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Preparing for Your PGPB Interview

Believe it or not, we were once students ourselves. In other words, we are very aware of how demanding the application and admissions process can be. This is one of the reasons we aim to make applying to the PGPB as simple and user-friendly as possible. We also know that the interview can be an especially intimidating part of the process. But — with the right preparation — it doesn’t have to be. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect during your interview at MISB. About the PGPB Interview Congratulations! If you’re reading this because you’ve been given an interview, you’ve made it past the first cut: Based on the strength of your application, you’ve made the shortlist for acceptance into the PGPB. The interview gives us the chance to get to know you a bit better while extending the same opportunity to you. Depending on where you are located, we offer interviews on our Mumbai campus as well as in different cities throughout India. We also conduct interviews via phone/Skype for candidates who are unable to attend an in-person interview. All interviews are conducted one-on-one by an MISB faculty member or member of the MISB management team. If you haven’t already provided a CV, original transcripts, essay questions, and proof of ID with your application, please bring these materials to the interview. What to Expect During the PGPB Interview Interviews help us identify candidates with the potential to succeed in our rigourous program while also making a unique contribution to the PGPB community. These are four primary areas of consideration, which include the following: Academic Background Your academic background offers us valuable insight into how likely you are to succeed in our program and as a future business leader. Please note that there are no minimum score requirements for admission to the PGPB. Instead, we holistically consider your educational foundation, grades, and test scores for a big picture snapshot. For example, if you have excellent grades and a strong transcript but less-than-ideal standardized test scores, you are still a strong candidate. Candidate Personality While glimmers of personality may show through on your application, the interview gives us the opportunity to get an authentic sense of who you are as a person. Why does your personality matter? Because it not only impacts your fit within the PGPB, but also your career potential. We encourage you to be yourself! Relational Abilities Soft skills are increasingly vital in today’s collaborative world. Your relationship skills indicate how you’ll interact with others — both during your time in the PGPB and the contemporary workplace. We’re looking for the next generation of business leaders, and effective relational abilities are an important component. Verbal and Communication Skills Success in the business world is much more than a numbers game. The ability to express yourself in words plays a significant role in shaping your business and personal interactions. Strong verbal skills also demonstrate other key characteristics, such as confidence and critical thinking. In closing, we’re delighted to offer these final words of advice: Rather than thinking of the interview as a chore or obligation, think of it as an opportunity to show us what you’ve got. And remember — we’re rooting for you!

Things to Keep In Mind Before Submitting Your PGPB Application.

We’ve all been there: hand hovering over the mouse, pointer finger at the ready, Submit button within reach. Whether you’re at this pivotal point or just starting to think about applying to MISB Bocconi, we encourage you to keep a few things in mind before clicking that fateful button to send your PGPB application spiraling through the internet to us here at MISB. Give It Your All The quality of your application can make or break your candidacy for admission to the PGPB. After all, you can be the most promising candidate in the world, but if your application fails to convey that promise, we have no way of knowing. While filling out a yet another school application may not be your idea of a good time, putting in the effort is a critical part of the process. Take a minute to consider whether your application is accurate, thorough, and says everything you want it to say in the way you want to say it. Did you proofread? Have you checked and double-checked all dates and deadlines? All of these pieces add up to a complete and compelling application. You should strive for nothing less. Know Your Options By now we hope you’re aware that we don’t view you as a set of test scores but as a holistic candidate. This means that we use all of the components of your application to derive a profile-based, big picture view of you as a candidate. Because of our commitment to diversity, we have built flexibility about tests and test scores into the decision process. In addition to accepting CAT, GMAT, GRE scores, we also offer our internal Bocconi Entrance Test (BET). While the latter is not a requirement, we strongly urge applicants to consider taking it. Why? Because our admissions process factors in your best test scores. In other words, whether you take the BET prior to or following another test, doing so increases your chances of getting into the PGPB because it gives you another chance to rack up an admissions-worthy result. In either case, you can submit your application first, then follow up later by reporting your test scores. However, your application will not be evaluated until we receive them. Be Early, Stay Organized We encourage you to apply early to the PGPB, as doing so can help you better position yourself for admissions success. But did you know that you can submit your application even if you don’t yet have all of your documentation? While some materials are required at the time of submission, others can be added at a later date and/or brought along to your personal interview. Please note that your essay responses, which you will receive after submitting your application, must be compiled prior to the interview. Congratulations on getting this far on your journey toward joining the PGPB at MISB Bocconi. We look forward to reviewing your application and learning more about your potential to make a contribution within our extraordinary community.

