How to Choose Right College For You

While researching a college, it’s imperative that you do not make rankings your foremost criterion. You need to get started early and make the official college website your Bible. Spend time in figuring out how the information you have garnered from websites/ brochures becomes significant to your academic goals and personal growth.

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Here’s a short list of criteria to keep in mind while researching colleges:

1) Courses and majors offered: Invest time in looking at the different kinds of majors the college offers, core requirements aka core curriculum, the combination of majors and minors and opportunities to gain practical exposure by means of study abroad or student exchange programs.

2) Campus size and life: College is your oyster and its diversity and size are important factors as well. Large colleges usually have more resources like, academic concentrations and majors, research facilities, faculty, culture, entertainment, and so on.
Small colleges mostly specialise in liberal arts education and the overall experience is usually more intimate.
Smaller classes really do tend to weave a closer-knit community, but large classes bring with them diversity and a larger set of niche opportunities.

3) Location and weather: Though college is a great time to explore the new and unknown, a drastically different environment can be sometimes jarring. Do you want to live in a big city or somewhere little quieter?
It is also important to consider how different the weather will be from what you’re used to.

4) College rankings: More important than the overall rankings would be the reputation(s) of the department(s) in which you might choose to major. You can also get an idea of the SAT/ACT range of most of the schools on the ranking list to determine whether a college/university would be a realistic choice for you based on your own scores.

5) Career prospects and alumnus: Alumni give you a glimpse into the ethos a college fosters and allows you to judge which college resonates more with you and your career goals. If a school has enthusiastic alumni, they can help students find internships or even jobs.
One way that school choice can affect a person’s career path is through career planning opportunities offered by the college.

6) Overall cost: Other factors may be more important to you personally, but in the end, cost may trump them all. Private schools are usually more expensive than public colleges and state universities.
However, private schools tend to have larger endowments and offer more grants and scholarships.

You’ve probably heard it many times before, but remember that what you’re looking for will be the best “fit” for you, and that’s an individual choice.

Courtesy : IE

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MBA Degree - Its Not Job Insurance

I have encountered many MBA aspirants as well as MBA Grads in various B-Schools, who think that, getting an MBA degree is likely to have a job insurance. 

I found most of B-School Undergraduates, living in a myth that the day they will complete their MBA, a lucrative job will be waiting for them. 

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Most of them were pursuing MBA only because as a graduate, they were unable to get a job and some one told them ( Most of the times the B-School Representative) that with an MBA degree getting a job would not be more than a piece of cake. 

Not only this, they consider MBA as recession proof. "With an MBA degree, I will never be kicked out of my job, always get a paycheck and will never have to be worried about job hunt," they think. 

Well, my dear MBA aspirants, let me correct you. 

The truth is, having an MBA degree is not like getting a job insurance. So stop considering it that way. MBA graduates also become unemployed. In case if they are not from top 20 B-Schools, most of them stay unemployed as well unemployable. With rise and fall of economic cycle, the graduates from top MBA colleges get affected as well. 

You will have to struggle to get and then sustain your job sometimes. I have found a lot of MBAs ( unemployed ) working as freelancers. They prefer to call themselves as consultants ( a better word for society) but actually they are unemployed and doing whatever they are getting their hands on. 

The most important thing that you must understand that,  the job market for MBA graduates is very unevenly distributed. I can say that the job market is not very fair to the B-School graduates, neither the B-Schools not the MBA course itself have been.

I could never understand, why an MBA needed to be a B-tech. Even why B-techs are allowed to appear in management course admission test like CAT etc. Engineering courses never accept graduates from other streams. So, with every one doing MBA, it increases the competition itself. 

Earlier, it used to be simple graduate to be qualified for a job and MBA was considered as a higher / special qualification. With time, MBA has become a must have qualification to land for a job paying Rs.8000 to Rs. 10000 per month.  

