Should my cousin take a gap year or join a lower-tier business school? Need guidance

Investment banking IB career ladder and networking
1

Hi folks,

I’ve been reading posts here for months now and really need some perspective. My cousin just graduated with his engineering degree and has okay grades, but his entrance exam scores might not get him into the top business schools like the premier IIMs, FMS, or XLRI. Now we’re facing the age-old question that I know many of you have dealt with: should he enroll in a second or third tier MBA program this year, or take a gap year and try again?

I work in corporate (been around for over a decade in tech, consulting, and marketing) and I’ve watched people from various educational backgrounds make it big. Sure, having a famous school name helps when you’re starting out, but I’ve also watched really talented people from lesser-known schools move up fast because they worked hard and knew how to get things done.

Here’s what I think, and maybe this helps my cousin and others facing this choice: you can make any college work for you if you put in the effort.

Taking a gap year is risky. Unless you have a solid study plan, know exactly what went wrong the first time, and feel confident you can score much higher, you’re losing a whole year of work experience and income. Plus the stress is crazy. What happens if the second attempt doesn’t go much better?

Maybe joining a decent second-tier school right now is smarter, but only if you’re ready to make the most of those two years. No school is perfect, even the top ones have issues. Instead of just depending on the school’s reputation, focus on:

  1. Learning new skills: Don’t just stick to what they teach in class. Get certifications, take online courses in data science, product management, financial modeling, whatever matches your career plans. Learn to code, improve your communication.
  2. Making connections: Talk to professors, alumni, guest speakers. Build real relationships.
  3. Joining activities and contests: Participate in case study competitions, business plan contests, student committees. These give you practical experience and look good on your resume.
  4. Getting great internships: Work really hard to find good internships and real projects. I’ve even hired high school students as interns before, so experience is everything now.

Honestly, many second and third tier schools have bad reputations partly because students join feeling disappointed about not getting into top schools. But if current students and graduates work hard, build strong profiles, and succeed after graduation, people’s opinions about the school will change. Everyone has to work together. How well your batch does affects what opportunities the next batch gets.

My cousin is looking at schools like TAPMI, Great Lakes, some of the newer IIMs, NMIMS, SIBM, and even newer options like Masters’ Union. He’s pretty overwhelmed by all the choices.

So I wanted to ask you all:

  • What do you think about second tier schools vs taking a gap year? Please only answer if you actually faced this decision and can tell me how it worked out.
  • If you went to a non-top-tier school, how did you make it work? What specific things did you do to overcome the reputation gap?
  • Any ideas on how students and alumni can help improve their school’s reputation in the industry?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your actual experiences. I’m trying to help my cousin make a smart, realistic decision instead of just chasing famous school names or getting stuck taking the exam over and over.

Thanks for reading!

2

Your cousin’s overthinking this big time - I did the exact same thing three years ago! Ended up at SIBM and it’s been solid. The engineering background? That’s gold right now. My batchmates with tech degrees are landing amazing product management and business analytics offers that commerce guys can’t even touch. The market doesn’t care if you’re IIM-A or NMIMS when you understand both tech and business. Pick a decent school with good placements and move on!

3

gap years are overrated unless you totally failed the first time. a friend of mine took one and barely improved his score - just stressed for a year. i went to a tier 2 college and now i got solid job offers. it’s better to focus on internships and projects than chase brand names.

4

Been there! Chose second-tier over gap year and never regretted it. Two years of real learning plus networking beats endless exam stress. Your cousin sounds thoughtful - that mindset matters more than rankings!

5

I’ve helped several friends with this exact choice - gap years only work if your cousin can realistically boost his scores by 15-20 percentile points. Most people I know who retook barely improved and ended up at similar schools anyway. Here’s what gets missed: many second-tier schools actually place better in specific industries than top-tier ones. TAPMI kills it for finance placements, and Great Lakes has solid consulting connections. Key point: his engineering background is an advantage at any school. Tech companies and consulting firms want that combo. Instead of gambling on maybe improving his scores, he should pick whichever current option fits his target industry best and go for it. Waiting a year in this job market usually isn’t worth the prestige bump.

6

I’ve recruited from both top schools and lesser-known B-schools, so here’s my take. This isn’t really about rankings—it’s about timing and whether your cousin’s ready. His engineering background is actually a huge advantage that most MBA candidates don’t have. Companies desperately need people who understand both tech and business, especially now.

Don’t think of this as gap year vs. second-tier school. Think about market timing. Right now, people who can bridge tech and business are killing it—fintech, edtech, sustainability consulting are all hot. Waiting a year means missing these opportunities.

For school choice, look for programs with solid industry connections and hands-on learning. Schools like TAPMI and Great Lakes give you way more personal attention than the big names.

The real game-changer will be how well your cousin uses his tech background during the MBA. My advice: take the best option available now and use the MBA as a springboard, not an end goal. Engineering + business training creates a killer combo for employers, regardless of which school name is on the diploma.