B-schools admissions are going to take place in an unusual manner as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shut down everything from schools, businesses, offices, etc. Everyone has been faced with this sudden calamity, and it has deeply impacted our plans for the year, be it social, economic, or personal.
It has taken a toll on the mental health along with physical health as a lot of people are facing a financial crisis due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the country. Due to the depression in the economy of the nation, a lot of people are being fired from their jobs and hence are looking for new jobs in the previous field of work or are either developing new skills to look for jobs in other fields.
Currently, the business schools are shut, and the admissions are not taking place until further notice. The students who got their jobs this year are either getting differed from their jobs or have lost the opportunity as the companies are taking back their offers.
Since the situation is haywire in the current year, you will have to brace yourself better for the competition in the MBA world next year. According to Caroline Hoxby, Economics Professor at Stanford has predicted that there is going to be a surge in the interest of the students to pursue higher education after the recession.
It comes as a conclusion from the fact that when there is an ongoing economic crisis, more people lose jobs or are demoted to save money for the company. This was also observed during the 2008 Recession in India when 2.7 lakh appeared for the CAT exam in 2008 as compared to the 2.3 lakh in the previous year, which was a nearly 20 per cent increase in the number of candidates.
Due to lockdown imposed to curb coronavirus, and the global economic slowdown has already triggered mass firing, pay-cuts and hold on hiring, this can result in a similar trend as seen in 2008 that can mean increased competition in CAT exam 2020 .
Here are a few tips that can help you get ahead of others in this competition to get into your dream B-school.
- Think Smart and prepare for all B-school exams: As it is known that desperate times call for desperate measure, so it is important to prepare yourself for the worst of the case and prepare for all the B-school exams with same dedication because of the trend of 2008 is followed, then you’ll not have any choice but to prepare for all the exams like as your chances of getting into your dream B-school will become thinner due to increased number of candidates. The motive must be to prepare well for the exam so that you can get into any decent B-School that can help you get placement in the near future. You must worry about choices at this moment as this will reduce your chances of getting into a decent B-School. As you are in lockdown and have plenty of time in hand, you must start preparing for all sorts of B-school entrance exam to reduce the stress of the competition. You can look for the suitable online courses for these exams’ ad start preparing wisely.
- Up your self-study game: As the outbreak of coronavirus has forged us to stay indoors, it is better to take up study material that is available nine and start preparing for the exams as even after the lockdown is raised, people will have to practice social distancing, and therefore the classroom studies will not be possible. Hence, it is suggested to up your self-study game and start looking for all the study material that is available online and start preparing while you have time in your hands.
- Opt for Online Coaching: Since the lockdown has pushed everything to go digital, classrooms are no different. Thus, many of the renowned institutes are providing coaching for CAT online. Most of their packages include the preparation material for all the entrance exams for B-school, and they cost anywhere between INR 15- 20 thousand. You can look for the various packages available online at the websites of the coaching centres if the packages meet your requirements and are affordable for your pocket then choose them and start preparing for your exams.
- Work on Improving your profile: The entrance exams are only the first step to get into a B-School, but you need a good profile to be selected for a shortlist call. You can build up a good profile for yourself by continuing to work on yourself and by upskilling. You can take various online courses in your domain to build a better profile. You must work on building better skills and learning new things like a new language.
- Do online Internships and Live Projects: In all the B-Schools, special brownie points are awarded to the candidates that have work experience. Though it might seem grim to find a job in these desperate times, the lockdown and social distancing have built a new culture of remote working which have increased the chances of getting involved in internships and live projects in many domains. These internships and live projects will help you gain work experience from the comfort of your home while showing your agility and adaptability to change to the B-School Office.
These tips will help you get ahead in the predicted competition to get into B-Schools and might as well help you achieve your dream B-School. Now, that you have the maneuver to get into a decent B-School, get on your hustle mode and start preparing for your exam religiously.
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