There are many options depending on your background and goals, but these were what I considered:
I did appear for CAT twice. The first time I was not too prepared and scored a 99.01 percentile. The second time I was more prepared, but things went wrong in the exam centre and I ended up with a 98.65 percentile. I had admits from IIM Shillong and new IIMs, but chose not to join.
If you’re still in college, I strongly urge you to consider YLP. It offers a very good safety net and gives you freedom to aim higher and take more risks till the time you start your MBA. More than anything, I believe it’s the least competitive of the 3 ways to get into ISB, a school that ranks alongside LKI for me.
I applied in the EEO during my second year after college with a 325 GRE. I was rejected without an interview.
By then the draw of ISB started fading for me. The absolute numbers are impressive, but the intake is also 2x of IIMs. In addition, placement numbers match IIM ABC’s, but what people forget to acknowledge is that IIM is essentially freshers. ISB has >4 years workex on average. So it’s a comparison of apples and oranges. ISB also has a professional marketing team unlike IIMs that rest on their legacy.
Of course, this option is only for someone who has studied something related in undergrad that lets them keep up with an MS CS.
I’d given my GRE in my final year of engineering with the intention of applying for MS like everyone around me. But a part of me knew I did not want to stay an SDE for long. After successful campus placements I decided to put the MS plans on hold. I’m glad I took this decision because after about 4 years of working, I know that I want to explore a lot more breadth and not gain depth as a developer or a system architect.
But what is undeniable is the RoI of an MS CS degree. It’s much much better than an MBA. If you are really ambiguous about your aspiration, this is the best and safest option Why?
So if you’re 24, earning 130k at Amazon after your MS. By the time you’re 28, you’ll be earning 200k? Compare that with an MBA applicant, who gets in at 26. Graduates at 28 with a $160k package (top consulting companies).
So if you’re driven purely by money, and you’re still early in your career, then MS » MBA hands down.
This is another great option, especially in Europe. Unfortunately there is little awareness about this degree. It’s the learnings of an MBA for freshers. So you can similar roles and similar companies as an MBA, just one designation lower.
I would have done this right after college had I known about it then. By the time I did my research I was in my second year of work which would make me too old for many MiMs. Incase you are considering this, I collected comparative data that might be helpful: .
So it’s much easier to get into INSEAD or LBS’s MiM program campared to their MBA programs. Honestly, the brand tag of a business school and an entry into the right kind of role is all you need even from an MBA. So this lets you punch above your weight and succeed.
While MiM is a European concept. The US does not have the same. But it does have an MeM (Master’s in engineering management), master’s in project management, and master’s in MIS (Management Information Systems). Not sure about the prospects of these.