Worse, the number of job opportunities for MBA graduates is also very very limited to the industry you chose after b-school. 

So, if not MBA, what do you need to have a job. All you need is to have ability. Its all about your potential ability. No doubt degree helps you to appear in an interview but look closer, even to get admission in top B-Schools, candidates need to have higher academic scores along with job experience. The market is more cruel to the experienced folks. 

If you are experienced and the economy hits your industry, you will get a blow too. Then hunting for new job becomes more difficult. You cannot switch industry as you have no relevant experience. You are as good as fresh MBA graduate. Also, employers think that, its good to train a new dog with new tricks than hiring an old dog trained for some other task. 

So, don’t believe in those fishy words, that you are being told from day one about MBA degree. Come out of the unemployment myth. The downside exists for everyone, whether you believe it or not. Rather than being overconfident about your MBA degree, rationalize yourself. 

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93% MBAs in India Are Useless, WHY

Only 7% of Management Graduates of all MBAs passing out every year in India are employable. It has been revealed in an study by ASSOCHAM India. It means 93% MBAs are unemployable and useless in current job market. 

Most of the MBAs in India are either jobless or are struggling to survive at the salary between Rs.8,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month. 

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Excess Seats : 

In the last five years, the number of B-school seats has tripled. In 2015-16, these schools offered a total of 5,20,000 seats in MBA courses. Around 220 B-schools have shut down in the last two years in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region), Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Dehradun etc. and at least 120 more are expected to wind up in 2016. The reason is losing market and poor job placement. 

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Poor Basic Education : 

The blame is on B-Schools for producing low quality Management graduates. But they are not the only culprit here. This story of low quality education had begun years before an MBA aspirant reaches B-School. The primary schools by Govt. are a mess, facing shortage of teachers. Even those who are there are not so qualified, as well with responsible attitude. The students passing our of these schools crawl ahead by stepping on ladders of private colleges and reservation landing to B and C category B-Schools. 

Low Quality Education in MBA Colleges 

The blame for producing unemployable MBAs by B-School is on economic slowdown. However, Low education quality is one of the major reasons behind it as these colleges are not producing Managemtn graduates upto the required standard. From 2014 to 2016, campus recruitment have gone down by a whopping 45 per cent.  

Management Institutes Focus on Fee than Quality : 

Most of the B-Schools take in students for fee only in various self running diploma courses, which focus on making money more than enhancing quality of aspirants. The students with poor basic education and required skills get admission in these institutes and start living in fools world with day-dreams to get a job anywhere between 5-6 lakhs per annum. 

With low industry exposure, poor knowledge of there sector and specialization and  not so good communication, skills and attitude, these MBA graduates are pushed into job market. 

No doubt we are rushing towards scenario where India would be having a huge number of people with degrees but but not enough manpower with proficiency to meet the emerging requirement of our industrial and other sectors.

Poor Faculty 

The faculty in these colleges are those people who failed to get a good paying job in corporate sector and chose academics to survive. Some of those faculty members are even pass outs of same college or institute. Holding a bunch of degrees and a desire to survive they just switch to academics as lecturers, teaching either in same or equivalent institutes.  

Industry Disconnect : 

A majority of MBA graduates lack in real time industry work exposure. Most of these aspirants never go to actual summer internship during their course. Institutes focus only on their project reports easily available in market. 

Also, the curriculum is very outdated considering the requirements of job market. This results in the output of graduates who doesn't qualify to fit in the corporate needs.

Dismal Salaries

This overall drop in quality is taking a toll on salaries and placements. In the last two years, Assocham says, campus recruitments have dropped by 45%—and salaries are falling.

A typical two-year MBA programme in India costs between Rs3 lakh ($4,510) and Rs5 lakh ($7,517) on an average. But the current average monthly salary for MBA grads is anywhere between Rs8,000 and Rs,10,000, according to Assocham. That translates into an annual pay of Rs96,000 ($1,442) to Rs1,20,000 ($1,804).

