TAPMI shining during the COVID pandemic

I had applied for almost all tier 2 colleges including but not limited to TAPMI, KJSOM, GIM, IMT, IMI, FORE, LBSIM, GLIM, NMIMS, Symbiosis, Wellinkar, XIMB. My reason for choosing any particular college was the offering of a PGDM General or a PGDM Marketing course with a good focus on a 100% placement or a higher median placement. The pedagogy, industry exposure, and student life were also a cause for my concern and hence my choice gravitated towards TAPMI. The admission criteria are 85+ percentile in CAT, XAT, and GMAT scores of comparable scores. But a person with a weaker profile needs to compensate with a higher score and vice versa, to enable themselves a shot at the interview process. Overall, a quite smooth process, shortlisting, group discussion followed by a personal interview.

I naturally flock around people, making connections and networking, and generally curious about the mechanics of the market and business. The obvious choice for me would be management, especially in marketing. The faculties here are extremely qualified. That is one aspect there has been no compromise about and there are no two opinions about it. Thoroughly experienced faculties with dynamic teaching methods as well as a robust faculty review method keep the course improvements on the fly. We have reviews about their teaching methods for every section of the batch to suit every section accordingly and it is incorporated keeping the identity of students obscure. Term exams were moderate, but since MBA is a residential course with enough pre-reads before every class and compulsory class participation, every student is thorough with the syllabi and the topics. So there is no cramming up before the exams but passing them isn't a breeze and sincere effort is reqired, albeit lower amplitude

The minimum stipend that is seen is 20,000 and it goes up to 1,50,000 with an average of around 60,000. All kinds of roles are offered in different ratios but the profiles are generally the same. One can't expect a fresh graduate to get a senior manager role but the PPOs are lucrative and very common. Also, every student of the batch gets an internship, either through self-sourced options or campus placements.

Students are eligible for summer internships from the start of the first year and final placements at the start of their second year. The highest package is in the ballpark of 25L in the domestic circuit and the average is 11 lakhs. 100% of the students get placed. That record is unquestionably the most attractive when it comes to the choice of a college. Yes, two or three students out of a batch of 500 don't get placed due to personal reasons but those are outliers. Plans after the degree is working with an MNC and learn all the tricks to the trade. Other than that, nothing else is certain

The fees are reasonable as compared to the other premier B-Schools in India at 15,10,000 along with 3,10,000 hostel fees since it is a full-time residential program. There are a lot of scolarships all providing students financial assistance in the order north of INR 1,00,000. T.A.Pai scholarships, Dean's roll of honor are a few of the scholarships on offer. Financial assitance in the form of no collateral education loans is provided by all national banks in both the private as well as public sector after we receive the LFA (Letter of Provisional Admission) from the college. On-campus jobs aren't a feasible solution regarding the COVID protocol, other than that, time is a luxury wherein sparing time for part-time jobs is impractical.

The annual fest is Atharva and the tech fest is Disha. The former happens in the second part of the academic year whereas the latter one occurs in the first half of the academic year. Atharva is a prestigious cultural fest with a history of over 40 years. The technical fest is also a treat to attend as corporate leaders come to campus and the exposure is immense. Classrooms have air-con and have all general amenities like projectors, speakers, etc. It's wonderful. All kinds of sports are available on campus including indoor, outdoor, and court-bound games. There are 29 clubs and committees on campus and every student can find one adjusted to their needs and demands.

It is a full-time residential program so the hostels are quite well equipped. Two-bed sharing room with 24/7 power supply with generator backup, AC, hot water, attached washroom, and general daily housekeeping. There is a choice of two vendors who supply buffet-style four squared meals of good quality and superb hygiene. The menu is reviewed by the students and changed accordingly to the requirements and feedback. Hostels are the same for everyone and it costs 1,55,000 for the room rent along with electricity and mess charges charged on a separate requirement basis.

General Knowledge topics are the buzz when it comes to the GD and Interview questions. Your resume is important and questions are generally asked on all topics pertaining to that. The interview revolves around your activities until that point in time and how relevant are they to today's postgraduation in Management. The general interview preparation can be taken from YouTube where they can coach and train you how to think analytically and logically. Questions are varied over hundreds of domains but are more or less limited to management, finance, operations, sales, marketing, and HR