To be able to apply for Early Entry Option, the candidates must meet  the following criteria:

1. An undergraduate/post-graduate degree in any discipline
2. Less than 2 years of full-time work experience at the time of applying,
3. GMAT score
4. TOEFL/IELTS score where English is not the main language of teaching all through under-graduation

For more information on ISB-EEO, click to http://www.goisb.com/ISB_class_profile_placements.php

Here are the ISB essay questions for 2014-2015 batch

ISB essay 1: Attitude, skills and knowledge differentiate people. Elaborate with two examples on how you would differentiate yourself. (300 words max)

ISB essay 2: How does the ISB PGP tie-in with your career goals? (300 words max)

ISB essay 3: Pick the most significant achievement (professional or personal) you have had and elaborate on the key learning you took away from it. (300 words max)

ISB essay 4 (optional): Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. (300 words max)

Visit: http://pgpapp.isb.edu/ to access the application portal

goISB Team

For Indian Passport holders:

International passport holders have rolling admissions. Admissions portal is open now. Last date to apply is 15 Jan 2014.

For Class of 2014, Round 1

GMAT score: 740, Reapplicant

Profile: 5+ years in semiconductor plus own venture

My interview panel comprised of an AdCom member (Male) and an alumnus ( Female)

Here are few questions whcih were asked

1. Hockey -> asked everything about my association with Hockey since High School, reasons for Indian Hockey not being able to perform well, discussion stretched for about 5 minutes.

2. Professional Work Experience at Current company –> Since i am a reapplicant, they asked me about my current job responsibilities. Then they asked for achevements in my work-place that created significant impact.

3. How my profile has changed since last year ? I was grilled on the change in my career goals since last year, discussion followed on Apiculture, was asked few technicalities of Apiculture, the moved on to my new career goal of Product Manager in device-based company; how can I add value to any such company. This continued for about 10 minutes.

4. What would I do if I dont get through to ISB this year.

Final Result: Offered Admission

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ISB Interview experience 2

For Class of 2013, Round 2

GMAT score: 720

Profile: 4+ years in automobile industry

My interview /9 with Panel 6 on Sunday) lasted for 40-45 minutes. It was pretty intense on info regarding my job and auto industry.

So you are from the auto industry.. that is a male dominated field.. and I remember in my college there was one or maybe no girl in mechanical engineering.. I told them I was IGIT-girls college and 70% girls in Maruti from IGIT.

So you are one of our younger applicants…maruti has been your only job.. Tell me something about your job…told them about my initial work in financial analysis…

You’ve already done stuff that an mba does… then why do you need an mba?

As a consultant you need to have a lot of awareness about whats going on in the world.. so what do you think about the indian automotive landscape…I started talking about areas we need to improve in as automotive companies.

Interjects and says…what I mean is.. that with interest rates and petrol prices increasing… is really a lucrative industry… will I really grow that much now..?? answered… seemed convinced..

What do you think about the fallout at Manesar? Answered

What about Maruti buying land in Gujrat? Answered

With so many applicants from supply chain profile why you?.. answered… but he said ‘every second person says that’ at the ngo bit..

Some talk about swimming and dancing at Shiamak Davar’s…

What was the student council? How many students in your college?

Then there was some talk about consulting…in which I said loopholes and opportunities for consultants…he said give an example and I explained..

In the end he just said…oh I forgot to tell you.. there are so many people who come to ISB thinking they’ll go to Mckinsey but only 10% of the class gets interview calls…and 40 get through.. and they see your acads from like first grade… so it’s pretty difficult.. I just want to tell you what it’s like…

Do you have any question for us?

Final Result: Offered Admission

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ISB Interview experience 3

For Class of 2014, Round 1

When i entered the room there were 3 guys sitting. Two of them were alums and one was resident faculty. They were cool and tried to make me comfortable. Then they started with questions which are:

Q1) Tell me something about your profile and they got into details of everything(4-5 mins)

Q2) Post ISB what sector are you targeting and why?(5 mins)

Q3) Any conflict within team and how did you resolve it(4-5 mins)

Q4) Business problem related to my profile(15 mins)

Q5) Another question related to my cost saving measure(5 mins)

Q6) Anything else you want to ask? (10 mins)

In total around 45 mins(usually they were wrapping applicants in 20-25 mins)

They tried to mock me and trick me in the business problem to see if I panic but I managed to keep my composure and answered without any hiccups.

Final Result: Offered Admission

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ISB Interview experience 4

For Class of 2014, Round 1

GMAT score: 720

Profile: 6+ years in Army Hospitality

My interview was at Taj on 1000hrs. There were two people in the panel. The lady was from adcom and the guy was an ISB alumnus. I was given one word essay before the interview. The word given to me was FACADE’.

My interview commenced 10 min before 1000 hrs. The lady made the environment very positive. She started by asking about my family. In between, she kept adding details about her family and background.

I was asked the following questions in the subsequent 40 min:

1. How was your transition from a village to a small city, then a premier institute and finally to army.
2. What was the turning point for you in your life so far
3. Name a teacher who has influenced you the most and why?
4. Then they asked few questions on my essays. They were very thorough with my application and got into the nitty gritties which I had written over there.
5. Where do you want to work after an MBA
6. Why not do MD.
7. Then two hypothetical questions:
   • if you are inducted into the prime minister’s council, what changes would you make to the healthcare set ups in India….
   • second question was about transition from ethical and disciplined life of army to highly corrupt corporate atmosphere
8. why I am so optimistic about the healthcare sector in india..
9. In the end, they asked me if i had any questions for them?

