The CrackVerbal Guide to ISB Admissions

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 Contents

Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 3

About CrackVerbal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4
CrackVerbal’s ISB Pundits ------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5
About ISB ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 6
A Quick Snapshot of the Important Dates ---------------------------------------------- Page 7
Everything You Need to Know for Your ISB Application ----------------------------- Page 8
Tope 5 Myths About ISB Applications Busted! ----------------------------------------- Page 13
Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers --------------------------------- Page 19
ISB Insights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 27
GMAT and Application Tips from Three Successful ISB Candidates -------------- Page 28
Contact CrackVerbal ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 31

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 Introduction

CrackVerbal brings you a comprehensive guide to the Indian School of

Business MBA application process. Everything you need to know from
the A-to-Z of the 2013 admission process, to the recent CrackVerbal ISB
success stories, this ebook is tailor-made for all those MBA aspirants
who see themselves joining the ISB.

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 About CrackVerbal

For professionals who want to advance in their careers, CrackVerbal GMAT training and MBA
Admissions Consulting of superior quality along with unmatched support. Unlike other test
prep companies, CrackVerbal has made a no-compromise commitment to meeting our
students’ MBA needs. This is what has helped CrackVerbal grow from six students in a coffee
shop in 2006 to India’s fastest-growing test prep company, helping more than 1000 students
every year!

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 CrackVerbal’s ISB Pundits
Pradyot Anand
ISB, Class of 2008
Verbal Faculty
Pradyot has 8+ years of
professional experience
spanning management
consulting, corporate strategy
and technology.
An alumnus of the Indian
School of Business (ISB)
Hyderabad, he graduated in the
top 10% of his class and made
the Dean’s List.
Sobhana Desikan Rohit Sanghavi
ISB, Class of 2008 ISB, Class of 2005
Verbal Faculty Mentor and Student
Outreach
Sobhana has 10+ years of global Rohit graduated with a B.Tech
experience at leading MNCs in a from VJTI after which he
variety
Sobhana
of management,
Desikan pursued an MS in electrical
corporate
Verbaland
Faculty
technology engineering from Penn State.
roles.
She is an alumnus of the Indian After working with Goldman
School of Business Sachs for sometime, he
(ISB) Hyderabad with a returned to India to pursue an
Bachelor’s degree in MBA at the Indian School of
Engineering from the Birla Business (ISB) Hyderabad in the
Institute of Technology & financial sector. He is currently
Science (BITS) Pilani. a VP of a Financial Services
Company.
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About ISB

Over the last decade of its existence, ISB has

evolved into a prestigious brand. Consistently
ranked among the best B-schools in India and,
ISB was ranked #20 globally in the Financial
Times B-school Rankings 2012.

ISB has a lot to offer to future leaders: an

innovative research-based curriculum,
international outreach, global best practices and
insights into emerging markets for career growth.
ISB is also South-Asia’s first AACSB accredited
school.

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 A Quick Snapshot of the Important Dates

EARLY ENTRY
DATES CYCLE 1 CYCLE 2
OPTION

Application Date September 15, 2013 November 30, 2013 January 15, 2014

Offer Date November 15, 2013 February 15, 2014 March 31, 2014

15 Days from the 15 Days from the 15 Days from the

Acceptance Date
Date of the Offer Date of the Offer Date of the Offer

For additional information on the admission procedure you can e-mail ISB.

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Everything You Need to Know for Your ISB Application

Process Overview:

Step 1: Create an account here

Step 2: Upload the following documents:

 Colour photograph in Formals (Passport size picture on A-4
size sheet in PDF of 200 or 300 dpi)
 Scanned copies of the documents (PDF in 150 or 200 dpi) of
Passport Copy, Proof of Income,
 GMAT Score Report,
 TOEFL/IELTS scores,
 Two evaluations/recommendations in the prescribed format
available on the application portal

Step 3: Fill up the Application with your Personal Details etc.

