KJ Somaiya- One of the best Institutes of India

The good aspects include its rich alumni network which is spread globally, excellent faculty, and its location. Its bad aspects include its campus always staying eventful with a bunch of fests and also any schedule is revised thrice which although rarely but does delay few of the planned stuff of the institute. The admission criteria include entrance exam scores (CAT/ XAT/ GMAT/ CMAT ), work experience, outstanding achievements, past academic records, and GD-PI. The program commences in August. I preferred this Institute over the others due to its credibility, brand visibility, location, and decent placements. I referred to the Institute's website and also collegedunia for that matter in order to zero down to my choice of college.

I chose International Business due to my inclination towards business development and expansions in foreign nations, pricing strategies if going global, export-impost procedures, international business management, and various economies of both developed as well as developing nations. The faculty-student ratio is 24:1. The professors are highly qualified and each of them has teaching experience of more than 5 years; also includes corporate trainees and industry experts. The exams are held in a pre-scheduled manner. There was a total of 2 exams in each term. There are 6 terms in total.

The companies who participated in the process include Nestle, Canon, Aditya Birla, Design Box, food panda, zomato, ITC, HSBC technologies, etc. The average stipend is Rs15,000 (Lump-sum). The highest stipend stands around Rs 1.45 lakhs per month. The duration of the internship is usually 2 months. The project includes sales, marketing, business development, community growth, etc.100% of students get summer placements.

Students are eligible for campus placements from Term 5 itself. The companies visited on campus include GEP, ITC, Amazon, Crisil, EY, KPMG, Google, LG, Samsung, ICICI Bank, HSBC, HUL, Nestle, Asian Paints, Accenture, Infosys, TCS, etc. The highest placement is around Rs27 lakhs and the average placement is Rs10.67 lakhs. The sectors include manufacturing, banking, FMCG, Retail, e-commerce, and conglomerates. The most offered profile was of business development. 99.81% students get placed. My plan was to work in my dream company and today, I am doing so.

The fee is Rs8,39,570 on an annual basis. The fee hike policy is uncertain and is totally at the discretion of the management board of the institute. The lump-sum cost of study stands around Rs17.5 lakhs. The scholarships available are need-based, merit-based, research fellowship, and special interest-based. Financial assistance can be in form of loans. The rate of interest varies from 7.9% to 14%, depending on banks. In summer internships post the third term, the entire batch gets a summer internship; the majority of them are paid.

The campus is lively throughout the stretch of two years. Students have access to both physical and e-books, journals, and case studies from Ivy league Institutes. The classrooms are tech-enabled to the maximum extent possible and are totally modern. Social groups and committees include Gita Club, Marketing Club, Finstreet (Finance), Admissions committee, Acumen, women development cell, Mauj Club, etc.

The topic of my GD was 'Digital Detox- a fad or here to stay. The GD was a case-based GD which lasted up to 15 minutes. Other criteria include a personal interview. Post the result of GD-PI rounds, there is a process of online seat allotment on basis of rank and availability of seats. The PI included 3 panelists. It lasted for up to 15-17 minutes. My PI included hobbies, passion, my dream company and why, the founder, and brand extensions of the same.