All five of the institutes mentioned in the question are among the best business schools in India. All of these business schools have been around for decades and have a long history.
Comparing these Institutes is not an easy process but since the question necessitates a comparison on the basis of placements, let us have a look at the comparison in placements of all these Institutes:
Institutes |
Highest International Package |
Highest Domestic Package |
IIM Ahmedabad |
83.5 LPA |
70 LPA |
IIM Bangalore |
NA |
NA |
IIM Calcutta |
80 LPA |
NA |
JBIMS |
NA |
34.36 LPA |
FMS |
NA |
58.6 LPA |
Institutes |
Average Package |
Median Package |
IIM Ahmedabad |
25.83 LPA |
NA |
IIM Bangalore |
26.18 LPA |
25 LPA |
IIM Calcutta |
27.9 LPA |
25.5 LPA |
JBIMS |
22.84 LPA |
22 LPA |
FMS |
25.6 LPA |
23.4 LPA |
According to the comparison, while the maximum package of JBIMS is significantly lower than that of other Institutes (including FMS), the average and median packages are comparable to the Institutes. It is also worth noting that JBIMS and FMS are the most affordable B-schools, with fees far cheaper than those levied by IIM A, IIM B, and IIM C. The ROI from JBIMS and FMS is unquestionably the greatest!
IIM Ahmedabad or any other IIM does not consider the type of college the candidate belonged to as eligibility criteria. So rest your worries and apply for MBA in your dream college even if your undergrad BBA college was a less reputed one. Regarding your undergraduate college, the only criteria are the minimum marks for appearing for the CAT exam i.e. 50%. All you need to do is get an excellent CAT score.
To get admission to any IIM, you need to focus on things like CAT score, 10th, 12th, Bachelor grade. The school and colleges from where you acquired your education do not matter at all. What matters is that your academic profile should reflect your excellent scores and involvement in extracurricular activities
So, appear for CAT, aim a 98.5+ percentile, and get admission to IIM Ahmedabad. What’s stopping you?
Yes, students of IIM Ahmedabad with no prior work experience can participate in the double degree programme with the European Institutes. The selection for the same is based on:
Your academic performance
Extracurricular performance
Any foreign exposure
So your work experience has nothing to do with the double degree program. Rather your academic performance at IIM Ahmedabad and prior foreign exposure helps you in getting selected for this program.
IIM Ahmedabad has seen some of the most reputed recruiters over the years one of them being MBB (McKinsey Bain and BCG).
In IIM Ahmedabad ? batch takes consulting and MBB is the largest recruiter among them.
Average Salary: INR 35 LP for associate position (also a bonus of 15-25 percent).
To answer this question you need to know what a stellar profile really is. It’s your particular skill set that makes you a good candidate for placements rather than just your academics and course.
If you are referring to placements as survival then trust me there are jobs for every profile. You need to focus on two main things. Excel in your own field (Humanities or Commerce) and develop a good network.
As far as the placements are concerned your particular background will fetch you the most suitable job.
I don’t think it's wise to decide to drop out from IIM Lucknow when you already worked hard and cracked the entrance. You even succeeded in the interview and yet here you want to give it all up. Every year the level of difficulty of entrance exams like the CAT and XAT keeps changing. Students who might have scored 90+ percentile one year might score 40-60 percentile next year. It all depends on preparation and mindset. Meanwhile, you have already succeeded and gotten into an IIM so why take it for granted?
Yet if you are adamant about not continuing, I would suggest you just focus on your job and gain a lot of experience. Chances are that you might climb the ladder without an MBA or IIM. Many CEOs and CFOs don’t need an MBA to make them what they are.
Despite it all, if you are appearing again for CAT, then make sure you have a valid explanation of dropping out during your interview.
The emphasis at IIM Ahmedabad is on strong all-round performers (not just academically) and a little bit on diversity. People with mediocre academic records are admitted to IIMA. The caveat here is that your lack of academic performance must be compensated for by excellence in another field.
If you have mediocre academics, it will be difficult to gain admission to IIM Ahmedabad solely on the basis of your CAT score and interviews.
With a graduation score of more than 50%, you are eligible to take the CAT and gain admission to IIM Ahmedabad. With your academic background, admission to IIM Ahmedabad is extremely difficult. With the addition of 5 points for work experience, your chances of getting may improve if you have more than 36 months of experience.
In the academic rating, you will receive the following scores:
10th grade = 2/10
12th grade=1/10.
Graduation=8/10.
To be considered for an interview with IIMA, you must have a composite score of 0.642 out of 1. You will need 0.512 out of 0.7 in CAT score with a 13/30 academic rating, which is 0.512/0.7*300=219.42 marks in CAT. If you live in Delhi and are studying for the CAT, you can be mentored by IIMA alumni.
In comparison to the IIMs, FMS retains the advantages of small batch size and a fee structure that is relatively low. The small batch size simplifies placements significantly. With the exception of a few foreign consultancies, most of the top companies that visit the IIMs also visit FMS. Despite all of the university's bureaucracy, etc., there is a well-established alumni network that still ensures that things work out for the current batches.
Because of the small batch size, people are extremely competitive. This was in stark contrast to what you hear about the IIMs. Even though they have competition but they maintain some semblance of sanity due to the large batch. FMS can be difficult to manage at times, both in obvious behaviours and subtle actions by people you study with.
The culture at FMS is influenced by the culture of Delhi. In comparison, IIMs are unquestionably more cosmopolitan. Unless you have prior exposure, adjusting to a new environment can be difficult for people from very different cultures, such as the South or East. Otherwise, you'll have to learn to adjust the hard way. But it's still worth the effort. The people you meet in both locations are of the highest calibre. It is up to you to make the best of the situation.
Even if given the chance, there's no way one would like to trade places with the IIMs.
In terms of job opportunities, IIM is far superior.
IIM A, B, and C would have an average placement of around 22 LPA, whereas ISI would have 16-17 LPA. However, you must keep in mind that you would pay at least INR 20 lac for your IIM degree while receiving a 65k stipend and contingency grant from ISI for free.
You might start out as a data scientist, financial analyst, or consultant if you join ISI, and you would advance along that career vertical. IIM exposes you to a much broader range of roles such as FMCG, general management, and so on.
In terms of higher education, 40-50% of ISI batches pursue Ph.D. programs in the US/abroad, while nearly 100% of IIM batches pursue jobs. Going straight to a Ph.D. after IIM is difficult due to the large educational loan (assuming you take one). However, many of them pursue Ph.D. degrees at various business schools around the world.
However, these institutes (ISI and IIM) are incomparable because one teaches statistics, and the other management. These are two very different topics. So it all comes down to what you want to do with your life.