like auction and something I said like that (fumbled in this question but F was saying the words herself whenever I was fumbling).

Q5- do you think IPL has lost its technical beauty of sports to provide more entertainment ?

- I said Yes maam, then F asked why do you think that and I said because maam the format has become shorter so that batsman play more aggressively to provide more entertainment to the public but it makes them to prioritise power over technical bat swing and shots and something like that I said.

Q6- F gave me an extempore on the topic "If you are an owner of an IPL team then how would you make your team popular and increase its value and branding."

- (After thinking for 20 seconds) I said that firstly I will ensure that my top order plays aggressively so that we can use the powerplay effectively but if they get out quickly then I will instruct my middle order to play defensively so that we can achieve a good total and then for bowling side i would tell them to take as many wickets as possible quickly and will try to win the match then F interrupted and said that you answered as if you were the coach but I asked you as an owner that how will you increase the popularity of your team then I said ohh sorry sorry maam and then I thought for 5-10 seconds and answered that I will tell my batsman to play more aggressively so that audience get more entertainment and I would organise campaign in which general public can come and support my team and like that I gave my extempore.

(It went bad ig, don't know if the misunderstanding went against me or not but this confusion completed my 2minutes easily without me going blanked as I technically gave two short extempore, it didn't go like I spoke very less so yaa)

Then M asked me about my parents and I said that my father is a businessman and my mother is a homemaker, then M asked about the business and I said my father has a petrolpump as a retail business, then M gave a situation and asked me

Q7- How would you calculate the profit of a petrolpump business ?

- I said no sir my father doesn't own the petrolpump as a dealer but manages it, then M said yes but still as a student of accountancy how would you calculate the profit of a petrolpump. I said firstly I will calculate the expenses such as price of petrol and other operating expenses like rent, salary of workers, etc and will subtract it from revenue to get the gross profit then I will subtract interest and tax to calculate the final net profit.

(I am not fluent in English so during this whole interview my english was not good but not bad also)

(That was my interview, it lasted for like 15-20 mins. I have scored 142(EWS) in ipmat and the cutoff is 112 for ews. So hosakta hai ky mera like is interview ke baad)

Hi everyone,
I have about 5 months left for CAT.

My profile:
10th: 90%
12th: 59.8%
B.E. CSE: 85.8%
OBC, Male
~2.5 years of work experience at MNC

Is it still realistic to target a good IIM ,What percentile should I aim for with this profile? Looking for advice from people who were in a similar situation or have gone through the process.
Thanks!

Any idea when the next IIM Sambalpur Waitlist movement might happen ? . There hasn't been any movement after 18th June , so I was wondering if anyone has any updates or knows what usually happens at this stage .

​

​

On the 26th of June I received mail from ranchi asking to pay term 1 fees by 30th of June.

And I already enrolled for iim jammu and as per their withdrawal policy they won't refund my amount back. And my family runs a street food stall and they cannot afford to pay this amount without any refund ( they cannot afford to lose this much amount? It's not a financially viable option for them)

I checked both of their fees structure and came to know that for IIM JAMMU it is 22.8 lakhs and for IIM RANCHI 19.2( I don't know if it is correct because on website they state it as a tution fees only, please comment exact fees if you know) lakhs excluding message charges. In Ranchi I am paying 3.6 less but still it is a loss of 70k if I assume that I paid the same amount to ranchi.(I can explain this much to my parents).

Please help me with this issue.....I would appreciate your help.

Same. Please drop your wl no.