Ways to impress college admission team

• November 14, 2022 / admin

By Brig. (Dr.) Ajay Mehta (Prof Human Resources at JK Business School, Gurgaon)

Studying in a well-reputed college is the steppingstone towards a good career ahead. Colleges are known not only for its infrastructure, but its lineage, pedagogy and above all the opportunities it provides for career prospects.

Over 3 lakhs prospective candidates of CAT/MAT are vying to secure an entry in the top 50 or 60 colleges pan India each having a capacity of 120 or soper batch. On a rough estimate, there are approximately 3,500 plus management colleges of varying pedigree. Simple statistics show that competition is stiff and the students need to make a mark on the admission team to secure a seat in a college of repute. As it is often quoted ‘You cannot get a second chance to make the first impression’

So, what to do!!!!!

Usually good colleges follow a two/three tier selection process, which includes an initial talk with the admission counsellors, followed by a short written aptitude to see your analytical and written expression, a group discussion and finally culminating into a interaction with a panel of faculty or one senior faculty member. So, if this is the menu let’s see how we can go about this business of business school.

1. Prepare yourself well for the management aptitude test which ever you decide. The late planners land up in a soup usually landing up in colleges which they regret later. Some of these exams are CAT/MAT/NMAT/CMAT and their likes. While some are college specific, the first three cover a large spectrum of colleges pan India. Getting a good score is important as this is the first impression the college gets about a student’s academic acumen, besides the scores obtained in school and graduation.
2. Your preliminary action with college admission team-Be polite and ask relevant questions related to pedagogy, curriculum, fee structure, hostel facilities etc. Get a date for visiting the college or request for Skype /Video/Telephonic interview depending on your schedule. Make sure you are available at the scheduled date and time. Opportunity missed is opportunity lost.
3. Preparing yourself for interaction – Whether distance or physically interview, ensure you are decently attired.

Keep abreast with your domain knowledge. You may not be able recall all the answers, but not replying to any, will leave a poor impression. Professionalism is judged by a good technical knowledge too.

General awareness is more important than anything else. Businesses are affected by geopolitical development across the world, and saying that you are not interested in political matters or matters of governance, does not show you in good light. This knowledge will help you in your group discussions too.

Hobbies and interests-Merely listing out a few of them in your resume just to impress is most counterproductive action students often do. If you have shown interest in a game then a little knowledge about the rules, some records, important players, its popularity in the country etc shows your ability to go into details. Same goes for music, movies etc.

Ask informed questions-The chat with faculty should be interactive. Read the website and keep a few questions ready on subjects like career prospects, course contents and its value, personality development etc. It impresses the admission team to admit a well-informed student with a questioning mind. Avoid asking packages and remunerations.

In the end a pragmatic and pleasant demeanour scores over other shortcomings. Keep a positive attitude and you can surely secure a place for yourself in your two year journey of learning and earning.