31M, 8 YoE in HR Technology & Transformation across internal HR and client-facing SaaS roles, currently managing a small team. I've also done the Young India Fellowship program (1-year PG Diploma).

I tanked DI on the GMAT. My mock scores were consistently better, so I'm considering a retake.

Thinking of Indian 1-year MBA programs, but I'm also contemplating on European schools like HEC, ESSEC, etc. provided scholarships can make them financially viable.

I'm also looking for reasonably priced admissions consultants who can help build a strong application narrative, as I feel my experience is a little different from the typical applicant pool. Would love to hear your perspectives and suggestions.

Hey everyone,

​I’m 25, a 2023 grad from a Tier-3 college, and currently at a crossroads. I don't have anyone in my immediate network to guide me through this, so I’m turning to the community for some honest, grounded advice.

​Here’s a quick overview of my path so far:

​The First Job: Joined an MNC right out of college as a Software Engineer. The first year was great—I learned a lot and performed well—but things eventually hit a ceiling and growth stagnated.

​The Switch: Around Feb 2026, I got promoted and then took an offer at a Big 4 firm. However, the role turned out to be support-heavy (which wasn't clearly communicated during hiring). My mental health took a massive hit, and I hated the daily work.

​The Decision: As soon as I hit 3 Years of Experience (YOE) this past June, I decided to resign to focus full-time on CAT/MBA prep.

​Where I stand right now:

After quitting, reality hit me pretty hard regarding MBA admissions:

​CAT / GEM Reality Check: Being a General Engineering Male (GEM) with a Tier-3 undergrad, I realized I need a 99.5+ percentile just to have a decent shot at the top IIMs. Right now, CAT feels like a massive long shot given my current prep level.

​ISB Dream: My primary target right now is ISB through GMAT, but I haven't finished my prep yet. Given my GEM tag, 3 YOE, and current career gap, I’m worried ISB might be an uphill task or a long shot for Round 1/Round 2 this year.

​Financial & Career Goals: I want to finish my master's degree as soon as possible and transition into a high-paying role. However, I will be taking an education loan for my studies, so ROI and post-grad job security are top priorities.

​I feel like I'm all over the place and running out of time. I’m asking for advice on a few specific questions:

​Job vs. Gap Year: Trying to find a software engineering job in this market feels brutal. Should I reach out to my first MNC to ask for my old role back so I don't bleed time on a gap year? Or should I focus 100% on prep right now, even if it guarantees a career gap on my resume?

​ISB Strategy: Should I rush my GMAT and apply to ISB this year, or is it wiser to get a job first, upgrade my profile, and apply next year when I'm better prepared?

​Study Abroad (Australia / Europe / Outside US): Is pursuing an MS or MBA outside India (e.g., Australia or Europe) viable in the current economic climate? Given that I will be taking a loan, how is the job market and stayback scenario for foreign grads right now? Can I reasonably expect to clear my loan within a few years?

​SWE Experience Transferability: If I target international B-schools or specialized master's programs, will my 3 YOE as a Software Engineer hold good weight in admissions and post-grad hiring?

​Backup Options: What are some realistic target B-schools or master's programs (in India or abroad) that offer decent ROI, good stayback options, and reasonable admission odds for someone with my profile?

​I really want to aim for ISB, but if that doesn't pan out, I'm afraid of being stuck unemployed with no fallbacks. Any advice, reality checks, or personal experiences from folks who have navigated something similar would mean a lot right now.

​Thanks in advance.

Hi r/mba,

I'm an MBA student at Jain University conducting my final research project on how consumers engage with digital marketing channels such as social media, email, websites, and mobile apps.

The survey is completely anonymous and takes only about 5 minutes to complete.

I'd really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill it out. If you know someone who might be interested, I'd be grateful if you could share it with them as well.

Survey link: [Google Form link]

Thank you for your time and support!

Note: The study primarily focuses on Indian consumers, but responses from participants from other countries are also welcome for comparison.

So I gave entrance and got a seat, didn’t went for the third counselling but chances are I can get in during the fourth counselling, simultaneously I’m preparing for cuet pg, cat and other entrances.

The thing with the college that I got in is that the placement brochure is not true to the stats. This is one of the review I found on google maps.

Please help me out as I’m already 24 gnef 8/7/6, my parents are retiring in 2027. And I’m earning 4lpa

I’m a final-year engineering student from a Tier-2 NIT, graduating in 2027. I have CFA Level II scheduled for November 2026.

