Entries Tagged 'MBA Everything' ↓

A winning Statement of Purpose!

- Rituparna Roy Chowdhury

You often wonder what is it that wins students seats at reputed universities abroad.
Here is one such essay that could help you understand application strategies better.
This is the essay of Sheela Kulkarni*, who was accepted at Wharton Business School. They show how she outgrew her circumstances and how she was motivated towards improving the lot of others through her innovation and leadership skills.

Is your academic performance to date an accurate predictor of your potential for success at WBS? Why or why not? (50 words)

Although my academic parameters indicate brilliance, it is only one of the benchmarks of measuring my deemed success at WBS. What defines me is my motivation towards accomplishment, which has enabled me to dramatically outgrow my stiff hurdles and reach the pinnacle of professional excellence from a modest rural background.

Describe an impact you have had on an individual, group or an organisation. What did you do? How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)
The spirit of growth has been the cornerstone of my success, which has enabled me to dramatically outgrow my stiff hurdles and reach the pinnacle of professional excellence from a modest rural background.

Quintessentially, I had to weather through the bondage of paternalistic rural India mindset, where women are not encouraged for higher education, or for that matter even school education. Even today, the birth of a girl child is treated with contempt. The girl to boy ratio in the federal state of Punjab is as low as 774:1000. The nearest school was 6 km away from my village. Education especially that of a girl was never encouraged.

I had in my childhood itself decided to break free from this traditional mould. I studied hard and secured admission in a good engineering college. I then braved the emotional blackmail of my family, who never wanted me to stay in a hostel. I became an engineer and started earning. My intermittent visits to my village when I was doing extremely well on the career front, inspired many girls and opened up before the village community the virtues of education.

Thus I emerged as a role model in the village, and numerous others started following my footsteps who would have otherwise remained uneducated, carrying on the family chores in their post-marital lives. Today my village boasts of a number of medical, law and engineering girl students. The whole village has started taking the education more seriously and looks forwards to me for advice.

While I would not like to take complete credit for the same since the wheels of change had already started in Modern India, someone in the female community needed to take the plunge…I took that plunge and then assisted others around me in doing so.
I got married to the guy of my own choice and without any dowry, something unheard of in our remote village. I built up a group of young married couples who have taken the initiative of educating people on female infanticide. Our efforts have certainly resulted in lesser number of infanticides.

I took advantage of the fact that now I was the highest educated person in the village and people wanted my company. I have become a natural leader of these people. I started motivating the village panchayat (the rural democratic government at the grass root level in India)to get at least a primary school opened within the village and that exists now. I educated the village farmers on water harvesting and its benefits. I also introduced the concept of contract farming to the farmers and now they earn more than they used to and get timely payments. Now we intend to create our village as a model village by introducing the solar energy.

I keep on growing the seeds of new ideas in the minds of village youth who keep on nurturing them by their sheer hard work and faith in me. What has helped me is the simplicity of my villagers and the like-minded new generation youth.

You have various reasons for wanting to apply to graduate school. The programs to which you are applying want to know what those reasons are. So they ask you to write a statement, variously known as a Statement of Purpose, Statement of Intent, Statement of Reasons for Graduate Study, etc.

The statement also serves other purposes. It is an example of your ability to express yourself clearly in writing. It helps the program faculty to determine whether or not your goals and interests fit with theirs. And it can be expanded to include additional information which can affect your admissibility.

The statement is usually the only opportunity you as an applicant have to present yourself as a person distinct from your gradepoint average or test scores.

What Information Should I Include?

The instructions which come with the application form should be your first guide as to what to include in your statement. The instructions should give you a good idea as to what information the program needs from you: your area of interest in the field (both what it is and why you are interested in studying it), your background preparation (education, training, work experience), and other relevant information. Often applicants are asked to list notable academic or work accomplishments that relate to the field of study.

You may also be asked to indicate possible thesis or dissertation topics or to indicate the names of faculty members with whom you would like to work. If you don’t have a general idea of possible topics, you should at least mention about the area of concentration with in the field that you wish to pursue.

If there is additional information that you feel ought to be taken into consideration in the evaluation of your application, you can include it, either as part of the statement itself, or by attaching a supplementary statement. (Click here for some additional thoughts about discussing a “low” GPA in a reasons statement.)

How Long Should My Statement Be?

Check the application instructions to see whether a minimum and/or maximum length is specified. If no guidelines are given, you need to balance two concerns:
• Providing your proposed program with the information sought, and
• Keeping your statement concise enough to be readable.