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Only 7 Percent of MBAs in India Employable, Rest Struggling

Every year, India produce lakhs of MBAs, but the real question is How many of MBAs passing every year are employable ?

There is at least 5,500 approved B-schools in operation in India and including unapproved institutes could take that number of B-Schools in India much higher. Collectively they are pushing lakhs of MBAs out there in job market. However in a recent study by ASSOCHAM ( Associated Chambers of Commerce of India) in Firstpost, it has been pointed out that, only the management graduates from institutes like IIMs, XLRI and ISB has been able to grab a good job. Rest are either struggling to find a job or working at a salary between  Rs.8000/ per month to Rs.10000/- per month.

“India has the largest number of MBA colleges if you do a survey of college to population ratio. So when the supply outstrips the demand, the prices automatically fall,”says Mohammed Abbasali Gabula, Deputy Director (External Relations and Administration), S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai. Only handful of MBAs knows the key terms and ideas of their relevant area of industry or expertise.

Image Source : Google

Another reason is that B-schools are churning the low standard management graduates who lack in the skills required by job market. The outcomes of this study has raised a red flag over the quality of education quality in mushrooming B-Schools showing lack of accuracy in their regulations.

The study reveals that, only 7% of the MBAs passing every year in India are employable. It excludes the management graduates from IIMs, XLRI, IBS and other top 20 B-Schools in India. The value of students graduating from IIMs now has degraded than the students graduated in the past 15 years. The core reason is - poor quality of education, lack of quality control over infrastructure, lack of better faculty and outdated curriculum. It simply indicates one thing, the whole system needs to be revamped. 

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India Among Top 5 MBA Destination

Among Top 5 Destinations for MBA in the world, India has made its place, says the findings of the Graduate Management Admission Council's mba.com Prospective Students Survey. In India to pursue graduate management education globally, foreign universities top the preference list and US remains the most sought-after destination.

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The survey explored the motivations, behaviours, programme choices, and intended career outcomes shared by nearly 12,000 individuals across 30 countries who registered on mba.com from October 2013 through September 2014 - prospective students can be segmented into three groups based on career goals: career enhancers (34% of survey respondents), career switchers (38%) and aspiring entrepreneurs (28%). Around 28% of survey respondents indicated they plan to start their own businesses, compared with 19% five years ago. 

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Respondents in Africa (45%), Latin America (44%) and Central and South Asia including India (43%) led this segment. 

Contrary to popular belief, when students listed their top five consideration criteria for selecting a programme and study destination, rankings didn't count. More than half the prospective students (52%) sought to study outside their country of citizenship, up from 40% in 2010. 

This growing preference for international study is most notable among citizens of Asia-Pacific (94% in 2014, up from 88% in 2010) and the Middle East (72% in 2014 vs 58% in 2010). 

The top 10 preferred study destinations are the US, UK, Canada, France, India, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, the Netherlands and Australia. While 53% Indians preferred studying in the US, 21% and 7% showed inclination towards India and the UK, respectively The US remains the top international study destination for two-thirds of prospective students across the globe; however, this is a decrease from 73% in 2010. 

Among the other top locations, 6% wanted to study in the UK, 5% in Canada, 3% each in France and India, 2% each in Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, the Netherlands and 1% in Australia. 

Between 2010 and 2014, the locations that experienced the greatest increase in interest by prospective students were Hong Kong (+2.4% points), Canada (+1.0% points), Germany (+1.0% points), the Netherlands (+0.7% points), France (+0.7% points), the UK (+0.6% points) and Australia (+0.6% points). 

Gauging the interest of prospective students across more than 25 MBA and specialised business master's program options, 26% of today's candidates are considering both degree types. 

MBA programs are exclusively considered by half (52%), globally. Among these students, the programmes as per their preference are: full-time two-year MBA (32%), full-time one-year MBA (27%), part-time MBA (15%), flexible MBA (7%), online MBA (6%), executive MBA (6%) and joint degree programme with MBA (3%). 

