“One of the biggest challenges of the MBA journey is deciding where you want to go.” Read what this Nestlé PPO-holder has to say about selecting a B-School

We all have seen people jumping into a B-School without thinking about why they want to go there. And often, it's prompted by seeing friends getting into a particular B-School, thinking, "Maybe I should also enroll in the same college to get an MBA."

But whether it's new and baby IIMs or old-age non-profit institutions, one must take factors like curriculum, location, placements, among others, into account before leaping. In a recent conversation with Aashima B., a PPO-holder at Nestlé, we unfurled many reasons why you might want to go for a certain B-School in the first place when opting for an MBA!

Always dreamt of being a businesswoman, Aashima opted for graduation in Economics from Delhi University after her schooling. Her dream of becoming a boss lady grew for a long time, even years before it was finally realized. Soon after working as an analyst at PwC India and as a management analyst at Victoria, she realized the need to upskill herself to keep up with the changes in the industry and further her career.

Coping up with the loss of her parents and facing her share of troubles, Aashima did not deter from her aspirations. After plenty of research and self-reflection, she decided to opt for an MBA from the FORE School of Management. 

And you thought taking CAT was the most challenging part! 

One of the biggest challenges of the MBA journey is deciding where you want to go. Some colleges are excellent and there is no doubt about that. But, one also needs to see whether it matches your personal life goals. For example, a student who is interested in sales and marketing should look for colleges that specialize in this area and not some college that is known for some other specialization. Because this might not give the student the same exposure.  

Another aspect is when students blindly choose the specialization in a college which is known for the same when they convert the call. This might be a result of the unconscious biases towards the popularity of a particular college with a particular course. In this case, often students end up thinking that it might give them a better chance of getting placed. 

Well, that might happen, but let's think this way if you wish to be a marketer, will you be satisfied with your career after becoming an HR or vice versa? (Think through it!)

Hence college selection is extremely critical to take your career in the right direction,  Aashima says,

"When I first started looking at B-Schools, I was completely overwhelmed and wasn't sure where to start! But when I started to get a little more strategic about it, went through the pros and cons of the shortlisted B-Schools, things felt much more manageable. 

Based on my percentile, I boiled down my options to three or four B-Schools because I wanted one with a good sales and marketing curriculum and in a convenient location. Eventually, the FORE School of Management was the final stop."

During an exclusive interview with Aashima on landing summer placement with Nestlé, she applauded various aspects that made her choose the FORE School of Management for her MBA. Some of them included the participation of coveted sales & marketing recruiters in placements, a wide range of opportunities for personal growth, an adequate curriculum, bright students, and an abundance of extracurricular activities and communities.

Feeling proud to be a member of the FORE Alumni Network, she shared that as per the NIRF 2021 rankings, FSM secured 43rd position owing to its rich legacy over the last 28 years. In addition, it was ranked 21st position in the NIRF rankings for Graduation Outcome (GO) score, which appears to be higher than many IITs and IIMs.

Not to forget to mention the placement statistics for the batch of 2021. The B-School recorded the highest CTC of INR 41 LPA (International) and INR 21.5 LPA (Domestic) and the average CTC of INR 11.75 LPA. She said that the institute helped the students prepare for the placements and the PPO above and beyond!

Well, it would be a safe bet to say that if you have a good CAT percentile and are looking for a B-School with a good placement record, then FSM can be a part of your target list. 

Known for its strong marketing and finance course, she quotes that,

"The grit and skillset that FSM nurtures are simply fantastic. It helps you gain a firm grounding in the management basics - skills you can apply to any post-B-School job."

When asked for advice on how to pick a good B-School while keeping the CAT percentile/previous academic scores into consideration, Aashima offered the following suggestions:

• The irony is that many of the best B-Schools care more about what you were in the past than what you are today. It doesn't matter to them if your low academic scores are due to the lack of family support, lack of motivation, or poor family conditions. It makes sense in this scenario to concentrate on institutions that can give you a fair chance & have a strong mix of esteemed faculty, placements, and an active alumni network.
  
  
• Top companies like Nestlé, HUL, Google, Amazon, and others exclusively hire from a top handful of colleges. - No, it's a myth. We at FORE School of Management every year witness prominent recruiters such as American Express, Asian Paints,  AXIS Bank, Capgemini, Cognizant, Nestlé,  Deloitte USI, DHL Express, Evalueserve, EY GDS, HDFC Bank, Kantar Analytics Practice, Ken Research, Nestle, Novartis, Oxane Partners, Reliance Retail, TVS Motor Company, Whirlpool, Wipro limited, ZS Associates in placements.
  
  
• Congratulations! If you have finally been accepted to your choice of college. But, regardless of whether or not you are at your dream college, a lot depends on you how you make the most out of your 2 years.

Good luck with your MBA journey!

More from Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)blog:

• What makes Indian B-Schoolers choose one company over another?
• The highest salaries of top B-Schools fall flat | MBA placements trends (2021) that you should look out for!
• From a failed attempt to IIFT, know how Yugant made it to his dream B-School!
• Looking beyond IIMs? These factors can help you choose your B-School
• MBA Interview questions from global B-Schools that you need to prepare for