Step 4: Payment of Application Fee of INR 3,000 (INR 1,000 only for
Re-applicants)

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The ISB Selection Process
Application deadlines – Round 1: Sep 15th, 2013
Round 2: Nov 30th, 2013

 Shortlisting - Interviews take place in November and January

 Interviews - Conducted in Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
 International Applicants - Interviewed via telephone.
 Decision - Accepted applicants will receive an offer.
 Acceptance - 15 days to accept or decline the offer. After accepting,
a non-refundable fee of INR 2,00,000 (INR 5,00,000 under the
Corporate Leadership Immersion Programme) will need to be remitted.
 Information for New Admits - All new admits will be provided with
a link to guide them through their admission process.
 Course Commencement - Course begins in April and is a one year
residential programme.

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 Admission Pre-requisites
The ISB accepts applicants from diverse backgrounds;
however, there are some minimum requirements for a valid
application:

 A Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline. The class of 2014

consists of around 70% of engineering undergraduates.

 A minimum of 2 years of full-time work experience.

The ISB however does make an exception for those with an
extraordinary profile with lesser work experience. The mean
work experience of the class of 2014 is 5 years.

 Fresh graduates can consider the Early Entry Option.

 A valid GMAT score. The mean GMAT score of the class

of 2014 is 711.

 A valid TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score if the undergraduate

degree was in a language other than English.

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 Selection Criteria

 Leadership Qualities – measured in

terms of the nature of recommendations Re-applicants can use their previous account
for their personal details. It is advised that
 Diversity – gauged on the basis of the you update your application with any extra
quality of work experience experience that you may have gained and
latest scores, wherever relevant.
 Analytical Capability – the analytical
section score of the GMAT which acts as
International applicants (who possess a
the only means for measuring this. passport other than an Indian passport) can
apply anytime before January 15th, 2014. The
 Re-applicants - can use their previous pre-requisites are the same as above.
account for their personal details. It is
advised that you update your application
with any extra experience that you may
have gained and latest scores, wherever
relevant.

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 Finance and Fees

 The ISB course fee amounts to USD 40,000,

which is about INR 20,00,000 which is far less in
comparison to it’s global counterparts. For this
reason, it is a great value-for-money option as Want to know
you get the best facilities for a reduced price. whether your
profile fits
 Scholarships are available for deserving
applicants. Take a look at the list here.
ISB? Simply fill
out this form!
 Loans are made available and is a great option
for those with an admit. Get an overview of the
loan coverage here. Most of the premier banks
like SBI etc, offer loans to students.

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 Top 5 Myths About ISB Applications Busted!

The internet is a double-edged sword – there is so

much information available, that you are often
confused what to believe. For instance, you may have
read that without a GMAT score of 700, it is impossible
to get an admit to ISB; then you come across an
interview with someone who has gained admission to
ISB with a modest 630! Perplexing, isn’t it?

Fret not! In this section, CrackVerbal aims to bust the

top 5 myths about ISB admissions. Read on!

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Myth 1: You are bound to get rejected with a sub-700 score!

GMAT is important, very important! This is because this concrete 3 digit number is
of great help to B-schools world over to select among thousands of applicants.
GMAT provides a good indication of a student’s logical ability in a business context
that will make him an effective future leader.

But do not forget that GMAT is just a part of the selection process and not the core
of the selection process itself. According to the official ISB statistics around 25% of
the entering class had a sub-700 score. In fact over the last few years we have
had several of our own students get through with a sub-700 score! There is a
reason why ISB accepts applications with a lower GMAT score. Else they could
have just put up on the website “Applicants with only a GMAT score higher than
700 need apply”. Any reputed B-School, including ISB, looks for a complete
package to fit in their MBA program and not just one aspect in isolation.

This myth is perhaps propagated by those who got rejected because of other
intangible factors such as weak essays or poor interviews. These are points no one
wants to admit. We, at CrackVerbal have NEVER so far heard an applicant confess
“I got dinged because my post-MBA goals were perhaps a bit fuzzy”. While a more
‘solid’ reason – “I got dinged because I had a 690” makes the excuse a bit more
palatable.

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Myth 2: You shouldn’t apply with more than 10 years of work-experience!

Till date, ISB has created 4000+ global leaders spread across 25 countries.
Though the average experience in the class is still a “young” 3-6 years, more
and more mid-career professionals are seeking an ISB PGP to catapult their
careers to the next level.