Specialised business master's programmes are exclusively considered by 22% of prospective students, globally.
Source:ET

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Australia Shuns 3 Vocational Institutes, More Than 500 Indian Students In Dismay

Not matching the quality standards of education for domestic and international students, Australia has decided to call off operations of 3 vocational institutes in Victoria and New South Wales (NSW).
Speaking over the issue, Australian High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese said, "The Australian Government has in place a comprehensive suite of protection mechanisms to safeguard the interests of overseas students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act)."

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"The Australian Government has in place a comprehensive suite of protection mechanisms to safeguard the interests of overseas students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act)", he further said.
He added, "If these education providers do close and do not meet their obligations to students, international students will be able to access the Australian Government's Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS).
"The TPS will seek to place affected students in an alternative course or refund any unspent pre-paid tuition fees to the students".
Varghese also said, "Australia is committed to maintaining high education standards and undertaking rigorous auditing of education providers".
After comprehensive compliance assessments by Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), Australia's vocational education regulator, it was confirmed that the institutes were not complying to the standards of education. ASQA Chief Commissioner, Chris Robinson said "The decision to reject a training organisation's registration is not one we take lightly but the interests of students and the integrity of training standards across the VET sector have to be upheld. The institutions have the right to have ASQA's decision reviewed which may delay or change the decision."
Both Ashmark Group Pty Ltd and G Plus G Global Trading Pty Ltd have campuses in Melbourne, Victoria and the Ivy Group is based out of NSW. Over 400 Indian students enrolled at the Ashmark Group college, over 100 Indian students enrolled at G Plus G Global and a further 30 Indian students enrolled at the Ivy Group as reported by the Economic Times.
Source: The Economic Times

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MBA In HR, How Good It Is

Human resource management, as the name suggests would teach you all about recruiting, training, team building, performance updates, employee policy, salary, benefits and increments, employee health and safety as well as staff amenities. 

If you've got good people skills and can handle tough situations well, you can go a long way in this field. 

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An HR manager has to handle all aspects pertaining to human resources in the company. These include recruiting, training, team building, performance updates, employee policy, salary, benefits and increments, employee health and safety as well as staff amenities. 

The manager is also responsible for mobilizing the workforce towards the company’s accomplishment plans and objectives, by creating a work environment in which people will be motivated, contributing, and happy. His/her role varies as per the organisation. 

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In a small company, s/he is required to handle all human resources issues, while in a large organisation with an HR department; the manager is allocated only certain responsibilities.

Almost all top MBA colleges offer you an MBA programme in HR (Human Resource). 
The duration of the programme and course curriculum may vary from institute to institute. But before finalizing HR as your MBA specialization one should know about this field. 

If you are good with people and always have a good rapport with everyone around you, you are good with keeping details and managing them, this is just the right choice for you.

Why MBA professionals are in demand?

HR professionals are the back bone of any company and play very crucial role for getting right manpower for the company. 

In current scenario, all small and big companies hire HR professionals as they play a significant role in building the culture of the company. 

A professional in this field handles employee relations, maintains benefits and payroll, makes various HR policies and implements them. In this field there are two types of professionals, one is specialist and another one is generalist. 

Specialist focuses on a special key area and has specialty in handling issues related to specific areas, whereas generalist are one who handle the entire cycle of HR related issues.

While selecting a college for doing an MBA in HR one should always remember that the college offers you the most update curriculum with a strong industry exposure.

Skills needed by an HR professional -

• Ability to understand human relations
• Leadership skills
• Negotiation skills
• Ability to mould your style of operation as per staff needs
• Strategic planning through people development
• Understanding of different cultures
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to take a hard call, to create a win-win situation for the organisation and staff

Work Profile for MBA in HR -

An MBA in HR is much in demand in industries now. Students who complete their MBA in Human Resource Management are among the hot choice of recruiters of various verticals. 

