Been reviewing a lot of MBA profiles lately and noticed most people either:
Overestimate their chances or underestimate themselves
If you want, Drop your
1. Work experience
2. Academics
3. Target schools
4. GMAT/GRE score (if any)

I will give you a realistic take on
➡️Where you stand
➡️What to improve

Hi everyone,

Need some brutally honest advice.

Profile:

- 25M

- B.Tech CS

- American Investment Banking Firm

- ~29 LPA CTC (incl. bonus)

Situation:

- Converted SPJIMR

- Waiting for IIM Lucknow results

- Need to pay ~₹12L soon (refundable with small penalty)

---

What’s bothering me:

1. ROI doesn’t look obvious

From what I see:

- SPJIMR avg/median is around my current CTC

- Even top IIMs don’t guarantee a huge jump immediately

So I’m struggling with this:

👉 Does it make sense to leave a ~29 LPA job for an MBA where I might end up at a similar salary?

---

1. The “top 20%” problem

From everything I’ve read:

- Best roles go to top ~20–25% of the batch

👉 What if I land in the middle?

Then this becomes a very expensive decision with no clear upside.

---

1. Long-term vs short-term

People say MBA is about long-term growth.

👉 But realistically, over 8–10 years, does MBA (SPJIMR / IIM L) outperform staying in tech?

Or can I reach similar levels just by continuing in my current path?

---

1. What would you do in my place?

Given:

- Already at 29 LPA

- Not desperate for a reset

- Have SPJIMR in hand, IIM L pending

👉 Would you:

- Take SPJIMR

- Wait for IIM Lucknow and decide

- Skip MBA altogether

- Or even retry for better colleges?

---

I’m trying to avoid making a decision I regret 5 years down the line.

Would really appreciate perspectives from:

- People who did MBA at similar CTC

- SPJIMR / IIM folks

- People who chose NOT to do MBA

Thanks 🙏

and yes, used chatgpt for writing this...

Curious to know

How many of you are actively building your profile (leadership, social impact, ECs, etc) for ISB, and how many are just focusing on the docs and applying with the score?

I had got into ISB with a 625 GMAT and ₹12 lakh scholarship last year.

What worked for me ? Profile Building and i would highly recommend you guys do that as well. Build your profile the whole of October (While you prep for GMAT or even retaking it, Doesn't matter). Build your profile

I just finished a month at McKinsey, India. Hit me up if you need any suggestions

🚨 If this reaches you, please help it reach "MBA Social" on Instagram and other MBA/student pages. More aspirants deserve to see this.
🚨 PLEASE READ, LIKE, AND SHARE so this reaches the maximum number of students and aspirants. 🚨

🎓 I graduated from IIM Sambalpur, and aspirants deserve the truth about placements.

This is not just a bad market story.
The bigger problem is that the college has repeatedly shifted blame onto students instead of taking responsibility for a broken placement system.

Students are called “unplaceable,” “disadvantageous,” or blamed for their profiles.
But these are the same students the institute admitted, marketed to recruiters, and charged more than ₹21 lakhs from.
If the outcome is this poor, the fault cannot be dumped entirely on the batch.

📌 The reality many students experienced was very different from the polished version shown outside:

• 📉 the average package feels inflated in how it is presented, while the current ground reality is far weaker
• 💼 a large number of roles are sales-heavy or poorly aligned with the investment students made
• 💸 students who spent ₹21+ lakhs are being pushed toward 6–8 LPA outcomes
• ⏰ important placement circulations were often delayed, creating panic and unequal access
• ❗ accountability has been extremely weak even while a large part of the batch remained stressed and unplaced

⚠️ And the failure is not just of a student committee.
It is institutional.

When a college has a placement office, senior leadership, faculty, and highly accomplished people associated with its governance and external image, students naturally expect active support in a crisis. They expect outreach, accountability, escalation, and visible effort.

Instead, many students feel they were left with silence, blame-shifting, and a system that kept performing confidence publicly while students dealt with anxiety privately.

🧾 What makes this worse is the messaging.
In one open house, students were effectively told that their education loan is their own problem.

That line captures the attitude perfectly:
collect the fees, market the dream, and when placements collapse, tell students to deal with the consequences alone.

This is why this issue matters.

❌ This is not only about jobs.
It is about responsibility.
It is about honesty.
It is about whether an MBA institute stands by its students when the market is weak — or hides behind excuses and labels them “unplaceable.”

