Hi everyone!
I’m an IIT engineering graduate with around 2.5 years of experience as a trader at a prop trading firm. I’m considering an MBA to explore better opportunities in finance, investment banking, asset management, or consulting.
With AI adoption increasing, layoffs happening, and job markets becoming uncertain, I’m confused about whether pursuing an MBA abroad is still worth it.

A few questions I’d love your advice on:

US MBA: Is a US MBA still worth ₹1.5–2 crore, considering job opportunities, H-1B sponsorship, and the current market?

Scholarships: How realistic is it for Indian applicants to get substantial scholarships at top US business schools?

AI and jobs: How will AI affect post-MBA opportunities in finance and consulting over the next 5–10 years?

Europe vs US: How are HEC, LBS and Insead in comparison to US colleges.

India: Would an MBA from IIM ABC or ISB be a smarter financial and career decision?

Experience: Should I work for another few years and grow my net worth and then go for 1 year program ?

I’d especially appreciate advice from current students and alumni who can share their actual costs, scholarships, placements, salaries, and job-search experiences.

Thanks!

I'm 25F, a Tier 1 engineering graduate with \~4 years across e-commerce and electronics GTM/strategy.

I currently earn ₹45 LPA and have an offer at ₹55 LPA, potentially reaching ₹60–65 LPA. The role involves a larger business but similar work.

My dilemma: take the money and build deeper expertise in electronics, or use this stage of my career to move into AI/tech or pursue a top global MBA?

I'm aiming to maximise long-term earnings and leadership opportunities, but I'm concerned about becoming too specialised. How much does company brand and industry matter compared with ownership and measurable impact?

Would love to hear from people who've made similar decisions, especially hiring managers and professionals earning well in GTM/strategy. What would you do in my position, and why?

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Anyone who is also considering joining UWA Mumbai or Chennai Branch for an MBA or any other Course, dm me, planning to make a group so that we can get to know each other and also help in navigating the journey.

Hi, I wanted to understand the chances at a global MBA. I am 34 M, CA+Diploma in international tax(ICAI), work with big 4, 8 yrs work ex plus 3 years internship(which I understand does count as work ex). Non traditional tax consulting role having worked both in industry as well as product mgt briefly. Gmat 645 fe, gmat 665 superscore

AMA / General Guidance post. Aspirants can share their doubts. Bit free this festive season. Happy to help :)

Hi everyone!!
I’m currently working as an SDE-2 with a monthly take-home salary of around ₹1–1.5L+.While I’m doing reasonably well financially, I’m interested in transitioning into managerial roles, such as Product Management, etc. in the future.
I’ve been considering an MBA to build my business acumen, leadership, and strategic thinking skills. I can’t leave my current job for a full-time MBA because I have financial responsibilities and depend on my salary.
While searching for alternatives, I came across executive MBA programmes offered by few IIMs such as Ahmedabad, Kozhikode, Lucknow, and Indore. These programmes have entrance exams followed by interviews, so I’m considering preparing for them and applying.
The main concern is the cost. The fees can be around ₹20 lakhs, which is a significant investment, and I want to understand whether it would actually be worth it.
I’d love to hear from people who have pursued these programmes or have experience with them.
A few questions I have:
Is an executive MBA from an IIM valuable for someone transitioning from software engineering into Product Management or other managerial roles?
How do recruiters perceive these programmes compared to a regular, full-time MBA?

Hey I am an 26 M 4 YOE engineer out of Tier 1 clg..I worked at a MBB GCC for 3 years then working for FMCG GCC for the past 1 year and now got an offer from another company for a global role with 32 Base.

I am also interviewing for chief of staff and founders office in some startups as in future I have ambition of starting something of my own

I am stuck in the thought process of whether I will hit the ceiling in a few years, should I go for IIM ABC/ISB or work for 1-2 more years then abroad B school.

Indian B schools scare me from the perspective that my profile is MBB front end ready and naturally I will be pushed into it which I am not interested in joining because I have already got a taste of it, FMCG won't prefer me because of age and YOE.

For foreign B schools US seems scary, options I see are LBS, HEC paris, INSEAD

I know from a salary perspective I sit at an average spot for a non tech role, these days fresher ungrads from tier 1 engineering clg are getting 20+ base.

Like want to check with experienced people here monetary career trajectory wise how should I go about it, it bugging my head for a while like what to do. I never decided a career trajectory for me and it just happened.