Six Reasons to Apply Early to MISB

  While you may think you’ve got plenty of time to spare when it comes to applying to MISB Bocconi, the truth is that there are many advantages to getting a jump start on the process. Read on for six reasons to aim for the Round 1 deadline of January 31. Secure Your Spot The PGPB at MISB has a firm, predetermined class size, and we do not accept any future applications once we reach this limit. Applying during Round 1 ensures that you won’t be rejected simply because of a numbers game. Get Your Finances In Order Exploring your financial aid options can take time. When you apply to MISB, you can expect to receive your offer letter within a week of applying, meaning that Round 1 applicants have significantly more time to put the finance pieces into place. Not to mention — you may have less to piece together. (See #3.) An Inside Edge on Tuition Waivers At MISB, we offer both full and partial merit-based tuition waivers to candidates with outstanding profiles. However, only candidates who have completed their applications and been admitted to the PGPB are eligible for funding. The majority of support is awarded during the first round, so the sooner you apply, the better your chances. Boost Your Scores Not everyone gets their best score right out of the gate. Because you can still report test scores — either for the Bocconi Entrance Test (BET) or an alternate entrance test, such as the CAT, GMAT, GRE or NMAT — after submitting your application, you’ll have less energy tied up in paperwork and more time to focus on acing your entrance test. Plan Ahead If you’re returning to b-school from the workplace, gaining early acceptance to MISB can give you enough time to plan your exit. Additionally, many students choose to use this cushion to spend extra time with family and friends before the rigours of b-school begin. Peace of Mind Peace of mind can’t be quantified, but that’s because it’s invaluable — particularly during the potentially stressful b-school application process. By applying early to MISB, you can minimize stress while taking one step closer to your bright future as a member of the MISB community. One caveat: While applying early has definite incentives, the benefits of submitting a thorough and comprehensive application trump all else. Whether you make it into Round 1 or shoot for a later deadline, make sure your application is its most compelling and complete before you click “Submit.” We’re looking forward to your application!

What Constitutes A Strong PGPB Application?

  At MISB Bocconi, we’re always on the lookout for future business leaders. And contrary to popular misunderstanding, there’s no cut-and-dry formula used to determine which students we invite to become part of our community. In fact, it’s quite the opposite: With diversity the increasing imperative in the contemporary business landscape, we consider a number of dynamic factors when evaluating applications. Still, a few things do stand out to us when evaluating applications. Let’s take a look at three things that rise above the rest. Academic Consistency Your academic background is a significant indicator of how you’ll perform — both in the PGPB and in the business world. But while a solid foundation, top grades and terrific test scores are ways to demonstrate your potential as a candidate, they’re not the only ways. Have you taken on leadership roles throughout your academic career and/or received rave reviews from faculty? These strengthen your application by pointing toward your leadership potential. Also, keep in mind that a weakness in one area doesn’t mean certain rejection. Because our profile-based admissions process looks at the big picture, weak test scores or a poor grade in one class can be offset by a strong record in other areas. Well-Prepared Essay Questions While essay questions test your writing skills, they tell us far more than whether you have a solid grasp on basic things like sentence structure, grammar, essay form, and proofreading. The essay is a chance for you to transform an average application into an extraordinary one. How? By taking the time to show us what makes you stand out from the crowd. We encourage you to be original, authentic, and thoughtful when preparing your essay responses. They’re much more than a formality; they’re a meaningful factor in the admissions process. An Excellent Interview Getting an interview is a great news — it means you’ve made it past the initial cut. However, your work isn’t quite done yet. The interview is yet another way to make an impression on us. During interviews, we’re particularly looking for candidates who exhibit a combination of academic background, personality, relational skills, and verbal communication abilities. The interview also offers you the opportunity to share with us any relevant information that didn’t make it into your application, such as compelling extracurricular and/or co-curricular activities. Again, keep in mind that we’re looking for well-rounded candidates who have something unique to offer our community. Because our PGPB class sizes are small, finding the right people is a critical part of our admissions mission. The above three criteria help us look beneath the surface to assemble a class comprising far more than the next group of PGPB students, but rather the next generation of global business innovators. Are you among them?

