The application process for the next class starting April 2012 is now on and I thought it would be a good idea to start this year’s blog with a note on how to get started with the applications.
In my experience over years of having seen various approaches followed by students while applying to the ISB, the most common mistake, I have seen committed, is equating GMAT exam to the entire ISB application. Most of the students wait until they have finished taking the GMAT (in a large number of cases it is in the last week of the deadline) and then start on the application. It’s a sure shot way of failing overall, even if you get a great GMAT score. Simply because, GMAT is just one ‘part’ of our overall application evaluation process. There are a lot of other things which are equally if not more important than GMAT. So, here is my two cents on how to go about it.
- Get all your academic and work experience papers in place and have them scanned and uploaded at one go. This would ensure that you don’t miss out on any document. Any additional qualifications and certifications can also be uploaded.
- Writing essays would require significant time and effort. To write a good essay requires that you spend a considerable time thinking about what you want to cover in each essay. As a first step put down all the points you would like covered, then order the points in a logical sequence then elaborate each point into a well structured essay. It is always a good idea to first write the essay ignoring the word limit and then edit down to the required word limit. This ensures that you have covered all that you have intended to cover in the essay. Have the essays reviewed by friends and colleagues who know you well.
- While selecting evaluators, please ensure you share their official email IDs. If for some reason you cannot give the official mail id you have the option to get an offline evaluation. You will have to give us the reason for making this choice. We will then send across the evaluation blank to the appraiser who can then fill them and courier it to us. Please send in the details early so that the evaluators have sufficient time to furnish the evaluations so that they reach us by the application deadline.
The first cycle application deadline is 15th Sept 2011.
Hello!
I sincerely request you to create Google feed-burner and twitter account for this beautiful blog. It ‘ll help us (aspirants) to read the correct and clear admission information without delay.
PS: If in case you don’t have time, let me help you out (as a community service).
Regards
Syed Aamir Aarfi
Electronics Engg Grad. (Delhi College of Engineering) 2011
An ISB aspirant
Placed at Deloitte as Risk Consultant (starting july 2011)
Sir,
I currently work with KPMG – and would be getting one recommendation from a senior partner here. Although my other recommendation would be coming in from my manager in the Hinduja Group, where i was previously employed.
He has now quit and is pursuing his second MBA in Cambridge.
would it be okay if he sends in his reco from his Cambridge id?
Yes Vidisha, you can ask him to do so.
Thank you! Phew 🙂
Sir,
I am doing my mtech…
I would like to apply ISB this year ….
Is it possible to get admission without work experience……?
If yes, what would be the GMAT score to get selected in ISB….?
you need to have a minimum of two years of work exp to get admitted to ISB. Our GMAT range has been between 600 – 780 for the current class.
Hello Sir,
I have a question. I feel I have each and every quality that ISB is looking for. Currently working for one of leading Software services based company in the world. My Question is I would have 1 year 1o months of experience by the time I would apply for ISB. I heard from student portals and through all other media that i can get info from is that you look for quality of the career rather than years of experience. If leadership is one among the qualities that you are looking for, in one’s career point of view, I lead my third project that i was assigned for where I was expected to take decisions both technically and apply business logic. Kindly reply this.
we require preferably a minimum of two years of exp.we give deferred admissions to exceptional profiles. And the only way to find if you can gt one, is by applying!
Sir,
Presently I am working for Tech Mahindra Ltd as software engineer. Current work experience is 1year 5 months. By Feb 2012 I will have 2 years of experience. Please enlighten me whether i can apply for April 2012 admissions?
yes, you can
Sir,
Is there any resume format while applying for ISB. i am working as a quality professional for a health care organization with 7+ years of experience. most of them have suggested a one page resume. but i really not able to put all the data into it.
please suggest on this
There is no resume format. you will have to fill in the details as per the sections given in the application portal.
Sir, i think it takes 2-3 weeks of time for the official score card to reach ISB. i am planning to right the GMAT in the first week of September. Will that be ok if i submit my applications only by mentioning my test score in the application and then later you receiving the Official Scores with in 2-3 weeks.
Don’t worry. submit with your test scores.
Sir,
I am 24 and have graduated in 2008 with a B.com degree from Mumbai University. I have completed my Chartered Accountancy (CA) in 2010.
As a part of CA curriculum, one is supposed to work for 3 full years as a article trainee before one is awarded the CA Degree. Accordingly, i have done my articleship with Deloitte and during that period have been involved in Audits, Listing of companies in the Bombay Stock Exchange, business restructuring, mergers and amalgamations etc. and am still working with Deloitte Mumbai as an Assistant Manager since clearing my CA in November 2010.
Since that training was only in the nature of training but required us to work full time, would that be considered or partly considered as work experience?
P.s: I have also been involved in various extra curricular activities.
Regards,
Ashok Paudel
Ashok, Articleship is not considered as full time work experience at ISB.
ok sir, Thanks!
Respected Sir,
I graduated with Btech degree on 2007 and will be completing my 4 years in IT by october this year and I also plan to take my GMAT exam by october end. I have 3 months onsite exp till now. My question is does this allow me to have enough time to apply for ISB for the 2012 admission ?