A candidate with HR as specialization in MBA, can make a career in any sector. In current scenario, all small and big companies hire HR professionals to deal with the issues related to HR and manage the manpower in the organisation. 

The HR professionals play the key role in hiring new talent, making various HR policies, organizing various training programmes, etc. They can work as:

• Human Resources Clerk
• HR Assistant
• Recruiter
• Payroll Specialist
• Employee Relations Manager
• Training and Development Coordinator
• HR GeneralistHuman Resources Manager
• Compensation or Benefit Analyst/Manager
• HR Information Systems Manager
• Training and Development Manager
• Labor Relations Manager
• Director of Human Resources
• VP of Human Resources

Career Opportunities for MBA in HR

• Information Technology
• Government organizations
• e-Business
• Financial Services
• Manufacturing Units
• Educational Institutes
• Media Houses
• Newspapers
• Hotels and Food Chains
• Hospitality Industry

Payoff -

An entry-level HR professionals from any of premier institutes may get a salary between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh a year. A mid-level professionals may earn between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 35 lakh a year. Senior professionals may earn between Rs 40 lakh to Rs 1 crore a year.

By-

Alok Kumar Upadhayay
Alok is a HR Professional by training and Digital Marketing Enthusiast. 

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Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA - Admission Procedure 2012

The Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA Program offered by the Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL) is amongst the most sought after courses in India when it comes to Distance learning MBA. 

With its distance learning course SCDL ensures that quality education is made available to students across regions and nationalities.


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Most beneficial to working professionals, distance learning MBA provides the complete benefits of MBA, through study material, online lectures and discussion forums.

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Symbiosis Distance Learning Prospectus – Cost and Availability

• To apply for the Distance Learning program a candidate is required to buy the Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA prospectus which includes an application form and a welcome kit. 
• The prospectus can be acquired from the SCDL cash counter located in the main office at Symbiosis Pune. The Distance learning MBA prospectus is available for a cash payment of Rs. 1000/- only. The same is also available at the Symbiosis Nasik Information Centre.
• The prospectus can also be acquired via post by sending along a request with a DD of 
• Rs. 1100/- within India and US $75 outside India. 
• The cost of the Symbiosis Distance Learning Prospectus is non-refundable.
• Total Cost of Program is Rs 30000/-

Symbiosis Distance Learning Admission Procedure

The Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA admissions 2012 will commence in April, 2012 onwards.

WALK IN ADMISSIONS

This is the easiest procedure to ensure enrolment in the Symbiosis Distance Learning MBA program.

The candidate is required to visit the SCDL office with the properly filled application form, registration fees and the documents mentioned in the prospectus.

If the candidate is found to be fulfilling all eligibility criteria he/she will immediately receive the admission letter, identity card and the welcome kit.

POSTAL ADMISSION

If unable to visit Symbiosis Pune personally, the candidate can also send his/her form by post with the documents mentioned in the prospectus and the properly filled admission form kept safely in the response envelope. The admission card, identity card and the welcome kit will be sent to the candidate via post if he/she is found to satisfy all eligibility criteria.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION

If all documents and other requirements are fulfilled by the student, he/she is immediately given admission however, in some cases provisional admission may be granted to some candidates. The reason behind provisional or temporary admission may be any of the following -

Un-attested Documents

Incomplete documents

Incomplete or unsigned application form

Missing photographs

Or in special cases 

- Missing service certificates for Defence personnel

- Missing name change certificates 

- Lack of visa copy of foreign applicants

The students who have been given provisional admission will be required to submit missing documents till a specified date on the completion of which the students will be given a confirmed admission. If unable to provide the requirements till the specified date the students will be subject to cancellation of admission.

