Indian vs Foreign MBA
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12 Jun 2015, 02:30
Indian vs Foreign MBA
By Sameer Kamat
While the interest in international business schools has gone up substantially over the last few years among Indians, the level of awareness around the fabled foreign MBA unfortunately hasn’t kept pace. Of course, there’s a tremendous amount of information on the Internet – on business school websites, discussion forums and blogs. But if you really analyse it, you will realise that the real, factual content gets bulldozed under the marketing material and speculative discussions.
The sense of disorientation is larger for Indian applicants than it is for people from other nationalities. Indian applicants have to deal with PaGaLGuY Kickass Guide to MBA Abroad two different creatures that are referred to by the same 3-letter acronym ‘MBA’, but look, sound and behave quite differently. Most of us are familiar with the format of the typical Indian MBA program and how it works, as this is what we have grown up reading and hearing about. So it’s only natural to assume that an international
degree with the same name would be very similar.
Here is a quick comparison of fulltime MBA degrees offered by International and Indian bschools. Typical candidate profile The traditional Indian MBA programs attract 22-
year-old candidates who have spent none or very little time in the corporate world. In contrast, the average age in international MBA programs is PaGaLGuY Kickass Guide to MBA Abroad around 26 years (much higher for European programs) and most candidates have around 4-5 years of work experience (a part of it in managerial and leadership roles).
Entrance Exam Apart from the Common Admission Test (CAT), Indian MBA programs offer a mind-boggling choice of entrance exams to choose from, such as Xavier’s Admission Test (XAT), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP), etc. But at most top international universities and b-schools, it
boils down to just one – the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Of late, some top b-schools have started accepting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores as
well, but this is as yet rare.
How applicants shortlist b-schools In India, there is a clear pecking order in which the IIMs are the top choice for most applicants followed by the XLRIs, FMS, SP Jain and so on. Nobody will ever ask during the admissions stage whether you and the IIMs are ‘made for each other’. International b-schools, on the other hand, place a LOT of importance on the idea of a ‘fit’ to ensure that there is mutual compatibility between the applicant and the b-school. Sounds strange? This is often a confusing aspect for many Indian applicants. Admission process For both Indian and foreign MBA programs, the admission process can include standardised test scores, interviews, essays (or a ‘statement of purpose’), recommendations and the CV.