My GDPI Experience at XIME, Bangalore (Batch 21, 2015-17 Admissions)
My Credentials
~76%lie in CAT, ~84%le in XAT (Applied with XAT), 95%le in MAT, 2 years of gap (I was trying to do CA), 12 Months of Work Experience in The Royal Bank of Scotland, 84.50% in UG, 85% in XII, 85.50% in X and a decent amount of co-curriculars and certifications (The most prominent being the runner up of a national-level Poetry contest)
Background
I’d already given my GDPIs at TAPMI’s BFSI (The interview went well, but TAMPI told me I needed more work experience and they weren’t very excited about the gap) and GLIM (I would later convert GLIM, but reject it for XIME). I had done some research about XIME, more specifically about the course curriculum and the faculty. I was quite satisfied by the range of subjects offered and the quality of the faculty. The attraction of the international tour also helped (I would later go on to do a Student Exchange Program at Audencia Business School in France instead)
Document Verification
Document Verification happens on the venue immediately before the GDs begin. Standard procedure. All problems you have regarding your documents will be sorted out. Very few people were sent out due to discrepancies in the documents, such as scoring 49% in UG or similar stuff. So, make sure you have none.
Group Discussion
I was supposed to give my GDPI at Chennai, but there was a miscommunication. I was asked to attend the Bangalore GDPI sessions instead. A group for GDPI usually consists of 7-8 people (Although in last years’ admission process, they had to have 12-15 people in some places due to the high number of applications, so be informed). The panel for my GDPI consisted of President sir himself (XLRI, Harvard Passout), CPR sir (IIMA Passout, Retired IFS Officer) and Vedamanickam sir (Former Director of XIME, Former Production Head at HAL, IIT-B, NIT-T Passout). The topic given was “Capitalism vs Socialism: What’s the best for a Modern World?” or something similar. We were given a few minutes to think and note down our points. When the discussion started, it was (obviously) like a fish market. Everyone either favored Capitalism or Socialism. When I got my chance, I was the first one to say ‘A mixed economy model is the best way to go.’ I went on to add some more points in favor of my arguement. Many others agreed with me and the discussion turned in that direction. So you could say that was a sort of success. Thinking outside the box, especially in a high stress situation, always looks good on you. In the end, we were asked to summarize individually. Be careful not to add a new stream of thought in a summary. Summary strictly means a summary of what people said, not what you wanted to say but didn’t. Remembering and ordering all the points in a logical manner should be the best thing to do.
Personal Interview
Same panel for Personal Interview, although President sir took most of the interview. Others simply asked a few questions or commented on my replies here and there. What needs to understand that, the interviewer has little to no idea about you. So they will obviously start with what they know – your application. If you’re lucky, they may start with your hometown or your parents’ professions. If you’re not so lucky, and if someone is an expert in your UG subjects/projects (Mostly there will be someone), they will bombard you with questions right off the bat. In any case, be prepared for everything in your application. You should be able to answer any question that can possibly lead out of your application form. Following this, there will may be a few questions on Current Affair. At least as far as President sir is concerned, Current Affairs is very important. Consult websites like Day2Day GK or Mrunal before the GDPI if you don’t have the habit of regularly reading the newspaper (Just FYI – I didn’t, but I wouldn’t suggest that you take any chances). Since I had work experience in a bank, I was asked a lot of GK questions on banks: “When were banks nationalized in India?” “What is the role of a bank in society?” “Name any 5 famous Private Sector banks in India” and a few off topic ones were “Is Socialism a success in the East?” and “Can China replace USA as the next super power?”. They’re not only assessing your general knowledge here, but your communication skill as well. Towards the end of the interview, President sir asked “You have a bright future in poetry. Why join MBA?” I told him “Poetry is my passion, but I also have a passion to learn a lot, especially in the area of Finance and Banking.” He said “But don’t you think Banking is boring?” (He was really just kidding) I could have just laughed and let it go, but I had to be a smartass. I replied “I was asked the same question at TAPMI. But it all depends on perspectives. To me, teaching is a boring job. But teachers like you have been doing it for decades.” (Not in a serious tone, I was kidding too) There was a brief silence and the other two panel members looked at me like I was remorse (At that point, I had no idea that he was the President, or else I would have been less tongue-in-cheek). Then President laughed. That was the end of it. I was offered Bangalore campus later and I took it. The rest is history