My second question is how much importance is given to other aspects of an applicant apart from his/her GMAT score and what are those in general ?
Thanks,
An ISB aspirant
your ability to take GMAT is a function of how much time you can devote on a daily basis for preparation. GMAT is a part of the selection process and therefore the other aspects such as work experience, essays, recommendations, etc are equally important.
Hello Sir,
I have done my MS from the US. I started as a full time student in Fall 2008. In Spring 2010 (Jan 2010), I started working full time for a Medical device company.
Hence, I did my last semester (1 course – 3 units) as Distance Education as I was working in another city.
What do I select in the application portal, Full time student or DEN?
I hope this work experience counts as a full time work experience.
Please guide.
Thank you,
Rushabh Shah.
Rushabh, i would advise you to write into v_srinath@isb.edu with this query. he will guide you on this one.
Thank you Sir.
hi sir
right now in am doing my B tec 4 year , i will be completing it by April of 2011
later on i want 2 join ISB is it possible 2 do or i have 2 work for 2 years and later on i can join ,
you would need to work for a minimum of 2 years before you apply to ISB.
Hello Sir,
Warm Regards.
I completed my Engineering, in Industrial Production, in the year 2009 and then did Post Graduate Diploma course in Product and Tool Design.
Presently, I am Working as ‘Graduate Engineer – Trainee’ and I would be confirmed in the month of July as an ‘Engineer’ as per my company heirarchy/Designation Policy.
My Question is, would the experience of this one year as a Trainee be considered in the Eligibility Criteria? Would I be eligible for the next batch starting April 2012?
It is fine. As long as you have completed two years of work exp by Apr 2012 and all this is after your graduation and is full time.
Hi, Sir
It is a bit difficult for me to get recommendation from my current employer. So is it ok if both the recommendations are from my previous employers. Also wanted to know , if the person whom I report to has joined some other Company then Can I give his new official e-mail ID for recommendation purposes.
yes you can.
Thanks, Sir.
Sir,
I am pursuing Btech(VII sem).I am “extrememly enthusiastic” about joining ISB but since I cannot apply before another three years,I request you to enlighten me as to what things I can do in my college life and after that will make my resume more appealing to you. In particular,what kind of college activities would catch your eye.
I know the question sounds quite random because it would be an infinite number of things but please list down things that currently revolve in your mind.
Thank You
You should pursue your interests and what you like rather than do stuff which will catch the attention of B-Schools. Be yourself and you will do good.
Sir,
I am currently working for Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd. I will be completing my 2 years in October 2011. So am I eligible to apply for the September 15th deadline or should I wait for Round 2 (30th November).
Thank you
we calculate the work exp till Apr 2012. so you can apply in R1 or R2.
Respected Sir,
I am a B.E graduate, 2008 & will be completing 3yrs of full time work exp. coming August, in a leading energy sector organisation. However, I will be giving GMAT in October end and hence will apply to the ISB during the second cycle ie. before Nov 30, 2011. I wanted to know whether applying in second cycle reduces ones chance of getting in your esteemed B-school, if in case a majority of the students from the same work sector are already admitted during the first cycle itself.
Also, I would like to compliment you for the making the wonderful ISB Welcome Video, which starts up my day since last 1 month. Its a great video to watch for all the aspirants of ISB. Thank You Sir…….
it will not reduce any chances. we have more or less same number of seats for both cycles.
Thank You sir..
Dear Sir,
I have worked 2 years in Honeywell dubai and approx one year in JBK Controls dubai. The matter is that the JBK Controls organisation was not established in Dubai when i joined but after 6-7 months the branch was opened in Dubai till then I was working from home. This company is Qatar based company and they send me an offer letter from Doha and asked me to assist from home. I have bank statements also to prove that I have been working. My question is that is this experience valid for me to put in my appilcation format and will this be accepted.
Thanks & Regards
yes it is valid as long as you have a offer letter which supports it.
Yes I do have an offer letter. I would like to when will I have to submit experience/offer letter for both companies to the college for verfication.
Also since I am an NRI, can I apply for international students deadline or I have to apply Nov 30 cycle 2 deadline.
Thanks & Regards
pls log in the appl portal and follow the instructions. If you are an international passport holder, then you can apply within the international deadline, or else Nov 30.
Hello,
I work as a Senior HR Manager with a Mutual Fund organization in Delhi and have a total work experience of 11 years. I want to apply for 2012 admission class of ISB. However, wanted to check if there is a waiver from GMAT for admission to ISB considering the no. of years of experience I carry with me. Alternatively, are there any scenarios where waiver from GMAT can be obtained for admission to ISB.
Thanks & Regards
Shikha
GMAT is a must for admission into the ISB along with a bachelors degree/diploma and a minimum of two years full time work experience.
sir i completed my BBA in june 2011 i want to know that how i take admison in ISB and GMAT is compulsory for Admisson .
you would need 2 years of work exp and gmat is compulsory to be considered for ISB.
