Benefits of Lesser Known MBA Colleges in India

Getting admission in one of the top 10 management colleges in India is the dream of every student, whether they want to do an MBA degree or a PGDM diploma. However, there are a lot of factors that can prevent you from accomplishing that goal. Maybe it is the high cut-off percentages, or the expensive course fees, or even the high level of competition these days. No matter what the reason, it is always a strong possibility that eventually you will have to come to terms with the fact that you must get your education from one of the lesser-known management colleges.

Fortunately for you, despite what people might tell you, studying at a place like this, is not the proverbial death sentence that it is made out to be. A lot of the negativity often comes from the public perception of brand name colleges and the huge placement offers that are associated with them which make the students wonder:

Advantages of a lesser-known MBA College

We are here to dispel some of the negative notions on mediocre MBA colleges and help you understand why a lesser known college could actually be a great return of investment for all your efforts.

1. Less Competition

Top MBA colleges like the IIM are known for their exceptionally high standards of admissions. They only go for students that are so driven, that they will have a successful career irrespective of the college that they go to. Once they actually get into one of these prestige institutes, this drive to succeed is further encouraged to mould them into ruthless business persons that can snatch the top jobs in the market for themselves. This level of competition is unhealthy for regular students who often end up depressed and burned out in their attempts to keep up with their peers. On the other hand, at a smaller institute, students can study without the pressure of living up to the hype of a big name college.

2. More Chances to Participate

The unhealthy level of competition we mentioned above can often bleed over to extra-curricular activities as well. Since these activities are often considered an integral part of a well-rounded resume, the opportunities to participate in them also becomes a highly coveted agenda amongst students at top B-schools. This means that most often than not the chances to participate in these activities and events are reserved for toppers only. If by chance you don’t fall in the category, your extra-curricular experience can become rather limited. You will have a better chance of finding more chances to participate in said activities if you are studying in less popular colleges.

3. Professors are focused on Teaching

Just like students, professors at prestigious MBA/PGDM colleges are also highly motivated about their own careers. This means that a large part of their focus remains on conducting research, writing papers and doing other tasks that might take time away from their students. Comparatively, professors at mediocre colleges tend to spend a lot more time teaching students. Their career growth is not tied to these external factors; rather the focus is simply on good results. They also have fewer classes to contend with in general, which means that each class gets complete attention.

4. More Student-Faculty Interactions

Since the professors have a more focused approach to education, they also pay a lot more attention to individual students and their needs. It is easier for them to get to know each student thanks to the smaller class sizes and find the unique ways that each of them can improve. Students also benefit from this as they get more opportunities to ask for advice or clarification in terms of their subjects, assignments and even their career choices.

5. A Strong sense of Community

Being in a big college amongst thousands of other students can make anyone feel a bit isolated. This is especially true if you are competing with all those students, all the time. Fortunately, being in lesser-known management colleges can reduce that stress thanks to the strong sense of community amongst people. It becomes easier to make friends from different corners of the country and form bonds that will last you a lifetime.

6. More chances to explore Unconventional Subjects

Most top rated management institutes have a very strict curriculum. They are often dependent on their placements for their popularity, which is why a big part of their focus remains on teaching students how to deal with problems related to multinational companies and mega firms located in metro cities. This approach leaves a huge gap in the students’ knowledge and experience when it comes to smaller enterprises, which are the major job drivers in smaller towns and villages. Thankfully, if you are studying in a lesser known college in a smaller town, you get much more freedom to explore these types of unconventional issues and find unique approaches to solving them without the help of tools that are exclusive to massive companies with big budgets.

7. Affordable Education

A degree or diploma from a less popular college doesn’t always translate to a big placement offer, but it does give you a more affordable education. That can translate to a much higher return on investment for your efforts since you aren’t saddled with enormous study loans and can become a lot more financially secure a lot sooner as compared to students that have to part with a large chunk of their salaries for years, just to break even.

8. More Personal Experience

Studying at a high ranking college also means dealing with a lot more bureaucracy. Everything has a set procedure and you have to jump through a lot of hoops just to get basic tasks accomplished. In addition, the large sterile environment and strict set of rules make it a lot more impersonal experience for students. On the other hand, at smaller scale institutions, the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed. You can easily approach the faculty and in most cases, they are willing to adapt to your specific situation without too much hassle. The gives the students a feeling of reassurance and belonging that they crave.

9. You will find a good job no matter what

At the end of the day, you have to remember that there are only a handful of companies that can afford the kind of ridiculous placement packages that are associated with the top 10 management colleges. Even then, there is a lot of competition from both India and abroad that you will have to overcome before getting one of those limited high-level job profiles. The rest of the students, no matter, if they are from the top colleges or from lesser-known management colleges, will have to share the same job pool and start at a similar pay scale. So even if you don’t get to study at these high ranking colleges, you will still be able to find a good job no matter what.

Factors to consider to choose a good lesser-known MBA college

• College Quality and Ranking- Research the reputation and ranking of the college in various indexes released by the government and other institutions.
• Placement record- Check how many students got placed in the last academic year and which companies visited the campus for placements.
• Alumni experience- Get in touch with past students to understand their experience in the college.

These factors and more should be enough to convince you that lesser-known colleges can definitely be the right choice for you. So don’t feel disheartened if you don’t make the high cut-off lists, or can’t afford the expensive loans. At the end of the day, the management sector is still a booming industry and if you want, you can be successful even with regular education.