[2020-2022] OFFICIAL IIM Sambalpur Admission Queries

can we expect the first wl today?


Hello Adcom,


I would like to know the refund procedure of the willingness fee.

I would like to know when the 2nd offer list will be announced. As per Adcom we will get our waiting list number by 2nd or 3rd June. Will it be the date of announcement of 2nd offer list too?

Hello there! I am a recent alumnus of IIM Sambalpur, batch of 2020. I thought of penning a small note, in case if this helps in sheding some perspective to many out here on this platform who are seeking admission at a baby IIM or are confused to choose amongst institutes. 


My story: GEM, 2.5 years IT work ex, appeared for CAT 2017 and secured ~96 percentile with sectionals of 93+. Converted calls from GLIM PGPM, IMT G, XIMB BM & HRM, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIM Sirmaur, IIM BG and IIM Sambalpur; waitlisted at NITIE PGDISEM, VGSOM and new IIMs. Initially joined XIMB but later left after 2 weeks as my Sambalpur WL converted and yes, you read that right: I left XIMB for IIM Sambalpur. Might raise a few eyebrows, but my personal preference from an MBA was a good ROI, a good future brand association and overall development. Well I wasn't alone, infact, I had many batchmates who left similar private colleges and joined IIM Sambalpur.

My first impressions when I first stepped into IIM Sambalpur was quite different from what it was at XIMB; the batch strength was ~95 (vs 390), the institute was functioning out of a temporary campus, lesser permanent faculties on the roll, a smaller academic block and fewer rules and regulations. Before I delve further, this is by no means a comparison between Sambalpur and XIMB or any other institute for that matter of fact. This is just a simple attempt of a first-hand experience of someone who's been there, done that and was in a similar dilemma two years back.


Moving on, let me take you all through a few major opinions on baby IIMs with IIM Sambalpur as a pointer:


1. Placements: Baby IIMs (I don't know why or how this term came into existence!) have different dynamics than your older B Schools (20+ years old). This is a no-brainer to understand that a new college will not have an established alumni base to boast of nor would it have hundreds of companies flocking the premises for placements. A newer institute needs acceptance and expects hard work from their students to make a name for itself in the industry. Notwithstanding this fact, baby IIMs are growing well and as compared to their average batch sizes (~100), they attract a decent count of companies for recruitment. Corporates have their reservations in place when they come to hire for the first time and might not offer the best profiles that they offer at older B Schools, but eventually as the institute delivers quality hires, companies upgrade institutes and start offering good roles to them. Most of the baby IIMs have completed the 5 year mark in 2020 and as per my experience at IIM Sambalpur, many companies have already signed on as loyal recruiters and are offering comparable profiles to older B Schools, thereby the rise in average CTC. Must be the case in other baby IIMs too. This is slated to improve Y-o-Y as more students join companies and perform well, thereby increasing the recruiters' confidence in the institute. 


2. Unplaced students: This is a scenario everywhere, except the top 10 B Schools. The prime reason for this is the fact that B Schools students come from different backgrounds and have disparate skillsets. The main aspect of a B School is to ensure that students get opportunities that would help them in improving their skillsets (public speaking, giving presentations, ability to articulate well, etc), give them better analysizing prowess, improve their ability to solve problems by creating a framework or applying one, help in applying theoritical knowledge to a practical situation, and the list goes on. To harness these 2 years at a B School and capitalize on the opportunities that the institute offers, you need to complement the offerings with sheer hard work and rigour so that you can stand out amongst the crowd in whatsoever way possible. You may choose to network well, you may choose to study well, you may choose to participate in corporate competitions, you may choose to engage in research work with faculties, you may choose to do live projects, you may choose to undertake professional certifications, etcetera etcetera. Most of the students are slogging off doing the above things in an attempt to get ready for the placement season or just simply, grooming themselves to become better decision makers. Now, there are also students who believe that once they have landed at an IIM, their job is done. They become complacent and don't put in the requisite hard work that is needed to excel at academics, extra curriculars or placements. And, invariably, some of them do end up without a job offer during Final Placements. Now, while such a candidate may get away at an older established B School, baby IIMs will not fetch you that luxury. You'll find such handful of students everywhere and to them, the institute is always unfair. Be the better judge. In my two years at IIM Sambalpur, I haven't seen any hardworking student go unplaced, but the vice versa has few instances. Cut to the chase: you work hard, you slog it out, there is nothing that can stop you from bagging a decent job offer. 