How long a statement is does not seem to matter nearly as much, in my experience, as how well it is written. Every day I see statements of varying lengths come in with applications. Most of them are one to two pages in length. I have also seen statemen ts that were only a few sentences long and multipage statements. In my experience there isn’t a strong correlation between statement length and acceptance rate. Common sense would suggest that if you are applying to a highly competitive program, and if your statement is going to be long, you need to write it especially well so as to hold your rea ders’ attention.

Is There a Preferred Format or Style?

All the rules of good writing apply to the writing of your statement. Unless you write final-draft quality prose on the first attempt, be prepared to revise your statement. It may be helpful to have other people read and critique a draft of your s tatement.

Format
Check the application instructions. In most cases, the specific format is left to the applicant. I use the term “statement” in these pages only because that’s what we call it where I work. Unless you are instructed to the contrary, you can use a letter format if that helps you to write better. (It may help you to think of the statement as being similar in purpose to a cover letter that you would send with your resume to a prospective employer.) The best hint I can give is this: use the format that allows you to organize your thoughts to communicate to your best advantage.

The vast majority of statements which I see are at least typed, if not written with a word-processor. The wide availability of such technology means that it is easy to produce a statement that is free of typographical errors and easy to read. Even if you have very legible handwriting, it is probably better not to submit a hand-written statement.

Style
The application instructions may or may not specify how the statement is to be written. As with any writing, it is important to consider your audience, but it is also important to write in your own voice. Affectation in word choice or syntax usually shows up very clearly. Your chosen field of study will have a lot to do with what constitutes appropriate style. An applicant to a literature program will be expected to write in a different style than will an applicant to an engineering program. Another factor is whether or not you are required to submit work samples as part of your application. If you are not required to submit separate samples of academic w ork you have done, then it is more important that your statement be well written, as it will be your sole opportunity to demonstrate your writing proficiency.

Excellence is a journey and not the destination

I realized this as a child from my father, a ceaseless learner. He asked questions, never took “No” for an answer and I saw him become a powerful career person, recognized as a high flier in every organisation he worked for. And now, almost 50 years of age, he still swears he has to learn a lot more and do things even better.

Having learnt from him that success is a moving target, the years of my own life with my family have honed my own skills to never aim or demand anything, less than perfect.

Built around an attitude for excellence, my motivation has always been at its peak beginning my early years at the high school through to the undergraduate school where I am currently in. My undergraduate school, Shanmugha College of Engineering is one of the premier learning institutions in southern India, a knowledge rich zone, producing thousands of IT genius every year.

I am now keen to pursue graduate studies in a highly advanced learning environment, such as the programs offered by your graduate school. If I am fortunate to join some of your streams, I believe it would be one of my most significant cornerstones for my career pursuits.

My Academics, Knowledge, Computer Skills and more…

My association with computer systems developed significantly over the years in college and has helped me increase exponentially, my mastery in handling sophisticated computers running complex software.

I have succeeded in maintaining a high standard of performance in my academics right from my early years at school. I kept updating my knowledge about computers constantly and subsequently the advances in Information Technology itself. My passion for computers resulted in my choosing Computer Science and Engineering as my major in my undergraduate degree studies.

My stream of accomplishments in the undergraduate school has focussed around my assertive work in programming languages. I have delved deep into its realms and started working on solutions in C and C++ languages using various techniques.

The Computer is intelligent, or is it?

During my work I began to realize a cold fact about computers - all that they could do was to work in one of the ways chosen from a set of ways defined by the program and / or limited by the capabilities of the computers that run these programs.

Like we all know, there is always a better way. I began to wonder if human minds can be trained to think laterally, can not the same human develop similar capabilities on computers?

I knew I had stumbled upon Artificial Intelligence (AI)! I began reading about AI from various journals, books and the Internet and armed myself with extensive knowledge and information on AI.

My dedication and contribution to AI grew and it stretched as far as my being able to present technical papers at national level symposia in India. I have presented a paper that analyzes Computer Gaming Technologies and some of the algorithms used by the AI engines in various categories of games.

Where do I want to go from here….

I have thus developed a powerful intellectual urge to empower myself with futuristic technological skills and keep abreast with the trends in AI. I am very keen to do some independent research in this field.

With my high-spirited motivation for graduate studies and the right mindset to pursue and realize determined goals, I foresee a great future and vocation ahead, in the realm of AI, not just in gaming but in other areas too, such as space research, avionics, industrial & home automation et al.