LATE ADMISSION

If due to unavoidable circumstances a student applies for admission after the stipulated date special provisions are made available by the SCDL. If all documents are in place and the late fees (Rs. 250/- for Indian students and US $25 for NRI students) is made the application is transferred to the Director of the Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning MBA. It is then on the Director’s discretion whether or not the application is accepted.

Symbiosis Distance learning late admission forms will not be accepted two months after the beginning of an MBA program.

• Symbiosis Distance Learning Courses Offered
• The SCDL offers the following programs in a variety of subjects -
• Two-Year Post Graduate Diploma Programs
• One-Year Post Graduate Diploma Programs
• Six-Month Certificate Programs
• Single Courses

A student who has enrolled himself for a Symbiosis Distance Learning PG Diploma program can at the same time also enrol in one certificate program or maximum two single courses on one application program. A fee for each program is to be paid separately. 

If one has not enrolled in any of the diploma programs he is still eligible to choose from any of the Distance Learning Certificate Programs or Single Courses. For more details on courses offered visit www.scdl.net.

The Symbiosis Distance Learning Fees Structure varies as per the program opted for by the candidate.

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Summer Business Plan by Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina

Entrepreneurship has never been so big. In fact, economies across the globe are relying on entrepreneurs who can innovate, create, lead and expand firms into successful and ethical operations. Also, to be successful in global markets, one needs a good understanding of financial models today. 

With this in mind, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, is introducing the Summer Business Immersion programme, which aims to develop the next generation of business leaders. 


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The programme is open to undergraduate students from across the world, currently enrolled in a university. While 30-40 students from across the world and the US are going to be part of this programme, it aims to provide knowledge pertinent to the development of the next generation of successful and responsible business leaders, be it entrepreneurs, investment bankers, security analysts, consultants or general business executives. 

Students will participate in an entrepreneurship and business planning class, as well as a financial modelling class taught by Kenan-Flagler instructors. In addition, explains Jayashankar M Swaminathan, director, UNC Centre for International Business Education and Research, Kenan-Flagler Business School, “they will learn from academics and business leaders in a series of lectures and company visits as part of the business insights.” 

As to the strengths of the modules, Swaminathan says the class will include meetings with real and serial entrepreneurs, along with team work, to develop a business plan for students’ own ventures, and practice of presentation skills to make a business pitch. He further adds, “The financial modelling class develops skills in designing and constructing financial models for analysing a variety of decisions — problems facing today’s financial managers and professionals. The finance class takes place in Kenan-Flagler’s state-of-the art Capital Markets Lab.” 

The lab provides a real-world setting for students to use information and complex analytical tools to manage assets and add value for future clients. Finally, the programme consists of field trips to industries. 

What is it that the school is looking for in students? “We are looking for motivated and dynamic students with an interest in entrepreneurship and a drive to become future leaders. Students need to be able to work in teams and enjoy hands-on, experiential learning,” says Swaminathan. 

Upon successful completion of the programme, students will receive UNC credit (six US credit hours) and a UNC transcript. Cost of the programme will come to $5,900 (approx) and housing costs will amount to $855 (approx).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 

• Students need to be currently enrolled as undergraduates in good standing at their home university 
• Have a minimum equivalency of a grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4 point scale; equivalent to a B average). For international grade conversion, go to www.wes.org/gradeconversionguide 
• Have completed basic courses in corporate finance and financial accounting 
• Be proficient in computer spreadsheet (Excel) use 
• Be fluent in spoken and written English (proven by your TOEFL or IELTS score) 

WHEN TO APPLY 

The 2013 application and instructions will be posted on www.ciber.unc.edu/summerbusines simmersion

Source - TOI

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How to choose a CAT Coaching Institute

Planning to take CAT 2012? Then this is the right time to start preparing and gearing up for the tough entrance exam that is a gateway for prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). To crack CAT 2012, you need to give your best.


