The main purpose of pursuing an MBA is to elevate your current profile and render you better career opportunities. Doing an MBA just for your resume or because everyone is doing it is not justifiable. And honestly, neither of the two colleges you mentioned has the potential to enhance your employability skills. So I would right away say that both these are not good options.
The reason why IIM Sambalpur is not worth it is mainly because being a new IIM, its tag has little or no brand value. Its overall worth is also very less in comparison to other IIMs. Most importantly, if you were able to get into a new IIM, chances are you can even get into an older, better one with a tad bit more effort and determination. So you can try again next year and join a better one.
The reason why XIMB is not worth it is because of ROI. The high fees compared to mediocre packages that are offered make no sense. You can get similar packages at a tier 2 college with much fewer fees.
Still, if you are under pressure to choose one, definitely go for IIM Sambalpur. The IIM tag might come in handy someday in our country whose corporates still value the tag more than the potential.
yoIIM Sambalpur is one of the most underrated IIMs situated in a serene peaceful area. Unlike other IIMs, the ambiance here is calm and not stressful. The hostels are surrounded by hills and the lush green scene is breathtaking and makes your hostel life simply beautiful. Let’s discuss the major features of IIM Sambalpur
So IIM Sambalpur is worth joining for your personal as well as professional development.
After scrutinizing the list of colleges you mentioned, I think the most viable option is IIM Bodh Gaya. It is the most suitable among the 3 because it has been growing at a spectacular rate. The 2 major reasons for its rapid growth are
Both these factors differentiate Bodh Gaya from Sambalpur and Sirmaur extremely well.
Whether Post Graduation from IIM Sambalpur is worth it or not depends solely on what you want from your MBA and your career interests.
For instance, if you are already prospering in your current workplace, pursuing MBA is not worth the time and fees you will spend. The MBA degree will add no value to your profile so it’s better for you to keep working. I have seen many people forgoing offers from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, and XLRI mainly because they are certain the MBA degree will add no value to their career and is just a waste of time and money.
While choosing any B School be it IIM Sambalpur or any other B School, you need to check if an MBA degree will help you escalate your career or if you will just end up with a hefty loan to repay and no career upgrade.
Coming to IIM Sambalpur specifically, I don’t think a person who is prospering at his current job and wants to do MBA just for the sake of it will want to join IIM Sambalpur. The MBA degree from that institute specifically adds no value at all to his profile. In other cases, you can think of joining IIM Sambalpur.
IIM Sambalpur and BIM Trichy, both these institutes should be approached only when all doors are closed and you are left with zero options. Both colleges have poor placement scenarios and almost no brand name. The fees you will pay are not worth risking your 2 years for. If you are confident that you can get a better percentile next year please sit for CAT again and go for a better college. But if you are not confident about the same, and only have these two options, go for BIM Trichy. The reasons I have chosen BIM Trichy over IIM Sambalpur are -
I know only 2 trivial points are not enough to justify a college worth. What you can further do is talk to the current students or alumni of both colleges. Relying on placement reports is not enough so interacting with its students will give you a clearer picture maybe.
IIM Sambalpur
XIMB
Since I have blatantly put both the schools out of question, what are you supposed to do now? Either you should give up the idea of an MBA. Or you can work somewhere, gain enough experience and then target a better B School.
Generally speaking, IIM Sambalpur and IIM Bodh Gaya are baby IIMs and quite similar in the sense that they have been established around the same time and have similar facilities. Yet if I had to choose one, I would always go for IIM Bodh Gaya because of the following reasons:
Particulars |
Statistics |
Number of students |
200 |
Number of Recruiters |
70 |
Highest package |
INR 48.58 LPA |
Average Package |
INR 16 LPA |
Median Package |
INR 15.25 LPA |
We can say that IIM Bodh Gaya has made quite a mark despite being recently established. It has witnessed fast-paced growth over the past few years so it’s definitely a good choice.
Anyone who can get 93.26 percentile without any preparation is bound to get 97 or 98 with proper preparation. So why give away the chance easily when you can aim for a better institute? It’s best you prepare for the CAT sincerely this time and target the top B Schools in India.
However, if you are planning to sit for CAT again, you need to be certain about some things. Like you will have to tolerate tremendous pressure and a hectic schedule. You will have a non-existent social life and all your energy will be invested in preparing for CAT. Most importantly you have to remain consistent throughout your preparation. Without consistency, all your efforts will go in vain. You should also make research the colleges you are planning to target next year and study their respective admission criteria.
But if you are not confident enough to sacrifice so much just to risk a year, you can always go for IIM Bodh Gaya or Sambalpur. Both these IIMs are new but will provide the necessary means to start your career. Basically, you need to be sure of what you are expecting from your MBA degree and you will have the answer.
Top B Schools like LBSIM/FORE are incomparable to the new IIMs. They have been established for decades and the new IIMs cannot be included in them at least in the near future. Although some might say that some new IIMs are under the mentorship of old IIMs like Lucknow, they haven’t made the mark yet. Whereas the already leading B Schools LMSIM and FORE are on the verge of making it to the top. Even the IIM tag is of little value here.
Let me explain this through an example. You go to buy an electronic device and purchase a branded device. Yet the model is a very old one. It is of little value despite being branded. Same is the case here. The new IIMs do give you the IIM tag but it is of little worth.
Go for it if you can afford to lose the money. If not, don't be disappointed. Just consider placements for the evaluation, as the location and life are both beautiful. Placements at IIM Kashipur have an obvious advantage, but only for the top 10% of the batch will it make a significant difference. Otherwise, you'll do well at both locations.
Furthermore, if you're looking for future entitlement, it makes little difference. IIM Kashipur is the newest, and IIM Sambalpur is the youngest. If you build a strong profile for yourself, the location between these two IIMs will not hold much value in the future. As a result, if you can afford to lose the money, do so without hesitation. If you can't afford to lose that money, forget it and you will have no regrets.