ISB PGP admissions committee understands the unique background such

senior people bring in, and works hard with the industry to ensure that they
are rewarded with a position that is commensurate with their talents and
experience. While the usual career progression is into a managerial position
(“LEAD”), the students with more than 8-10 years of experience are provided
with opportunities to interview for senior management roles such as Country
Head (“LEAP”).

However, a caveat over here is that ISB (or any B-school in the world) cannot guarantee
placements. This is a known fact that there are fewer positions at such a level and that an MBA is
not a “placement agency”. It is important that applicants with rich experience bring with them
their own network, as well as understanding of their domain. ISB placement committee can
ensure that the required groundwork is done to help facilitate the process.

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Myth 3: The details in the application form are not that important

ISB has an online application form that asks for details regarding the
applicant’s profile such as educational details, work-experience details,
essays, video, and recommendations. There are some other details
such as extra-curriculars, awards, languages known etc., which many
applicants consider “minor”.

However the admissions committee gets to review a file which contains

these very details before it even gets to see your essays. Thus, these
details on the application form become the initial point of contact
between you and ISB. A first impression may not be the best one, but
it will indeed take you to the next level - the interview!

Thus, every aspirant should ensure that he/she reserves enough time to fill out all the details in
the application form completely so that it comes across as convincing, interesting and unique. It
is very easy to create a login to see what details are required. Do not leave filling the form to
the last date of application, when you will be hurried and might end up making mistakes.

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Myth 4: Showing NGO/not-for-profit work is a must on your application

ISB is in search for people who bring varied perspectives to classroom discussions. That is why you
will come across many interesting yet “unconventional” profiles at ISB. Many of these are people who
have been involved in the society around us through various NGOs.

However, it is a myth that ISB wants everyone who applies to have

contributed to a social cause. Though, it is true that such an
association does impact the applications in a positive way, it should
only be added if the applicant has genuinely done so. Association
with an NGO just for the sake of embellishing your application will
actually reduce your chances of an admission! And trust us, it is
ridiculously easy to identify whether an applicant is faking
something. Integrity is a quality that is highly regarded in B-
schools.

Culturally, Indians tend to use their time constructively in many other different ways – not just in
social causes. So, candidates should look at creative ways of revealing their managerial or
leadership qualities. For instance, playing a sport or being a part of rock-band.

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Myth 5: The essays are the crucial aspects, the interviews can be handled!
Applicants place a lot of emphasis on the application essays – a correct thing to do because it is
through essays that B-Schools will actually get to know who you are as a person, and what you bring
to the table.

However, it is also equally important that you focus on the interview

process, through which the admissions committee tries to see if the
person behind the essays is interesting in real-life. Those 20-40
minutes are crucial because it is an opportunity for you to bring out
real-life examples to convey your strengths and managerial traits.
There is more to you than an application form and the ISB interview
panel wants to see that. Don’t deny them the opportunity by trying to
play safe and telling them what you think they want to hear. Or still
worse talking something tangential to what you have mentioned in
your application essays.

Here is what we suggest to applicants facing an MBA interview – treat

it like a conversation, not a quiz. The panel wants to know you better,
and the only person who can help them is you. Just ensure you are
able to articulate the main questions well – why you want to do an
MBA, why specifically ISB, why is now the right time in your career,
and why should they select you.

The rest of the questions should be about what *you* have done in *your* life – something you
should definitely not worry about!

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers

ISB’s PGP Admissions Director, Mr. A. M. Kannan, along with Associate

Director Mr. Deepak Agarwal interacted with CrackVerbal students and answered some
pressing questions on post-MBA career options after ISB. Read on to find what ISB has to
say from this one-on-one Q and A session.

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers
1. What are the specializations available at ISB and their salary prospects?

Currently ISB has Finance, Consulting, Strategic Management,

Leadership, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Global Supply Chain
specializations. The four new specializations that they have
introduced recently are - Manufacturing, Healthcare, Public Policy
and Education. At present, HR is not a specialization that ISB
offers, nor are we planning to introduce it in the near future. The
reason behind this is that there are very few applicants that
approach ISB with HR background. In fact, I would say that there
are better B-schools in India for those who want to pursue a career
in HR.

As far as salary is concerned, every industry has band-related salary. So, it depends upon which
band you fit into. Any day, the best performer already working in that company will get more salary
than you even after your MBA. Don’t go after numbers alone – believe in the median salary given in
our website or in websites like Glassdoor or even Monster.

