CSI ISB

Case : Murder of my ISB aspirations.
Crime Scene: Hyderabad.
Time : 5:00 pm, 28/02/2005
Profile of Victim
Name: Sankha Subhra Som
Age : 25
Profession: IT/Consultancy/Bioinformatics
Company: TCS Limited
Experience: 36 Months
Role: Module Lead of a team of 10.
Qualification: B.E. Computer Science & Engineering.
Undergraduate Institution: REC Silchar
GMAT: 680 + 5.5 AWA
CAT: 95.3%
Recommendations: Excellent
Academics(Undergraduate): 78%, Distinction.
Academics(Higher Secondary): CBSE 87.4%, 10th rank in State.
Academics(High School): CBSE 85.0%
Factors that probably played a key role
In each level, the factors are listed in order of importance.

Level 1
This level deals with all the factors that are weighed for sending out interview invites to potential candidates. I have a strong feeling that the initial processing of applications is done by a set of people different from the set of people who would actually interview the candidate. My best guess is that the initial selection is done by students who are members of the admissions commitee.
GMAT

One cannot underemphasise the importance of a good score for applying to top B-Schools. A desirable score would be a figure that is in the top 40 percentile of the previous class. Most B-Schools provide an estimate of median, average and span(40%-80%). For ISB, with a mean and median of 690, a desirable score would be 710+. I have a feeling that AWA scores are not taken into account at any level of the selection process. If one has a 740+ score, the game is half won. The later the application deadline you intend to apply to, the greater should be your GMAT scores. As someone had aptly put it, "In Round2 you are swimming with sharks". Round 2 applicants are people, who have other options open for them. They are either IIM material, or are folks who have applied to foreign B-Schools. I know it sounds absurd, but then why would anyone apply for the second deadline, when he could have applied for the first one, unless they had other fish to fry in the first deadline. I for one was a CAT aspirant, who took the GMAT with only a fortnight's prep. I managed 680, but could have managed a lot more with a 2 month prep. I did well in Quants(49) and AWA(5.5), but managed to gut the Verbal section(33). 680 is quite comfortable for getting an ISB admit, but NOT in Round2.

Years of full time work experience

This is another factor that weighs heavy in the admission decision. People with greater number of years in full time positions, are better employable than people with lesser number of years. In spite of what ISB claims, its safer to have at least 60 months of experience behind you. There are two advantages to it. One, you are better employable and two, you are more financially sound. MBA is a big expense, more so at ISB. One has to plan one's finances, before applying. After all management entails a lot of planning with elegant execution. A Round2 applicant with a lower GMAT score(<700) should at least have 6 years of full time work experience.

(To be continued . . .)