Placements
Most B-Schools these days offer 100% placements (barring 20% of students who don't need to be placed and 45% whose parents own companies). Think about it. Have you ever seen a full-page advertisement from an IIM offering placements? As Abishek Gupta, manager Oracle says"Efficacy of placements is inversely proportional to the claims made by these institutes.Ask any institute for names of companies that visited their campus, and the number of placements in each year. If they give you names of all the companies that came anywhere near their institute since it's inception, be warned. It means the current year's pickings are not worth mentioning. An institute that gives you a detailed list and can claim up to 65% placements is a much better choice than one promising the moon.
Most B-Schools these days offer 100% placements (barring 20% of students who don't need to be placed and 45% whose parents own companies). Think about it. Have you ever seen a full-page advertisement from an IIM offering placements? As Abishek Gupta, manager Oracle says"Efficacy of placements is inversely proportional to the claims made by these institutes.Ask any institute for names of companies that visited their campus, and the number of placements in each year. If they give you names of all the companies that came anywhere near their institute since it's inception, be warned. It means the current year's pickings are not worth mentioning. An institute that gives you a detailed list and can claim up to 65% placements is a much better choice than one promising the moon.
Summer Placements
Ask for a list of students who got their jobs after summer placements. If there are none, it says a lot about the quality of students as well as the institute. Remember GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)!
Ask for a list of students who got their jobs after summer placements. If there are none, it says a lot about the quality of students as well as the institute. Remember GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)!
Infrastructure
Forget five-star ambiences. You are looking for a B-School, not a resort. As a rule, exclusive is good, shared is bad. Look for usage statistics for electronic resources. Availability of a 'prowess' (a database on listed Indian companies) means nothing if half the faculty doesn't know how to use it. Ask to see the last year's library budget. Examine books & magazine racks. Too many old, dusty, unused books means trouble!
Forget five-star ambiences. You are looking for a B-School, not a resort. As a rule, exclusive is good, shared is bad. Look for usage statistics for electronic resources. Availability of a 'prowess' (a database on listed Indian companies) means nothing if half the faculty doesn't know how to use it. Ask to see the last year's library budget. Examine books & magazine racks. Too many old, dusty, unused books means trouble!
Rankings
Given the constraints of data available to them, leading magazines do a reasonably good job at ranking Indian B-Schools. But never select an institute by its rank. Compare the rankings of the institute over a period of three years in at least three to four leading business magazines. You will get a better idea.
Given the constraints of data available to them, leading magazines do a reasonably good job at ranking Indian B-Schools. But never select an institute by its rank. Compare the rankings of the institute over a period of three years in at least three to four leading business magazines. You will get a better idea.
Faculty
make-up and turnover Any school that boasts either too many retired professors or wet-behind-the-ear newbies in its faculty list is a red herring. Investigate the list of faculty. Look at their consultancies, publishing record, etc. Prof Bhattacharya, a visiting professor at JNU says: "If you see many new teachers every year, the institute is either a parking lot, or a furnace. Forget it."
make-up and turnover Any school that boasts either too many retired professors or wet-behind-the-ear newbies in its faculty list is a red herring. Investigate the list of faculty. Look at their consultancies, publishing record, etc. Prof Bhattacharya, a visiting professor at JNU says: "If you see many new teachers every year, the institute is either a parking lot, or a furnace. Forget it."
Management Development Programmes(MDP)
MDPs are a very good indicator of future placements. Higher and well-attended MDPs means the faculty is sought-after by firms, the potential recruiters. But don't confuse this with the much abused 'industry interaction.' Vikrant Yadav, a manager at Dell says: "I will visit a school and deliver a lecture if the school persists, but I will not necessarily recruit from there."
MDPs are a very good indicator of future placements. Higher and well-attended MDPs means the faculty is sought-after by firms, the potential recruiters. But don't confuse this with the much abused 'industry interaction.' Vikrant Yadav, a manager at Dell says: "I will visit a school and deliver a lecture if the school persists, but I will not necessarily recruit from there."
Visiting Faculty
Look behind the catch-all visiting faculty lists you get. Find out how often these faculty visit, the hours they devote to the institute, delivery monitoring mechanisms, core faculty supplementing content, and the standing of the visiting faculty. Dr Ghosh, a retired CEO who teaches occasionally, remarks: "B-Schools have spawned a whole new industry of self-proclaimed consultants, who jump from one school to another."
Look behind the catch-all visiting faculty lists you get. Find out how often these faculty visit, the hours they devote to the institute, delivery monitoring mechanisms, core faculty supplementing content, and the standing of the visiting faculty. Dr Ghosh, a retired CEO who teaches occasionally, remarks: "B-Schools have spawned a whole new industry of self-proclaimed consultants, who jump from one school to another."
Freebies Never decide on an institute because it gives you a laptop or takes you on a foreign trip. Remember . there's no free lunch. Somewhere they make you pay. Run an Internet search with the institute name+'cheat' or 'fraud' to help you avoid swindlers.
Recognition
Of the 1,900-odd BSchools in the country, just over 1,000 are recognised. A recognised degree ensures you can aim for higher studies and employment in the public sector. For the rest, the degree is worth the institute's industry standing. If it is an Indian School of Business then go ahead. Otherwise, stick to the recognised ones.
Of the 1,900-odd BSchools in the country, just over 1,000 are recognised. A recognised degree ensures you can aim for higher studies and employment in the public sector. For the rest, the degree is worth the institute's industry standing. If it is an Indian School of Business then go ahead. Otherwise, stick to the recognised ones.
Rules
Beware of illegal rules like no refunds and impossible withdrawal deadlines. The only document the institute can rightfully hold is your migration certificate. Every other credential must be returned after verification.
Beware of illegal rules like no refunds and impossible withdrawal deadlines. The only document the institute can rightfully hold is your migration certificate. Every other credential must be returned after verification.
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