ISB Admission Process 2023

ISB MBA Round 1 Deadline: 4 September 2022

ISB PGP is at the centre-stage of preferred MBA courses in India.​

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ISB Admission Process 2023 - 24

How can I Get Admission in ISB?

ISB Admission Process 2023-24 application:

1. Decide whether you are eligible for the ISB MBA from the eligibility criteria given above.

2. Decide which round of admission you want to apply for. ISB admissions process takes place in 3 admission cycles during one application year for ISB EEO and ISB PGP. An applicant can apply only once during the admission cycle. ​

3. Calculate backwards from the application deadline you have chosen and keeping at least 40 - 45 days for the application essays plan to write the GMAT or the GRE.​

4. Decide whether you would write the GMAT or the GRE and get sone with the test.

5. The next step is to plan for the online application submission in the ISB admission process.

6. ISB admission process 2023 requires the applicants to submit their ​Personal details, identification documents etc in the application form.

7. For the ISB admission process 2023 the Aadhar card is a valid proof of identity in addition to the passport.

8. Academic credentials like undergraduate and post graduate programs studied should be added to the ISB application form.

9. Add the work related information with duration, roles and responsibilities and achievements to the online application.

10. A valid GMAT or GRE score is prerequisite for the ISB admission procedure. Use the relevant codes as below for sending the official scores for the ISB one year MBA :

11. GMAT code: N2D-J5-01

    1. GRE code: 7892

    2. TOEFL code: 9047

12. The next step is to write two ISB essays. In case of re-applicants an additional essay is required.

13. 1 letter of recommendation,

14. Scholarship essay if applicable,

15. Finally add your extracurricular activities, awards and achievements, hobbies to the online ISB application.

16. Final step is the ISB interview.  

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Download Mini Course: How to improve your essay writing.

ISB Essays 2023 - 24:

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1. Peer Learning is a major building block of PGP at ISB. Help us in understanding how will you be able to add value to the PGP peer group through your personal and professional qualities/capabilities? (400 words max)

2. What are your short term and long term career goals? How will Post Graduate Program at ISB assist you in achieving your goals?  (400 words max)

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ISB Essays 2023 - 24 for waivers & scholarships:

Bridge to India Tuition Waiver: 

Justify why you deserve this Scholarship. (For applicants working abroad for more than 1 year and plan to return to India)  (200 words max)

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ISB - AIESEC Tuition Waiver:

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Justify why you deserve this Scholarship. Also, provide your contribution to the AIESEC. (This scholarship is for AIESEC alumni) (Upload proof of your association with AIESEC along with Proof of Income for Self in the upload section)  (200 words max)

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ISB Need Based Waiver:

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Justify by stressing on the need & your family financial condition (For applicants with household incomes less than INR 12 Lacs)  (200 words max)

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PGPMAX CO 2012 Scholarship:

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Explain how do you plan to give back to the society? (For applicants working in the social sector only and household income less than INR 12 Lacs.)  (200 words max)

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Ramesh C. Khanna Nurture India Scholarship:

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Justify why you deserve this Scholarship. (For applicants who are the sole income earners in their family and household income less than INR 12 Lacs).  (200 words max).

What is a Good GRE score for ISB?

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Over the years the GRE test takers in India have fluctuated:

1. 2016-17 - 76,381 GRE Test takers in India

2. 2017-18 - 61,578 GRE Test takers in India

3. 2018-19 - 66,590 GRE Test takers in India

4. 2019-20 - 64,333 GRE Test takers in India

5. 2020-21 - 66,326 GRE Test takers in India

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For the overall 366,686 test takers Worldwide from June 2020 - July 2021 writing the GRE 13,204 test takers intended to study an MBA which is around 4%.

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If we apply the same benchmark to the above numbers from India - around 2653 test takers from India applied to MBA programs in 2020 - 2021. So this is fairly the competition in terms of overall applicants applying through the GRE score.

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Moreover, the numbers below show the average mean scores of applicants in different age groups applying to MBA programs specifically worldwide:

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GRE average scores for the Age group 18-22 

Verbal reasoning mean - 152.7

Quantitative reasoning mean - 156.2

Analytical reasoning mean - 3.8

GRE average scores for the Age group 23-25

Verbal reasoning mean - 154.0

Quantitative reasoning mean - 155.8

Analytical reasoning mean - 4.0

GRE average scores for the Age group 26-30

Verbal reasoning mean - 154.8

Quantitative reasoning mean - 155.4

Analytical reasoning mean - 4.1

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GRE average scores for the Age group 31-35

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 153.4

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 154.2

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.8

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GRE average scores for the Age group 36-40

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 151.3

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 151.2

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.5

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GRE average scores for the Age group 41-45

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 150.9

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 148.8

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.5

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This gives you a fair idea to benchmark yourself against your peers according to the age group that you fit into.

