Is IIM Ahmedabad overrated?

There are 3 things that one should consider while rating a college: How tough is it to enter the college? How is the program curriculum, pedagogy, college culture, activities, exchange program, etc. (basically what happens in those 2 years)? and How are the placements? Now, IIM-Ahmedabad is probably the best when it comes to all these 3 things. It is one of the toughest colleges in India to get into. You don't only need a good CAT score, but also good academic scores to make it to IIM-A. And not to forget that one has to compete with the cream across the country to get into IIM-A. Now, if a student can get into IIM-A, can he/she get into all other colleges? Not really. I got into IIM-A, but didn't even get a call from IIM-C. So, different IIMs have different criteria for selection, but even then, getting into IIM-A is really tough. Coming to the second point, what happens in those 2 years in college? This is where IIM-A excels. The way its program and teaching pedagogy is designed is really brilliant. It prepares you for the real market and works on to make you a good manager/leader. There are a lot of clubs in the college that you can be part of, that not only helps you in doing/learning something apart from the education, but also makes you learn a lot of soft skills. There can be a whole discussion around what differentiates the college, but I hope you get the gist. The biggest thing however, would be the students/alumni you get to interact with. IIM-A has one of the best alumni networks and hence you get a chance to interact with a lot of brainy folks out there. Regarding the last point of placements, nothing much needs to be said. IIM-A has the best placements in the country. Please note that there are very few colleges that do an audited reporting of their placements, and IIM-A is one of them. So, you can go and publicly find information on the placement there. Given above three points, I think it should be pretty clear that IIM-A is not at all overrated. All the best. P.S. All my comments are keeping in mind the Indian institutes/market.

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No, IIM-A is not overrated. It takes a lot to get to the top, and it takes a lot more to stay there for eight consecutive years. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), did just that, monopolising the No.1 spot in the BT Best B-schools survey from 2003 to 2010. However, in 2011, its golden jubilee year, the country's oldest business school slipped to the third spot, coming in behind its namesakes from Bangalore and Kolkata. The fall from its perch was stunning, but it appears to have been an aberration. IIM-A has roared back to the top in the 2012 survey. The institute scored well on brand value and in equipping students with the skills to become ethical business leaders. It also did well on the quality of global exposure: student exchange programmes, lectures by global business leaders and participation in global forums. Where it fell short was in the living experience, return on investment and, in what should be a big cause for worry, the learning experience.

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Different people attribute different value to different things. But, in general, I would say IIM A, B, C are the top B-Schools in the country and the hype attributed to them worth it. You can't do better than them in the country. Rather they are comparable to the best B-Schools around the world. As such getting into IIM-A would ensure you a good placement (considering the number of students graduating getting a good placement is not insured anymore). Hence, the hype is well justified. Studying in IIM-B, you get access to great courses, extra-curricular activities, consulting projects with industries and a chance to interview with the best companies in the world.

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IIM-Ahmedabad has proved itself over the years to be the best in terms of placements, academics and infrastructure. So I would say it is not overrated. IIM-Ahmedabad is known to have one of the most rigorous academic curriculum so as to prepare its students to become one of the best managers out there. IIM-Ahmedabad has a great network of successful alumni which keeps on growing year after year and provides great opportunities to students studying there to interact with these people and learn. Coming to placements, IIM-A has almost 100% placement and its students go on to work in most reputed firms all over India and abroad too. You can check its placements here:- <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://web.iima.ac.in/corporate/recruiters/placement-process/final-placement.html" style='word-wrap:break-word;'>https://web.iima.ac.in/corporate/recruiters/placement-process/final-placement.html</a>. The median salary is around Rs 18 to Rs 20 lakhs per annum and in sectors like investment banking it is around Rs 30 lakhs per annum. The most brilliant minds across the country compete to get into this institute so it is worth its name.

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Don't be biased for IIM-A. As far as the 'Overratisim' is concerned, yes they are and therefore they are not! Let me explain. The quality of education, the professors and infrastructure might not be way better than a tier 2 college in India. You will most certainly find great success stories from other colleges as well. So in a way, the hype which exists around IIMs (especially ABC) is certainly overrated, lots of good colleges around in India. However, this perceived superiority (hype) is more or less a 'common knowledge' now. What that does is that it attracts the best brains in the country and consequently the best employers. Suddenly you find that all the hype is justified, IIMs are not overrated. It is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. They inculcate a strong work ethic in their students and provide a good environment as an educational institution should. But then they are just that. An educational institution. No more, no less. Greatness comes out of individual minds not out of colleges or universities.

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