How To Select a B-School
Quality of Infrastructure
No institution of higher learning can function satisfactorily without adequate infrastructure. A well-stocked library, a modern computer centre, with the latest hardware and software, and a well-furnished set of classrooms are a must for any top-notch management school. Without these, students would not be able to do the kind of library and net-based research that is an integral part of the learning process of management education today.
Students, of course, would do well to remember that infrastructure alone does not make for a good management institute. There is a danger of getting carried away by good infrastructure. In fact, some of the surveys on management institutes in India have given far too much weightage to this factor. As a result, they have ended up giving top rankings to institutes that, for historical reasons, have good infrastructural facilities but little else.
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Before joining an institute, particularly one that you do not know too much about, it would be a good idea to visit the campus and find out first-hand about the facilities. It would also be a good idea to check the hostel facilities available. A number of good management institutes do not have good hostel facilities. This is particularly so in the large metros and students should be prepared to stay as paying guests or to pool together and rent out a flat.
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Image of the Institute
The reputation and industry image of an institute is also an important factor in selecting a good institute. Generally older institutes have a better reputation than the ones that have been set up very recently do. However, it is possible that a fledgling institute has been set up by an older well-established institute. In such cases, the "parent" institute helps the new institute through its formative years. The help would include faculty support, support in the selection procedure and, most importantly, placement support. Thus the newly set-up institute will enjoy a better image than some of its contemporaries would.
Of course, students should also keep in mind the potential of an institute to improve its image with the passage of time. For instance, every time a new IIM is set up, there are doubts about whether it will be as good as some of its older siblings. It has to be remembered that, in due course, it is bound to establish itself and enjoy the benefits of the "IIM" brand name. What matters in the long run is the image of the institute during the course of ones career and not just its image at the time one studied there.
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