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers
2. What Are there any areas of improvement for the ISB PGP?

Yes certainly! Firstly, the ISB strongly believes that they

need to work upon the design of the course content such as
the case-studies. They generally do a detailed review of our
course curriculum every 5 years and individual courses get
updated each year. The curriculum needs to be
more research-based.

Secondly, as the ISB realized the need for new

specializations, they are working into the 4 new areas as
mentioned earlier. Thirdly, they feel they need to constantly
recruit and train faculty that will be required down the line.

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 Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers
3. Is there any structure based on which I can identify my true calling?
Should I follow my passion or should I do something that gives good returns?

This is a very interesting question! Always remember one

thing: Career means something that generates an
economic value. Your passion cannot become your career
if it does not bring in a good return on investment of your
time and other resources. You need to plan for your
children’s education and marriage down the line. So, choose
a career accordingly. Think for yourself what that particular
career means to you? Whether it is music or being a people’s
person! If still confused, find a mentor who is in a similar job
or role and seek his/her advice.

Thus, my take on choosing a career is that you need to ask

yourself what you are good at. Your skill sets will help you to
identify a rewarding career. As far as your passion or
interests are concerned, they can always become extra-
curricular activities for you, so that you don’t regret letting
them disappear completely from your lives.

You can refer to this book – ‘Getting Unstuck’ by Dr. Sidney

B. Simon for few good exercises.

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 Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers
4. I have a good number of years of experience (close to 10) in a very
technical domain. Does it make sense for me to do an MBA?

Once you have a good number of years of experience in a certain industry,

it is generally advisable to explore a related industry and enhance your
career instead of getting into a totally new one. Thus, to answer your
question, an MBA in a related field will definitely widen your job prospects
and vertical growth. For instance, if you have worked in VLSI, you should
look at a role that involves managing life cycle of the chip or managing the
product itself or moving up to Accounts Management roles, which can be
very satisfying! There are three aspects to a person’s career - the Industry,
Function and Role.

Choose an MBA program that will help you find a similar role in a related
industry. The mantra is to shift across any one of these as a first step and
then take small steps to enhance your career growth.

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers
5. How many entrepreneurs has ISB created in the last few years? Do
entrepreneurs even need an MBA?

Entrepreneurship is a very personal issue as many factors

need to be considered such as finances, family and most
importantly – how passionate you are about your business
idea! At ISB, the number of entrepreneurs is increasing
tremendously. Entrepreneurship does not necessarily
happen straight out of the B-school. It happens only when
all the parameters fall into place. And this usually happens
after 30s, as at this stage people are more mature,
vigilant with some years of work experience.

Thus, rate of success as an entrepreneur tends to be

higher after 30s than before. Many ISB alumni have
entered entrepreneurship after their 30s, and are doing
extremely well!

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers

6. I am an engineer but very keen on switching to luxury retailing. How can

ISB help me make this transition?
Today, retail is a very promising industry with abundant career options. If you are truly passionate
about luxury retail in India, you could do some internships or small projects to gain some relevant
experience. There are quite a few companies who hire luxury retailers from ISB based on your skills.
Thus, before you decide to get into luxury retailing, you need to think: Do you have the required
skill sets for a successful career in luxury retailing? Always remember that the recruiters look at 3
aspects:

 Whether you can fit into their organizational culture

 Whether you can deliver efficient results every quarter
 Do you have future potential?

The thumb rule to choose and grow in your career is that, you require two essential traits:

 Certain skill sets

 A certain level of knowledge

So, if you make a shift in your role, your skill sets should match the new role you are looking
forward to and gradually you can acquire the necessary knowledge.
An MBA fills this knowledge gap!

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers

7. I am unsure whether I want to get into a Consulting role or a Strategy

role. How can ISB help me in this?

Consulting is interacting with people and getting

the relevant information. But Strategic roles are
more broad-based. You need very strong
analytical and managerial skills, a good
understanding of the economic scenario, learning
from other industries, and applying it successfully
in strategic roles. Usually, a fresher does not get
those roles immediately.

