By securing the required cut-off score, you may have cleared the first step of getting into your choice of B-school. Those sleepless nights, early morning revisions and back to back mock papers may have helped you ace the entrance exam in a breeze.

Now, it is time for a face-off. No matter how good you are with numbers or logical thinking, your performance in the next two rounds — group discussion and personal interview will lock your seat in your “dream” B-School.

These rounds will help assess your interpersonal and communication skills along with your willingness to be a part of the institute.

It is, then, extremely crucial to understand what to say and what not to, and present yourself in the right manner during these rounds. Here are a few guidelines that will help you in the preparations:

Group discussion: From your familiarity with the given topic, to your analytical, leadership and communication skills, the group discussion round becomes an important criterion for your selection.

Usually, the topic ranges from national and international politics to current affairs, sports, business, and economic issues. After the topic is revealed, students get 15 minutes to brainstorm and prepare their arguments.

So make sure you jot down the key points and support your arguments with case studies or relevant examples. Initiating this can earn you brownie points.

However, do so if you think you can do justice to the topic and offer in-depth analysis with facts and findings from the recent past.

Only voracious reading of newspapers, books and magazines along with catching up on interesting talk shows can help students add more substance to their comments.

When the GD round is on, do not argue or shout while presenting your viewpoint. Even if you don’t agree with others’ viewpoints, do not take away their chance to speak.

Always remember that the way you conduct yourself during this round also earns you those precious marks. One critical thing to remember is to be well-balanced with your thoughts.

Opinions without logic or rationale do not fetch you high points. Try to keep the discussion lively by adding new dimensions to the topic.

If you feel that the focal points is being strayed, then grab the opportunity to give it the right direction by adding logical insights to it.

The most important attribute in this round is to listen patiently to what others have to say and then put your arguments concisely, logically and without getting overwhelmed.

Speak little, but put forth sensible arguments. The mantra is to listen carefully and give substantial inputs.

Personal interview: This is the final round on the basis of which your selection will be determined. After months and years of hard work, you do not want to lose a seat in the choice of your college because you failed to make a mark in the personal interview round.

While it is difficult to predict the pattern of questions asked during this round, a few commonly asked questions can be regarding your strengths and weaknesses, hobbies, general knowledge, reason for opting for an MBA over other courses, etc.

If you have prior work experience, then the questions can be regarding your company, competitors, business model, policies, targets, clients, etc.

This round is conducted to assess a student’s interpersonal and communication skills. You’re bound to be confronted with unexpected questions but the key is to keep your cool and give honest responses.

There can be a situation, where you do not know a particular answer or you’re put in a tricky situation. Do not beat around the bush and pretend to be a person that you’re not.

Ensure that you have ample reasons and justifications to defend your point of view. Also remember that your body language plays an equally important role.

Only dressing up well won’t do any good. Be positive, stay confident and wear a smile on your face. Sit straight, avoid resting your hands on the table, scratching your head and tapping your feet.

Maintain an eye contact with the panellists and keep a check on being verbose or pompous.

Ultimately, it is your overall conduct and presentation that can help you bag your dream seat. Do not leave any room for error. Carry all the necessary documents, maintain a calm demeanour and give your best shot.

The writer is professor, International Management Institute, New Delhi