How to get into ISB

The Indian School of Business (ISB) is one of the prominent institutions in India. It goes without saying that getting admission into the ISB is challenging. If you glance at the numbers, you can note that the ISB has a stunning run, as you can see in the series of charts.

We have referred to the famous M7 business schools and the INSEAD/London Business School (LBS) for comparing the data.

Table of Salary Increase (%) by graduates from various business schools

Source: Financial Times 2020 Global MBA Rankings

As you can see, the salary increase (%) is quite good from ISB. As an Indian candidate, it makes sense it is worthwhile to join the ISB, as you can see the massive increase after joining the degree. The ROI is tremendous and worth your tuition fee.

ISB is a standard option for several Indian students. They obtain the highest GMAT scores globally, and from the above table, ISB stands above the rest of the business. When you want to ensure that your degree is worth your time and money, you know the best choice.

Table of Acceptance rate (%) by graduates from various business schools

Table of Yield (%) by graduates from various business schools

Source: Poets and Quants (2019); * ISB date is for 2014; ** 2018 data

The above data was retrieved from the year 2014. However, our readers can quickly note the difference in ISB among the other prestigious business schools. It is right next to HBS/MIT. Besides, potential students will be glad to hear that the admission procedure is quite stringent.

That only means, only the best minds are given entry into the business school. It also verifies the statement we made earlier about the business school as the top option for Indian students globally.

Most of the Indian students garner exceptional marks in the GMAT test. Additionally, the yield percentage is outstanding. That means the business school has the ability to attract highly talented students who are keen on joining business schools but have ISB as the primary target.

Table of Average GMAT by graduates from various business schools

Source: School websites

Are you a student planning to ace the GMAT? Then the good news is that you can do it with the help of a few tips and ideas that we have mentioned below. The GMAT may not be equivalent to the M7 for ISB, but it is still rated as the best in the educational sector.

Since we have given you a small idea about the program, you might want to know how you can succeed in it. We have broken it into 3 steps we will call as ABC. We can assure you that you can be confident of succeeding in the GMAT once you have read our ABC steps.

How to get into ISB

A – Ace the objective parameters.

Knowing this critical factor lays the foundation for your preparation for the GMAT test. The A that we have mentioned above is to ace the objective parameters. In this sense, you need to have an exceptional GPA in GMAT or GRE.

This gives you a head start over other candidates who lay in wait for seats in the best business schools. So, the higher you score, the better your chances of getting admission to the best business school.

For working professionals who want to compromise for their undergraduate GPA can think about joining a career in finance. However, it may not actually help you increase your past score. You can think of enrolling for CFA may help in your MBA admission prospects.

There is no reason why you cannot get around the hurdle of poor academics. That should not be a cause why potential candidates must not apply for top business schools. Those of you lucky ones reading this post, still early in college or university, might want to give in your best academically.

Of course, if you cannot score high marks, that does not mean you cannot make it huge in life. However, your job on the road to success becomes narrower and difficult. When you have been able to score exceptionally well, then you can use ISB 100% ride or healthy financial aid.

B – Bigger is better

The second is what we like to call B. That stands for more significant achievements, qualifications, and even quantification. You can also read it this way as Be Brave, Be Bold, and Be Better. Doing that can help you achieve greatness in life irrespective of your current situation.

This is a general piece of advice that is suitable for anybody. It would help if you tried to excel in everything that you do. It could be anything. For example, if you are volunteering in something. Then you may want to think of ideas on how to increase your productivity.

Besides, you may want to help others achieve or improve on their levels. That is a good sign of the traits in an emerging leader. As they say, leaders are born and not made. That is the sole reason why work experience matters.

When you want to push yourself, then you must not only focus on your peers. But you would like to match with your manager or seniors if you can. This way, you are pushing yourself to break those barriers that usually do not allow ordinary workers to be able to excel in life.

You will also want to consider educating yourself on the business schools you plan to register your degree. You can do that by going to the business school, attending the information sessions, joining live webinars if possible.

Besides, you can meet up or interact with alumni and current students. This helps you to learn more about the various methods in learning how you can develop your career. It enables you to have a balanced understanding of the course and interest in the adcoms.

It ensures that you are aware of the things that happen in the institute. You need to know these factors before you invest your hard-earned money. There is no need to pressurize yourself to be outstanding at all times.

But being able to set the benchmark is genuinely a skill that very few mortals have been able to learn. As seen with several IT applicants, they know how to differentiate themselves from other candidates with a lack of work experience.

Probably because they know what is expected from them, they have the exposure and training in how to stand out from the regular crowd. We don’t need to be trying to mention only about the IT candidates here.

But candidates can also be from a non-IT background and still excel in business school. This can be because of the experience he/she has attained. A good example, your friend or college mate may prefer enrolling in the engineering field.

You may have decided to join the IT industry. As you can see, your mentality and career objective differ from your friend’s. An MBA adcom job can be challenging. They have to judge both of you, not knowing your objective.

However, you can convince them when you are able to highlight that your career goals are more significant than the rest of the candidates. You may be interested in knowing how this particular candidate could get an ISB to admit an offer on the spot in 3 minutes of the interview!

Notable, isn’t it? The ability to judge skills and differentiation is vital for those who are reapplying. Though they have the potential, it takes some time for them to meet and understand that potential.

Our team has worked with candidates who have reapplied thrice and then go in. Of course, personal dedication and commitment will also come into the task. We suggest you read how to get selected into ISB with scholarship in the third attempt on how not to give up at any cost.

C – Comprehensive

You may not want to leave out anything, whether it is good or bad. You never know when it might come in handy. Life is an experience. You have the good days and the bad days. They both are essential in the development of any student or working professional.

A top business school like ISB has the perfect combination of pupils in their classes. Each student is processing their traits and skill set. Having this kind of diversity enables students to share their knowledge, compete with each other in a healthy environment, develop a smooth learning process.

You gain knowledge during discussions in class, attending workshops, and building your personal and professional expertise in applying the theory in real life. If you find yourself needing help at any moment, then you may want to express yourself in your optional essays or the main application essays.

You do not want to hide these factors or resort to lying in your MBA application because it is not a good idea. It may come back to haunt you one day. Hence, you may want to explain yourself so that adcoms assume the worst to ensure that you do not stumble during any moment of your career.

You can manage the test scores and find employment quickly without any delay. You might be interested in learning how this candidate got into ISB with low GMAT and a career break. To encourage you further, we have provided you with another scenario of how a candidate got into ISB with a super low GMAT score of 600.

We hope you found this post helpful in adding your journey into ISB. Besides, you may also want to read the stories that we have given the links for. They can give you the much-needed hope and encouragement not to despair during testing times