This is a major misconception among people that MICA is just an advertising school. The “C” in MICA stands for “Communication” hence it is a Communication Management School.

MICA offers a flagship program in Marketing with specializations such as Brand Management, Media Management, and Marketing Research and Analytics, to choose from. The institute offers better learning opportunities in marketing than any other general management course. All that the industry needs, the institution tries to cover in the form of marketing.

In addition to the above-mentioned specializations, it has also come up with two other specializations, namely, Digital Communication Management and Advertising Management. These are more related to advertising but advertising is nothing without marketing. 

Also, the students of MICA indeed know about advertising but, they know marketing equally or you can say, better.

MICA admission process has not yet revealed their eligible cut off for the GD/PI but it leaves the applicants to assume and prepare themselves accordingly.

The descriptive section marks are not known to the candidates. However, for the second round, along with the verbal and current affairs section, the descriptive section is also considered for the application to process further.

It is fair to say that MICA not only cares about your score but your performance in the descriptive section too. MICA doesn’t necessarily disclose the scores of candidates every year too. Hence figuring out the cutoff for eligibility is not as easy as it sounds.

Every year the candidates who get selected for the final round (GD & PI) have no idea what was their overall score even after they have finished the graduation. The only certain and known to all information is that along with the psychometric qualifier, you need to perform equally well in the descriptive section too.

MICA and Digital Vidya are some of the most renowned institutions of India and offer a course in digital marketing. On the basis of the brief interactions I had with some of the students of both the institutions, I have to say both the courses has its advantages. 

Here is a brief overview of the courses. 

Here are some of the attractive and most prominent features of both the institutions.

MICA:

MICA is one of the most prestigious institutes which offers a digital marketing course. 

The course is designed to give students exposure to various aspects of digital marketing to be future-ready. The lectures are conducted online i.e Live Streamed. All students will have 24×7 access to Talentedge's Cloud Campus which includes study materials, case studies, and assignments. Students can also have real-time chat with the professors during their live sessions.

Digital Vidya:

Digital Vidya is one of the leading professional training companies that provide digital marketing and various programming courses. Digital Vidya is also an official associate partner with Google and Microsoft.

The course includes several module assignments related to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Email Marketing, Inbound Marketing, and Web Analytics. The students are also taught various case studies from various companies like PUMA, Myntra, Microsoft, Cadbury, etc. Both online and Classroom training is available.

Both courses have their perks. These courses are tailored to provide a comprehensive understanding of Digital Marketing and its various aspects. So, choose your pick based on various parameters such as preference, cost curriculums, etc.

MICA generally conducts two MICATs every year and they also consider CAT score for the final merit list. Your current-affairs game needs to be strong and well-rehearsed. 

It is always advisable to enroll yourself in some or the other coaching center to make sure your preparation for the entrance exams is flawless and efficient. Appear in CAT or XAT first after you have gained enough exposure and experience of training from the coaching centers.

The creative section in the MICAT needs a little extra effort and attention from your end. Being well aware and informed about the media, marketing, and advertising industry will certainly help you score those extra brownie points in your overall score of MICAT.

This second stage of assessment is majorly to test an applicant’s personality and mindset and thought process, because MICAns are noticeably different from other MBA graduates and that’s what MICA is in search of.

One of my friends graduated from MICA Ahmedabad, knowing her, I might be able to share her interview experience. From what she was asked and how she approached every situation, I will provide all the details. This would give you a general idea of what takes place in an interview.

• Her interview was on 14th March 2018 in the first slot. The venue was the MICA campus and the panelists included One CCC Prof and an Industry Professional (MICA alumni), A lady Prof. from the Core Faculty.
• They checked her career and work background and finally started the interview. Seeing her work experience in an NGO and as an intern in Marketing Management, she was asked about her work and projects, etc.
• They asked about her plan for the future and in what field her interests lie. She told about her 3-year long experience in organizing debates, symposiums, conclaves, and fests. The writing was her passion and her interest lies in the specializations of Branding & Advertising and Media Management. 
• Hearing this they asked about how that particular field functions and what ideas and understanding she has about it. She approached each question with a calm and cool mind and answered with honesty and confidence. 
• Maintaining calm composure in a stressful situation was appreciated by the interviewers. They tend to grill candidates to test their true grit. 

These will obviously vary among candidates as an interview is a personal and unique experience for an individual. But what you can learn from it is how to approach certain situations and when to agree and disagree with the interviewers.

So finally, all you have to do is be confident, honest, and keep a calm stature because ultimately everything will be focussed on your work and how well you are able to work or function in a pressure situation.

Assuming that you are either getting admission in MICA for either MBA Marketing (PGDM-C) or CCC. The PGDM-C is the normal 2 year MBA Marketing course while the other one (CCC) is a crafting creative communication course for 2 years. The later one is a course specifically designed for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in advertising, branding, copywriting or direction.

Let’s begin by mentioning a little more details about both the courses and their respective admission processes:

PGDM-C/MBA

• To get yourself admitted into MICA for this particular course, you will have to appear for an examination called MICAT. 
• This entrance exam tests you on your verbal ability, quantitative ability, logical reasoning, and data interpretation, convergent and divergent thinking, along with your writing abilities and creativity. 
• Apart from MICAT, you are also required to appear for CAT/XAT/GMAT. After qualifying, you will be required to undergo a series of group exercises and personal interviews; the weightage of whose is as follows:
  • MICAT: 20%
  • CAT/XAT/GMAT: 20%
  • GE+PI: 60%

MICAT: The psychometric testis a compulsory test to be cleared for passing the MICAT. The important point to be noted here is that there are no right or wrong answers to this test. All questions must be attempted and there has to be an overall display of stability and sanity.

There are other sections in the test as well, such as verbal, quant, and Irdi. They are similar to CAT but just slightly easier. Little CAT preparation would be enough.

Convergent and divergent section deals with all the questions category from CAT. You need to be reading the newspapers regularly to do well in this section. It deals with current affairs and everything about marketing, branding and creativity.

GE focuses on initiating your and showcasing your leadership skills. Do not become very aggressive and focus on taking up a role and doing it well. Some institutes might not conduct GE but MICA does.

For the PI, make sure your SOP is extensively written. Be a storyteller about your journey. Brush up your general knowledge and read about the recent trends. Research about the subject you are willing to take, questions will be arised from them. Lastly be confident and honest about yourself.