Easy Ways to find a Relevant MBA Institute Based on Your Academic Scores

Studying MBA is a rigorous process that needs efforts that may be taxing at times. Selectors need to be assured of the fact that a candidate should be able to survive in the environment under the pressure. Your academic potential is directly related to your competence to thrive in a business school.

Majorly there are three ways to reflect your academic strengths:
• GPA
• GMAT Score
• Professional Certifications

 GPA is a very common tool used by B-schools to assess your academic profile. A lower GPA will diminish your chances to a top-ranked B-school. However, in such cases you need to have a list of B-schools that would entertain such score. Generally from a top ranked graduate school with a lower GPA may find some consideration. But you should remember that a lower GPA along with a low grade B-school can give a perfect disastrous recipe. So be careful while making your list.

GPA is the globally accepted score which is mandatory at all top B-schools. However in some countries, as is the case with some colleges in India, GPA scores are not provided to graduating students. Traditionally, a good GPA score is around 3.5, so, once you do the conversion and realise you have something around this, you'd know that you are in the running for a good B-school.

Apart from your GPA, B-Schools will also love to turn every stones and scan your transcripts thoroughly to evaluate how well you’ve performed in various subjects over the years.

Conversely, a high GPA along with a well-recognized school makes a strong MBA application. Though the minimum GPA required may vary from school to school, usually 3.5 is considered as a decent number. For instance, a student from IIT-Bombay with a GPA of 3.5 doesn’t need to prove his credentials to the admissions committee. It becomes implicit that he has the academic potential to sail through the MBA curriculum. 

The next important aspect to consider is your GMAT score. A good GMAT score is an indicator that you are good at analytical writing skills, math skills and the English language which is sought after in a candidate. Though GMAT score is not included while evaluating your academic score but it is considered to be another way to judge your academic strengths. Moreover, a good GMAT score will be appealing to any top notch MBA institute. 

For instance, if the average GMAT score of a B-school is 680, even a 660 stands a fair chance. If you apply to a school where the average is 650, and you have scored 680, you have a huge advantage. So, instead of searching B-schools with the minimum GMAT score, look for the average GMAT scores. 

A high GPA and a good GMAT score can make your application appealing but not unique. There will be other applications that would give you tough competition. In order to make your academic profile impressive you need to give selectors a reason to pick you up. If you have earned a globally recognized professional program like a PMP certification, you surely will be able to impress the selection committee. 

Your B-school list should also include a couple of institute that prefers candidates with such professional certifications. Find out if they give any extra credit for such certifications. You need to apply to those institutions where you think your academic records would be valued and probability of your admission would be maximum.

How to fund your MBA

MBA is in high demand in today’s world and can promise a lucrative career. But as we all know every good thing comes with a price. The price tag for MBA often tends to be beyond an individual’s reach. In order to make your dream come true you must plan well in advance. Admission fee, hostel fee, library fee, food, books, and other expenses during your study tenure can be sky rocketing and you must arrange for the required funds.

The best option to fund your MBA is through loans. Using family savings for funding your higher education is not a wise decision. The first step while applying for education loan is to calculate various costs like Tuition fees, Residential Costs (in case you have to stay in a hostel), Food, clothing, etc. Usually, loans for under Rs. 4 Lac do not need security deposits. A third party guarantee (signature from parent/uncle/aunt/relative) is required for loans amounting between 4 and 7.5 Lacs. Above this amount you’ll need to provide collateral for securing a loan.

With each year, MBA programmes are becoming costlier. The average cost of 2-3 lakhs a few years ago has become 5-6 lakhs a year in recent times and there are top-ranked Indian B-schools where the average cost is more than 10 lakhs. So to ensure that deserving students get equal opportunity, quite a few institutes and trusts offer support through merit-cum-need based scholarships, bursaries, topper discounts and complete fee waivers. You can think of these options apart from education loan.

There are B-schools in India which provide complete or partial waiver to selected students through various financial aids and scholarships.

Institutes like Amity Business School, Indus Business Academy, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IRMA, ISB, MDI, National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai, NMIMS School of Business Management, SRM School of Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai, etc. offer students with financial assistance in various forms of financial aids and scholarships.

Some of these are as follows:

100 percent Scholarship: Candidates who obtain minimum 93 percent aggregate marks (excluding Physical Education, Fine Arts & Performing Arts) in Class 12 CBSE/ICSE Board and 80 percent marks in graduation are eligible.

50 percent Scholarship: For students who secure 88 percent marks and above in aggregate in Class 12 CBSE/ICSE and 75 percent marks in their graduation.

Things to consider while securing an education loan:
The most important point that you have to check while securing a loan is the number of years provided to repay the loan. You should estimate the amount of monthly instalments and see if it fits your requirements.
Loans come with interest rates. So the next step is to calculate the interest rate and see how much you’ll have to pay at the end of your study. There are fixed and floating rates of interest. The type of interest rate can make a big difference at the time of repayment so make sure to check the rules related to the interest rates.
Many loan providing institutions and banks require you to pay processing charges when you take a loan. Check the amount of processing charges and if there are any hidden charges involved.
Next important point to confirm is if there would be any charges in case you wish to repay the loan early. For example, instead of paying the loan in instalments over five years; you wish to pay the remaining amount in one go after two years.
Check the documents that you have to submit for availing the loan. Confirm with the institute or bank whether you have to provide all the original documents or will photocopies suffice.

Another way to fund your MBA is via scholarships. There are government and non-government organizations that provide various scholarships to students for pursuing MBA. In India many colleges also provide tuition fees waivers for students belonging to OBC, SC/ST, etc. 50% or more fees are waived by colleges depending upon your caste. So if you belong to these minority categories, the fee waiver can be a lot of help and you’ll need only a fraction of the actual amount to fund your MBA. Some colleges run by Gujarati, Christian, Parsi, etc. trusts/organisations also have waivers for students belonging to their communities and also provide financial help in the form of loans or scholarships. So while selecting the universities for MBA, make sure to check if the college/institute is run by any trust.