The interview went very well. The panel was supportive and positive. It lasted for around 40 min. there was no grilling . More of getting to know about me.

Final Result: Offered Admission

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ISB Interview experience 5

For Class of 2014, Round 1

GMAT score: 710

Profile: 3+ years in Petroleum

The interview was conducted on 4th Novemeber at Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata. There were three panelists- One from the Adcom and two others were probably alums. Prior to the interview all of us were given one word essay. The word given to me was “sanity”.

Interview last for around 25 minutes and can be rated somewhere between a stress interview and a routine interview. The adcom member was  toughest of all the members. Couple of times he tried to throw me off guard.

Adcom: Which books on philosophy do you read ?

Me: I replied with a few names-. ( I am in a habit of reading books so I could manage this unexpected opening question)

Adcom:  Tell us something about XXXXXXX book. (One of the book whose name i mentioned)

This initial discussion was followed by a lot of questions on my work experience. There were a lot of cross questions also. I could sense that the panel was trying to assess that whatever i had written in my essays was true or fabricated by me. I came out good in this questioning- cross questioning.

Next was a discussion on ethics. This discussion became gruelling as in the midst of it was caught with a contradicting answer to one of the earlier question. However, towards the end i could steer the discussion in my favour.

Alum 1: Why do you want to do MBA now ? Your application suggests that you already are in a leadership position and doing great things at work, hence in what sense will an MBA help you in your career ?

I had practised well for this question, hence answered it swiftly.

Alum 2 came up with few questions on my hobby.

Lastly, i was given the window to ask question from the panel. I asked one.

Overall, i would say, there were the interview was ok with few stress points here and there.

Final Result: Offered Admission

There is a possibility of interviewing earlier in Hyderabad, if applications are received much earlier.

FINAL DECISION:

The final decision will be communicated by Nov 15, 2012.

FINAL DECISION:

The final decision will be communicated by Feb 15, 2013.

Applicants are required to upload a 90 sec video on “Life to me is…”

We will be soon posting some tips for this video. Keep an eye on this post.

Here are the essay topics

Essay 1: Please make a strong case to differentiate yourself from an exceptional set of applicants applying for PGP 2013-14. You could cite personal/ professional achievements to present your case. ( 300 words max)

Remaining 2 essay topics haven’t changed

Essay 2: Where do you see yourself three years after you graduate from the ISB?(300 words max)

Essay 3: Please provide additional information, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. (300 words max)

Video

ISB has also asked for a 90 second video on “Life to me is…………………..” .

One Word for essay:Prolong
Interview panel consisted of two members definitely not alumni (what I could judge from their age).

Nature of interview was conversational, no grilling, very few cross questions. They just seemed to be trying to gain more information on what i had mentioned in my essays.

Following were the main questions asked:

1.) They begun with some general talk about my job and shipping, hierarchy on a ship and my role.
2.) Next few minutes were devoted to the responsibilities and role I played in my college. This came from my first achievement where i won a gold medal .They wanted to know what all i did that led me bag the medal.
3.) Biggest professional challenge that I have faced. Basically my second achievement.
4.) Skills I’ve developed during my sea-career
5.) What I look to contribute to ISB
6.) Do I know anyone currently studying at ISB ? What has he gained most from ISB(+ive changes that I have noticed) ? What are the biggest challenges he is facing at ISB ?
7.) Very briefly which field I plan to work-in after ISB ?
8.) My dream company? How many it recruits from ISB ? How many shippies it takes?
9.) Any question I wish to ask ?

It was over well under 15 min. It was a relaxed interview. I was never interrupted while answering.

The interviews started late. There was a small festival on the day of my interview so the panel arrived late. Interviews lasted an average of 15-20 minutes. Mine was also as long. Since the panel had not read my resume before (or so it seemed), their questions, I guessed, were coming out of notes that another panel had written about my application after having gone through it. They mainly asked me questions from my resume and essays – not much outside of that. They asked me to elaborate on points that I had mentioned in my essays e.g. in one of my essays, I had written about a strong set of ethics that I have and had recounted an incident to support the claim. I was asked to elaborate on that. They asked me how I had balanced college and work with the family business that I had mentioned in my resume. They also asked me why I wanted to study at ISB and why I wanted to study an MBA at all. However, the bulk of the questions were with regard to my future professional plans. In my application, I had highlighted the fact that I want to start my own business straight after college. I had dedicated one whole essay to that. So they asked me a lot of questions with regard to that. They asked me how I would finance the business, how I planned to penetrate the industry and why I thought my business would be a success in the face of stiff competition. No technical questions were asked about the business idea except that I was asked to elaborate in detail about my proposed revenue model. All in all I would say that the interview was very general with no questions that were out of the general set of questions expected. There were two members who interviewed me all in all they were to the point and straight faced but did not appear to want to test me on a stress interview.

The Case Study was one hour long and it was the same topic for everybody that day. It was slightly mismanaged in the sense that the timings given were not adhered to and you could just walk in anytime and ask to be given the case study. But probably this happened because of the festival since I got to know that other days were organised and absolutely according to schedule. It was a relatively simple Case Study. A case was given wherein a credit card company they said is losing its market to competitors. We were asked to see whether a cut in subscription fee would solve the problem. It was fairly simple and we got about 8 sides of A4 paper to present our analysis.