Yes, there are many students who got admission into IIM Ahmedabad with a percentile less than 99. The profile of one such student is mentioned below:
Fresher, B.Com, General Category
X: More than 95%
XII: More than 95%
UG: 80+, and a CAT score of 98.74%.
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is the most prestigious and one of the top two or three business schools in India, its primary purpose is to produce socially responsible and innovative business leaders who can contribute to the growth of the country and the world. By providing students with world-class management education and the industry/government/society with research, and consultancy services. The institute is known for its rigorous curriculum and case-based teaching methodology.
Aspect |
Description |
Location |
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
Establishment |
Established in 1961 |
Accreditation |
Accredited by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS |
Programs offered |
Post-Graduate Program in Management (PGP), Post-Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX), Fellow Program in Management (FPM), Executive Education Programs, and Management Development Programs |
Teaching methodology |
Case-based teaching method, emphasis on experiential learning |
Faculty |
Highly qualified and experienced faculty members with diverse backgrounds |
Student body |
Highly competitive and diverse student body, selected through a rigorous process |
Campus facilities |
State-of-the-art facilities including classrooms, library, auditorium, sports facilities, and student housing |
Alumni network |
Large and active alumni network, consisting of successful business leaders and entrepreneurs in India and around the world. Some prominent alumni are Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Ajay Banga, Chetan Bhagat |
For management there’s no better B-school in India. IIM- B and FMS come close though.
The prestigious IIMs invite students to interviews based on their CAT percentiles. However, the 99 percentile mentioned in the question is for General Candidates (i.e. the perceived influential social class in India). Male and engineer candidates are more likely to meet the 99 percentile.
The competition for General Engineer Male candidates is tough. Because of their academic and co-curricular achievements, the cream of the GEM typically receives the majority of the call letters. As a result, given the limited number of seats in top Business Schools, there is almost nothing left for a typical GEM.
The candidate in question, Vidit Garg, is not a GEM, nor an Engineer, and thus gleefully avoids the arduous competition that a GEM faces. He is also a candidate with professional experience, which gives him an advantage over freshers when it comes to managerial abilities.
To summarise, the only way a GEM can almost guarantee a seat in a prestigious B school is to excel on all fronts.
While many may shed their philosophies on how getting a high package should not be your ultimate goal and stuff, I am here with a different opinion. When you are investing a huge amount of money it is only right to expect a greater monetary benefit and a better lifestyle. So I have mentioned some techniques that will help you land a package of 30 LPA specifically in the field of marketing post-MBA from IIM ABC, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, and IIFT.
These points will help you get your dream job but cannot necessarily guarantee it. It all ultimately depends on your efforts and obviously your luck.
I would say life changes more after joining IIM Ahmedabad than after graduating from it. The academic workload, strenuous hours, assignments and exams all prepare you for the hectic life ahead. So once you graduate from IIM Ahmedabad you might even welcome the hectic work schedule with amazing salaries. The changes in your life will depend on the field you have chosen.
If you join a big consulting firm or an investment bank or a PE/VC, chances are you will spend more hours in your office than at home.
If you go for a general management role, your life will have a blend of both work and personal time.
If you join a technical firm, then you will experience a casual work culture and a lot of personal time.
Working at e-commerce giants and start ups will limit your chances of a work life balance.
As far as the pay of an IIM Ahmedabad pass out is considered, literally everyone gets paid decently. In fact after a few years you will focus more on your responsibilities than your salary. You have to carry the weight of being an IIM Ahmedabad passout as everyone will have high expectations from you.
Continue working if you enjoy your job and see it developing your ambitions and you as a person. Make a plan to work for a few years, switch jobs/profiles a few times to gain more diverse experience, and then get an MBA from a more internationally renowned business school in the US/Europe. If you were able to get into IIM-A now, chances are you will be able to do so again while you are still young.
Join IIM-Ahmedabad if you don't yet have clear life ambitions/roadmaps and don't see much value in your job beyond its salary value. As you get older, you will lose direction and enthusiasm in a soulless job.
You will then be too old for IIMs but not competitive enough for schools in the United States or Europe, or even ISB or IIMA PGPX. So it's better to get that degree now rather than later.
Expectations provide very little benefit. So take the plunge; you will not be sorry.
You can almost certainly anticipate the following:
Pull your socks up because you're in for a heavy dose of academics mixed in with a slew of other activities. Good grades do not necessitate a high level of intelligence, but hard work and dedication are required.
Within a week of meeting your batch mates, all of your bubbles will burst. You will come across people who excel at everything they do. However, this is an opportunity to learn from the people. That location's best feature is peer learning.
There is a club for almost everything. On campus, there is always some sort of event going on. And, yes, people do have time for those. So come with an open mind and embrace the forces of change that are at work here. You will almost certainly learn a new skill or two.
People fantasize about getting into the university. However, as the two years come to an end, people begin to feel nostalgic about the campus. The campus is fine, and the infrastructure is excellent. And city considerations are secondary; you won't have much time to enjoy the city's haphazard traffic or the searing heat.
There are many things about IIM Ahmedabad that will fascinate you. Some of such mind-blowing facts about IIM Ahmedabad are as follows.
Resources:
Location:
Sports:
Extracurricular Activities:
Alumni:
The institute has a strong alumni base that is over 30 years old and all of them had tea at Ram bhai’s at least once.
Harvard Dinner:
The Harvard Dinner is an old tradition. Once a week western food is served at the canteen. This tradition was started as a gesture to serve the same food as Harvard at IIM A once every week.
These are a few of the interesting facts about IIM A. To know more visit the campus for Campus Walk.
IIML is clearly superior to MDI in non-marketing specializations in terms of placement. However, IIM I, K, and MDI are generally equal in terms of placements, except for a few banks that specifically seek out the IIM tag at I&K. If you work equally hard at either campus and all other operational factors are constant, you will likely end up in a similar position whether you choose MDI or I or K. However, as mentioned before, IIML still has the edge and requires more effort if you're in the finance or consulting field.
If you're interested in MDI, it's worth noting that recent placement reports show more and more prestigious finance and consulting companies are visiting the campus. This has helped MDI deliver well-rounded placements. So, if you're willing to put in the work, MDI could be a good option for you.
Some Chartered Accountants or commerce graduates may have struggled with final courses at IIM Ahmedabad, possibly because the courses are far too advanced and specialized (such as financial engineering subjects), or because IIM A likes to surprise students in a variety of ways.
However, this is a rare case. This does not happen very often.