It's important to note that the CAT percentile is just the first step. You need to clear the GDPIWAT round to secure admission at MDI.

The selection process at MDI is extremely fair, as academic grades are not weighted. This means that candidates with lower academic grades but a strong performance in national-level competitive exams will have a better chance of securing admission at MDI.

Overall, you should aim for a CAT percentile of 98.5 or higher, as the median CAT percentile in the 18-20 batch was 98.6, as per official documents.

It's important not to fall for the myth of a "safe percentile," especially if you belong to the GEM tribe. Individuals who have converted MDI first list with a percentile of 97.5, but they had exceptional talents in sports and music. 

On the other hand, there are individuals not making it despite having a percentile of 99.5. It's best not to worry too much about past data and just give it your best shot.

To start with, around 2,00,000 candidates appeared for the CAT exam. This means that for every percentile, there are about 2000 people.

Now, let's say that your percentile is 95, which implies that the 5 percentile is more than yours. In other words, approximately 10000 candidates have scored better than you in the CAT exam.

Suppose that 2000 candidates did not apply for MDI, which leaves us with 8000 candidates. Looking at your good scores in 10th, 12th, and graduation, you are better than at least 4000 candidates out of the remaining 8000.

So, the number of candidates left now is 4000. In comparison, IIMs and private/government colleges like SP Jain, FMS, etc., there are around 1500 and 1000 seats available, respectively, in the general category, taking BLACKIS seats into consideration.

Assuming that they all choose colleges other than MDI, the probable candidates left for MDI with profiles better than yours would be 4000-(1500+1000) = 1500. Now, the number of seats available in MDI is approximately 350.

Considering the average GDPI, the probability of your selection in MDI would be 350/1500 = .23333. So, you have a 23.3% chance of getting selected for MDI.

To secure admission to top MBA institutes in India, you should aim for CAT percentiles from 85 onwards. Here's the order of the institutes you should target in descending order - IIM K with 97+ percentile, MDI with 96+, IMT Ghaziabad with 90+, SPJain with 85+, and NITIE with as high as possible sectional-wise.

Even though SPJain is a premier institute, it gives a call from the 85 percentile onward, since they focus on overall values that an individual possesses and want students with more values in them. They have 2 group interviews, so they follow a rejection procedure.

NITIE has a sectional cutoff, so it's advisable to have as high as possible sectional-wise, as many people with an overall CAT percentile in the range of 97-98 were not selected in either of their 2 programs(PGDM and PGDIESM) in 2016.

IIM K also has a sectional cutoff of 90+, so it's important to score well in each section.

It's worth noting that these institutes do not have a sectional cutoff, but it's always advisable to have a 90+ sectional percentile to be on the safer side. Aim for high percentile and sectional scores to improve your chances of securing a seat in these prestigious institutes.

MDI, located in Gurgaon, continues to grow due to its academic focus and infrastructure. Here are some things that make MDI special:

• Faculty:

There are 75 full-time faculty members at MDI Gurgaon, and over 80% of them have either a Ph.D. or an MBA from a top institute. Many of the faculty members have established their expertise in specific research areas.

• Campus and Location:

MDI is situated on a beautiful campus that is 12 km from the International Airport in Delhi. The 40-acre campus is located in the corporate hub of India, providing a unique experience of a creative environment amidst industry action.

• Continuing Education Programme:

MDI is one of the largest schools in India for the training and development of managers. Over 68,000 managers have been trained over 39 years. The institute runs over 100 specifically designed executive development programs each year for top-level, middle-level, and senior-level managers of different organizations.

• Student Exchange and International Relations:

MDI was the first Indian business school and the second in Asia to be accredited by AMBA. The institute has been accredited regionally and nationally, making it the first Indian B-School to get Triple Crown accreditation. The student exchange program has evolved into an entire gamut of academic exchange that includes dual degree programs, faculty exchange, research collaboration, development of academic materials, etc.

• Guest Lectures and Workshops:

MDI plays host to a bevy of industry leaders who engage with the students by means of guest lectures and workshops.

• Admission Criteria:

To be considered for admission to MDI, candidates must have 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA in both X and XII. They must also have a Bachelor’s Degree of a minimum 3 years duration with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in any discipline from any University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions. Initial shortlisting is based purely on the basis of CAT score, academic profile, work experience, etc.

• Admission Process:

The MDI Gurgaon admission process involves several steps, including applying and scoring the minimum required percentile in CAT, registering and applying for admission to MDI Gurgaon, short-listing for GD-PI-WAT Round, entering the order of program preference for PGPM/PGP-IM/PGP-HRM, and receiving final admission offers based on a diverse set of attributes.

If you want to secure admission to MDI Gurgaon, a good CAT score of 95-99 percentile is essential, but you also need to excel in the GDPIWAT rounds. MDI Gurgaon is an excellent B-school, comparable to IIM A, B, C, L, IIFT, FMS, XLRI, and IIT Delhi DMS. The three-year executive MBA program for working professionals is highly commendable, and the course curriculum and faculty are similar to the full-time one-year executive MBA and two-year full-time residential MBA programs. However, the fees for the executive MBA program have increased enormously over the last few years and currently stand at almost 10 lakhs.

It is essential to choose an education loan wisely if you plan to finance your education through one.

The example profile of a student with a CAT score of 98.12 overall and all sectionals above 90 can give you an insight into what MDI Gurgaon looks for in its candidates. He had 15 months of work experience as a GET in an Indian pharma MNC, followed by eight months as a derivatives trader in a prop trading firm.  His overall inclination was towards Finance and then Ops, and the WAT and GD topic was "Only voters and not the political parties are responsible for the criminalization of politics." His WAT was average, but the GD had extra points, and the first-mover advantage was a home run. The PI started with the panelist asking the student about their engineering stream, but the student quickly pointed out that they were done with core engineering for good and intended to work in the financial markets. The other panelist was a finance professor specializing in quantitative finance, and the questions were mostly knowledge-based, and primarily related to markets. 

The student secured admission into the PGPIM program and upgraded to PGPM in the first updated list. This example shows that you do not have to be a perfect candidate to get into MDI Gurgaon, and a few gaps in your profile are acceptable. You can make up for these gaps by demonstrating how you have tried to bounce back in your professional life and how you intend to leverage MDI Gurgaon's opportunities to propel your career forward.

To improve your chances of admission, start by knowing yourself and working on basic questions like why you want to pursue an MBA. Formulating your answers will give you conviction and set you apart from candidates who give cliched responses. You should also strive to understand your job better, your company's systems, and its market share. When you can demonstrate your depth of understanding of a business, you become a perfect candidate for business studies.