What to do in the last few weeks before CAT 2015

                  Last few weeks before CAT, or for that matter, any competitive exam is often filled with stress for students. It is often a culmination of the effort that they have put in over the last few months and sometimes even a year. However, if used wisely – these last few weeks can make a lot of difference in the result. In this post, I will try to discuss three key steps that you can take to make the most of these last few weeks. Step 1 – Mock Tests A lot of students believe, wrongly I might add, that the only thing that they should be doing in the last month is to attempt mock tests. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If you are taking a mock test daily, you are deluding yourself. It might look and feel like you are putting in a lot of effort, but most of that effort is going to waste. Writing a mock daily will probably benefit only those students who are in the 99+ category. If you are not in that range, probably you need to use the mocks better. You should take two mock tests every week from now till the exam. Also, once you are done with the stipulated 3-hour time limit – sit down and solve all the 100 questions. Figure out the tough questions you attempted unnecessarily. Figure out the easy questions you missed out. Ensure that you are moving in the right direction. Step 2 – Figure out your weak area Take a hard look at the data you have from your previous mocks. You can also go by a gut feeling. All you need to do is to figure out a weak area and allocate a couple of days to it. You might not be able to master the topic in a couple of days, but you should improve your skills to such a level that if a straightforward question comes from that topic, you can solve it. The weak area should not be Quant / LR / DI but a level deeper – like Geometry, Algebra, Critical Reasoning, etc. One good way to work on that weak area would be to go through the basic concepts. For example, as a part of my online coaching course for CAT, I have a set of basic concept videos for all CAT related topics. If you are a student of that course, you can quickly revise the basics using those videos. If not, you can just search for similar videos on YouTube. If you know what you want to study, YouTube will have a teacher waiting for you. Step 3 – Train your body for 3-hour sessions I am often surprised as to how and why such a large number of students miss out on this very fundamental fact that their body is not a machine, and it will require some training as well. Taking mocks is one way of training your body to get accustomed with a 3-hour session but that is not the only way. From today till the exam – ensure that you have regular 3-hour study sessions. Every week, you should have at least five sessions in which you sit and study for 3 hours without any breaks. A lot of CAT aspirants neglect this aspect, and their CAT percentile suffers because of it. The remaining time is more than enough to train your body and your mind. Put the time to good use. Let me add, this is a bigger problem for people who have been working for 2-3 years, unlike college students who are used to writing exams on a regular basis. I hope you would have learnt something from this post about exam strategy for CAT Preparation. Do provide feedback about the same via the comments section on the blog. I look forward to your suggestions.   Ravi Handa, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, has been teaching for CAT and various other competitive exams for around a decade. He started online courses on his website Handa Ka Funda in 2013 and 10000+ students have subscribed to them since then.    

Bocconi Test: Here’s What You Need To Know

Once you’ve submitted your application to the IMB at SDA Bocconi Asia Center, you may be prompted to take our internal exam, the Bocconi Test. Wondering whether you need to take this exam, and what is involved, if you do? Here’s more:

Myths and Misconceptions about the PGPB

Applying to business programs can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be — particularly if you have access to accurate information. Unfortunately, misinformation can sometimes get in the way, and the PGPB at MISB Bocconi is not immune to this issue.