I would like to equip myself well to fulfill my ambitions and to build a career around my potential. What else can be a better stepping stone for me than a graduate study program in a school of repute such as yours?

In my fathomless journey for success and fulfillment through excellence, complemented with conceptual and practical knowledge and experience, I am now ready to take on the challenges and opportunities of graduate studies and research at The State University of New York at Buffalo.

“Time and tide wait for no man”, this we all know. Hence, having done an inspiring four-year course in Electronic Engineering, I would like to put to use this knowledge to do my Masters in Science. This would give me the leading edge in technology and the practical low-down and information I require. For the past few decades man is advancing into the unknown realms of technology and science. This advancement is to make life easy and to increase human comfort at home and at work and I would like to be an integral part of such betterment. For this, research would be of prime importance with hands on experience in real time applications accompanied by in-depth knowledge of the subject. Technology, today, means power in the widest sense of the term and not merely the power of mind. And it is this power potential that has given it the status it now enjoys. While all this is generally true, since India has been a late comer in the field of science, she has to make up an enormous leeway.

Ever since I was in school I would see my father work with a room full of electronic gizmos on the ship (he is a Radio Officer in the merchant navy) and this is what triggered my fascination for electronics and later computers. The powers they yielded always amazed me. Consequently I decided to attain my Bachelors degree in electronic engineering as it opened up many possibilities and interesting challenges for the reason that science and technology are the roots of many interesting scientific and technical activities. During my engineering course I was introduced to the concepts of microprocessors and microcontrollers and I had taken an instant liking to these subjects. At the same time I became a member of IEEE and by way of their articles learnt a lot more about microprocessors and the role they play in everyday life. It heightened my interest in topics like RISC, CISC and Parallel Processing. All this together aided my decision to specialize in Computer Engineering especially in Computer Architecture & Parallel Processors.

Since then I’ve covered numerous topics in microprocessors such as the Intel 8085, 8086,80386 and their instruction sets along with peripheral devices, the ISA bus and the 8051 microcontroller. With every new topic that I studied my interest in this field grew (exponentially). Also my electives for the final semester are Microcomputer System Design and Digital Signal Processing. In Microcomputer System Design I shall learn about the Pentium Processor and the PCI bus. Moreover a conceptual view of Microsoft Windows NT, Windows NT models-client server is part of the curriculum.

Currently I’m working on my final year project “Automated Teller Machine” along with 3 other project members. We will be constructing a complete functional model using the microprocessor knowledge that we’ve gained along with some electronics know-how. At the core we have the 8086 microprocessor which will be programmed using assembly language. In addition we have designed an optical reader, the printer interface and the all important cash dispenser. Working on this project has given me immense practical knowledge and helped me visualize and design circuits with the least possible hardware and expenditure. It has helped me realize that everything we study in theory might not be that easy to actualize and implement in practice. It has been a great experience and one that I would like to undertake in the future as well.

Microprocessors and controllers entered the industry’s lexicon only recently, yet in the short interval since, many different types having different sizes and processing speeds have come up. They have made the world, in its physical dimensions, a small place, and established the means by which people in remote parts of the earth can communicate with each other. With the seemingly unstoppable expansion of the microprocessor domain, the writing is now on the wall: in a few years microprocessors will drive just about everything from PCs to massive parallel systems to household appliances. My interest in this field to some extent, is because even though the microprocessor industry seems to be generally well off, it has never been able to leave a good thing alone. So the future looks to be full of changes, changes which I would like to be part of.

India is one of the few countries in the world whose tradition for scientific investigation is very ancient. The need today is to revive her ancient spirit and organized scientific research on modern lines so that the benefits of knowledge in technology can be applied to the well being of the common man. If the country is to catch up with the rest of the world the scientific attitude must replace her traditional mood of thought and action. India’s needs of technical personnel are not only quantitative but qualitative also. To help her achieve these goals and to provide her with a quality engineer, I would like to study further and learn the latest in computer technologies. This would all be fulfilled by a degree course in the United States of America.

You might ask as to why a degree from the United States of America only. Since 1994 computers have been out performing automobiles in terms of units sold annually in the U.S.A. All in all computers contributed nearly 10% of the United States of America GDP. The United States of America is way ahead of any other nation in computer technology, manufacture and sales and would thus provide me with the best infrastructure and know-how currently available. Besides, it is a country where science and technology is a way to achieve social progress and where improving human life is very important. All these factors coupled together make the United States of America an ideal place to pursue my further studies.

