If you're applying to ISB, this guide provides comprehensive insights to help you navigate the process effectively.
WHEN TO APPLY
- Ideally, you apply when you have assessed that a career in business is what is right for you. Your academics, extracurriculars, interests, experience at work are telling you what you are good at and what you ought to be doing. The choice becomes easier to determine if you are not good at your functional role. A tech person who is not that good at tech finds the decision to apply to business school easier to make than a tech person who is good at tech but is also inclined towards the business side of the industry.
- Make your assessments and apply when you are sure that a career in business is what you want. This advice is not only meant to make you take the right decision but also because if you come across as someone who is unsure, you are not going to be able to crack the interview. They are going to find out and not take you - for your own good.
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People decide and apply at different times in their career. There is no right age. 35 percent of the ISB class has less than 3 years of experience, another 35 percent has 3 to 5 years experience, 25 percent has 5 to 8 years, and 5 percent more than 8 years. The right time for you is when you are sure and when you can demonstrate the sureness.
After making the decision to apply, there are several steps you need to take before visiting the ISB website, clicking on the Apply button, filling out the form, submitting it, attending the interview, and accepting the admission offer.
TEST TAKING
The most obvious and important preparation is to take the GMAT or the GRE. It takes time and rigour to get a score that will suffice.
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What is the ideal GMAT or GRE score for ISB?
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The average score among the admitted students at ISB is 710 in the GMAT (The new GMAT equivalent is 655 to 665) and 330 in the GRE. The score has sections, so you also need a 75 percentile in all sections individually along with the overall score. While this is a ball park that you need to target, a little below won't ruin your chances and a little above won't secure them. This is not like CAT or the JEE where a decimal can make or break. There are many who get into ISB with 680 and 690. There are many with 740 and 750 that do not.
- So, while the test is important, there is more to the admission than your score. Consider it important but don't obsess over it. Raising your 710 to 740 won't impact much.
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How do people prepare?
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Start by taking the sample test on MBA.com to check your level. It's Math and English and analytical reasoning, so you are not going to draw a blank. Identify areas you need to focus on. Study those areas. Take another test. Repeat.
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There are enough books in the market that offer comprehensive prep. Start with the GMAT Official Guide 2024-2025 and ace it. If you need more help take an online prep course which will even advise you on areas that you need to study and provide strategies on specific topics. Need more handholding? Join a physical class around you.
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People prepare for anywhere between a month to several months depending on where they stand. So plan accordingly.
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When to take the test?
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You need to have taken the test before the deadline under which you are applying. You could take it on the same day as the deadline, but since you have to complete the application and that can take time, target a few weeks before the deadline. Moreover, you may have a bad day and may not achieve your target score, so you may have to retake the test. You can take the test once in a calendar month, so plan for this eventuality. On the other hand, test scores are valid for five years, so if you have already taken the test, it should not be more than five years earlier.
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How to take the test?
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The GMAT can be taken online at your home or on a computer at a test center. ISB does not accept online scores, so you will have to take the test at a test centre. You need to book an appointment at an available slot at a test center convenient to you. You can go to MBA.com to check test center lists and slot availability. Booking in advance is recommended especially during the admission season between August and January.
So, if you have the test score or are on the way to get it, what next?
You start the application.
APPLICATION FORM FILLING
ISB releases its application in June for the programme that starts in April of the subsequent year. The application form has these main sections:
- Objective information - name, address ...
- Academic information - schools attended, degrees obtained, grades received ...
- Professional experience - Every place where you have worked, explaining your role, your responsibilities, your achievements.
- Essays - Three essays that assess the person behind the objective parameters shared in the application.
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The best essays are those that are honest and straight. That share a true assessment you made about yourself at the time of writing them. That do not try too hard to impress.
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Everyone who is applying has considerable amount to share that is relevant. Most applicants are just plain lazy in making a self-assessment. That laziness comes across in their essays and interview and is the main cause of their rejection.
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If you think that you have hardly done anything and need to manipulate your getting in, it's a sign that you are being lazy. It's also possible that you are measuring yourself by some yardsticks that you have seen being discussed and considered relevant. Shed those yardsticks and share your story. Reflect on things that you are good at and you'll be on your way.
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Recommendation letter - One recommendation letter from someone who has worked closely with you and can comment on your professional capabilities.
- The director or CEO of your organization, who you may know, but has not worked closely with you is a poorer choice of a recommender than your reporting manager who you interact with regularly.
- Speak to the recommender, give them time to write but make them write. Motivate them to do it for you.
- The recommendation they write will be more valuable than the one you write and give to them to submit.
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Documents - a set of documents that need to be uploaded.
The application can be started anytime after it is released and filled and saved in multiple sittings. It needs to be completed and submitted any time before the listed deadlines. There are usually three deadlines. The first in September, second in November and last in January.
The benefit of applying in an earlier round is that you receive the admission decision early. If you apply in the September round, you will usually know about the final outcome of your application by November. Applying in November will get you the result in January. Applying in January will get the decision in Feb/March. So, plan accordingly.
Contrary to popular belief, the outcome of your application doesn't depend on the round in which you apply. Applying in round 1 will not increase your chances. Applying in the last round will not decrease it. If you are going to be admitted, you will be admitted whenever you apply.
INTERVIEWING
An interview is the outcome of the first level of screening after you submit the application. Only those that make the first shortlist are invited to attend the interview. Many don't receive interview invites.
- How Are Interview Invites Sent?
- The interview shortlist does not happen in one go. It happens in batches. Batches are usually decided based on the interview location you chose in the application.
- The interview invite is sent out to shortlisted applicants only about 5 to 6 days before the interview date.
- So, you don't have much time to prepare for the interview after you know if you made the shortlist.
- Most people start preparing immediately after submitting the application in anticipation of the shortlist.
- The Interview Experience
- The interview typically lasts about 20 to 35 minutes.
- It is taken by ISB alumni or by admission committee members.
- The interview experience is usually a relaxed one.
- They won't stress you out. In fact, they want you to feel at ease and express yourself freely so that they can get to know you well.
- Questions range from wanting to know who you are as a person, as a professional, what your career aspirations are, how a business education fits into all that.
- Showing clarity helps.
- Building personal awareness and clarity about who you are and what you are up to is the key to your success in the interview.
- The Role Of The Interview
- The interviewers do not decide while talking to you whether they will accept or reject you.
- They record their impressions about you and share them with the admissions committee.
- The interview report becomes one other document in your file along with the application form, essays, recommendation, documents.
ADMISSION DECISION
The final call on your candidature is made by the admissions committee based on various criteria, some related to you and some related to them. Your academic credentials, leadership potential, and personal attributes as assessed through the application and interview make you a good candidate for admission. If you are seen favorably on these counts, you must clear the school's diversity criteria. They have specific metrics to fulfill, such as gender, industry, and years of experience. Over time, the school has developed clarity about the mix of eligible students they receive and tries to match that with their offers to maintain diversity without compromising quality.
However, imperfections and mistakes can occur, as with any subjective process. This aspect is beyond your control and, though interesting academically, is not something you can change.
Focussing on understanding and expressing yourself through your application and interview is the only thing you can do. You have to leave the rest to the process.
To hedge against these imperfections, you can apply to multiple schools.
If these imperfections impact your application, you can reapply next year. Reapplications are not viewed negatively at ISB; many who get in are reapplicants.
In conclusion, getting into ISB requires careful preparation and self-assessment. Focus on your strengths, be honest in your application, and prepare thoroughly for the interview. By following this guide, you can navigate the application process with confidence and increase your chances of securing a place at this prestigious institution. Good luck!