ISB and How to get into it

Ganesh Natarajan, Chomps on knowledge, useless or otherwise

Written Aug 12, 2014

Disclosure: I am the Marketing Manager for Crackverbal

Hey Utkarsh, as Saurabh Adeeb pointed out, it is like any other top International B-School :)
Excellent points from him, especially the 3rd and 5th.
At CrackVerbal, every year we have students ask the same questions, "How can we get
into ISB? What should we do?". So we went forth and made an ISB Admissions Kit :-)
It contains

1. Information about the important dates and deadlines

2. Fee structure
3. ISB Essay Analysis
4. Top 5 Myths about ISB Admissions
5. Top 3 Mistakes by Indian applicants
6. Q&A with ISB Admissions Director about the profile, career after ISB and more
You can download it here: ISB Admissions Kit - CrackVerbal
I hope you and the many others who aspire to join ISB find our kit useful.
All the best :-)
Cheers,
Ganesh
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Saurabh Adeeb, ISB Alumnus

Updated 1h ago Upvoted by Jasnoor Gill, ISB alumnus

The admission process at ISB is like most other international B-schools. Simply put:
1. Gather information about the school. A great place to start would be the school
site: http://www.isb.edu/
2. Check out the Admissions Section: http://www.isb.edu/pgp/admissions
3. Attend a free info session in your city (covers many major cities in India and some
other countries too): Admission Events
Or attend a virtual info session (if available): http://www.isb.edu/pgp/admission...

4. Prepare well for and write the GMAT. More on the exam at The Official GMAT
Website.
In terms of preparation for GMAT, my recommendation would be to take the Diagnostic
Test, figure out your strong and weak areas from the results, and spend the next 2 months
bridging the gaps. Don't overdo the preparation as you don't want to be suffering
from practice fatigue.
Also, while taking the practice tests and questions, don't just look at solutions to the
questions you got incorrect, but at solutions to all the questions because it may provide you
with a more efficient way of getting to the answer. And every second saved is worth
it's weight in gold.
5. Make sure you have a good GMAT score - it's preferable to have a 700+ score but
not mandatory. If you have a relatively low score that is not a representation of what you
think you deserve, take the exam again and improve upon the score. Remember to send
your GMAT score to ISB at the end of the test.
6. Apply online at the following link: http://www.isb.edu/pgp/admission...
Keep in mind the timelines and ensure you abide by them. Write your own essays and
always try to keep a consistent story wherever possible - in terms of your aspirations, your
strengths and reasons for decisions made in life.
7. Wait for your application to be shortlisted and then expect an interview call.
Try to be patient here. Be aware of what's happening with other applicants on forums
like PaGaLGuY : The MBA Network.
8. Attend the interview and be confident, self-aware, sure of where you want to go and
why. Be positive and make the interview conversational, but do not be aggressive in your
attempt to show confidence. :-) You might also get some pointers of others' interview
experiences on the MBA forums like http://www.pagalguy.com
9. Be patient again and await interview results. Around the date promised, ISB shall
send out acceptance emails to the candidates admitted into the program.
10. Congratulations, you made it! Wasn't that difficult, was it?
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Amandeep Shienh, ISB Co2016

Written Oct 23, 2015

1. Research. Don't just blindly apply for an MBA. Make sure you understand your reasons
for and expectations from doing an MBA. Research about what ISB looks for an ideal
candidate. Do you really want to get into consulting? or is it only because consulting looks
attractive from outside? Ask all the right questions and dilligently research on them.
2. Get a good GMAT score- even though it is not mandatory, a good GMAT score never

hurt anyone. A GMAT score of 730+ becomes essential who you don't have anything in your
profile that makes it differentiated. It becomes increasingly essential if your work
experience less attractive.
3. Start early. The more time you spend working on your profile, the better it would
eventually look.
4. Attend the ISB info sessions. Visit the campus if possible. This would give you a
fair idea about what kind of people get in and what does the admissions council look for in a
profile. You can then mold your profile accordingly.
5. Prepare well for the interview- Be ready with your answers for the basic questions.
why MBA? why ISB? etc. If you have done your research, the answers to these should come
naturally. Make sure you know your profile inside out. Be prepared to answer anything
related to your profile.
6. Be patient and confident- If you have done everything diligently, you should get in.
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Gaurav Yadav, ISB Class of 2015