I have no doubt that University of Florida is ‘the’ appropriate one for me, since it provides a unique mix of educational advantages. It is one of the most dynamic universities providing personal attention and extensive academic resources along with superior education in the field of Computer Engineering with the help of a capacious course. Here, I will receive an education that gives me both, the technical skills and the intellectual discipline to become a leader in industry. It is a University where research is an integral part of the department and the entire faculty is highly qualified and friendly. This I say from my personal experience while interacting with them through emails. It is a meeting ground of various social lives and cultural ideas. In all, it is a comprehensive university that furnishes an education that will serve me well in my career and prepare me for a lifetime of learning. This will ultimately help me provide vital contributions to society and work in a way to expedite the advancement and betterment of humanity as a whole.

I would be an ideal candidate for your college since I have been consistently performing well in my Bachelors course procuring 68% in the sixth semester that helped me secure the seventh rank in college. However, I am of the opinion that theoretical work alone is of little use unless it is accompanied by practical knowledge. I believe that I would be a suitable applicant for Research work in the university since I’ve always been inclined towards practical tasks and the everlasting quest to learn more. “Knowledge is power”, says Bacon. “A wise man is strong and a man of knowledge increaseth strength”. Knowledge is all-powerful and love of knowledge is a pre-requisite for any success in life. If education means merely book knowledge or the passing of periodical examinations, then I am afraid I feel enthusiastic about it. Education should be a medium for the unfolding of ones inborn faculties, enabling him to use his mind, eyes, ears, and hands, as they should be used. This is the kind of education I would want, and one that I know your university will equip me with. There is no greater pleasure than that obtained by teaching. I would make a worthy teacher due to my in-depth knowledge of various subjects and incessant deliberating and conversing skills. It would be a great pleasure and honor for me if given a chance to ensue my graduate studies at your highly esteemed university and if given an opportunity to teach or do research work would not fall short of your expectations. I hope that you will find in me a deserving and creditable student for your renowned University.

How it all began…

My initiation into computers transpired more than a decade ago. My father who doubled up as a Chartered Accountant and a provider of software packages for hospitals & inventory dealers brought home a 686 machine.This sparked off a long and eventful association with the computer.Although games and the air conditioning occupied me initially Curiosity got the better of me and i began observing my dad and his fellow programmers rattle away esoteric commands that flickered through the pale green screen.He gave me my first lessons on operating systems,BASIC & packages like DBASE & FOXPRO.

Educational Background

This early exposure proved useful for computer classes in school,putting me right ahead of the competition. I followed up my high school years with a sterling performance in the common entrance examinations to secure admission at the Shanmugha college of Enginnering,an institution of great repute in Southern India . Information Technology as branch of study was a natural choice, dictated by my evergrowing fascination with computers. The State of the art computer & Microprocesor laboratories provided just the right environment for serious study.Subjects like Data structures,Computer organisation & Architecture,Design of algorithms& Object oriented programming equipped me with a thorough grounding in the fundamentals. Computer Networks by Andrew tannenbaum was a source of great inspiration . I took keen interest in learning all about network .architectures & technologies like Fast Ethernet,Banyan vines,FDDI ,protocols like CP/IP,SNA,NetBEUI,also Routing & congestion control algorithms.I presented technical seminars on E-commerce& fiber optic networks. As project work in my final year,I developed a tender processing solution for the corporate intranet of GE Power Controls India Pvt ltd.

Extra curricular Activities:

Exacting schedules at college never dampened my enthusiasm for Sports & cultural activities.I was a member of the college soccer
Team.I took part regularly in the annual Athenaeum ( a forum for public speaking) and in inter collegiate cultural festivities in events like Tableau.I have volunteered my services as Master of ceremonies & Lead Compere for many an occasion.I had the opportunity. To display my skills in organizing & managing while holding office as the secretary of the information technology students Association.

Professional Goals & fields of interest

My project days at GE,where even 5 minutes of downtime could cause great chaos & confusion enabled me to experience first hand the enormous significance large corporates attach to streamlined & effective connectivity.I intend to develop expertise in wirefree networking & cutting edge standards like Bluetooth & CDMA & therby be an active participant of the ongoing networking & communications revolution.A 2 day workshop by Cisco Systems,which I attended, showcasing the latest in wireless technologies & standards was an added motivation. to pursue my goal of being a top class networking professional.I have been awarded the Cisco certified Network Administrator(CCNA) & the Microsoft certified Professional(MCP) certifications,which I believe will assist me in taking up more serious work in the Networking arena.

