Personally, I will recommend you join IIM Lucknow . The reason being your outstanding profile. With such an amazing profile you have multiple chances of getting selected in the top firms in Consulting and Investment Banking areas. Many of these reputed companies do not visit the campus if SJMSOM at all. So you will be losing a lifetime of opportunities.
Also, at the end of the day, IIM Lucknow is a top 4 IIM and its brand name will influence you throughout your life. The fees are not a problem as the majority of the students take educational loans offered at low-interest rates. You can pay it back within 5-7 years with the high paying job you land post-MBA.
Honestly speaking, your chances of getting into IIM Lucknow Calcutta and Kozhikode are scarce unless you score 100 percentile considering your profile. IIM Ahmedabad, Indore and Shillong won’t give you a call even after 100 as their eligibility criteria focuses majorly on past academics which are below average in your case.
IIM Bangalore is unpredictable in its eligibility criteria. It might take students with poor academic backgrounds but good work experience. So if you have none you can forget this chance also.
FMS does not almost consider past academics at all but for that, you need a CAT percentile of more than 99.5. For the safer side a 99.75 might grant you a conversion.
Don’t get demotivated just because of your past academic performance and ruin your future. Rather make the most out of your present life and opportunities.
ESCP Europe Paris Campus offers the dual degree program to several reputed institutes of India including IIM Lucknow, Calcutta, Ahmedabad and. MDI Gurgaon. It is a 1-year program covering 3 terms of the PGP program in the respective Indian home university from Jan -Dec.
The shortlisting process starts from the first year term itself. The selection process has similar criteria as that of any normal exchange process except that it has extra evaluation criteria comprising interviews by faculty members from ESCP as well.
You are judged on the basis of
If you are proficient in the above parameters your chances are high for the exchange program. For detailed selection criteria contact a senior who has availed of the same program.
The time it will take to pay off the loan for an average student depends on the kind of job you have landed and your personal expenditures and commitments. The other factors that might affect are your lifestyle, dependencies, loan amount, cost of living in your city, etc.
For a high-paying job, (around 20+ LPA), it will take 2 years maximum if you have no commitments, while 3-4 years if you are supporting your family.
For a less-paying job, it will take 3-5 years if you don’t have any commitments, while 5-7 years if you are supporting your family.
So the maximum time taken to pay off the loan is 7 years. Also, there are many EMI calculators available online. You can use them to calculate the exact figures.
The college you decide to go to depends on what you want from your MBA. Many are just interested in placements. Some want to experience a nice relaxing college life. So these points might clarify further which of the 2 colleges is for you
Location: IIM Shillong is located in a serene area in North-East and has a calm temperature throughout. The ambiance is much more relaxing than IIM Lucknow which has extreme temperatures.
Curriculum: IIM Lucknow has a rigorous curriculum and the students face cut-throat competition causing many to repeat the first year. In contrast, IIM Shillong’s curriculum is balanced and students remain relaxed most of the time.
Sports: If you are a sports freak, then IIM Shillong is not for you as it has very limited opportunities as opposed to IIM Lucknow which has amazing opportunities.
Placements: The placement statistics of both the IIMs are given below
Particulars |
IIM Lucknow |
IIM Shillong |
Highest CTC |
INR 58 LPA |
INR 55.22 LPA |
Average CTC |
INR 31.03 LPA |
INR 23.10 LPA |
Median CTC |
INR 29 LPA |
INR 22.28 LPA |
Major Sectors |
Consulting, Finance, General Management |
IT and Analytics |
Top Recruiters |
Microsoft, Myntra, Winzo Games, Vodafone - Idea |
DE Shaw, Deloitte, TATA Steel |
From the above table we can infer that placement opportunities are better at IIM Lucknow than at IIM Shillong.
Alumni network: IIM Lucknow has a stronger alumni base and brand value owing to its early establishment.
So IIM Lucknow is definitely a better option if you are career oriented. But if you want to experience a relaxed campus life and create memories, IIM Shillong won’t disappoint you a bit.
My answer is from the perspective of an FPM aspirant. To draw a fair comparison I have considered the following parameters
Hostel:
The hostel facility at IIM Kozhikode is not very good. The first-year students have no married accommodation while the second or third-year students have very limited married accommodation. Sometimes the FPM students are adjusted with PGP students which is very disturbing.
IIM Lucknow has 2 spectate buildings for FPM students. Also, married accommodations are available from the 1 st year itself.
Food:
There is no active mess committee to pay heed to the complaints regarding substandard food. The menu is usually North Indian and is rarely followed properly. Limited South Indian food is available. Options outside the mess are also limited and not as per the taste of many.
IIM Lucknow has an active mess committee that takes care of the food and cleanliness of the mess. The menu has a variety of options and is changed every month to break the monotony. Famous for its food, there are many options to eat outside in Lucknow.
Academics:
The academics are very rigorous at IIM Kozhikode with tight schedules and deadlines. For FPM students, the minimum passing criteria are B- (2.67/4.33) which is 62% passing criteria. Whereas the minimum criteria to award a Ph.D. degree is at least one publication in “B” (ABDC) category journals.
IIM Lucknow has a relatively less rigorous curriculum than Kozhikode. The minimum passing criteria are 50%. Whereas the minimum criteria to award a Ph.D. degree is at least one publication in “C” (ABDC) category journals.
Apart from these major differences, the infrastructure, faculty, and college life are almost the same. So you can make a good choice now.
Rather than inquiring about the worth of a course, one should analyze whether the course is suitable for them or not. Your preference should be a priority not the worth of the course.
That being said, Executive MBA programs are suitable for
If you don’t belong to any of these 2 categories, then the course is of no real value for you. This is because this program is far sighted and focuses on managerial elements like Organization and Strategies. Unless you are a consultant or a top manager this knowledge will be of little use. So go for it once you belong to one of the two categories only.
I know it is a tough decision because I have seen my sister in a similar dilemma last year. What she did was focus on the below 3 aspects and made a decision.
Work Experience: It’s not understandable that with a work experience of 3+ years why you are only targeting IIM Lucknow and not other top IIMs like A B or C. Also if you don't want IMTG, you should wait and give GMAT and try for ISB.
Educational Background: Your chances of getting into IIM Lucknow next year depend largely on your past academic records which cannot be changed. So you need to ensure they are enough to make you eligible for the cutoff and worth the wait.
Lastly, you should be confident of the risk you are willing to take. Choosing IMTG vs IIML is a no-brainer. So check whether you are choosing IMTG just because you are not confident of being able to get into IIM Lucknow next year or not.
No, I wouldn’t recommend you apply for a PGPX course at IIM A B or C if you have completed a part-time MBA from IIM Lucknow. The reason is the huge overlap of electives in almost all the programs offered at IIMs. Leaving a few courses most of which are repeated in all the programs be it part-time or full-time.
Towards the end of the course, you might end up spending a hefty fee and lots of time and yet not learning anything new. If anything you might just get placed at a better firm. But that too will be useless if you are unable to harness the acquired knowledge and skills in the open market. The question is if your job will be worth your year lost, your lost opportunities, and 25-30 lakhs of loan.
Still, if you want to pursue the course go for a top MBA course abroad. That might make a difference in your resume and job prospects.
Honestly, there are so many online courses offering the same program that are cost-friendly. Brand name does not play any major role in your career in Analytics. So paying such hefty fees is not understandable. Also, the professors of Analytics here are too old and have never worked in the field in real life. They are just here to earn money and impart bookish knowledge.
Courses like these require passion and willingness to learn and not a brand name or huge fees. This course is suitable for a senior manager who is eager to learn about Analytics.