Top IIMs and Scores: Speculations and Discussions

“What should one score to get a call from one of the top IIMs?” is the question the legion of CAT aspirants preparing for CAT 2020 seem to always have in the back of their minds. Ever since the official announcement about CAT 2020 was released, this question seems to have ripped the ceiling apart and ascended beyond imagination. Top IIMs seem to be the wonderland each CAT aspirant want to find themselves in. Hence, the notification has intensified panic, and more questions. But while some keep preparing without the top IIMs as their fixed destinations, the others are too focused on the end. Here is an attempt to get the argument straight.

So, what do we have here?

The top IIMs have a very thorough and rigorous selection process. One of them might prefer the type of profiles, another could go for great academics. A third could prioritize freshers, and yet another could choose experienced candidates. There could be a campus that give more weight to gender diversity and parity, while another could not care less.

The criteria is decided based on the pre-decided requirements on the diversity and variation in the students of an incoming batch. This could vary year after year, or remain constant.

Basically, this part is more or less an enigma that is best left undisturbed.

Can you be a bit more specific?

Yes, I shall try to be. But before that, the “top IIMs” is a phrase that CAT aspirants still have a confusion about. Some of them take ABCLKI into account, while others are hell-bent on ABC.

Anyway, the question that stems out of this is, “For a given profile, how much should one score to have a shot at the top IIMs?” This is the holy grail now. When presented with this, most people would go, “Good question”, and nod sagely. This is ‘expert-speak’ for “I am going to say something now. But truth be told, I am as clueless as the next guy who is going to speak”.

Notwithstanding that, I am still going to have a stab at this, come what may. I am not going to shy away from this one, just like none of you should be shying away from taking mocks periodically.

Getting into the intricacies of the ‘top IIMs’ debate

Let us have three candidates A, B and C who are broadly as outlined below in the table.

(Disclaimer #1: A, B and C are not taken to denote colleges that are part of this ‘top IIMs’ debate.

Disclaimer #2: Any resemblance to real characters – past, present and future – is purely and merely coincidental.)

If you have noticed, we have not included the category that has ‘horrific academics’ here. I am writing a fun piece; accordingly, there is no room for dark comedy here.

The cut-offs COULD (using upper cases specifically to reiterate that these are, by no means, official calculations) be as described in the table below.

Now, (why) is this important?

The order of questioning should be:

1. Is this important?
2. Why is this important?

The answer to the first question, straightaway, is “NO” (again, in upper case).

The answer to the second question starts with: Not a single reason. There is absolutely nothing new or critical here. This analysis about scores and top IIMs is a colossal waste of time. All of us like to have the feeling of going for “hard targets”. We want to get to a pay package of Rs. x lakhs, just like we yearn to reduce ‘y’ kgs in 3.62 months.

Having a well-defined precise number to go for might be reassuring in that sense. But, it has no bearing on how you prepare. Importantly, said precise numbers could be wrong, and by a distance.

Choose the best option, given only one option

Broadly, we can distill the CAT 2020 preparation strategy for the two groups of people like this:

1. If you have some gap in your academic record, get a stupendous CAT score and give yourself the best chance.
2. If you have a stellar academic record, get a stupendous CAT score and give yourself the best chance.

(No, no. There was no typo. Do not rub your eyes and re-read many times.)

Variable(s) under your control towards the ‘top IIM’ admission

You can cry over spilt milk – the subjects that tricked you into scoring low, those you scored wishfully low because you were lackadaisical, etc etc. The past can keep haunting you, and you can remain bogged down by this devil.

OR

You can buckle up and double down towards CAT 2020. For the first – and at this point, the only – variable that you can control from hereon is your CAT 2020 score and percentile. This is going to be the ultimate determiner for an interview call from the top IIMs.

Final thoughts

No one holding a grievance or grudge against the system can prepare well. Dump that line of thought, get some perspective and have fun preparing for CAT 2020.

Stay safe, and best wishes for CAT 2020!

Rajesh Balasubramanian takes the CAT every year and is a 4-time CAT 100 percentiler. He likes few things more than teaching Math and insists to this day that he is a better teacher than exam-taker.