If you are one of those whose CAT percentile is in the 85-95%ile bracket, then you probably missed the chance to get into India's top b-schools by 10-20 marks. But no need to worry. Your current CAT score may not be amazing, but it is still good enough and you can expect GD-PI-WAT calls or probably score a top seat in the waitlist of some reputed b-schools anyway. You also have the option of retaking CAT 2020 and ace it with flying colours. So what is it going to be? MBA dream or a CAT retake? Not sure how to choose between the 2? Fret no more! This article will help you weigh your options and decide your next step. Read this to know more…
B-Schools That May Shortlist You
Here is a list of b-schools that are more likely to call you for their GD-PIs:
Colleges Accepting CAT 2019: 85-89%ile
- TAPMI, Manipal
- DoMs, IIT Madras
- DoMS, IIT Roorkee
- IMT Nagpur
- IMI Bhubaneswar
Colleges Accepting CAT 2019 Percentile Between 90-95
- IRMA
- MICA Ahmedabad
- KJ SIMSR
- FORE School Of Management
- SJMSoM, IIT Bombay
- XIMB
- VGSoM, IIT Kharagpur
- IMT Ghaziabad
- IMI New Delhi
- GIM, Goa
- Great Lakes Institute of Management Studies
- SDA Bocconi
Management Institutes That You Can Still Apply
This the list of following b-schools that are still open for registration and will accept your CAT percentile:
| B-School | Last date for registrations |
|---|---|
| MICA | November 25, 2019 |
| IMI Bhubaneswar | December 2, 2019 |
| TAPMI Manipal | 2nd week January 2020 |
| KJ SIMSR | The first week of January 2020 |
| IRMA | January 10, 2020 |
| SJMSoM, IIT Bombay | 2nd week of January |
| DoMS, IIT Madras | last week of January 2020 |
| DoMS, IIT Roorkee | last week of January 2020 |
| XIMB | 1st week of December 2019 |
| VGSoM, IIT Kharagpur | last week of January 2020 |
How To Prepare For B-School Interviews?
Once you discover the b-schools that will shortlist you, it's time to start preparing for the interviews. Listed below are a few tricks and tips will help you ace your MBA interviews:
5 Rules Of Thumb To Follow To Crack B-School Interviews
How To Prepare For Writing Ability Test - Tips From An IIM Lucknow Student
The Ultimate Guide To Group Discussions | DOs and DON'Ts
Interview Prep Strategy By An IIM Ahmedabad Alumnus
Should You Attempt CAT Again?
Even if there is a fair chance that you will get shortlisted by the above-mentioned b-schools, there is always the option to reappear for the test next year and try to do better. But is it worth burning the midnight oil, yet another year?
Explore the following cases:
Situation 1: Your profile doesn’t suit certain b-schools
Certain business schools such as IIMs, FMS, MDI etc. are very peculiar about the academic profile and work experience and won’t rely just on CAT score. Your profile has to be the following:
- 10th: 85% - 90+%
- 12th: 85% - 90+%
- Graduation: 75% - 85+%
- Apart from that, 60-70% of the batch will have a work experience of at least 12 - 48 months, which means that the proverbial “ball” is in their court.
In case, you don’t have such a profile and your dream b-school adheres to such stringent parameters then there is no point in attempting CAT 2020. As, even after scoring a stellar 99+ percentile in CAT, you still may not end up receiving a shortlist from the institutes you aspire to be part of.
But, if your academic profile is suitable for the b-schools you aspire to be part of then explore the next two cases.
Situation 2: In case, you are in the 85-89%ile bracket
With a percentile of 85-89%, it is unlikely that you will get a call from the top, desirable business schools of the country. Even the new generation IIMs will not call you since their minimum cut-offs are 90-95+%ile. Private b-schools in the likes of IMT Ghaziabad and MICA will only shortlist call you if you have 90+%ile in CAT 2019.
However, the situation is not as grim as it sounds. A percentile of 85%-89% bracket indicates that you are not very far from achieving the minimum cut-offs, set by the IIMs and other top management institutes. If you decide to put the number of hours in the next 11 months and prepare for CAT 2020, then you can definitely make it to the 90-95%ile mark. And if your academic profile and work experience are in your favour, then you should definitely sit for CAT 2020.
Situation 3: In case, you fall in the 90-95%ile bracket
You have touched the base and meet the minimum cut-offs for most of the premier b-schools. However, there are very less chances to get shortlist calls from the old IIMs, unless you are from a non-general category and have a very good academic background. The new IIMs may call you based on your CAT percentile, but getting selected for these institutes depends on your academic profile and CAT performance. Other private b-schools like MICA, IMT Ghaziabad, etc. may also shortlist you. You can either choose to appear for these interviews or sit for CAT 2020. 90-95% indicates that you were short of mere 40-60 marks in CAT 2019. Thorough revisions and 20 more mock attempts and you can land an IIM ABCLKI call.
Depending on your urgency to pursue an MBA and your desire for the IIM/FMS/MDI/SPJIMR tag, you can choose to appear for CAT 2019 and attempt to improve your score.
Here are a few things that can help you with your CAT 2019 & 2020 prep:
6 Stress-Free Ways To Ace CAT On First Attempt
All I Wanted To Say About My 2 CAT Attempts - Above Average But Nothing Spectacular
99.50 Percentiler's Recommended Reading List For CAT Preparation - Ankit Gupta, IIM Lucknow