SNAP 2015 Exam Pattern

SNAP or Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is a common written entrance exam test to get admission in all institutes of SIU (Symbiosis International University) for Post Graduate degree.

SNAP 2015 is a National level post graduate entrance examination conducted by the Symbiosis International University (SIU) for admissions into the MBA programme of institutes under this university. The officials have announced SNAP 2015 Test dates, as per which the application will start from August 24 and the exam will be conducted on December 20, 2015. 

SNAP 2015 Eligibility Criteria: 

The Eligibility criteria for SNAP registration is:

•     Graduates from any recognized university or Institute with a minimum of 50% marks for general category can apply. SC/ST category candidates with 45% marks in graduation can apply.
•    A candidate who has completed qualifying degree from any Foreign University must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). 
•     All foreign degrees or qualifications need to be verified from AIU by the candidate before seeking admission to any programme of Symbiosis International University.

Although candidates are allowed to attempt any section in any order, sectional cut off will always be there. One has to score at least a minimum cut off score in each of the four sections.

SNAP Test is an objective test. Each question has 4 responses. Candidate should choose an appropriate response. Each wrong answer attracts 25% negative marks.

SNAP 2015 Application Form: The Application process for SNAP is online only, but the fee can be paid either by online mode or via offline mode through Demand Draft. The three steps for application cum registrations are:

Step 1: Visit official website and register for SNAP test
Step 2: Fill in the details asked in the form and upload the photographs

Step 3: Pay the application fee of Rs 1500 through Debit/Credit/Net banking. Or, get a DD in favor of Symbiosis Test Secretariat” payable at Pune.    

The application process will start from August 24, and the last date to fill in and submit forms is November 24. The last date to pay the application fee is November 27, 2015, both via online or offline.  


SNAP 2015 Exam Pattern: As per the official exam pattern, the SNAP Test is an objective type paper-pen based exam, with a total duration of 120 minutes. Each question will have 4 responses and candidate have to select the right response. Each wrong answer will have 25% negative marks. The exam paper will be divided into the following sections,

SECTION	TOTAL MARKS
General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability	40
Quantitative Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency	40
General Awareness: General Knowledge, Current Affairs, Business Scenario	40
Analytical & Logical Reasoning	60
Total	180

SNAP Important topics 2015 :

•         Quantitative Aptitude, DI and DS
•         Analytical and Logical Reasoning
•      Verbal Ability
•        General Awareness

Smart Tips to Crack CAT Exam in 2 Months

Some people plan to prepare for the CAT exam years ahead of taking it. They enroll themselves in CAT preparation courses through face to face coaching or online. So, you may be asking if, with all the pressures of managing day to day life, including perhaps a full time work load, it be possible to prepare for the CAT exam in two months?

In the last two months you need to focus on two things topic wise revision and Mock tests. With planning, preparation, and the right strategy, you can crack the CAT exam in two months.

Preparation process is to sit down and with a focused and methodical approach, start with an honest analysis of yourself first. What are your strengths? Where are you good at? What are your areas of improvement? Where do you need more time to practice? This analysis can be done by taking up a CAT mock test. Take the test as though you were answering the real one. Take it seriously. And then, when you are done, see the patterns of your results. What key points come up? Are you weak in vocabulary? Do you take more time in reading comprehension? Do you have mastery of quantitative fundamentals? Are you able to complete the mock test by the required time? Do you blank out and get nervous?

Knowing where you stand is a great ground work to knowing how to prepare and be ready in two months. So, you have two months, where do you begin?

You begin with the knowledge that you have on your strong points and weak area. Chart out your performance in each section, into four main quadrants:

1. Good Speed, Good Accuracy. Strategy: Lesser focus. You are already good.
2. Good Speed, Bad Accuracy. Strategy: Look at your practice answers. Where is the mistake happening? Is there a pattern? Assess and improve.
3. Bad Speed, Bad Accuracy. Strategy: Put in the most focus into this section. Work by researching on easy tips and techniques to improve the speed and accuracy for these types of questions.
4. Bad Speed, Good Accuracy. Strategy: Practice. Practice hard. Practice more. Practice will improve speed. Get easy strategies on improving and keeping the momentum that are available online.

Be prepared for anything and everything

The uncertainty of pattern is weaking havoc among CAT aspirants. But look at it this way, you are all in the same boat. So rather than preparing based on pattern, prepare for topics. There could be an imbalance in number of questions being divided among sections. But as long as you are equally good in all, it will not make a differnce.

Divide your time among the two major sections and four sub sections wisely. If you are exceptionally good in one, give it a littile lesser time and try to improve the areas you are not so good at. You do not want to lose precious marks in any section.

Go back to the basics

The USp of CAT or any MBA entrance exam is that it does not involve rocket science. The topics are of basic mathematics and aptitude. Aim of any management entrance exam is to test a candidate's aptitude and problem solving ability.

Preparing for basic English questions in CAT

To justly increase number of questions and to let students solve them in lesser time, there could be rise in questions on basic English. This could include more speech, tense, word formations, phrasal verbs.

Speed and accuracy  - That is all you need to get the perfect score in CAT !

·         Solve questions quickly and correctly.

·         Rather than trying to learn concepts, you can start doing questions from the beginning.

·         Do not spend a long time in just knowing a concept. start practicing its approach in questions.

·         Two months before appearing for CAT exam, you must know which are your weak and strong areas.

·         If you are yet unable to understand the weak topics, do not spend a very long time on them.

·         Start further strengthening your strong areas. Try to solve those questions in lesser time.