1. How can one procure the application form for the various programs offered by your institute?

2. Which is the most important aspect of the entire admission process (with maximum weight)?

3. What are the skills/qualities you want to test during written exam, interview and GD?

4. How do you ensure the diversity of the class?

5. Will SMOT arrange for educational loans?

1. Are engineers more preferred over non-engineer?

2. Is there a separate cut-off for engineers and non-engineers? Do you evaluate the two types of candidates differently?

3. How important are grades in the selection process?

4. How do you take an applicant's undergraduate alma mater into consideration?

1. How important is work experience for the selection?

2. What kind of work experience is preferred?

3. What is the school's ideal amount of work experience?

4. Are applicants with one year of work experience evaluated differently than candidates with five years under their belts?

5. How much professional experience is too much? Is a candidate, say with 12 years of work experience, going to fit into the program?

1. What kinds of questions can an interviewee expect to hear during an interview?

2. What attributes are you looking for when you interview candidates?

3. How long do your interviews last?

4. Is a long interview better than a short interview?

1. What do you want to learn about candidates in GDs?

2. Do you expect a thorough knowledge of the topic being discussed?

3. What is the worst thing a candidate can do during GD?

1. How many applicants are placed on wait list? And how many eventually make it off?

2. Ultimately, what is it that separates accepted applicants from the wait listed and denied folks?

1. How can applicants convince you and your staff that they are a good match for the program?

2. What's the worst thing an applicant can do during the selection process?

3. What general characteristics is the B-school looking for?

4. What does the school want to learn through the admission process? Are there things that people do that are more appreciated by the admissions committee?

5. Which aspect of the application should an applicant be most concerned with to make himself / herself a competitive player?

6. Have you conducted any national/ international level Seminars/ MDPs/ Workshops?

7. Does SMOT have AICTE approval?

8. Will residence facility be made available for the students?

9. How is the program offered in SMOT relevant to industry?

10. What are your plans for placing the students?

1. Number of full time faculty?

2. Number of visiting faculty?

3. Ratio of full-time faculty to students?>

4. Qualifications of full-time faculty?

1. What is the student/ computer ratio?

2. How big is the library?

3. Is a laptop mandatory?

Answers for Admission Process:

Q1: How can one procure the application form for the various programs offered by your institute?

A1: You may send a cheque or demand draft for Rs.900/- drawn on SMOT payable at Chennai on receipt of which we will courier the admissions application package to your address. If you are in Chennai, you may prefer to walk in to the office and collect the application package on payment of Rs.900 in cash or cheque or draft.

Q2: Which is the most important aspect of the entire admission process (with maximum weight)?
A2: Personal Interview is the most important aspect in one’s selection process.

Q3: What are the skills/qualities you want to test during written exam, interview and GD?
A3: Written Test: Verbal and aptitude
Interview: Clarity of purpose, language, articulation, comforts level, intellectual honesty and competitiveness.
GD: A set of group activities including group discussion.

Q4: How do you ensure the diversity of the class?
A4: SMOT selects students from all over the country.

Q5: Will SMOT arrange for educational loans?
A5:SMOT has tie-up with nationalized banks for Educational Loans for their students at very attractive interest rates and repayment modes.

Q1: Are engineers more preferred over non-engineer?
A1: There is nothing of that sort. Any graduate degree is acceptable.

Q2: Is there a separate cut-off for engineers and non-engineers? Do you evaluate the two types of candidates differently?
A2: Graduate degree is only a pre-requisite. Any aspirant will have to satisfy the selection requirements of SMOT.

Q3: How important are grades in the selection process?
A3: Academic performance is important to the extent that the candidate should have consistent record of academic achievement from the high school level to college.

Q4: How do you take an applicant's undergraduate alma mater into consideration?
A4: The candidate should have graduated from any recognized college / university.

Q1: How important is work experience for the selection?
A1: Work experience is an important component for business education. However, this does not stand in the way of getting selected if performance otherwise is up to expected level. In fact, SMOT prefers to have a balanced mix of both experienced and fresh graduates to comprise the class.

Q2: What kind of work experience is preferred?
A2: Work experience in a formal corporate environment is desirable. Experience in family owned business is also a desirable parameter.

Q3: What is the school's ideal amount of work experience?
A3: It takes about a year minimum for any fresh graduate joining a job to gainfully understand and appreciate the responsibilities that go with a role.

Q4: Are applicants with one year of work experience evaluated differently than candidates with five years under their belts?
A4: All things being equal, a more experienced applicant should score over another with lesser experience.

Q5: How much professional experience is too much? Is a candidate, say with 12 years of work? Experience, going to fit into the program?
A5: A few students with substantial work experience in the range of 12 to 15 years are always welcome for the class to provide moral support, guidance and leadership.

