School Expert Q&A: Indian School of Business

Rupesh Bisht answers your questions about the Indian School of Business.

Rupesh Bisht is an associate director, with the Admissions and Financial Aid Department at the Indian School of Business (ISB). An alumnus of the ISB class of 2009, he handles International Marketing and the Young Leaders Programme (YLP) at ISB. He answers your questions below. 

• Name of the School: Indian School of Business
• Name of the Program: Post Graduate Programme in Management
• School Location: Hyderabad (Telangana) & Mohali (Punjab)
• Year School Started: 2001
• Global Ranking: Consistently ranked by Financial Times in Global MBA Rankings

• GMAT^™ Score: Yes; no cut off for GMAT.
• Work Experience Requirement: Preferably two years of full time work experience post graduation (deferred admission is offered to those with less than two years work experience under the early entry option).
• English Proficiency Requirement: TOEFL /IELTS /PTE score is required only if language of instruction during undergraduate education was not English.
• Letters of Recommendations: Two LOR’s are required from current or previous work place.
• Interview/Group Discussion: Personal interview only, there is no group discussion.
• Others: A bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

• How does one apply for the programme? Applicant has to submit the online application which comprises of essays, recommendation letters, and mark sheets.
• What is the range of GMAT scores for accepted students? In the past we have accepted profiles with scores ranging from 600 to 780, the average GMAT score for the current class is 710.
• Is there a requirement of 16 years of study prior to applying? No.
• What constitutes work experience? Any full-time work experience after graduation is considered toward eligibility criteria.
  Is there a minimum cut off for TOEFL/IELTS/PTE test scores? We do not have any cut off score, however we recommend a score of 100 for TOEFL and for IELTS 7 on a scale of nine.
• Who should letters of recommendation come from?  LOR’s from the workplace may be given by anyone who can comment on your professional work (e.g. supervisor/senior colleague, or client).
• When should I expect an invitation for an interview? In case an applicant is shortlisted, he/she will be invited by email a week to 10 days in advance of the scheduled interview. Non-Indian passport holders can expect an early decision within six weeks of submitting a completed application. 
• Who should I contact if I have a question regarding my application status? Please call Team Admissions at 04023187403/74 or email at: intladmissions@isb.edu.

Fees & Other Expenses

• What is the estimated cost for the entire program for a foreign student? Approximately USD40,000.
• What is the cost of living for the duration of the programme? The fee includes the cost of living. PGP is a residential programme.
• Are there other costs to be taken into consideration? If yes what? Books and meal plan would be approximately USD2,750.
• Are there any job opportunities on campus that can be pursued while the programme is on, to lower the overall cost impact? None, PGP is a rigorous course and the students need to focus on various activities simultaneously. Each year ISB awards approx 100+ scholarships ranging from USD6000-USD30,000 depending on the merit of the application. For details please visit: www.isb.edu/pgp/fees-financing/Scholarships.