TIME Institute Elite Batch: Couldn't enroll? You can still crack CAT Exam
Updated: Jun 29, 2020
Someone messaged me this query that "If I'm not a part of an elite batch of CAT coaching, should it be a matter of concern?" There are several things that I thought need to be cleared in this regards and hence I thought of writing this post:

What is an elite batch?
There are some prestigious colleges, whose students are eligible for these batches. Some coaching institutes, like TIME, offer such a batch and it is claimed that the best faculty members teach them. This batch starts a little late (around March-April) across different coaching institutes.
What if you're not a part of this batch?
It is absolutely fine if you're not a part of the elite batch. Since it is purely on the basis of your college, there's nothing you can do if you're not eligible. Moreover, there are no statistics published by any coaching institute which reveal that the success ratio of the elite batch is more than the non-elite batches.
Were you a part of an elite batch?
No, I wasn't. And, just to clarify one more thing - one of the CAT 2017 toppers (100 percentiler) was from my batch. We studied at the TIME North Campus center and the elite batch was held at TIME CP center. The latter was 8 km away from our college. We chose distance over the name associated with the batch.
What about the compromise on faculty?
Trust me, no matter which coaching institute you join, at the end of the day, it comes down to self-preparation. The faculty can only share with you the concepts and the tricks (and those are same across centers), the rest is up to you. The faculty may ease the process of understanding a concept but you're the one who has to retain it by practice and apply it during the mocks and the final exam.
So, if you're not eligible for the elite batch, don't worry - it cannot hamper your chances to get into the B-school of your dreams. And, if you're eligible for the elite batch but confused whether to join or not because of the distance factor, prefer the nearer institute - the 100 Percentiler was eligible for the elite batch, he chose not to join the farther one. Travelling can significantly reduce your preparation time.
Hope this helps.
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