Purpose of Graduate study

An undergraduate degree,however course intensive it maybe provides only a foundation for those striving for comprehensive knowledge in their chosen fields of study. A masters degree,I believe would be invaluable towards this end helping to translate the latent potential in me to highly productive & original work.

Why the United States of America?

Universities in the United states of America have been consistently rated among the premier centers of higher education in the planet,offering infrastructure par excellence for all manner of academic & extracurricular activity.

Conclusion

I am fully aware that hardwork & perseverance are imperative for quality Research work & believe that I possess the motivation,intellectual ability
& preparation to set out on this exhilarating & arduous path.I am sure my aptitude & drive will see me through the challenge.I hope to have a long & mutually profitable association with as I look forward to joining it as a graduate student in your esteemed department.

Thank you for the opportunity to express myself

R.PREM KUMAR

Time and effort if put together, definitely leads to success. I still remember, that Friday night, I was debugging a hospital management project. I didn’t realize how the night drifted off so quickly, but finally I arrived at the solution. These comprehensive efforts were aptly rewarded when my project was implemented for a cardiac clinic. This experience in developing a client server based system infused into my mind the love for computers over electronics, and aspired me to dwelve into the field of software engineering.

81.57% in my secondary school admitted me into Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering at one of the ranked colleges in Mumbai, Vivekanand Education Society Polytechnic (VESP). Here I realised the importance of Microprocessors, Satellite Networks, Mobile Communication etc. in today’s environment. The final year project “Cordless FM transmitter and Receiver” was concentrated on wireless communication.

Knowing the importance of computers in today’s world, I enrolled into NIIT, a pioneer in providing software education in India. Here I learned operating systems like UNIX, Win NT, Linux, Programming languages like c, c++, Java, developer tools like Visual Basic, Microsoft Foundation Classes, DBMS like SQL server, Sybase and 32 bit windows architecture. The final semester project was to develop & to simulate day to day operations in a hospital. This project took me to the top of the class where the project was much appreciated by the centre head and the dean himself, because it facilitates all the functionalities that can be found in a medium sized hospital. My teachers encouraged me to present this project to the hospital manager of Varun Cardiac Clinic (VCC). Finally after 2 months of interaction with doctors and managers of the hospital, I developped a real life time system by employing 3 assistant programmers. I got plenty of experience not only in dealing with clients, but also in work management and time management, as I was simultaneously studying in the diploma college too.

The natural progression after diploma was pursuing a Bachelors of Engineering degree in Electronics at Shah & Anchor Kutchi Engineering College. Electrical Networks, Electronics, Instrumentation and Control Systems, Robotics, Data and Digital Communications all gave me a sound idea of the technological advances in the modern world. My final year project “Inventory and Stores Control”, developed in a GUI environment focussed on the inventory system. My joy knew no bounds when I heard that the project was successfully tested by experts and is replacing the older version in the college.

I believe that experience plays a key role in one’s career. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Anand Sarvaiya, a Senior ERP consultant at Oracle Apps, Japan, over Internet who gave me an opportunity to work on a live project for DSP Meryll Lynch Global Integrated Solutions Ltd as an offshore development from Feb 99 to Jul 99. Here I learned, how the sub division system software of a huge company is integrated under a common head, so that the system works smoothly and leads to an efficient outcome. Working with international members of the team was simply fantastic. Although I programmed on a small part of a huge system, I played an important part as a team member who was always ready for more work. This has always been my motto “Work is Worship”. This experience had tuned me to the workings of a large corporate and have also polished my computer know-how. I am extremely proud to state that I am the only one from the entire college who has worked on an international level.

Master’s from your University will not only impart a sound education in latest technologies, but will also push me ahead in the computing world. My intentions, my dreams, my goals are clear, I look forward to become an ERP Consultant with software giants like Arthur & Anderson Consulting, Oracle Apps. etc. and I am sure a good education, infrastructure and opportunities that come my way, will help me in achieving my goals. I have always tried my best to achieve optimised and unconventional solutions in order to build a rising success.

The Statement of Purpose is your first personal contact with the Admissions committee. Use it to distinguish yourself. The SOP should speak about you, your aspirations and professional goals and relate these to the graduate program that you intend to pursue. It should basically answer the question…”Why should the graduate school admit you… what makes you special?