Q1: What kinds of questions can an interviewee expect to hear during an interview?
A1: Interviewing process in SMOT will be an enlightened experience for the applicant. The interaction will be so rewarding that the aspirant will go with a feeling of fulfillment irrespective of the result. The aspirant will have an opportunity to discover some of the aspects of his / her own self.

Q2: What attributes are you looking for when you interview candidates?
A2: Intellectual honesty, competitiveness, comfort level, language are some of the attributes that will come under examination.

Q3: How long do your interviews last?
A3: Normally it should last between 20 and 30 minutes.

Q4: Is a long interview better than a short interview?
A4: Not necessarily. An appropriate candidate can be spotted within the first three to five minutes. t is always better to give more time for doubtful applicants and allow time for them to prove themselves. In any case, a decision can be arrived at within the first 20 minutes.

Q1: What do you want to learn about candidates in GDs?
A1: Appreciation of the topic, depth of analysis, respect for views of others, articulation, Language and expression are some of the aspects that SMOT will be looking for in the GD.

Q2: Do you expect a thorough knowledge of the topic being discussed?
A2: Not necessarily. But certain level of appreciation of the topic is necessary for the group discussion to give opportunity for the moderator to evaluate.

Q3: What is the worst thing a candidate can do during GD?
A3: Dominance and verbose among others are likely to show a candidate in a bad light.

Q1: How many applicants are placed on wait list? And how many eventually make it off?
A1: About 25% of the total intake will be the approximate number of aspirants on wait list. Most of the aspirants on the waitlist are likely to make it.

Q2: Ultimately, what is it that separates accepted applicants from the wait listed and denied folks?
A2: How enthusiastic the interview panel was in recommending an aspirant for admission would have made the difference.

Q1: How can applicants convince you and your staff that they are a good match for the program?
A1:

• Best way is to know as much as possible about SMOT, its program, selection process, expectations and get thoroughly prepared for that.
• Sincerity and seriousness one would show in preparing the application is also an indication.

Q2: What's the worst thing an applicant can do during the selection process?
A2: Bungling in the personal interview could prove to be the worst thing.

Q3: What general characteristics is the B-school looking for?
A3: Generally the applicant should be in a position to demonstrate certain level of maturity in relating his strengths and weaknesses to the kind of profile of job role and responsibilities that he / she intends to take up after graduation.

Q4: What does the school want to learn through the admission process? Are there things that people? Do that are more appreciated by the admissions committee?
A4:

1. The school would be interested in validating its own approach with regard to its curriculum which is oriented towards career specific verticals.

2. The admissions committee certainly appreciates depth of understanding of the post-employment woes that a typical management graduate would face in the work place and appreciation that SMOT offers a modest solution to squarely face such situations.

Q5: Which aspect of the application should an applicant is most concerned with to make himself / herself a competitive player?
A5: Preparation of statement of purpose and descriptive profile are the two most important aspects that the applicant should be concerned about.

Q7: Have you conducted any national/ international level Seminars/ MDPs/ Workshops?
A7: MDP on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development by Bob White, President and CEO of BRI International, Toronto was conducted on 29th March, 2007.

There are some more MDPs being organized.

Q8: Does SMOT have AICTE approval?
A8: SMOT is in the process of applying to AICTE for its approval.

Q9: Will residence facility be made available for the students?
A9: Certainly. Our Admin team will work with you to get the most suited residence at the most competitive price. SMOT prefers its students to stay as close to the institute as possible.

Q10: How is the program offered in SMOT relevant to industry?
A10: Career Track specialization makes it the most relevant to industry. The courses offered in specialization phase are innovative, practical, current and widespread and the students will not only find them important for their career but interesting.

Q11: What are your plans for placing the students?
A11: A senior professor holds full time charge as the Associate Dean for Career Guidance and Placement. He has to his credit long years of service in similar assignment from well established B School.

Q1: Number of full time faculty?
A1: SMOT has started with three full time faculties and intends to have about six faculties on its role by the time it commences class in September 2007.

Q2: Number of visiting faculty?
A2: SMOT has three visiting professors from academia, six from industry and ten from professional organizations on the visiting faculty. This will increase substantially increase in the months to come.

Q3: Ratio of full-time faculty to students?
A3: SMOT will achieve an excellent faculty time for the students outside class hours.

Q4: Qualifications of full-time faculty?
A4: All of the professors teaching in SMOT will be minimum postgraduates with substantial business, Industry / teaching experience. Some of them hold doctoral degree.

Q1: What is the student/ computer ratio?
A1: All the students will have laptops and wi-fi Internet connectivity.

Q2: How big is the library?
A2: Our library consists of 2000 books and subscription to 25 journals to start with.SMOT Library will also subscribe to some of the most popular databases. The library is managed by a senior professional specialized in Library science and has vast experience in managing B School Resource Centers.

Q3: Is a laptop mandatory?
A3: The program requires a laptop. SMOT will help the students to buy this at highly discounted price. However, all the students will be given broadband 24 x 7 Internet access.