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For further clarity you can also benchmark yourself as below with respect to the GRE test takers who aimed to apply for an MBA from this data from June 2020 to July 2021:

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience less than 1 year

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 152.0

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 154.8

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.7

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience 1-2 years

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 152.8

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 154.8

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.9

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience 3-4 years

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 154.9

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 155.8

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 4.1

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience 5-7 years

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 155.1

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 155.4

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 4.1

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience 8-10 years 

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 154

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 154.1

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.9

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GRE average scores for test takers with Work experience 11-14 years

1. Verbal reasoning mean - 152.8

2. Quantitative reasoning mean - 154.0

3. Analytical reasoning mean - 3.7

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The above information is very useful to pragmatically evaluate your GRE score wrt your peers and understand where you stand on the curve. Contact an ISB admission consultant at GOALisB for a profile evaluation or application assistance for the round 1 deadline of ISB PGP.

What's new at ISB?

July 2022 updates from ISB:

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1. Rashi Garg, PGP Co '04, was hired by Danaher Corporation as the Commercial Head for IDT - APAC.

2. In August 2022, the ISB Alumni Public Policy SIG will host a workshop on writing policy papers as a part of the Office of Alumni Engagement to help our alumni develop useful writing skills and receive pertinent comments.

3. The Office of Alumni Engagement's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) will hold their next city meeting in New Delhi on September 17, 2022.

4. The "CRACK THE C-SUITE CODE - What it takes to be a CXO" session that C-Suite Roundtable, an Office of Alumni Engagement project, presented by ISB in July 2022 was a big success. Eminent speakers Kedar Lele, Rohit Kapoor, and Manik Gupta provided insights about their professional journeys, habits, and job roles that keep them going forward in their careers and helped them to the pinnacle of success at the session, which was moderated by Dibyendu Bose.

5. On July 29, 2022, ISB Com Stars organised a virtual session that was full of laughs with the help of the Office of Alumni Engagement and Stand-up Comedy Club, PGP Co '23.

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June 2022 updates from ISB:

1. According to The Economist Full-time MBA Rankings 2022, ISB is ranked #1 in India and #5 in Asia.

2. The class of 2021 graduates and the class of 2022 students from the ISB postgraduate programme were surveyed for the rankings.

3. Sridhar Kundu of Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB was quoted in this story on the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2020-21, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

4. DLabs at the Indian School of Business has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Mumbai Angels, a leading private investment platform, to work together on finding and funding high-potential entrepreneurs. The agreement will provide businesses with a number of scale-related benefits, including speedier access to finance for expansion.

5. The Hon'ble Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt Anandiben Patel, paid a visit to the ISB Mohali campus. She was accompanied by the Vice-Chancellors of nine of the state's most prestigious universities. The Hon'ble Governor and the VCs were briefed on ISB's best practises in higher education management and its engagement approach with its large alumni network during the visit.

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ISB MBA ranking:

1. 1st in India according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek Best Business schools for 2021-22.

2. 5th in Asia according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek best Business schools 2021-22.

3. ​​32 rank in the FT MBA 2022 ranking and

4. Ranked 23rd in the world in the FT Global MBA rankings 2021.

5. ​Among the Asia-Pacific schools ISB MBA achieved the 5th position in the Bloomberg Best B-Schools 21-22 rankings. This is enough reason for most MBA applicants in India to aspire for an ISB MBA.

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ISB MBA Placements related numbers from FT MBA ranking 2022

1. Overall FT Rank - 32

2. Salary percentage increase for ISB - 184%

3. Career Services Rank - 43

4. Career Progress Rank - 28

5. International Mobility Rank - 88

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Function wise percentage of ISB MBA placements:

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1. Analytics - In 2020 - 5%  and in 2021 - 3%

2. Consulting - In 2020 - 23%  and in 2021 - 34%

3. Finance - In 2020 - 7%  and in 2021 - 5%

4. General management - In 2020 - 16%  and in 2021 - 12%

5. Operations - In 2020 - 8%  and in 2021 - 4%

6. Others - In 2020 - 1%  and in 2021 - 6%

7. Product development - In 2020 - 1 and in 2021 - Nil

8. Product management - In 2020 - 16% and in 2021 - 14%

9. Project management - In 2020 - 2%  and in 2021 - 1%

10. Sales and marketing - In 2020 - 16% and in 2021 - 14%

11. Technology - In 2020 - 5% and in 2021 - 7% 

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Contact an ISB admission consultant at GOALisB for a profile evaluation or application assistance for the round 1 deadline of ISB PGP.

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What is the lowest salary received at ISB ? What is the highest salary received at ISB ? What is the average salary received at ISB ?

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Over the last 5-6 years the salaries have substantially increased and the number of offers have also increased for the graduating class at ISB PGP.  

