How to Avoid Infructuous Pre-Admission Expenses Towards Physical GDPI in Business School?

Business and management programs in India are drawing considerable attention from many techies from the industry as well as fresh graduates to study in top Business Schools. With the increased growth of Business Schools in India, it has become a Herculean task for students to select the right ‘B’ School to be commensurate with their affordability-cum-suitability.

With the onset of National Common Entrance Test season & CAT/MAT/XAT /GMAT/CMAT/NMAT/IBSAT announcing the test dates, students are gearing up to crack the exams to secure the highest possible rank/score for admissions in top Business schools in India.

The total expenditure for studying a Business Programme (MBA/PGDBM) in India differs from one college to another. The Fees range between Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 35+ lakhs depending on the Business school (Public and Private).

This article dwells on various facets involved in taking the right decision in the selection of top Business Schools in India by prospective candidates, focussing mainly on the cost analysis and how to avoid infructuous pre-admission expenditure towards physical GDPI.

Major factors in brief that play a vital role in the selection of a right Business School

1. Candidates must know the location of the Business School where he/she is intending to study, weather conditions, culture, food, and local transport facilities.
2. Faculty-student ratio
3. Campus Life – Availability of infrastructure facilities and extra-curricular activities.
4. Return on Investments / Placement Statistics for the last three years
5. Fee structure and availability of scholarships.
6. Industry exposure.

Re-introduction of physical Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GDPI):

All the B Schools/Institutes have now switched over to pre-Covid status of physical Group Discussion and Personal Interviews (GDPI)/Written Aptitude Tests (WAT) in place of virtual (online) GDPI.   

Compared to virtual GDPI, students have several advantages in physical GDPI, as they have a fair opportunity to express and project themselves effectively before the GDPI Panel Members.  At the same time, Panel Board will have ample opportunity to assess the knowledge and skills of the candidate to arrive at the right decision. 

Visiting the campus shall provide candidates the first feel of the ‘B’ School, and he/she can visit the Library, Hostel, and mess, meet the Faculty Members and senior students, and can have general information with respect to various infrastructure, faculty, classroom facilities, etc.

The only advantage of virtual GDPI is savings in travel expenditure.

Financial Implications other than tuition fees and living expenditures:

Every student and his/her parents are expected to make adequate planning to meet the expenditure of tuition fees and living expenses, either by way of self-financing/Bank Loans or partly through Scholarships awarded by the Business School concerned.

The other pre-admission estimated expenditure works out as under considering that a candidate on average applies for 5 National Management Exams:

• Coaching Classes: 30,000/-
• Application fee for 5 Management exams : 10,000/- (@ Rs.2,000/- per test x 5)
• College Application Fee: 10,000/- (@ Rs.2,000/- per test x 5)
• Travel Expenses* (for 2): 1,25,000/- (@Rs.25,000/-per School).

(Candidate + 1 parent)

*Travel Expenses to attend GDPI/WAT on an average of 5 Schools, which includes return fare (flight/train/surface), lodging and boarding, and local transport charges for 2 persons (Candidate+ one Parent) for two days.  The average expenditure varies depending on the distance from the place of residence to the Business School and the mode of transport (by air/train/surface).  Expenditure under the above heads is important and candidates must incur the same to secure a seat in one of the top Business Schools.  Hence, candidates shall not try to avoid this expenditure.

Click here to Apply for ICFAI Business School

How to avoid infructuous pre-admission expenses on physical GDPI?

Having appeared on average five (5) National Management Exams for admission to top Business Schools, not to take a chance or to avoid possible risk, candidates typically plan to attend all the five GDPI located in different Cities in India, which necessitates them to incur an estimated expenditure as mentioned above.

To attain eligibility to appear for GDPI in top IIMs and other coveted Business Schools in India, a candidate needs to secure a percentile of at least 90%.  There is no guarantee that those who secured 90% and above shall get admission to top IIMs and other top Business schools, as they need to clear GDPI.

Depending on the rank/score obtained in the Common Entrance Tests for admission to Business Schools, every candidate needs to exercise due diligence based on the previous cut-off percentile and shortlist the schools for attending GDPI and select 2 to 3 Schools having a fair chance of getting admission.  This would help the students to reduce the burden on their parents at least to the extent of Rs.50,000/- on average.

Having a CAT, CMAT, or any other National Management Exam score/ranks less than the cut-off percentile required for IIMs and other top business schools in India, however, make the candidates eligible to seek admission in the top private business schools in India. 

Aspiring candidates need to be aware of the financial concerns as explained above and take a concerted decision with the involvement of his/her parents/peers/experienced Faculty.

Please visit to know the Major Advantages of Studying Management/Business Programmes in ICFAI Business Schools in India.