FAQ

1. Post MBA Visa situation for International / Indian students? Is it more difficult beyond the top 10 schools? More specifically how serious is the issue that Indians are finding it all the more difficult to get Visa and are eventually forced to come back home ! The loan burden in INR becomes little more. How much this (if real) should really be considered while selecting a school?

Finding visa sponsorship is an issue for international across business schools in the US. Like we discussed on the call, when you speak to students at your target schools, be sure to ask this question to get a sense for the impact on a particular school. Repaying the entire loan amount in INR is defintiely going to be challenge and is something you should definitely think through before deciding to apply. That being said, most top firms still recruit from the top10-20 B schools. The opportunity exists and it is really up to the student to make a diligent effort through the recruitment process. The process has become a little tougher with the current crisis and the new visa restrictions coming into place.

2. Can you provide some information about Mendoza MBA program? This school did not show up during our discussion.How do I rate this school? Considering my school selection criteria has not changed since last time, do you suggest me Mendoza? Also, can you compare Austin, McCombs, Mendoza, Emory (score, placement etc) for my better understanding?

Mendoza is not a program where I have seen international students find success lately, which is why I did not bring it up during our call. If you are still interested in considering the school, definitely reach out to the students/adcom at the school to get a better sense for the opportunities at the school. You can definitely look up the statistics at Emory and McCombs, make sure you probe the percentage of international students getting jobs immediately after graduation. Based on our discussion the other day, the approach to evaluate the schools remains the same. As you consider more schools, make sure you do thorough analysis and speak to students to feel comfortable about your chances at the school before applying.

3. I'm planning to apply to Cornell Johnson. But I'm doubtful if I can make it to the II round. Is applying during 3rd round to Cornell reduces my chance?

Early applications improve the chances of getting interview calls. That being said, you should only apply when you feel confident about your essays/recos/application package. I would recommend starting preparing your essays/recos for Cornell, based on the progress you're able to make, you could take a call between Round II and Round III.

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4. Could you please give me feedback on my profile?

We can certainly help you with your profile evaluation and can provide you a comprehensive feedback on your profile. To get your free profile evaluation, fill up an enquiry form here http://www.general-ed.com/quick-query.php. After getting your details and requirements from the enquiry form filled by you, someone from General Education's sales team will call you and provide a 15 - 20 minutes of introductory profile evaluation, wherein you can get to speak to one of our team of consultants who have graduated from some of the top B Schools across the globe like HBS, INSEAD, Duke, Cornell and ISB.

5. What are the basic criteria of selecting a college? I have a budgetary constraint. How should we go about selecting colleges which are best value for money and also have a good methodology for my future aspirations?

There are a lot of parameters that needs to be considered while selecting a B School and all of which needs to be evaluated against one another. Factors such as B School Rankings (as per Financial Times/US News), post MBA goals, Employment rate, Acceptance rate, Financial Aid (if financial aid is a concern for you) and many more. However, there is no school which fits all situation and all profiles has to be dealt with individually to zero in on a selected few Business Schools that meets the requirement. We understand that each application is unique in its own way and hence our team of highly experienced consultants can help your application to stand out among the rest.

6. How can I get to know about my chances of getting admitted for a particular B School?

You can gauge your chances of getting admitted in a specific B School by using this tool http://www.general-ed.com/chances-of-bschool

7. I do not have a good academic record in terms of marks in class 10th & 12th. Will this be a bottleneck for university?

Your academics are certainly considered, but only to get your application through 1st stage of an application process. But there are certain weightage in every B School, for academics, essays, GMAT Score & work experience.

Low academic record can never be the bottleneck for getting an admission in a B School, if you are good at other parameters. And those other parameters are your essays (how well you have highlighted your achievements, your certifications, rewards and recognition), a good GMAT Score, Interview etc.

8. How about scholarships? What is the criterion for scholarships in US Schools? Also can I work part time to earn some money while studying?

Most of the B Schools provide scholarship, however some of the B School's have separate/additional essays for scholarships.

Sure, most of the students go for this option to cover up their expenses.

9. Can you customise a package for me as far as your services are concerned?

We provide highly customized services, like for a specific B School we provide a customized B School Interview guide to our customers based on their profile and B School for which an applicant wants to apply. We also do have several packages for MBA Counselling, MBA Application Evaluation and GMAT Preparation. To know more about our services please visit http://www.general-ed.com/general-education-service. You can also reach out us to get our service details in brief sales_new@general-ed.com

10. What is the visa period post completion of MBA for a graduate to search a job in USA? Is it a few month's process or 1 year?

It is currently around 6 months. However, these tenures are subject to change with ever changing immigration rules in the US. It is advisable to check the latest regulations around it. The latest information can be obtained through the USCIS site at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

11. How to convert absolute percentage to GPA/ CGPA ?

If you are looking for exact conversion, the short answer is - it can not be converted.

Think of a scenario of a class. A particular student getting particular marks in one subject. Relative to his performance with respect to other students, professor grades him a 3.5 or 4.0 out of 5. The professor does similar grading (according to absolute marks obtained) for all the students. Now expand this to the whole batch and various subjects over the course (e.g. 4 years of engineering) - many courses and many professors and then their evaluation or grading criteria (which could be same or different).

Hence where we see so much of variance, and absolute aggregation or average and that too an exact one is impossible. To convert % to CGPA, one would need all the subjects' marks of all the students and then probably it can be done.

12. Is there any Post Graduate Programme from ISB that can be done in part time??

Yes, ISB provides a PGPMAX (Post Graduate Programme in Management for Senior Executives) Programme for the executives whose busy schedules do not permit them to pursue a full-time programme. It is designed on a schedule that minimizes disruption of work and personal pursuits. ISB PGPMAX provides Online Preparatory Modules, Pre Course reading material and international immersion. You can get more information about this herehttp://www.isb.edu/pgpmax/

13. Is the ISB program provided in Mohali also??

ISB PGP Programme is provided in Mohali and Hyderabad Campus. ISB PGPMAX is provided in Hyderabad, USA and Brazil. The participants are to be sent on a two week trip to USA and a one week trip to Brazil, where they attend classes at leading global business schools, including the Kellogg School of Management and the Wharton School.