ISB MBA placements over the last 5 years has been as follows:

1. In 2016, 1149 offers were made for a batch of 813 students.

2. In 2017 this has gradually increased to 1113 offers for 903 candidates.

3. In 2018, 1136 job offers were made to 875 candidates

4. In 2019, 1309 offers for 884 candidates and 1504 job offers to 890 candidates in 2020.

5. For the class of 2021 which was affected by COVID 19, 1195 offers were made to a class of 693 students.

ISB MBA Placements 2022:

1. The average Salary (CTC) offered to ISB graduates in the year 2022 is around INR 34 lakh per annum (LPA).

2. The average CTC offered during ISB MBA placements 2022 increased by 20.78% compared to the previous year average CTC of INR 28.21 lakhs.

3. The ISB class of 2022 got a 3 fold increment in their salary package as compared to their pre-ISB packages.

4. A total of 2066 offers were made to a batch of 930 students with every student receiving an average of 2.32 offers.

How to write great ISB essays?

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For many, the MBA application process is a minefield of preset ideas and forced points. While it's tempting to outline your educational goals in advance. Who doesn't love writing an essay for MBA?! The best way apply authentically is by starting with what you've already accomplished. Your honesty will shine through when details about these accomplishments are shared during essays.​

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1. Tell your story: Well-written ISB essays make the reader want more. By being original and sharing something only you know about yourself, it will help them get a feel for who exactly you are as an individual--as if they had met with your family or just happened upon some random act of kindness from someone close enough in life for this connection to have been made!  It may seem cliche, but the best essays are always original. This should be obvious- after all you're an individual and your story deserves to stand out from everyone else's stories in this crowded applicant pool! Make sure it does by starting with something unique about yourself like how hard work paid off (or didn't) when applying for graduate schools. 

2. Plan your ISB essays well: When you state a problem, it's impossible not to get curious. You can discuss personal challenges and difficulties as well because discussing them will help others in their own struggles with these issues. There are many external issues and personal difficulties that we struggle with in our day-to-day lives. By stating it, you create instant curiosity because the reader will want to know how you dealt or overcame them!

3. Its OK to experiment when you write your ISB essays: When the admissions committee is reading so many essays daily, you can be creative and offbeat. In order for this type of approach work though customers should take care about what they are doing because using humour in essays might not always come across well sometimes people don't get the joke or even worse think your writing style has gone crazy when really all thats happening was trying too hard with some clever word choice that failed miserably at delivering its intended message.

4. Avoid reiterating your resume in your ISB essays: It is a common mistake to write an essay for MBA about your background and experience in resume-like fashion. If other parts of your application provide the same information, does it add value for you simply summarise or explain them again? The reader wants something more engaging - so keep their attention by using stories or examples from what they already know!

What are the ISB MBA Scholarships?

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All ISB MBA applicants shall be eligible for the merit-linked tuition waivers. They are not required to apply separately.

ISB MBA Applicants for tuition waivers must submit proof of income for self, parents & spouse (if applicable) is mandatory to be eligible.

An MBA applicant is allowed to apply for more than one tuition waiver, at the same time only one tuition waiver shall be awarded to an applicant.

Submission of a testimonial is mandatory for all students who are "awarded" a tuition waiver.

Other options for Scholarships at ISB MBA:

1. AT&T Scholarship

• Eligibility:

• Work experience in any of the following industries: IT/Technology/Media/Communication Industry

• The applicants should not be directly or indirectly associated with AT&T or its affiliates

Application process requires the submission of a declaration.

2. Bridge to India Tuition Waiver

Eligibility:

• Stellar academic background

• Indian with a full-time work experience abroad for at least for one year.

Application process requires submission of an essay as follows - Justify why you deserve this Scholarship. (For applicants working abroad for more than 1 year and plan to return to India)  (200 words max)

3. ISB - AIESEC Tuition Waiver

Eligibility:

• AIESEC member/ alumnus with a strong academic background

Application process requires the submission of the proof of income and proof of association with AEISEC and an essay - Justify why you deserve this Scholarship. Also, provide your contribution to the AIESEC.

4. ISB need based waiver

Eligibility:

• Family income inclusive of the applicant's pre ISB income being less than INR 12 lakhs.

Application process includes submission of the proof of income for self and family and an essay on the topic "Justify by stressing on the need & your family financial condition "  (200 words max)

5. PGPMAX Co 2012 Scholarship

Eligibility:

• Applicant must have experience in the social sector and the income criteria same as the ISB need based waiver.

Application process involves submission of relevant proof for eligibility and an essay "Explain how do you plan to give back to the society? " (200 words max)

6. Ramesh C. Khanna Nurture India Scholarship

Eligibility:

• The ISB applicant should be the only earning member in the family with a family income less than INR 12 Lakhs.

Application process involves submission of relevant proof for eligibility and an essay on the topic "Justify why you deserve this Scholarship."  (200 words max)