I’m 24F, working at an MNC with a 4 LPA package. I’ve been in the AEP domain for almost 2 years. I was billable for a year in my previous project, but in my current project, my manager hasn’t made me billable and mostly assigns me PPTs and random tasks in the name of career growth, with very little actual technical learning.
I’ve tried switching, but AEP is a niche domain, and I’m barely getting interview calls.
My office is 30 km away, and the commute leaves me exhausted. This job has taken a toll on my mental health, and I find myself crying almost every day. I want to prepare for MBA entrance exams, but I honestly don’t think I can manage a full-time job alongside serious preparation in my current situation.
I’ve considered moving closer to the office, but my manager generally expects people living nearby to come in 5 days a week. Right now, I have the flexibility to come in 3 days, so relocating might make things more difficult.
My family supports me quitting but believes I should be prepared to accept the risk. I’m scared of leaving a job in this market without guaranteed admission, but I’m equally scared of staying stuck and missing my chance to get into a good B-school.
Would you take the risk and prepare full-time, or stay employed and keep trying to switch when relevant opportunities are so limited? I’d appreciate honest advice, on this situation.

Hi everyone,

I am planning to apply to ISB in Round 2 and would love an honest profile evaluation and advice on my post-MBA direction and exam strategy.

Demographics & Academics

• Demographics: 23F
• Undergrad: Tier-1 UG college in India (B.Com) | CGPA: 7.48 / 10
• Class 10 & 12: 93.8% (ICSE) | 97.0% (ISC)
• Professional Qualifications: Passed CFA Level 2 | Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
• Extracurriculars: Held multiple Leadership Positions (PORs) in college societies, published articles on corporate finance and economics.

Work Experience (~2 Years at Matriculation)

• Role 1 (~1.4 Years): Big 4 Firm — Tangible Assets & Financial Valuations segment.
• Role 2 (~1 Year): Global Research / Strategy Network for a Tier-1 Management Consulting Firm — Supporting private equity and consulting teams.

Context & Why MBA Now?

• Work Shift & Layoffs: Ever since the integration of AI tools at work, the nature of my role supporting consulting teams doesn't seem to be per my liking anymore, so I really need to pivot. On top of that, layoffs have already begun around me, making it crucial for me to make my next career move soon.
• GRE Strategy: Scored 320 on my diagnostic test. A deeper dive into the sections makes me confident I can achieve 330+ with 1 month of dedicated prep to hit the Round 2 deadline. (I understand Round 3 gets cutthroat competitive).
• GMAT Focus Diagnostic: Scored 580. Given the tight timeline before R2, GRE feels like much lower-hanging fruit for me.
• Why not CAT?: Previously this year, I had started preparing for CAT, but I just cannot bring myself to sit and study for it. I see no motivation for it. I find myself in a completely different mindset when preparing for CAT compared to other global exams (CFA/FRM/GRE), and the sheer competitiveness makes it feel so much more uncertain and risky for me.

I am not strictly set on jumping straight into direct buy-side finance post-ISB. Given that ISB leans heavily toward management consulting, I am very comfortable entering strategy consulting post-MBA with the goal of pivoting into PE/VC laterally down the line.

Is ISB okay?

How is their salary, how is their work life balance, and do this job is secure

Hi, anyone who is in the process please share your status. I currently gave my SHL test and got a email from recruiter asking for an initial screening round evening though I had one via phone. The round got cancelled anyways and got to know that they are already interviewing candidates

If you are part of the process lets connect.

Tbh m not soo goooood student jiska cat m bhut acha percentile aayega or usko top iim or even iim hi milega …. But i desperately wanted a goood clg (((moreover jisse ek acha package vala job mil jaye btech krk ghnta kuch nhi hua mera))) …. Soooo ab or kaun s form or clg form fillll kruuuu ….🫤🫤🫤
Or moreover KYAAAA KRUUUU JISSE ACHA CLG MIL JAYE🥸
Plz help me out

I (22 M) recently graduated btech cse from a tier- 3 college. Doing a job for 8 months at a startup and looks like things are not good at my company and trying to leave and start preparing for cat 2027. Currently my package is 6lpa and if i leave this i only have basic inf and tcs roles, so i am thinking it is better to do masters for better degree and package rather than joining them and switching to higher packages. What I am struggling with is, is it okay to do mba at this age or wait some more years and get exp in between.My biggest fear is the loan, if I get into any good mba institutes what will be the avg package and how long will it take to clear that loan.