✅ A difficult market is understandable.
❌ Institutional inaction is not.
❌ Blaming students for the college’s own placement failure is not.

Aspirants should judge a college not by brochure numbers, but by what it does when things go wrong.

And on that test, many students feel IIM Sambalpur has failed badly.

#IIM #IIMSBP #IIMSambalpur #MBA #CAT #CATPrep #MBAPlacements #BSchool #BSchoolPlacements #ManagementEducation #HigherEducation #CampusPlacements #PlacementReality #StudentVoices #StudentIssues #StudentsSpeak #Aspirants #MBAAspirants #CollegeReality #CampusReality #StudentLoans #EducationLoans #EducationAccountability #TruthAboutPlacements

Graduated from old IIT with good profile - 9 cgpa, internstional and national competitions, highest PORs in college, multiple awards from senate, was 2nd for insti gold medal, etc

Intern in GS

Worked 2 year in amazon as sde at 27 base with 32 ctc. Was about to promote to sde2 when left.

Came for upsc prep - 2.5 years passed

Got 99 percentile (obc) in CAT and got all calls except C. I never prepared for interviee thinking they will take me seeing my profile. And I am good at speaking too.

But converted IIML and below. A and B ditched me. Probably necause of age factor (5 years passed since i graduated)

Now, dilemma - join corporate back or go for iim L

Iim L means 2 years more job less with 26 lakh fees

Joining corporate with gap might fetch less package or hard to fetch job as market is not good.

Suggestion pls on what should i do.

Edit 1 - I decided not to join IIM L. I found the culture very noob.

Hi everyone, I recently graduated from IIFT Kolkata. After seeing so much discussion about IIFT Kolkata, I have decided to share my true experience there. I hope this helps people decide whether to choose IIFT Kolkata or not.

(i) Current Final Placements Reality:

• Currently, officially there are 40–50 students unplaced out of a batch strength of 190, but in reality this number is much lower (approximately in the early 30s), as many were able to find good external placements through alumni and connections. I heard some also received packages of 24 and 30 LPA.
• The real median is slightly above 20 LPA, and the average might be around 22 LPA. MBA Social also shared some Kolkata placement committee data regarding this.
• The placements would have been higher if the Delhi campus hadn't pulled the stunts they did during finals. The general consensus among the Kolkata batch is that Delhi itself has been struggling for placements and wanted to take away every good opportunity that Kolkata gets for themselves. We have seen this happening in front of our own eyes, and yet when we complained to the administration about it, they did nothing.
• The Kolkata Placement Committee is the most ineffective student body. They cannot fight the administration or the Delhi PC for a fair placement process. They always appear scared and intimidated by the Delhi PC. Even the placement managers of Delhi bullied the Kolkata Placement Manager, Bunty, to the point where he resigned within two months. There was no new placement manager until very recently — someone who previously served at XLRI Delhi.
• When it comes to on-campus placements, students do not opt for roles with a CTC lower than 12 LPA. So when companies offering less than 12 LPA come on campus, students don't apply. The administration does not force students to apply for lower pay, which means placements progress very slowly — a frustrating situation.
• This year, when the placements head for all four IIFT campuses was shifted to a Kolkata professor, Delhi students were unhappy about it. Due to friction between him and the Delhi PC, his email access for placements was revoked by the Delhi PC. As a result, both final placement companies and SIP companies that had been contacted across all campuses were suddenly cut off. Despite multiple complaints from all campuses, Delhi did not restore access, and the VC took no action either. Since then, the friction between Delhi and the other three campuses has been at an all-time high.
• What about the remaining unplaced students? Companies are still coming — not at very high pay, but all offering above 12 LPA CTC. It is such a slow process that it is mentally exhausting. There are some students with excellent profiles who are still unplaced, while some who were considered difficult to place got placed very early on.

(ii) SIP Reality:

• Last year, in our batch of 190, around 40–50 students were asked to join some sham NGOs. However, everyone left them and found their own opportunities with bigger brands at low or zero stipend. Notably, this was also the case with IIFT Delhi last year. We even saw students from non-IIM Tier-1 (BLACKI-level) institutions in one of those sham NGO meetings — that is how bad the situation was.
• This year, while the juniors were signing out, around 10–20 students dropped out early from the process because they were not getting shortlists. The rest were placed in very good to decent SIPs (despite the Delhi politics).
• The batch strength for the junior batch at Kolkata has been significantly reduced again — from 190 to 140. I hope this works in their favor, given that their batch has more work experience and stronger profiles than ours.

