my academics 10th-59%,12yh-49%,diploma-77 % and 1year gap and 61% in B.E and now working in mnc have 1.5 year is my Academic matters alot??

Dear Sachin,

Top B-Schools do give weightage to past academic performance while shortlisting candidates for selection. However, there are other factors that B-Schools look for while selecting a candidate. In your case, since you got 79 percentile in CAT last year without preparation, I am sure that with dedicated preparation your score will go up substantially. Another factor in your favour is that you have passed your BE in first division plus your work experience.

Your performance in the selection procedures like Group Discussion, Personal Interview, Written Ability Test or Communication and Personal Interview, as the case may be, will decide your selection.

IISc Bangalore takes only first-class engineering graduates and lays emphasis on 'high quality students' with 'good quantitiative ability'. Goa Institute of Management gives large weightage for score in competitive examination followed by performance in GD/PI and gives equal weightage to past academic performance and work experience. Great Lakes Institute of Management admits only those with work experience.

So, don't be disheartened by your past academic performance. A good score in CAT/XAT/MAT along with a good performance in the selection processes, coupled with your work experiece definitely boosts your chances of getting into a good B-School.

One more option is to clear GMAT as well and after sufficient work experience, go for an Executive MBA. For examle, if you want to do an Executive MBA at IIM Calcutta, you need to have a valid GMAT score taken within last 36 months of application date and 5 years of experience.

So, do well in Management exams this year and hope for the best!

See academics do matter a lot in your selection process but the loss which you will be facing can be covered by scoring a high percentile in CAT exam.

My only concern was with 49% in 12th exam are you eligible for CAT exam or not becuase you need to have atkeast 50% in 10th 12th and graduation for General category and 45% for SC/ST category. As you have already mentioned that you have given CAT exam and scored 79 percentile without preprations then you are definitely eligible.

Now let me tell you that after you give CAT exam every college in which you have applied including IIMs in order to call students for next round of interview and WSAT they make up a merit list based on your aggregate score which comprises of many factors such as CAT marks, 10th 12th and graduation percentage, work experience, engineer or non engineer, gender with different weightages for different colleges.

In this merit list 10th 12th and graduation percentage have approx 10-20% weightage whereas CAT marks have a weightage of 35-60%. So in order to cover the marks you lost due to academic records you need to aim for scoring a very high percentile. Then only you can get admission in top reputated colleges.

Work hard score very high and you will get success. All the best for your preparations!!