3. Expectations vs Reality: It is fallacious to think that baby IIMs are going to offer you an IB role in Finance or a Management Consulting role in Strategy or a Brand Manager role in Marketing from the campus. It will just not happen. How you might ask? As the institute grows older, the alumni also moves into senior management where they wield real decision making power. The hiring decisons are also made by them and it is in those boardrooms that such decisions are made. So, it will take sometime before these roles are offered at baby IIMs. Having said this, I've seen few companies who've started offering similar roles at IIM Sambalpur, but the proportion is less. Therefore, it is imperative to go through the placement reports and note the roles being offered right now so that you can tame your expectations accordingly after joining. Also speak to institute alumni and enquire about their roles and the profile they are working in. Misalignment between roles offered on campus and expectations garnered, will, in all probability, leave you high and dry. I have seen people not applying for the companies on campus and waiting eternally for that dream company. At times, that sadly remains a dream. The institute's role is to offer opportunities but your job is to make the most of it. The best way to go forward is to have a career lattice in mind and checkposts at the 3, 5, 7 year mark. Example: Even if you land a Functional Consulting role from the campus, you can most definitely switch over to Management Consulting in a period of 5 years.


4. Locational Disadvantage: When the baby IIM campuses were established in 2015, there was a hue and cry regarding such locations' infeasibility to provide a conducive growth to these premier management institutes. In reality, almost all the baby IIMs have airports in the vicinity (1-1.5 hours by road) which is a pretty good deal. For IIM Sambalpur, the Jharsuguda airport is located at 70 kms which is a 60-70 mins drive from the institute and I have witnessed many companies visiting our campus via direct and connecting flights from all major cities. The new and baby IIMs were established to increase the reach of premier management education in the country and is a part of the government's vision and initiative of uplifting the socio-economic fabric of India. Recently, IIM Sambalpur's Social Club, Sankalp was recognized by the MHRD for its outstanding contribution during Covid crisis. Similarly, many MNCs and big names offer several research work, live projects that include assignments such as demand estimation, market sizing, opportunity identification, etc. Since companies want to expand away from the urban setup to drive bigger consumption, there are opportunities that such institutes are offered, which institutes located in big cities miss out on. In short, you take the opportunities that are provided to you and not cry over spilt milk. It is all about perspective.


I might have missed out on a few pointers, but the aspect here is that you will find pretty good opportunities at a newer IIM also. Instead of seeking answers via PG polls and doing a superficial research, it is a wise decision to make an individual study about which institute would be better suited for you based on your preferences of what you want out of your MBA. Reach out to current students, alumni, faculties to make an informed decision. Leverage professional platforms such as LinkedIn to help make an informed decision. This is a big decision that you're about to make, so ensure that you put your best foot forward and have a journey that is worth all the hardwork that you've exemplified over the last year! Here's wishing you all the best in your careers.


You can reach out to me for any queries regarding IIM Sambalpur and I shall be glad to help!

Do candidates who convert in later lists get less time for payment of offer acceptance fees?

Created a group for those who paid 10k waitlist willingness 

people can join

shorturl.at/eHM09

For refund of 10k that I paid for consideration in waitlist I have sent an email to [email protected] With all the details and fee receipt . Is it ok or I hv to something else. Plz help.

how many from obc have paid 10k

  • paid
  • not paid
  • poll

0 voters

When is the Waiting list gonna come for Sambalpur?

Dear Adcom, Will the waitlist be out today or tomorrow?

Anyone who converted Sambalpur, if we pay the offer acceptance fee. what is the last date they have given to withdraw the offer to get the refund? pls comment

IIM Sambalpur Waitlist no. Out

IIM Sambalpur wailist no.-279

Nc-obc

Chances?

  • Convert till last list
  • Reject

0 voters

Waitlist Number :223 ( General) Chances ?

  • No chance
  • 50%
  • 75%
  • 100%

0 voters

when I tried to check the waitlist status, after entering my credentials, the site is showing blank page. what does it mean? anyone facing the same difficulty??

Hey adcom

I have not received waitlist number and I made the pyament of 10k. What to do now?


Adcom can we get the approx waitlist movement for the last years please?

Will be helpful to gauge our chances!

Mails with waitlist ranks are being sent in batches and will be delivered to all who have paid the willingness fees by tonight.

Hi adcom I haven't received the wl no. I had paid the amount Pls help.

OBC WL 324 ?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Maybe

0 voters