Dear sir
i am a 2006 b.tech pass out.my academic career is just around 64 percentage excluding 10th which is 86 %.i have more than 03 years of contractual work exp in a PSU and 01 year of exp in a small consulting firm for which i don’t have any supporting document.My point is since i want to be an entrepreneur and keen to do a PGP in ISB ,can a higher GMAT score and strong will power help me get admission in ISB?
Yes, why not. It also depends on how well you articulate the need for a MBA, your future plans and other aspects of the application.
thank u sir ,your quick reply will kick-start my preparation.i feel motivated
Sir,
Iam interesed to apply to the ISB PGPM for the class of 2013. Iam an Engineer employed within a public sector power company and would complete 4 years of service here in October. I am currently working on my essays and am not sure whether to mention my brief stint at another company ( I was selected through Campus Placement and worked for short span of about 3.5 months before getting an offer from my current organisation). Would such a short work duration give a negative impact to my profile?
No. it would not.
Hello Sir,
I am interested in applying to ISB. I have nearly 5 years full-time work experience in the non-profit sector (NGOs). I am presently working for an international non-profit organization. Does ISB consider experience in the non-profit sector as relevant for admission?
yes
Sir, My CTC includes fixed + variable..So what should i mention in the application ???
Dear sir,
Could you please specify the number of students with exactly 2 years of work experience in the recent out going batch,
Thanking you,
Mohan Pradeep Y
close to 15% of the batch had exp between 2 to 3 years.
Hello
I was going through the student profiles and out of the following 14 people
Atma Shivalanka
Sumit Maheshwari
Hozefa AbbasSaurav
AtriMohit Mittal
Mohit Mittal
Subhas Sumithra
Aman Raza Khan
Sidharth Malhotra
Vibha Adlakha
Kota Ravi Chandra
SantoshNarayanan
KuttyPriyanka
Navniet Sekera
KimberlyAnderson Warriah
who are mentioned I don’t see one with an IT background which looks odd to me given the location (India) of the school and the number of students from IT background.
This is a cause of concern for me particularly as I come from an IT background and would have liked to see fair representation.
Thanks
Amit
we would love to sync you up with students from IT background. drop us a line with your background, specific query and we will connect you up with same.
Sir,
Iam currently working on my essays for R1 of ISB. However, the manager who i worked with for two years has left my existing organization and has joined another one. Since i direclty reported to him for two years i wanted him to give me a recommendation. Will such a reco. be acceptable to ISB as the official e-mail id would be of the other organization now?
sir
Is there any age limit laid down for the programme.Iam in the armed forces and would like to appear for ISB but seeing the age profiles this question has cropped up.Age at joining would be 42 does this effect?
no age limit.
Sir,
I am a serving officer in the indian army with 20 years of experience.i wish to join ISB to pursue the PGP for one year.Going through the student profiles obviously reflects a younger age profile of people joining.My joining age would be 42-43 .Will this be a detriment in case you have a age limits laid down.Please advice.
we do not have a age limit for the class. you are eligible to apply.
Hello,
I am an ISB aspirant and I intend to apply for R2. However, for no inexplicable reason, I created my account for the application form and plan to work on the application bit by bit while I prepare for my GMAT. The question I have – Will the application system force me to submit the form by September 15 or can I submit whenever I am ready as long as I am within the R2 deadline.
Much appreciate your response!!!
you can apply in R2 too.
Hello Sir,
I’ve been working in the business research industry and am looking at ISB for my second MBA. I have had an average academic background, particularly during my secondary education, and even took an additional year to complete my engineering. However, without any control on the past and with a strong desire to improve the career ahead, I took my work religiously and managed to demonstrate a strong performance throughout the five years of work life so far. It will be helpful to know how you see such a candidature at ISB.
good that you are working hard in your career. take your gmat and apply. we cannot comment on profiles.
Sir i am eagerly waiting on your reply regarding a different official e-mail id of my ex-boss. Else could i get an offline evaluation done from him?
Hello Mr. Kannan,
I just started my career in April 2011 and now i am planning to give my GMAT by Jan 2012 and use this score after gaining a considerable work experience but i came to know that the Next Gen GMAT is going to start in June 2012 and i am planning to apply for ISB after 2013. Does the Next Gen GMAT score have any advantage over the present GMAT score at the time of applying to ISB in/after 2013 or you will treat them with no difference.
Please reply
Thanks,
Mohan Pradeep Y
Hi Sir,
How important is the video essay. Am I free to use creativity in my essays?
I came across this sample video [ http://youtu.be/v9UfKvtm1Ng ] and found it interesting. I have a friend who is good with videos. Can I make a video that is different from the regular on-camera speech?
Regards,
Rahul
The video essay is as important as other aspects of application. You can add a creative element to your video as long as you think it will add value to the content int he video. What is most important is what you say more than the creativity.
Sir,
Need your valuable advice.
I have dream to join ISB but due to some problems, i could not. I have completed MBA in HR(2009), now i have 2 years corp exp
Qn1 .. Now i am planning to take GMAT, is this good move? need your advice.
Qn2.. If i could not make it for ISB, what are the other options that i have with GMAT score
Waiting for your advice
Yes, you will need to take the GMAT to apply to ISB. Several other schools also take GMAT scores, you can get more information regarding your options from the exam website: http://www.gmac.com