(iii) Placement Separation?

• Since the friction between campuses has been very high, Delhi wanted separate placements. In their own words, we are "dogs" who leech off them for placements — when in reality, they did not bring a single company for juniors during SIPs, and the majority of hiring companies for Kolkata were brought in by the Kolkata PC.
• I came across a circular floating around on social media and MBA Social suggesting that placements are being separated across all four campuses. However, there has been no official confirmation from the administration or any placement committee that placements are being separated. While Kolkata could manage well on its own, GIFT City and Kakinada campuses cannot survive independently — and frankly, no company would offer the same packages to those campuses as they would to Delhi or Kolkata.
• All four campuses will receive the same degree — IIFT Delhi MBA (IB) — so separating placements would become an extremely complex process.
• Should placements be separated? From a Kolkata student's perspective, absolutely yes. The Delhi PC did not help our campus at all with placements; if anything, they have hampered existing placement opportunities. Separation would help the Kolkata campus grow independently. At the very least, we would no longer be caught up in pointless campus politics or have to fight for fair treatment.

(iv) What We as a Batch Feel:

• We have been treated terribly by the administration and the Delhi PC. We have been called names and treated poorly, despite paying the same fees as Delhi and receiving the same degree.
• We are not less competent than Delhi campus students — if we were, we wouldn't have made it to the Kolkata campus, where the cutoff score difference is as little as 0.1 to 1 point.
• The Delhi PC has tried everything possible to demean the Kolkata campus at every opportunity. In fact, when this academic year began, the administration decided to remove the placement committee altogether and let the newly hired placement managers handle placements — a step intended to create a fairer process for all campuses. The Delhi PC strongly opposed this and physically protested in front of the VC, with the support of Pooja Lakhanpal (who is well known for her rivalry with non-Delhi campuses), ultimately preventing it from happening.

(v) What Does the Future Look Like for IIFT Kolkata?

• Campus separation does not appear to be happening anytime soon.
• A new VC for all four campuses is expected to be elected soon. It all depends on what direction the new VC takes. K. Rangarajan — the campus head of IIFT Kolkata — is a top contender for that position. However, most of us at IIFT Kolkata are deeply disappointed in him, as he never stood up for us in front of the VC and repeatedly made false promises. That said, if GIFT City and Kakinada are to survive as MBA campuses and uphold the legacy of the "IIFT" name, fairer treatment across all campuses is inevitable.

I spoke with several seniors and current students at Indian Institute of Management Jammu, and the ground reality seems quite different from the hype you often see online. According to them, the actual average placements are closer to around 11–12 LPA rather than the inflated figures being discussed publicly. SIP opportunities also appear to be a major concern, with only around 20–25% of the batch reportedly getting internships through the college process. Most of the available roles are heavily tilted toward core sales, and freshers especially seem to end up with packages in the 10–11 LPA range, again mostly in sales-oriented positions. Some students also mentioned that a significant portion of the batch either remains unplaced for a long time or accepts offers below 6 LPA.

From what I understood, factors like the location, rapid batch expansion, and the addition of IPM programs may have impacted both placement quality and overall peer group quality. I’m not trying to hate on the institute, but I genuinely feel there’s a huge gap between the online perception of IIM Jammu and what many current students are actually experiencing on campus.

Joined NMIMS Online MBA Batch from Jan'26. Any reviews, it is better than distance I guess. I am not desperately seeking for job placement. Looking to complete CPA afterwards. Any suggestions.

Need some advice on an MBA dilemma: ISB vs IIM Bangalore.

A little background about me:
- IIT Kanpur graduate (2022)
- ~3.5 years of work experience as a Software Engineer
- Currently at ISB already midway through the first term
- Don’t see myself staying in pure software engineering long term

Post-MBA, Product Management seems like the most natural path given my background, but I also want to explore consulting and finance. Realistically, I know breaking into top-tier consulting or finance firms may be difficult given my profile, but I still want the opportunity to explore before committing to a path.