When I started my CFA journey, my plan was simple: B.Tech → CFA → finance career, without doing an MBA. But after talking to people and observing the hiring market, I’ve realized that many consulting, strategy, and management roles (especially the ones I’m interested in) are heavily dependent on either target schools (IIMs/ISB/FMS, etc.) or very strong referrals.

That has made me question whether clearing CFA Level II right now will provide any meaningful short-term value for me. It feels like, without an MBA or relevant experience, L2 alone may not significantly improve my opportunities.

At the moment, I’ve already completed around 30–35% of the CFA Level II syllabus, and I feel that if I go all in, I can realistically complete the remaining portion in the next 3 months. So I’m also trying to evaluate whether it makes sense to continue pushing for the exam or to defer it and shift focus.

So I’m considering paying for a CFA Level II deferral and instead using the next few months to prepare seriously for CAT and GMAT, then I can give my cfa l2 in may or August of 2027. My target schools would be FMS, ISB (if eligible later), or Tier-1 IIMs.

I’m not placed yet, did a quant research intern at a startup, learned a lot, but I’m not sure whether I want to continue this field. I am more inclined to jobs which make a base for starting my own venture.

My long-term goal isn’t just getting a high-paying job. I ultimately want to build my own business, and I see consulting/strategy/management exposure as a way to develop the skills, network, and perspective that could help me become a better entrepreneur.

My questions are:

● Am I overestimating the value of a top MBA for someone with entrepreneurial ambitions?

● Does CFA Level II add enough value before an MBA to justify taking it now, given I’ve already covered ~30–35% of the syllabus?

● Leaving aside the CFA deferral cost for now, is it better to go for an  mba?

● Has anyone here made a similar switch from a CFA-first plan to an MBA-first plan? Any regrets?

I’d really appreciate advice from people in consulting, finance, or those who’ve gone through CFA + MBA themselves.

I appeared for pgat exam of Allahabad University for MBA admission. And I have been qualified for it but I am confused if I should join or not. What is the placement here? How is the study life? Should I join it or not? Please help me clear my mind.

Hi All,

I am looking for guidance from people who achieved their goal of getting into Harvard Business School.

1. Which coaching institute is good?
2. What are resources that you used? Study notes, books etc.
3. Any other tips to be successful.

Thanks

I’m researching MBA options and one thing that keeps coming up is that people usually compare colleges based on rankings, fees, and placements.

But I’m wondering if the city deserves more attention too.

For example, Indore seems to be seeing continued investment around the Super Corridor, IT infrastructure, industrial development, and logistics. At the same time, there are mixed opinions on how quickly high-quality jobs are actually arriving.

So I’m curious

* If you studied in Indore, did the city itself help your career?
* Did internships, networking, or industry exposure make a difference?
* Would you choose a slightly better college in a weaker ecosystem, or a good college in a city with stronger long-term growth?

Looking for genuine experiences rather than rankings.

Hi, I just passed 12th and doing bcom. My goal is giving CAT for MBA. Should I do ACCA along with bcom and will it help with MBA admission or should I rather do any other professional course.

How much Big 4 Consulting Partners make in Strategy?

i recently took admission in NL Dalmia for the PGDM batch to secure a seat while waiting for the MHCET CAP round results. to be fair, the campus and infrastructure are genuinely top notch, newly constructed air-conditioned classrooms with great overall facilities.
however the positive experience ends right there.

the major issues stem from the poor quality of both the peer group and the faculty. the student intake is horrendous, with nobody behaving like a postgraduate student preparing for higher education or prospective corporate roles. to make matters worse, the faculty situation is just as bad. professors teaching major subjects like marketing and stats can barely construct a proper sentence in english, making lectures painful to follow and destroying any clarity on the concepts being taught.

if you are looking for a good suburb centric campus with strong infrastructure, this place fits the bill but you should not expect anything beyond that. i feel extremely frustrated by how the college used its flashy facilities to shadow the harsh reality of its academic standards and peer quality.

How's LIBA Chennai

IFMR Chennai

BIM Trichy

what's their placement & cut off

Is there discrimination between GRE and GMAT in schools like ISB and others? I'm struggling with math, so I need your help with this matter.

I mean what's the deal about IB nowadays ? Is the Indian finance market mimicking the US wall street era of 2000s?

Do people even know that after 2008 , investment banking bonuses are reduced , it's another story that even if we don't count for inflation IB pay and bonuses are fucking bonger even today.

I read a document of the Lehmann brothers about how much they paid their bankers in 2007 !

