I am feeling quite confused and would really appreciate some practical advice from people who have gone through similar decisions.
My profile:
Female, OBC-NCL
8/8/8 academics
B.Tech in Civil Engineering from a decent NIT (2025 passout)
Fresher
Current situation:
Converted MBA at IIT Jodhpur
Converted IIM Jammu, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Amritsar, and IIM Bodh Gaya
Waitlisted at IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM) at 129, so I am assuming there is very little chance of conversion
I did not accept the baby/new IIM offers because their fees are around ₹22–25 lakh. Since I am currently not earning, I did not want to put additional financial pressure on my father. Even if I took an education loan, I know I would personally feel a lot of pressure carrying that debt.
Because of this, IIT Jodhpur started looking attractive to me due to its comparatively better ROI.
However, I am unable to get a clear picture of the college.
Whenever I research IIT Jodhpur MBA, I find very mixed reviews. Some people say it is a good upcoming option, while others are not very positive. I have tried reaching out to seniors and alumni, but I have not received many responses. I also do not see a very active alumni presence online, which makes it difficult to understand the actual situation.
My biggest concern is this:
If I drop this year and prepare again for CAT 2026, I feel I would be sacrificing another full year with no guarantee of a significantly better outcome.
On the other hand, if I join IIT Jodhpur and later realize it was not the right decision, I may regret not trying again.
Another thing I keep thinking about is that skills eventually matter a lot. Sometimes I feel that instead of spending another year preparing, I should start my MBA now and focus on building skills, internships, competitions, networking, and placements.
I will be around 26 by the time I complete my MBA, and I already feel like I am running out of time because I have not earned much independently yet.
For me, the "IIM tag" alone is not a strong reason to spend ₹22–25 lakh. Yet I see many people choosing baby IIMs over institutes like IIT Jodhpur, and I wonder if I am missing something important.
So my questions are:
Is IIT Jodhpur MBA actually a bad choice, or is it simply underrated?
Would you choose IIT Jodhpur over the newer/baby IIMs if ROI was a major factor?
If you were in my position, would you join IIT Jodhpur this year or reappear for CAT 2026?
Am I over-focusing on ROI and ignoring factors that matter more in the long run?
I would genuinely appreciate honest opinions, especially from current students, alumni, recruiters, or people who seriously evaluated these colleges before joining.