For strategic roles, the recruiters are biased

towards those who have done well right from
their beginning. These are dream jobs as well as
very difficult and focused! Thus, you need to
match your skill sets and knowledge with the
demanding consulting or strategic roles and make
a wise decision.

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Eight Post-MBA Career Questions that ISB Answers

8. What if I am unable to decide what career to opt for, even

after joining ISB?

Each year ISB is blessed with a diverse classroom. So, even after
joining ISB, if you aren’t able to figure out exactly which career
path to get into, your classmates will be the best people to help
you understand your strengths, weaknesses, passion and
aspirations.

Secondly, at ISB, a very strong career counseling team of industry

experts is available, to show you the best path based on the
current market scenario. Thirdly, ISB info sessions are very useful
to clear your career-related doubts. However, always remember
one thing – ultimately it will be your decision.

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 ISB Insights

Don’t miss the ISB info sessions held for

prospective students, in your city. Sign – up to
gain more insights.

Alternatively, you can bring the virtual info

sessions home.

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 GMAT and Application Tips from 3 Successful ISB Candidates

Rahul Srivastava, GMAT 740, ISB Class of 2013

Undergraduation - IIT Kanpur

Pre-MBA Experience - 5.5 years with a start-up called VizExperts
Post-MBA Goals - Management Related Position

The ISB Experience

Recommendations play a very important role in gaining an admit at ISB. One was from my CEO and
the other was from a highly placed government official who as a client of my company’s. My interview
was conducted by two ISB alumni who asked me questions based on my management and engineering
background. Questions such as - what have I best accomplished during the hiring process? Since I am
an Engineering Manager, which is the best project I have dealt with? What are my strengths and
weaknesses in managing a team and projects? Apart from these, there were also general discussions
about what client interactions I have done, what I am expecting from ISB, etc. My interview went on
for 40-45 minutes along these lines.

The CrackVerbal Advantage

CrackVerbal helped me mould my essays in a systematic and fruitful manner. They provided valuable
suggestions in-line with what the ISB panel looks for in a candidate. Their advise on what to add and
removing less significant information propelled me through my process.

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 GMAT and Application Tips from Three Successful ISB Candidates

Harsh Fadnavis, GMAT 740, ISB Class of 2013

Undergraduation - IIT Guwahati

Pre-MBA Experience - 3.5 years as a Consultant with PwC Consulting
Post-MBA Goals - Technology based role such as Product
Management or Program Management

The ISB Experience

It is essential that you speak to students of the schools you are considering before you decide as websites
provide generic information. Recommendations are vital and I had taken mine from two managers. Since
they were a part of my work, they could write specific recommendations thus making your choice of
recommendations important. You must also ensure that you educate your managers on what needs to be
provided in the recommendation without manipulating it. The interview is simply a follow-up on what you
have written. It is crucial that your answers reflect what you have written. The reason you are called for
the interview is because they already like what you have written, so be sure to stick to it.

The CrackVerbal Advantage

CrackVerbal’s method taught me how to effectively approach the GMAT questions and was instrumental in
me achieving a 740 in my GMAT. Their guidelines for my interview questions helped me crack my final
interview and has added a lot of value to my journey to ISB.

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GMAT and Application Tips from Three Successful ISB Candidates

Rachit Raj, GMAT 670, ISB Class of 2014

Undergraduation - Graduated from Hindu College, Delhi University in Economics

Pre-MBA Experience - 3.5 years as Territory Sales Manager with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
Post-MBA Goals - Aiming at a Marketing position post ISB

The ISB Experience:

The essays are as important as the GMAT score. It helps highlight your achievements, beyond your
grades. The ISB interview lasted 20-30 minutes and was conducted by ISB alumni. It was more a
casual discussion than a stress interview. The strategy I employed was citing specific examples of my
achievements rather than a generic overview.

The CrackVerbal Advantage:

CrackVerbal helped me balance my studies with work, which I felt was the toughest part for me. The
structered study pattern provided by CrackVerbal was crucial to my preparation. I continued preparing
for my interview with CrackVerbal’s mock interviews, which surprisingly consisted of questions similar
to my final interview. CrackVerbal’s guidance truly made a difference to my preparation and was an
integral part of my journey into ISB.

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Contact Us to Gain the CrackVerbal Advantage!

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