Remember, the SOP is the tool that faculty use to gauge if you have what it takes to succeed in grad school and later in the academic discipline as a professional. What they are looking for, is an undying commitment to pursuing the desired field, backed with adequate preparation from your side, towards the same. It would help to keep these points in mind while writing your SOP.

Begin with an eye-catching first paragraph.
Remember, the Admissions committee goes through atleast 40-50 SOPs at a time.You’ve gotta catch their attention in the very first few lines. SOP should be to the point. Why do you want to continue studying? How is graduate studies going to affect your career?What have you done in the past? What do you expect? What are you looking for concerning an international experience?Why have you chosen this particular University?After MS, what and why Be objective, yet self-revelatory In a very straight-forward manner, speak about your experiences and academic bac-ground and how these have influenced your decision to pursue graduate studies.

SOP must demonstrate your knowledge of the field, but shouldn’t lecture or bore the highly trained professionals who will read it.They already know what skills are important to the field. They want to know your purpose in graduate study and specific academic interests. You must know the field well enough to state a preference, without being simplistic or pedantic. High-light your achievements…this is no place for humility. List any special preparation or achievements that you have that may make you “more qualified” than others.

Remember the whole purpose is to convince or persuade the admissions committee and to make your application stand out from the crowd. Use it as a tool to explain any specific problems. SOP should honestly address any problems or special conditions e.g. grades on one semester may have been poor, b’coz the applicant had to work on a part-time job or was affected by a family emergency. Negatives should be balanced by positives e.g. “even though I had to take up a part-time job to support myself, I developed important time management skills that enabled me to not only raise my grades the following semester but to pursue my research interests”.

Don’t restate information already provided in the application. Don’t limit the SOP to a recitation of achievements…its not a C.V. Don’t quote from Univ catalogs. SOP should be limited in length, no more than two pages(or depends on Univ’s instructions). If the Univ asks for a response to specific questions, answer accordingly. Never generalise. Don’t use terms like ‘invaluable’, ’significant’, ‘challenging’ etc without further explanation drawn from personal experience. Also avoid over-used phrases such as “I can contribute”, “meant a lot to me” or “is appealing to me”. Be direct. Be honest or atleast sound honest. Try and strike a personal chord.

Remember, the Admissions committee is interested in knowing more about the person, that is YOU. They are tired of reading numbers and techno -gabble. Try and reveal bits (the better bits) of your personality through the SOP. They like to know that they are making decisions that influence the lives of people. Be University specific.Don’t make one common SOP and send copies of it to different Univs.

I have done my diploma. Can I apply for an MBA?

MBA, being a master’s degree, requires the aspirant to be a graduate. That means, you must have a Bachelor’s Degree from any university incorporated by an act of the Central or State government of India, any other educational institution established by an act of Parliament or any institution deemed as such under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956. This also includes any equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Your Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent qualification must have covered a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling, that is a total of 10+2+3 years.

How much are Fees & Expenses?
• The total Tuition fees vary from 2 - 4 lakhs in most institutes for the general category
• While calculating the total MBA Expense include the following heads:
- MBA Coaching Classes Cost
- Application Form Fees, GD-PI Travel Expenses
- Course Fees – 4 Semesters/6 Trimesters
- Other Expenses – Travel & Boarding

Can I get my MBA financed?
• There are many Banks that finance MBA Program by offering educational loans
• The loan can be repaid over a few years period as per the applied scheme.
• Some of the banks are:
- Andhra Bank
- Bank of Baroda
- Dena Bank
- State Bank of India
- State Bank of Indore
- State Bank of Travancore
- The South Indian Bank Ltd.
- UCO Bank
- Vijaya Bank

What is the MBA Curriculum?

• The MBA course is of 2 years divided into 4 semesters or 6 trimesters
• The First year is common to all specializations and introduction to management subjects is provided
• The bridge between the 1st year and 2nd year is a summer training where students carry out specific projects.
• The Second Year emphasizes on the subjects of specialization one opts for.

How to select an institute?

The problem of selection is not for the top institutes; the choice becomes more difficult if you finally get a call from two institutes, which have equal standing in the industry. In that case you could choose the college based on the following parameters:

• Placements
• Recognition
• Reputation
• Faculty
• Specialization
• Infrastructure

Check out our B-School Ranking Section for better assistance.

How’s the MBA Experience?