Written Mar 4

Actually I need to know more about your profile to answer that. But yes, there is not harm in
aiming big and preparing hard. You have to have a 2 years minimum experience to apply to
ISB. About the procedure 1. Take GMAT, if you don't have a score already ( Try to get a score above 700) ,
though the acceptance depends on various factors GMAT score and experience
being the qualifying factors
2. Admission Essays : Every year ISB releases admissions essay questions that you
need to answer in your application. The questions would try to explore you more
as an individual and a professional. Some of the questions may be a. Why do you want to do an MBA? Why ISB? Why now?
b. How innovative are you? (support with some past experience you had)
c. What differentiates you from the pool of applicant to ISB?
3. The essays are reviewed by the admissions committee and selected students are
called for an interview
4. The interview is a very casual discussion for 20 min. You have to be smart
enough not to waste your 20 min and try to present as much as you can about
yourself through your answers. Honesty, confidence and positivity is the key to
cracking ISB interview. The interview questions may range from questions
based on your applications essays to questions that explore you more as an
individual.

Connect to the ISB Alumni to get mock interviews by registering on Mentorrd | Your
Personal Mentor!. We connect you to the executives working in the firms or fields where
you wish to see yourself.
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Madhav Malhotra, Did a lot of research on ISB

Written Jul 21

You havent written anything about your current experience. Are you in college?Are you
working? Lets move forward by taking both these scenarios side by side. ISB has following
options for you to pursue MBA :
1. ISB YLP (Young Leaders Program) : It is a deferred admission option for high
potential college students pursuing their Bachelors or Masters education
2. ISB Early Entry Option : Early Entry Option
3. PGP Flagship programme : Post Graduate Programme in Management
One thing, which is not dependent on which program you choose to apply is GMAT exam.
You have to give GMAT to apply for any of these positions in ISB.
Preparing for GMAT : The first step into GMAT preparation should be :
Evaluate yourself. : Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you feel you need coaching then
look for an institute that has an awesome faculty. For instance, if you feel are good enough
in Quant, but need to work hard in Verbal, then go for an institute, which has a great verbal
faculty. You may also see the below points, which might help you in shortlisting GMAT
institutes.
1. A good coaching institute invariable has a very knowledgeable counselor, who provides
you a broad idea of the teaching style followed in the coaching institute, and how that style
will help you in acing GMAT.
2. A good coaching institute has a great faculty, who are very experienced in GMAT
coaching.
3. A good coaching institute will provide you unlimited access to its resources like computer
room, GMAT question banks, doubt sessions etc.
4. A Good coaching institute will follow a well defined and tested teaching schedule.
5. A good coaching institute attracts best minds from he city, which helps in peer to peer
learning.
6. A good coaching institute maintains a very health relationship with all its students even
after completion of course. Specifically, they provide you access to GMAT mock tests, GMAT
prep tests,tons of sectional tests and doubt sessions.

7. A Good coaching institute holds a great track record in getting great GMAT scores every
year.
Assuming you are an experienced professional, and you have an average profile, you should
target a score of 730+ to hold a good chance of cracking ISB. Following points might help
you in preparing well for GMAT exam :
1.Take the OG very seriously. Dont skip any question without understanding the
explanation given by OG. It can happen when you got a question right but your approach
was not correct. Focus hard on the last 100 questions in SC,CR,RC sections of GMAT. These
are very good questions.
2. Register with e-gmat. They give free webinars on SC,RC,CR which are very helpful.
3. If you will search online then you will find links to old GMAT papers. These are questions
which were asked in previous GMAT examinations. Solve all these questions religiously.
4. As you are looking to apply for ISB's YLP, you will have to aim for 730+ score to be on a
safe side.
5. If you register to the official GMAT site, you will get 2 free GMAT PREP tests, which are
closest to the actual GMAT tests. Dont give these tests unless you are fully prepared. Scores
on these tests will give you the best idea on where you stand.
Now, as far as improving ones profile is concerned, points mentioned below might help you
in improving your profile :
1.A lot of online seminars are held by ISB every month/2 months. These are highly
informative sessions, and you should attend these. You can go to official site of ISB and
search for seminars, which will be conducted in the coming months and register for them.
2. Improve your MBA Profile - 40 ways to a winning MBA application : This link shows 40
ways of improving your profile. Evaluate which options are feasible for you to do, and start
working on them.
3. Try and read The Hindu everyday. This will make your knowledge of current affairs
grow.
4. Get in touch with ISB alumnis and share your profile with them. They can give you
valuable tips on how to improve your profile.
5. Visit GMAT forums like beat the gmat , gmatclub everyday. Here people post about
their interview experiences, which will help you in preparing for ISB.
Make sure that you dont do extra curricular activities just for the sake of improving your
profile. Do activities that are of interest to you. Adcoms will easily identify that you did
activities just to make your profile look better.
Now, here are some points, which might give you an idea of What ISB expects from you :

