Admission Experience at IIM Nagpur During the Pandemic

2020 will probably go down in history as a year of Firsts and probably some lasts also. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench into even the most well-laid plans. And the MBA admissions process this year has been no exception to this.

Admissions season started immediately post the release of the CAT results in the first week of January. IIM NAGPUR had always been near the top of the list of my most desired colleges. And getting the mail stating that I had been shortlisted for the process was a dream come true. However, by the time we received this mail, a number of the other IIMs had already started their admissions/interview processes, and we had filled out a dozen different application forms.

The Smooth Application Process

One of the first things that struck me about the admission process at IIM NAGPUR was the beauty and smoothness of its admissions portal website. Filling out application forms tends to get repetitive after a while, and technology issues only make the process worse. In stark contrast, IIM NAGPUR had a fairly engaging application form with a fair number of interesting profile-based questions which actually made you reflect on your past experiences while filling it up, making it an enjoyable experience.

Adapting to the Pandemic

The lockdown imposed across India was a source of endless worry for us candidates. But IIM NAGPUR, with its trademark adaptability, quickly shifted gears to proceed with things in the online mode. Potential candidates were requested to join WhatsApp groups where they could ask all their admissions queries. Apart from admissions discussions, there were quite a few intellectually stimulating discussions that took place on these groups, which were welcome distractions from the prevalent conditions then.

The Interview Process

Soon enough, the interview process started. We would regularly get updates from the admins of these groups about any event that could potentially disrupt the interview schedule and how we could work around that. Due to the sheer number of queries about the online process, multiple Zoom sessions were scheduled to address queries and help ease the minds of anxious applicants. Often these sessions would extend far beyond the allotted times, and yet admins would patiently answer each issue. With the attention to detail given by the admissions team, students only needed to concentrate on their interviews.

The interview itself had all the hallmarks of a typical IIM interview, and no amount of preparation will prepare you adequately for the questions asked by your panelists. Each candidate was asked questions tailored to their profile as well as questions on the covid-19 scenario, current affairs, finance, history, and civics.

Results and Reflection

Within a few days after the last set of interviews, results were released to the elation of all the successful candidates. Even with all the other issues affecting the country and the uncertainties about the entire situation, I can safely say that the admission process at IIM NAGPUR was the smoothest and most well-orchestrated of all. This along with the warm and personalized communication from the admissions team and the faculty makes me truly grateful and awed to be a student at IIM NAGPUR.

Here’s hoping this answer finds you hale and hearty and with my best regards. Thank you.