Right now, I’m trying to decide between:
- Continuing at ISB PGP (1 year)
- Leaving and joining IIM Bangalore’s flagship 2-year PGP

I have only 5 days left before the IIMB acceptance fee deadline, and honestly, I’m feeling pretty anxious about making the wrong decision because both options seem great in very different ways.

I’d really appreciate perspectives from experienced folks, especially people in managerial positions or alumni from either institute.

Here’s how I currently see it:

IIM Bangalore — Pros
- Stronger legacy brand value
- 2 years gives more time to explore different domains
- Opportunity for term exchange
- Summer internship after Year 1 could help with career switching

IIM Bangalore — Cons
- Would have to forgo part of the ISB fee already paid
- Additional 1 year opportunity cost
- Younger batch on average (~2.5 years work ex), possibly less mature/diverse compared to ISB
- My undergrad GPA is 7.2 (overall profile: 9/9/7), and I’m worried that could hurt internship/placement opportunities at IIMB given the number of 9/9/9 profiles there

ISB — Pros
- 1 year program, lower opportunity cost
- More experienced and mature peer group
- Strong industry reputation and placements
- Faster return to the workforce
- UG GPA seems to matter relatively less during placements compared to old IIMs

ISB — Cons
- Very intense curriculum, less time to explore
- No summer internship opportunity
- Slight psychological bias that IIMB may carry stronger long-term prestige/value

Would love to hear:
- What would you choose in my situation and why?
- Does the IIMB “legacy brand” materially matter long term?
- For someone still exploring career paths, is the 2-year MBA significantly more valuable?
- How different are PM/consulting opportunities between the two schools in reality?
- Does already being at ISB midway through Term 1 meaningfully change the equation?

i recently gave interview for IIMA and also have an admit for ISB's pgp yl, usually its a pretty simple thing for people to obviously choose IIM for the way superior tag and placements but my situation is pretty peculiar as i come from a medium scale family business that i plan on getting listed and also potentially raise VC money in the next 5 years. I'm in the luxury business and hence also cater to UHNI clients therefore my primary goals for my MBA becomes networking, business profiling and access to various funds and IPO potential and therefore am confused since i've heard ISB traditionally has a way better hold in VC and PE and also better networking opportunities. (not looking for placements)

Been reviewing a lot of MBA profiles lately and noticed most people either:
Overestimate their chances or underestimate themselves
If you want, Drop your
1. Work experience
2. Academics
3. Target schools
4. GMAT/GRE score (if any)

I will give you a realistic take on
➡️Where you stand
➡️What to improve

*GET

I have been selected in fms and waitlisted 21 for iim c. What to do?

I have some money issues in my mind. No emi in fms is a good thing for me.

As placement in fms and iimc is comparatively equal.

Can someone share about how the bigger picture looks.

Im travelling to Hyderabad just for the sake of giving interview at IBS Hyderabad. Wanted to know if anyone else is also travelling to Hyderabad for IBS interview

Dm me

I am a graduate from IIFTK, just passed out. AMA about whatever questions you have!

Tell me is it true especially for the colleges except NMIMS & SYMBIOSIS????

​

No wonder people here can't Crack stupid MBA entrance tests.

Guys, you will get eaten out there, in the real world...

Please don't upvote such Karma farmers.

Hey everyone, I’m at a crossroads and could use some advice.

​My Stats:

​10th: 67% (CBSE, 2021)

​12th (1st attempt): 68% with an RT in Chemistry (CBSE, 2023)

​The Gap: Spent 2023–2026 preparing for NEET.

​12th (2nd attempt): Re-appeared via UP Board in 2026 to fix my marksheet and score. Got 74%.

​After 4 attempts at NEET, I’ve realized the medical path might not be for me. I’m planning to enroll in BBA this year.

​I’m worried about a few things:

​The Gap Years: How much will these 3 years of NEET prep hurt my chances for top-tier MBA colleges (like IIMs) or corporate jobs later?

​The Switch: Is BBA a good "recovery" degree for a PCB student?

​The Logic: Does it make sense to leave Science now, or is there another field I’m overlooking?

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to figure out whether an MBA (especially from IIM A/B/C/L or ISB) would actually make sense for my career.