1. Consistent academic record

2. Clarity of thought in terms of career aspirations and goals
3. People who have demonstrated attributes of leadership. F
Following link might help you in delving further into these 3 indicators :
How does ISB Evaluate a Profile for Admission?
One more link, which will help you in understanding the process :How the ISB admission
process works | MBA Crystal Ball
Doing everything perfectly is not feasible. So, try and pick some points where you can
improve and make them your strengths. One of the ISB alumnis said the following line
about ISB adcoms, which is very true :
ISB is looking for reasons to accept your profile, dont give them reasons to not do so.
Disclaimer : Alot of points are copied from my previous answers as I thought it would help
the person who asked this question.
Hope this helps!
All the best!
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Madhur Chadha, ISB Alumni

Written Mar 9

You need to be a bit more specific. It can be super tough for some and relatively easy for
others
ISB as a school also focuses on diversity , so your achievements are compared against your
peers. For eg: If you are an Software Engineer, you will be compared to others in the similar
field and not with candidates from event management.
You will be compared on
1. Your academics
2. Your achievements in and outside your workplace
3. Your essays
4. Your GMAT
For some tips on your essays etc, you can refer to
ISB admission, tips and suggestions for your essays

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ISBmantra, The only Consulting company with former ISB Admissions Officials on Board!
Written Jul 8

ISB has a common process for both ISB Hyderabad and Mohali. GRE and GMAT are the
two tests accepted and depending on the number of years of experience, you may choose
between the three application channels - YLP, EEO and PGP. If you meet all the
prerequisites, you will have to submit an online application. In the application, you will
need to present a strong set of essays to demonstrate your leadership skills and your
professional expertise. You will then be invited for a personal interview if your application is
shortlisted. You get the final admit (or reject) about 15 days after the interview.
It's not very difficult to get into ISB when you compare it to most other MBA programs in
India or abroad. The advantage with ISB over other Indian programs is that GMAT is just a
criteria and not a tool to eliminate (unlike CAT). Compared to the international programs,
ISB has a very high number of seats with mostly Indian candidates applying.
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Sarthak Gangwar, 2/8 Engineer

Updated May 18

Admission Requisites
Eligibility Criteria is as follows PGP (Post Graduation Programme)
To be considered a PGP applicant, you will need to have:
1) Bachelors degree or equivalent in any discipline
2) A valid GMAT / GRE score
3) At least 24 months of full time post-qualification work experience by March 31
4) TOEFL / IELTS / PTE score (if the language of instruction at undergraduate study level
was not English)
There's also an Early Entry Option (PGP deferred)
To apply under the Early Entry Option for a deferred admission, you will need to have:
1) A Bachelors degree or equivalent in any discipline
2) A valid GMAT / GRE score
3) Less than 24 months of full time post-qualification work experience by March 31
3) TOEFL / IELTS / PTE score (if the language of instruction at undergraduate study level
was not English)
Selection Criteria

Each applicant to the Post Graduate Programme in Management at the Indian School of
Business is holistically evaluated on the following parameters:
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
The application keenly evaluates your ability to cope with the rigour of the programme
through your past academic performance and your performance in the GMAT exam. They
consider the 12th standard grades, graduation grades, post graduation and certification
scores- wherever applicable along with the overall GMAT score.
However, no cut off criteria are applied to either the academic credentials or the GMAT
score.
LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the impact they have made in their past
professional and personal life. This aspect is assessed through the initiatives that the
applicant may have taken, the responsibilities handled and the career progression achieved
till date.
The one professional evaluation (i.e. recommendation) which forms an important part of
the application also helps in gauging the leadership potential of the applicant in a
professional setting.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
At ISB, they would look for versatile and well rounded individuals who can contribute to the
society in positive and meaningful ways. People who can bring different perspectives to the
class and appreciate different point of views. Your extracurricular activities and interests
beyond your work life give us an insight on your personal qualities.
The School encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to become part of the Post
Graduate Programme in Management. Diversity in all form of life, like work experience,
educational background, nationality, among others is given due consideration.