My college experience

IIM Shillong is one of the top 7 IIMs in the country located in the beautiful and serene North Eastern State of Meghalaya. Due to its location amidst the cloudy scenery, it is often referred to as "Campus in Clouds". The institute has proved itself to become a leading B-school in the country featuring itself as a preferred campus for major corporate houses. The final placement for the batch of 2020 saw a 100% placement record with the highest compensation standing at 48.5 LPA and the average compensation at around 18.76 LPA. The summer internship record has also been quite phenomenal with the majority of the students getting placed in marketing and consultancy domain. Notable recruiters included ABG, ITC, Bain, Deloitte and etc. The campus is strategically located which enables it to offer a mixture of academic rigour and ample space for sports and another entertainment facility. The cherry blossoms make the hectic life during an MBA a much-needed respite for the participants.

The professors in the institute are great academicians in their respective domain and bring both theoretical knowledge and practical applications into the classroom learning. They are more like facilitators helping and aiding students in a holistic learning process, with open and broad-mindedness for knowledge sharing. The minimum attendance required for a participant in 85% which is strictly followed and any downward deviation from this figure results in very strict penalization. Courses offered are either 1 credit courses or 0.5 credit courses. Each trimester has a compulsory of around 7-8 courses which makes the academic life really hectic and rigorous. Classroom and peer learning are really encouraged and the culture of the institute promotes an integrated learning atmosphere making it a tad bit interesting and exciting. The USP of IIM Shillong is its focus on producing global leaders deep-rooted with Indian values and having an eye towards sustainable business practice.

Please visit the official website to get detailed reports on placement. The summer placement and final placement report for the past batches are available, detailed and broken up into domains to give a 360 degree of the overall placement scenario at the campus.

The fees structure of the college is aligned to the fees structure of other business schools belonging to the same category. There is a range of scholarships available for the candidates based on their economic and financial backgrounds. There is a thorough process for availing of these scholarships, and it takes place through detailed screening and other checks and balances, in order to ensure that the resources reach the right person. The institute strongly believes that education should not be a privilege and hence these scholarships are to encourage everyone for academic enlightenment.

The college currently operates from its Mayurbhanj Palace campus but will shift to the new campus in the next few months. The current campus hosts all possible amenities and infrastructure as it is an institute of national importance. The new campus is a much more spread out campus which will help the students to avail many other facilities like a bigger football field and etc. There are both academic and cultural fests that the campus holds which gives exposure to the students to the best of both worlds. The classrooms, library and labs have state of the art facility and provide all possible infrastructural provisions for the students.

The first-year students are provided shared rooms while the second year students are provided single room facilities. However, once the entire college shifts to the new campus, students across both years will be provided single rooms. This will not only be more conducive to learning but will also provide sufficient space to the students for independence and a personal breather from all the hustle and bustle of busy campus life. The hostels also have common rooms, to lighten the mood of the students. The students cherish watching a game of cricket or football together as much as they enjoy playing indoor games like table tennis, foosball and etc. The mess facility provides delicious providing cuisines from the entire length and breadth of the country to satiate the taste buds of students from different states. Local cuisines are also cooked in the mess which brings in a local flavour which is much appreciated by the students.

The personal interview experience was nervy, yet very interesting and certainly a valuable experience. The first and foremost aspect which I cherished the most was the free-flowing conversation type of interview that took place. This not only allowed me to be calm and composed but also allowed me to bring out my best. There were no direct questions based on past academics but all based on my opinions and views of real-life application of whatever I had studied to date. The interview questions ranged from economics, current affairs, history and a few other situations based questions. One big takeaway for me from the interview was that introspecting about life till that point really helps in bringing clarity to your mind. It helps you to rediscover yourself once again which is quite enlightening. After all, an MBA is a course that brings about a metamorphosis in your mind and thought process. Leadership is difficult until and unless you know yourself well, and this helped me in the PI.