MBA For Girls: MBA Advantages & Gender Diversity Points For Female Candidates

Updated on 27th January 2025 | 2:47 pm | #MBAForGirls

Being a woman is a hectic task; one already has a lot on one's plate, balancing personal life, work life, and much more. It's highly important to be at the top in the race for future business leaders, for which people usually find shortcuts. Pursuing an MBA is one such instrument that may undoubtedly be a life-changing experience for women who want to succeed in their career. Without a doubt, it can serve as a stepping stone up the professional ladder.

In recent times, with the increase in awareness of women's empowerment, most of the top B-schools have started giving a certain advantage to all female aspirants in order to encourage them to pursue MBA. From specialized networking opportunities and mentorship programs to initiatives aimed at promoting gender balance in classrooms, many business schools are committed to fostering an inclusive environment.

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B-School Admission For Girls: The Advantage

In recent years, there has been a rising demand for women in leadership, leading to a focus on gender diversity in MBA programs. Many B-schools are actively promoting women in leadership roles and fostering inclusive environments. 

This article talks about the various advantages a female candidate may possess in her MBA journey, such as gender diversity in MBA programs, lower effective CAT cutoffs, and more, empowering women to leverage these opportunities to achieve their professional goals.

Let us dive deeper into some of the advantages a candidate possesses for being a female CAT aspirant.

Gender Diversity Points At Top B-Schools

To encourage female participation, many B-schools have included gender diversity points in their admission process.

  • The gender diversity points give the composite score a boost, improving the chances of getting into the B-schools.
  • The gender diversity score has been introduced to address the gender imbalance in most IIMs and not as an undue advantage to female candidates.
  • As this is not a universal or balanced practice, the points awarded in gender diversity vary for most of the top MBA colleges in India

The table below showcases the gender diversity points, i.e., the weightage that has been given to female candidates during the IIM admission process for receiving a call from each particular B-school, for your reference.

Note: Gender Diversity Points are subject to change based on B-School's discretion and year of admission

Gender Diversity Points At Top B-Schools

Institute Name

Gender Diversity Points*

IIM Bangalore

5%

IIM Calcutta

4%

IIM Lucknow

5%

IIM Kozhikode

10%

IIM Shillong

10%

IIM Indore

6%

IIT Delhi

7%

IIT Kharagpur

10%

IIT Bombay

10%

*The gender diversity points are as per the latest (2025-27) batch admission policy

Lowest Percentiles At Which CL's CAT 2023 Female Aspirants Got IIM Admission Calls

Institute Name

CAT Cutoff (For Females)

CAT Cutoff (For Males)

IIM Ahmedabad

87.63%ile (53 Score)

96.77%ile (77 Score)

IIM Bangalore

86.5%ile (51 Score)

92.84%ile (63 Score)

IIM Indore

88.87%ile (55 Score) 

92.78%ile (63 Score)

IIM Lucknow

85.84%ile (50 Score)

92.77%ile (63 Score)

IIM Shillong

85.13%ile (49 Score) 

88.84%ile (54 Score)

*The above data have been taken from our internal audited data of CL students who appeared for CAT 2023 and submitted their confirmation letters to our database.

CAT Cutoff For Female Candidates

The CAT cutoff serves as a criterion for receiving a call from a particular B-school. Due to a lack of female students, most B-schools have lowered their cutoffs, especially for female candidates. This situation makes the process even tougher for male aspirants while inspiring females to grow and build their own futures in a meaningful way.

The data below showcase the differences between CAT scores vs percentiles and the lowest percentiles at which CL's CAT 2023 Female Aspirants received the PI Calls for both male and female candidates across different B-schools.

Note: 

  • The above percentiles are based on students from the general category with a science background.
  • The percentiles mentioned above do not represent the cutoffs for the respective colleges; instead, they indicate the lowest percentiles achieved by Career Launcher students for final admission to those colleges.
  • Percentiles are liable to change as per the number of applicants in that particular year, this is indicative data.

Women In The MBA Landscape

The ratio of girls to boys is low not only in MBA programs but also in the CAT. Statistics suggest that the CAT 2024 test was taken by 64% of male aspirants and 36% of female aspirants, along with 14 transgender candidates.

Due to a noticeable gender disparity, top B-schools aim to highlight the role of women in management positions and provide them with the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Given below is a ratio of the female students in MBA programs of top B-schools.

*The percentage of female candidates has been taken from the data available on the respective B-schools' official websites as on 10th January 2025

Percentage Of Girls In Top B-schools

Institute Name

% Female Students

IIM Ahmedabad

25%

IIM Bangalore

40%

IIM Calcutta

36%

IIM Lucknow

35%

IIM Kozhikode

54%

IIM Shillong

53%

IIM Indore

27%

IIM Rohtak

73%

IIM Visakhapatnam

41%

IIM Nagpur

40%

IIM Jammu

61%

Find The Right Coaching Program Designed For Female CAT Aspirants

Career Launcher is committed to continually launching new initiatives aimed at improving the educational experience for its students, in alignment with its CSR activities. The major focus being promoting women’s empowerment and educating young people to help develop future female leaders.

