MBA at NMIMS, Mumbai

A student must have an undergraduate score of 50% and above to be eligible for the course. No reservation benefits are applicable. Along with this, NMIMS has its own entrance exam called NMAT which is similar to CAT / other MBA entrance tests - verbal, quants, and logical reasoning. The scores are received on the spot but the scaled scores are revealed a while later. This then determines the cutoff for that particular year. The cutoff for MBA Core 2020 was 209. For application, one must apply for NMAT as well as via the NMIMS website - both applications charge an amount - details of which can be found on the official website. Once selected, the process of GD and PI is conducted based on slots given to individual shortlisted candidates. Post this, the final shortlist is released - this takes place over a span of 2-3 months. Hence, one must daily check the website in order to not miss important information and deadlines as no separate notifications are sent out.

A keen interest in Marketing is what brought me to this course. The second-year provides an opportunity to select the specialization - marketing, operations, finance, etc - all of which can be based simply on your interests and your likings as you progress through the first year where you learn briefly about all fields. A detailed course curriculum is available on the official website which is updated regularly and also mentions electives that can be chosen. For the 2020 batch, there were 630 students: 50 teachers - a fairly 13:1 ratio. The teaching staff at NMIMS is the glory of the course - all teachers are industry experts who teach not only using the material but also real-life examples and case studies which make the course more authentic and practical. Exams are usually 2 per trimester - mid and end-term exams. Exams are fairly easy to pass as grading considers class participation, group, and individual projects, and also, the questions are application-based and easy to answer.

Companies from various domains come in for summer internships and offer a variety of roles. These mainly include general management, operations, finance, and marketing fields and companies such as Tata, Dabur, Whirlpool with sales and marketing roles, companies such as Aditya Birla, Goldman Sachs, HDFC, etc providing roles for credit rating, profile valuation, risk, securities, treasury, investment banking, business analysts, etc. Projects vary according to the companies but are broadly based on the above-mentioned roles and many companies offer PPO and PPIs to deserving candidates.

Summer Placements start after the second trimester - the selection is based on company guidelines - merit, interview performance, and work experience wherever required. The final placements are also done in a similar manner - begins in and after the fifth trimester in the second year. Highest CTC was 34.72L and the average CTC was 18.45L. Total recruiters were 163 which included top companies such as Loreal, Amazon, Pidilite, J&J, GE, ICICI, etc and the majority of the batch was placed through PPOs itself - great performance during the summer internships and 100% placement was achieved even in the middle of the pandemic.

Fees are to be paid in two installments over the entire course - beginning of each year - 10,42,000 ie a total of approximately 21 lakhs for MBA Core/HR. Since the college is a private one, no such scholarships or campus jobs are available. However, the summer placements that happen after the end of the first year are paid ones - varying according to the company and the role they offer.

Campus life at NMIMS is beautiful. Even amidst the pandemic, the cells, clubs, and committees were very much active. The annual fest of NMIMS is called Euphoria conducted end of the year - graced by celebrities and organized by the Cultural cell. Various other cells and committees are active based on interests of the students - studies, fields as well as talents. The campus has a fully functional library with a vast range of books available for students along with internet services and online resources at disposal. Sports are also equally celebrated on the campus - with various international and national level competitions and a game room available. In all, opportunities for all-around development of the student are present widely.

After the shortlisting from NMAT scores, the GD-PI rounds are conducted on the same day. GD is conducted in groups of 10 each and topics are usually abstract - current affairs, political, health, opinions, or completely random. The one that I received was "Need for Work Experience as eligibility for MBA". This was followed by the PI round where questions are usually based on your CV - your education, work experience if any, interests, liking for an MBA, and also a few current affairs of your domain or the latest news. Your confidence and positive attitude are also equally important. The selection is done based solely on merit and hence it is important to fill inaccurate details, carry required documents, check the website regularly for updates. Preparation for GD-PI can be done either via enrolling in MBA classes or with the help of Youtube, LinkedIn, Alumni/Seniors/Friends, and lots of newspaper reading.