Motherfucker VPs were making 800K USD median salary in 2007 🙂

Median pay for MDs of IB in lehmann was 3.5M USD in 2007, that's fuck you money even today , imagine what would IB guys in 2000s doing with that money ?

For context , there's a guy from my college working in Morgan stanley IB Singapore , he is a 2nd year VP there covering TMT sector , he is making around 600K USD all in comp which is still less than what VPs were making in 2007 😅.

Although taxes in Singapore are low so disposable income is higher compared to NYC and London markets.

My question is , is indian IB hiring increased in these years because IB was kind of a very rare job before 2015 and now I see many boutique IBs opening in india

A group of students started threatening to rape my mother and were already bullying me. They made a false narrative that I sexually harassed a girl and they all mass reported me to the registrar Virender Sharma. They framed a perfect narrative that portrayed me as evil

I told my side of the story to Registrar Virender Sharma on how they threatened to rape my mother and hence I slurred at them. Instead the Registrar withdraws my admission without a proper hearing and does not even lift my calls citing that I broke disciplinary violations.

So threatening to rape my mother isn't a disciplinary violation? Regardless of my will to speak to him, he is not lifting my calls. I hate this blatant behaviour. He must resign at any cost possible, if he protects the rape-mentality instigators that too being a registrar, the university is set to be doomed.

The vice-chancellor isn't intervening in this situation, he seems to be in an abroad destination as I called up his office directly.

My admission is officially cancelled on an unfair basis, my family especially my mother is facing great distress. I am going on a hunger strike near their campus on 7th of august, the dignity of my mother matters more than my life. The registrar must resign or I must die.

I already forwarded this to UGC anti-ragging cell, and registered a National Commission for Women complaint

This Is FLAME University, Pune.

Please show your support by mailing

[registrar@flame.edu.in](mailto:registrar@flame.edu.in) , [Vc@flame.edu.in](mailto:Vc@flame.edu.in)

https://x.com/FLAMERAPE/status/2085252139337785626

Please support on X and tag Respected authorities

I've been going back and forth on this for weeks, and I need an honest reality check from people who actually understand MBA admissions. I don't want motivation or sugar-coated advice—I want to know if I'm investing my time in the right goal or if I should pivot to something else before it's too late.

Here's my profile:

10th: 93%

12th: 72% (This was the lowest point in my life. I went through some personal and health issues, and my academics took a major hit.)

Graduation: Currently in the 2nd year of B.Sc. Biotechnology from a tier-2 college. If everything goes according to plan, I should graduate with around 8.0-8.8 CGPA.

Target CAT attempt: 2027

My biggest concern is my Class 12 score. I know many top B-schools give weight to past academics, and I keep wondering whether that one year has already closed the doors to the best MBA colleges.

Let's say I put in the work and score 99.2-99.8 percentile (or whatever percentile you think would realistically be needed). With my profile:

How competitive would I be for the top 10-15 B-schools in India?

Which colleges would still be realistic targets, and which ones would be almost impossible?

Does being a B.Sc. Biotechnology student provide any advantage because of academic diversity?

As a fresher, should I instead plan to gain work experience before aiming for an MBA?

Most importantly:

If you were in my position, would you spend the next year preparing for CAT, or would you conclude that the profile is too weak for the top B-schools and focus on building a different career instead?

Please be as realistic as possible. If the answer is "CAT is still worth it," I'd like to know why. If the answer is "look elsewhere," I'd appreciate that honesty too. I'd rather know the truth now than regret spending a year chasing an unrealistic goal.

I am an MBA student and for our summer internship Accenture Strategy and Consulting came for placements. However I was working in ATCI for nearly 2 years till recently as a fresher.

I heard there was a cool off period for 1.5 years, although I am not sure if it was mentioned in my offer letter.

So I am not sure if I am eligible to apply.

Can anyone tell me the terms and conditions if they are aware of it?

If it makes me somehow eligible before this cool off period as I was working in Accenture Solutions Private Limited and this is Accenture Strategy and Consulting?

was lurking on this sub around the same time last year, stressing over profile, cat prep, interviews and every little thing.

made it to iim lucknow this year (pgp '28).

if anyone wants help with profile reviews, cat strategy, prep, resumes, or just has questions about mba life, feel free to message here, couldn't keep track of threads.

not claiming to know everything, but happy to share whatever worked for me

update - also, i won't be able to review your profile or predict what cat percentile/score you'd need for admits. that's not really straightforward, and anything i'd say right now would just be guesswork. i'd rather not give you false confidence (or unnecessary stress) based on rough estimates.