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This is the time when students are confused which coaching centre to enrol for. With each coaching centre claiming to be better than the other, the task of selecting one which will suit your needs can be a daunting task. It is for this reason that we give 6 benchmarks to decide on your coaching centre-:

1. Faculty: The most important thing for you to find out is the faculty of the coaching centre. If your teachers are good then there is a higher chance of cracking the CAT. Remember that the centre maybe renowned for a very good faculty but the bigger coaching classes have various branches, and it is difficult for them to have the same set of teachers at every centre. Get to know about the faculty from the current and previous batches. Also try for a demo lectures if possible.
   
   
2. Size of your batch: Always go for a small batch. Enquire thoroughly about the size of the batch. Many coaching institutes have huge batches and so what suffers is individual attention. If there are many students in a class, then you will not get personal attention or you may not get time to get your doubts resolved.
   
3. Study Material: Every coaching institute will provide you with basic study material. You should go through the material to decide if it's comprehensive or not. The kind of study material will help you judge about the centre's worthiness.
   
   
4. Location: Always go for a location that is nearer to your home. Travelling for hours to reach the class will not be very useful if you aren't putting in the effort on your own as well. Also, you might lose motivation in a few days if the place is situated too far away.
   
5. Practice Tests: The number of simulated tests that are taken in a proctored environment is an important factor. Taking such mock tests will prepare you for the final exam day. Ask the institute about their tie-ups with the various colleges, or cyber cafes, and whether there are any hindrances they face while taking the test. Make sure that you are able to take the test in a proctored environment, where you don't face any distraction. You need to know if they will give you also give you feedback on the tests, mark you and ask about the cutoffs.
   
6. Quality of tests: Go for an institute where there are more test takers as it will help you to know where you stand. However, don't go by tall claims made by institutes regarding the number of test takers. You need to check as they could dupe you.

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Business Schools Don’t Need to Create More Content, Rather They Need To Curate More Situational Business Contexts

Think about going on an exotic vacation to an island in the Caribbean. You have never been to that island and you are keen to learn more about it. You read all the travel books, brochures and online reviews you can find. You talk to others who may have been to the island. 


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Is this a practical exercise? 
Most likely it is. 

But does all this content based inquiry substitute for actually being there feeling the heat on your face and the sand between your toes? 
More than likely, not. 

The only way to truly experience the island is actually visiting it. Traditional business education suffers a similar challenge. A professor dictates from the front of the classroom and students scrupulously take notes. 

Case studies are analysed, papers are assigned and exams are taken. New content points are learned, but they are often learned in a way that does not situate them in context. In short the content-driven classroom delivery format lacks the contextual richness of practical application and experience. 

Business schools today are overly invested in conveying content about tasks we have figured out how to do (productive learning) and under-invested in the development and sharing of insights around tasks we have not yet figured out how to do (generative learning). While productive learning focuses on teaching topical content, generative learning engages students in authentic situations that enable them to grasp an overarching business context. These two types of learning have very different form-factors and philosophical foundations. 

Productive learning is professionally instructed while generative learning is situationally constructed. Business education has excelled in providing productive learning. However, we have failed to help students ‘connect the dots’ by helping them make sense of the overall business context within which the modernday enterprise competes and creates value. In short, business schools don’t need to create more content but rather they need to curate more situational business contexts. 

What does this look in practice? 
As part of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Cross Continent programme, students travel to six different locations around the world. In Delhi, we not only have a classroom session where students learn about the tensions and transitions in India’s dynamic economy. In addition, they head to the streets to interview different stakeholder groups and find out for themselves the reality on the ground via visits to companies and interactions with leaders from the region. 

They then come back and report on their findings and together they generate new insights based on their on-theground experience in the region. 

By ‘thinking outside of the classroom’ we have developed an educational form-factor that blends topical content and situational contexts to create a truly embedded and connected learning experience for tomorrow’s global leaders of consequence. 

(The writer teaches in the school’s Cross Continent programme, which features residencies in India, among other parts of the world) 

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