I’m an engineer, fresher, IIT background, scored 99.24, and got calls from all the IIMs, including ABC. But if you’re from a non-engineering background like NIFT, you’ve actually got an edge. IIMs actively look for academic and gender diversity. So, if you’re a female non-engineer, you can expect the cutoff to dip even further (sometimes by 1–2 percentile points). Basically, the diversity points do work in your favour, and you’re not directly competing with the engineer crowd.

Academics do play a role, especially for IIM B (they love a consistent academic record), but even if your 10th and 12th aren’t perfect, a solid CAT percentile and a diverse profile can compensate. Long story short: as an OBC non-engineer (say, from NIFT), you can realistically convert IIM B or C at even 96–98 percentile if your overall profile and interview game are strong. Gender diversity only helps you more. So don’t get bogged down by seeing all those 99+ numbers—play to your strengths, prep hard, and the odds are better than you think.