SheMeansBusiness – Women Programme 2025

Career Launcher has created a one-of-a-kind and empowering curriculum, particularly for female CAT aspirants. It seeks to improve their MBA preparation journey by providing vital insights into how to make the most of this exciting opportunity designed specifically for them, as well as teaching them the art of networking even before their MBA begins.

To all the female CAT aspirants, this is your chance to step into a future brimming with success and confidence!

Explore What Career Launcher Has To Offer!

In addition to the regular live online and offline classes and webinars, female aspirants will gain access to the following, irrespective of their selected program.

1

Podcast & Interactive Sessions

Access to a 10-session series featuring candid conversations with female CXOs and top management leaders.

2

Networking and Mentorship Opportunities

Candidates will receive valuable insights, mentorship, and opportunities to network through a dedicated Telegram group

3

Dedicated Special Section for Female Students

Access to recorded sessions on relevant topics such as the Diversity Advantage, Scholarships, B-School Comparison, Goal Setting, and Specialization.

4

Her B-School Diaries

Access to series on B-School insights from top B-School alumni and business leaders.

Meet Career Launcher's Female CAT Achievers

Shivi Handa

Converted: IIM A

I enrolled in the PDP crash course and am truly grateful for all the guidance and support provided by my mentor, Radhika Dua Ma'am. I would like to thank Career Launcher for helping me secure admission into my dream college, IIM Indore, and for assisting me in converting many of the other coveted colleges as well.

Aditi

Converted: IIM Indore

Career Launcher literally helped me reach my dreams. When I started with the CAT coaching journey, I didn't even know about the curriculum, but within four months, CL has helped me groom myself properly, enabling me to score well. Shivku Sir was my mentor; he helped me a lot throughout my CAT journey.

Tanvi Bhandari

Converted: IMT Ghaziabad

I scored 91.97 percentile in CAT and have secured admission to IMT Ghaziabad for the PGDM marketing program. I was enrolled in CL for the PDP program as well as the online classes, and I had a wonderful learning experience. I was mentored by Sanjaya Ma'am for the PDP program, and her guidance and learning

Mehak Saurabh

Converted - MICA, IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB

Career Launcher has helped me a lot throughout my MBA journey. I enrolled in their online classes for 6 months, following which they guided me through the PDP program. Radhika Ma'am really helped me through the mock interviews and addressed all my questions and queries. She supported me in every step of my entire journey.

Do Girls Get An Advantage In MBA Admissions?

Yes, there is no doubt that there are certain advantages that a female candidate may possess in the MBA admission process, but it's important to understand that these can vary based on the specific programs and their diversity and inclusion policies.

B-school Admission for Girls: The Gender Difference

A noticeable difference exists in the expected B-school calls for both based on the gender difference. Below are two profiles:

Profile A

Profile B

Category: General

Gender: Female

Education: 

Graduation - BA - 85%

10th & 12th - 90%

Work Experience: 24 months 

Category: General

Gender: Male

Education: 

Graduation - Engineer - 85%

10th & 12th - 90%

Work Experience: 24 months

Read more

Female

Male


Key Observations

It is important to note that receiving a call from reputed B-schools depends wholly on one’s CAT score and other factors, including GD-PI scores, academic scores, work experience, and more, which actually carry more weight in the final selection process.

Check the possible B-school calls you can get now with Career Launcher's IIM Profilizer

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CAT Preparation Tips For Female Aspirants

The number of girls enrolling in MBA programs at top B-schools has been declining. However, with effective CAT preparation, female candidates can successfully crack the CAT and gain admission to IIMs and other prestigious institutions. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Prepare a study plan

Frame a preparation strategy that best suits your daily schedule. Devote at least 2 hours every day to CAT preparation and analyzing performance. Make it a point to stick with the study plan and be disciplined.

Decide your mode of study

You can choose to prepare by yourself or get assistance from coaching institutes. Based on your confidence, requirements, and goals, decide what plan works best for them.

Understand the exam pattern and syllabus

As there is no official syllabus or exam pattern, the focus should be on attempting to answer questions strategically and identifying and understanding the fundamentals of all major topics that are frequently asked in the paper.

Improve the speed and accuracy of attempts

There should be a balance between the speed at which the paper is attempted and the accuracy of the answers. Practice regularly to improve your speed and accuracy through mock and timed attempts of sections.

Choose the correct resources and preparation material

The resources you use will make all the difference when attempting the CAT exam. To establish fundamentals, utilize the school books while CAT books can be used alongside to understand the paper.

Practice Mock Exams

Focus on mock exams once you are confident in your preparation. They will help identify the weak points and areas of improvement while also giving an accurate idea of your speed and accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Suggested Readings

Top MBA Entrance Exams How To Get Into An IIM? Free resources for CAT prep Free CAT Mock tests CAT Previous Year Papers