• First Year:
Meeting new people, new environment and a new demanding course

• Post First Year
Doing a project in an organization – Summer Internship

• Second Year
Specializing in your stream by studying in depth specific subjects

• Placements
You will strive to get into the best companies and the best profiles

And what about the Post-MBA Experience?

• MBAs usually start their career with a training programme in an organization in a certain sector
• After this, they get into management positions implementing the basics of the business fundamentals & learning processes
• After 2-3 years, they have high value in the job markets and are actively pursued by many organizations across sectors
• Their career paths to the tops of organization are shorter and thus faster

Clear all your doubts regarding MBA, specializations in MBA & job prospects through this article. It includes all the FAQs related to the sphere of MBA.

What are the specializations one can opt for in MBA?

• Marketing
• Finance
• Human Resources
• IT/Systems
• Operations
• Entrepreneurship.

What is Marketing Management?

• The discipline that is the most famous amongst Management Graduates
• People with good communication skills, leadership qualities and who are raring to go places generally find it extremely interesting.
• The career in Marketing has the maximum to offer in terms of responsibility, challenge, innovation and growth.
• The Designations could be Product Manager, Brand Manager, Market Research Analyst, Area Manager and Marketing Manager leading to Head-Marketing/Sales, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
• The kind of Companies are Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Consumer Durables, Non-Durables, Advertising, Market Research, Media, and Services Marketing.

What is Finance Management?

• This is a career for people generally interested in quantitative skills and who would like to do a lot of planning, managing of resources and policy formation. “Number Crunching” is how most people would describe a career in finance.
• How best to manage money and its consequences is what Finance is all about.
• The designations could be that of Finance Manager, or Financial Analyst and the career path could lead all the way to Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
• The firms recruiting Finance MBAs are Banks, Consulting Companies, Financial Institutions, Investment Bankers, and Stock Brokerage Houses.

What is HR Management?

• People are the most valuable asset of a company. MBAs in this field generally specialize in Compensation, where they decide on the packages to be given to employees if they have a knack for number crunching
• Or in Personnel where they are in charge of Recruitment and Selection, Job Analysis, Performance Appraisals and the Grievance Redressal Cells. They may also be in charge of Employee training and development.
• The roles could be a HR Manager, a Personnel Manager or an Industrial Relations Manager
• The companies that take HR managers could be from any sector.

What is IT/Systems Management?

• The last few years have seen the emergence of Information Technology (IT) /Management Information Systems (MIS) as a major function of any industry, from being just a departmental function earlier.
• For people specializing in MIS, the career path is skewed in favor of engineers and technical graduates.
• One can join as System Analyst, and then go on to Technical Systems Manager and ultimately on to Chief Information Officer (CIO). Business Development Manager and Technical Consultant are also roles one could start with.
• Generally, IT Companies recruit MBA-Systems.

What is Operations Management?

• Generally people with very specific inclination towards Production / Shop-floor Management go in for this.
• An operations person basically deals in the various internal and external movements and flows within an organization that affect its efficiency. These flows could be processes, relationships, vendor development, ancillary management etc
• An MBA might start off as a Manufacturing Manager, Product Supervisor and go on to Technical Product Manager of the division. Further Career growth may include General Manager of a division and finally up to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a company.
• Engineering, Manufacturing and IT Companies look for such managers.

What is Entrepreneurship Management?

• Entrepreneurship is chosen by two kinds of people. One, who have family-managed businesses to handle or take over immediately after passing out from the institute, and the other kind who have ideas they want to implement in a new business after passing.
• The second kind is now very much in vogue, especially with the mushrooming e-commerce culture where every idea has a possibility of fruition in a flourishing business. These ventures are typically characterized by a large amount of risk, but with equally high returns if they succeed.
• To young Managers either in profession or aspiring for one, Entrepreneurship remains a challenging and exciting career option.

What are the salaries of MBAs?

• Companies visiting Top B-School campuses offer Indian salaries ranging from 4 lakhs to 12 lakhs (Cost to Company) depending upon company and profile offered
• Foreign placement salaries ranging from US $ 50,000 to US $ 1, 50,000.

Which companies are employing MBAs?

• MBAs are recruited by almost every company and sector

A List of Sectors:

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
Consumer Durables
Services Industry
Engineering Sector
Banking & Financial Institutions
Business Consulting
IT – Software and Technology
NGOs

What is the eligibility criteria to apply for MBA?