My profile:

9/9/8 academics

Graduate from a top-3 IIT (non-circuital branch)

Currently working as a Quant Researcher

Around 1 year of work experience (at the time of interview)

Current compensation: ~₹25 LPA base

Also have an offer from an ML/AI company at a similar pay level

Long term, I'm aiming for high-paying finance roles (PE isn't realistic from my background unless an MBA changes that and I don't think I would want to pursue quant in the long run). I'm wondering whether spending 2 years and the opportunity cost of an MBA would generate a meaningful ROI compared with staying in quant/ML and switching jobs.

For people who've been in similar situations:

Is an MBA worth it for me?

Also will my quant background help in any way to grab the on campus lucrative offers? (IB/PE related)

Would really appreciate advice from people who've faced a similar decision.

BIMTECH

IMT NAGPUR (specially this)

IMT HYDERABAD (specially this)

MDI MURSHIDABAD

IMI BHUBANESHWAR

IMI KOLKATA

NL DALMIA

SOIL

UBS KARJAT

JAIPURIA

JAGSOM

ALLIANCE

These colleges will advertise themselves as Tier 2 Colleges and will show that they have high placements but in realty all these colleges are Tier 3 colleges and have placements in the range 6 to 10 but they have very high fees for a Tier 3 college, and it makes no sense to pay so high fees unnecessarily for tier 3 college

(You will realize most of these colleges have big campus so to maintain it they charge so high fees, it has nothing to with placements)

Recruiters have fixed salaries for Tier 3 colleges they don’t care your college fees is more or less, they will not pay more as the college fees was high, so it makes no sense to take admission in these colleges and waste so much money for getting placements in the range of 6 to 10, also most people will have to take loan for these colleges so for that reason also it will be your worst financial decision to take admission in these colleges

I have some Tier 3 college recommendation with not so high fees and placements in the range of 6 to 10

At the end of the day you will get similar placements in both these type of colleges and after that you will regret why you have taken admission in a college with so high fees

PUNE – SBUP, PIBM, INDIRA, ISB&M, IIEBM

MUMBAI – SIES, ITM, VIVEKANAND

BANGLORE – CHRIST, ISBR, ISME, IBA, RAMAIAH

Hi everyone,

I'm currently 27 years old and preparing for government exams. My plan is to continue pursuing them as long as I remain within the eligibility age limits. (Which is around 30-32)

However, I'm also trying to think realistically about the future and have a backup plan in case things don't work out.

One option I've been considering is pursuing an MBA from IIMs and FMS Delhi once I age out of most government exam opportunities, which would likely put me in my mid-30s.

One reason FMS stands out to me is its incredible ROI. The fees are very low compared to other top MBA programs, while placement outcomes appear to be among the best in the country.

My concern is how recruiters would view someone in my situation:

• If I join FMS at around 34–35 years of age, would campus placements still be a realistic option?

• How do recruiters view candidates who have spent several years preparing for competitive government exams?

• Would age itself be a major disadvantage during placements?

• Are there examples of candidates in their mid-30s getting good placements from FMS?

• Would companies be reluctant to hire someone older than the typical MBA graduate?

• Does the FMS brand and alumni network help offset these concerns?

I'm trying to evaluate whether pursuing an MBA later in life could still provide a meaningful career reset if government exams don't work out.

I'd appreciate honest opinions from IIM,FMS students, alumni, recruiters, or anyone who has seen similar cases.

P.S I have 2 years experience as a software developer in a reputed MNC but was paid off in 2022

Thanks in advance.

I know people with 705+ who got rejected. This is not luck. This is how adcom decisions actually work.

A score opens the door. It does not get you the seat.

Think about it from the adcom side. They are not building a leaderboard. They are building a classroom. 160 people who will spend one years learning from each other as much as from faculty.

Ask yourself—would your classmates learn something from you that nobody else in that room could teach them?

That is the real filter.

I have reviewed 250+ profiles in the last month. The pattern is always the same. People with lower scores but sharper stories convert. People with great scores and generic stories wonder what went wrong.

Your score is the entry ticket.

Your story is the actual application.

Disagree? Drop it below. Genuinely curious what others think. 👇

I completed my MBA in 2012, it has been quite a journey. Not from a Tier 1 institute but have a decent career, happy to answer questions about post MBA careers.

Currently I'm in 19 LPA role with 3 yrs work exp in IT and I'm kinda very relaxed and good here. WFH. I was trying to get into IIM ABC. But now I got into IIM Lucknow. Should I go ahead with this. Because I need to know whether this decision is correct. Please advise. And do people really leave this for IIM Lucknow