An underrated Tier-2 college which is technically at par with new IIMs if not more.

The colleges I applied to were various like IMT, SIBM Pune, SCMHRD, SIOM, MDI, TAPMI, GIM, GLIM, all IIMs but got selected for 3 interviews only which were TAPMI, GLIM, SIOM and converted all three. I got through the merit quota. The minimum CAT/XAT percentile required was 85 percentile for people below 24 months work-ex and no such criteria with more than 24 months work-ex. There are no age-based restrictions. The admission was divided into 3 parts: English Proficiency Test, Moderated Group discussion and Behavioural type personal interview. English Proficiency Test was conducted on a separate platform with no issues. Moderated group discussions gave a chance for everyone to participate. The personal interview was a behavioral one with several scenarios given to check decision-making abilities along with work-ex questions.

I chose the PGDM (General) course in TAPMI. The course gives me the liberty to select my major in the second year after seeing which majors suit my strengths & interests. Also, 2 minors can be selected along with the major. The faculty: student ratio is healthy with approximately 1 for every 120 students. The faculty generally have a fellowship degree from the major institutes within India and abroad. The teaching method is properly mentioned in the course outlines and it is strictly adhered to. The sessions are very interactive. Adequate time was given for term exams' preparations and one can pass easily if the assignments, presentations were done seriously along with the quizzes and exams.

100% of the students get summer internships across all domains in companies like Deloitte, Infosys, Wipro, Gartner, JP Morgan Chase, etc to name a few. The stipend is 30k/month on average. The process generally has a small test along with Group discussions and 3-4 rounds of personal interviews.

100% of students got placed. with the highest package of 25 lakhs and an average of 11.2 lakhs. From the 4th trimester, students are eligible for campus placements which is just after the summer internship process. Profiles are offered in the domain of operations, marketing, finance, and HR. My plan after getting a degree and placement is to work in a reputed organization for few years and start my own venture after that.

The fee for 2 years is 18.9 lakhs (tuition fees & hostel fees). The tuition fee is hiked from 14.6 to 15.1 lakhs for 2021-2022. Hostel fee increases 10k every year with 1.55 lakhs for 2021-2022. Dr. Ramdas Pai Merit Scholarship is given to students scoring more 95 percentile in CAT/XAT, scoring more than 90 percentile (CAT/XAT) with less than 10 lakhs family income per annum and scoring more than 88 percentile (CAT/XAT) along with less than 8 lakhs family income per annum. I didn't fit any of the criteria.

There are various annual fests conducted such as Disha (HR-specific events conducted in September), BrandScan (Marketing conclave), and Atharva (All domain activities along with cultural events). All the books are provided free-of-cost in the pandemic along with kindle editions as well. Projectors, mics, and separate seating places for students are provided in the classroom. SAMNIDHY is a finance club focussing on NFO (New Fund Offering) for the students and maintaining a portfolio and it is quite recognized in the country. There are 6 clubs and 24 committees in TAPMI like ARC, Lime, CET, Omega, Matrix to name a few.

There are both single and double occupancy rooms with first-cum-first serve based allotment. Generally, single rooms are given to 2nd years and double ones to first years. AC and attached washroom are available in every room. The food quality is quite good (much better compared to general mess food) with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian items available.

The topic for my group discussion was the health sector status in India currently and how can it be improved. It was moderated one with 6 people in my panel and everyone getting a chance to speak. CAT/XAT test scores are taken. The interview was a behavioral one with situational questions to check decision-making and work-ex based questions. I was thorough with news at that time (HINDU) and brushed up on my work-ex aspects and why to do an MBA. EPT was conducted as mentioned before.