• The eligibility criterion is that you must be in your final year of graduation or completed your graduation with a minimum of 50 % marks in your graduation & XII.
• Institutes ask you to produce a provisional certificate indicating you have appeared for all your final year exams subjects for obtaining the bachelors degree
• There is also a deadline for submitting the final mark sheet and certificate of graduation

How is the MBA Entrance Experience?

• Pre-Written Test: You would be spending most time preparing for the various sectional areas in the written tests & applying to the various business schools
• Written Test: A tough examination setup where you have to show your speed, accuracy and sectional coverage
• Post-Written Test: You would be preparing for the Group Discussion Topics and Interview Questions. And waiting to get the GD-PI call from the Top B-Schools
• GD/PI: You meet many others like you who have cleared the written test. In the GD, you discuss topics along with over a round table. In the interview, you present your personality. At the end of the day, you are hopeful of converting your call into an admission to the institute
• Post-GD/PI: You await the final results of the business school and if you are successful, you are required to go through the admission formalities like presentation of certificates, payment of fees etc.

If I am an average student, will I be able to clear these tests?

The whole point is: How do you define “average?” The examination systems in Indian schools and colleges hardly check the students’ aptitude and logical or commonsense skills, the two most desired things in an MBA aspirant. You may be having a very strong potential as far as MBA is concerned which has been sadly left untouched so far.

What is IIM’s CAT (Common Admission Test) all about?

CAT - The Common Admission Test to the six IIMs is also the entrance test for few other top B-Schools such as SP Jain, MICA, and T A Pai. CAT tests your skills in five broad areas viz.

1. Verbal ability and reasoning
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Quantitative skills
4. Data Interpretation
5. Analytical and Logical reasoning.

Besides the IIMs, what other B-schools are considered as the best in the country?

IIMs are without a shadow of doubt India’s premier institutes. There are other institutes such as SP Jain, MDI, JBIMS, IMT Ghaziabad and TAPMI that are also considered among the country’s top few B-schools. Check out the ranking section for other relevant details.

What is the Written Test?

• The entrance tests are of multiple-choice type, where each question is followed by four or five options and the candidate has to choose the best option. All this under severe time stress.
• The test is normally 2 hours and most have negative marking for wrong answers
• The sections broadly are Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation (DI), Verbal Ability (VA), Reading Comprehension (RC), General Awareness (GA), and Logical Reasoning (LR)
• Since the MBA program is open to graduates of any discipline, to eliminate any bias arising out of a candidate’s academic background, the difficulty level of the entrance tests is pegged at Class X to Class XI standard.
• The various written tests are CAT, XAT, JMET, CET Maharashtra, FMS, IIFT, NITIE, SCMHRD, NMIMS, and IMT

What is more important, speed or accuracy?

Both are important. Try and aim for a strike of around 85-90%. Though speed and accuracy are different ideas, vis-à-vis CAT, they are mutually enhancing skills. One without the other is a good way to mess up a potentially good performance. Speed deals with the progress you make in reading, understanding, and answering a particular question or section. For example, in a typical Reading Comprehension section, you could finish reading an entire passage in half a minute flat. Or you could finish reading a math problem in half a second. Yahoo! You have cut down drastically on the time taken, but wait a minute.

What is a Group Discussion?

• Students who qualify in the entrance test are invited for a Group Discussion to be followed by a Personal Interview.
• In a Group Discussion a group of 8 to 20 candidates assemble and discuss on the topic/case given to them by the faculty. Usually, Group Discussions last for about 15 to 25 minutes.
• Some institutes like IIMA give Case studies instead of specific topics

What is a Personal Interview?

• Apart from the validation of the information provided by you in the application form, your suitability & personality for the MBA programme is assessed.
• It involves in-depth questioning techniques to get the best out of you.
• This sometimes takes the form of a group interview wherein 3 to 6 candidates are interviewed simultaneously. The interview panel usually consists of a psychoanalyst who keeps monitoring your body language.
• Weightage is given to your past academic performance as it is a reasonable indicator of your likely performance in the MBA program.
• Appropriate Weightage is given to candidates with at least 6 months of full-time work experience.

What is the criterion for final selection?

• Most of the Business Schools admit students on the basis of interest, aptitude and capacity for management study.
• Selection is made through a multi-mode, multi-criteria procedure.
• Admissions are made based on the candidate’s
- Academic performance
- Performance in Entrance Test
- Performance in Group Discussion
- Performance in Personal Interview and
- Work Experience