Since ISB established its Mohali campus in 2012, there has been a constant comparison between the experience at the two campuses – Hyderabad and Mohali. ISB maintains a “One School Two Campuses” philosophy and maintains that the class experience is very similar (if not the same) at both its campuses.

As ISB alumni coming from both Hyderabad and Mohali campuses, we agree that the experience is indeed very similar. However, certain differences also remain. Let us look at the similarities and differences between the two campuses, but first clarify a couple of myths.

The Myths:

  • Do Better students go to the Hyderabad campus?: Let us clear the air on this one!  ISB maintains a similar class profile and has a common admissions process for both campuses. The school follows an algorithm which helps them allocate students to the Hyderabad and Mohali campuses from the pool of admitted students. For instance, from every 9 students (based on rank / performance in the admissions process), 6 are allocated Hyderabad and 3 are allocated Mohali.
  • Do Hyderabad students get better placements?: While the school does not publish campus level statistics, as ISB alumni we know that placements at the Mohali campus have been better at times. For instance, in one of the recent placement seasons, one of the top consulting firms ended up selecting more students from the Mohali campus than the Hyderabad campus (unknowingly, as you are not allowed to disclose your campus during placements) . The Mohali campus also tends to get 100% placed by the end of Day 2 (also due to its smaller class size).Overall, the student quality at both the campuses is very similar, which can be validated by the similar attributes of the ISB Class profile, as mentioned on its website – https://www.isb.edu/pgp/peer-group/class-profile

The similarities:

  • Unified placements: ISB placements are conducted at one of the two campuses, (usually alternately between Hyderabad and Mohali). Students from the other campus fly in and the entire, 900 strong, class is at the same campus. Additionally, recruiters are barred from asking the campus and students are barred from disclosing their campus so as to avoid any bias. Hence, the placements experience is very similar regardless of the campus you come from.

Click here to know details of the ISB Class of 2020 Placements

  • Same faculty for many courses: ISB has various partner schools (such as Wharton and Kellogg) and various faculty members visit the school to take courses. Many of them visit both campuses and hence the academic experience is very similar at both Hyderabad and Mohali.
  • Common events: Various professional and social clubs at ISB conduct their events on the same day & time across both campuses, hence adding to the similarity of the class experience. 

The Differences: 

  • Competition vs. Collaboration: The Hyderabad campus is generally considered more competitive given the larger class size. On the other hand, the Mohali campus is generally more “close-knit” with everyone knowing everyone else by the end of term 2. The bonding between the Mohali campus students is generally witnessed during placements where those who are already placed volunteer to manage the process or help fellow classmates with their interview preparation.
  • More visiting faculty from partner schools: While most visiting faculty members from foreign schools visit both the campuses, some only visit the Mohali campus as the same course is taken by a resident faculty member at the Hyderabad campus. While both resident and visiting faculty at ISB is amongst the best in the world, the foreign faculty also brings their global research and consulting experience to the class at Mohali.
  • Different Electives: Both campuses have a different set of electives (although not very different) and one may like to go for an “Inter-campus exchange” to take that course.
  • Experiencing the “North” vs. the “South”: During the last two terms, once placements are over and graduation nears, students generally start exploring and travelling to nearby areas. While Mohali campus students have the Himalayas at a stone’s throw distance, those in Hyderabad visit Goa and Hampi, among others. All round the year, you get a taste of the local culture (which is very different in the Northern and the Southern part of our diverse country!), as you interact with various people both inside and outside the campus.

Despite the differences, the experience at both the campuses is very similar indeed, truly living up to ISB’s philosophy of #OneSchoolTwoCampuses

Hope this answers a very common question about ISB. In case you have any further queries, feel free to contact us using the details given on our Contact us page.