Why I left University of Delhi to Join ISBF

I spent a year at Venkateswara College, DU (South Campus) pursuing Bachelor’s in Statistics (H). The year as a whole was enjoyable, but the add-on from a personal and professional view from my college experience, was null.

The emphasis on old school techniques existed, and the curriculum was the same as it was when the professors were in the college. They would make you study like in a school with only lecturers and no tutorials etc. Practical experience was zero and by the end of the year, I was at the same place as I was when I left school. Of course, attendance is a joke, exams you can breeze through (probably) but your overall development as compared to International Universities was pathetic. My mum saw this and asked me to move and she found out about ISBF. So, my friend and I both left Venky and ended up joining ISBF.

The very first thing that was different was the curriculum. It was a mix of old teachings but applied in the present scenario. So, we would study Hicks and Slutsky but the context was 2010 and not 1980’s. There was a lot of importance given to tutorials where the faculty could concentrate on students in smaller batch sizes. Since the curriculum is by LSE, students from ISC, CBSE other state boards required a learning curve which took a while and the one good way to make sure everyone was on the level was through tutorials. This was also impressive because through this ISBF would make sure everybody was on the same level. Unlike DU where there are 85 students per lecture and getting a hold of the faculty to help you out was tough, ISBF made that easy.

One other thing that takes ISBF a level or two above DU is the balance it helps you create. There is an ease with which you can get involved in extra-curricular activities. DU made that so hard because you had to be an athlete or a dancer to be a part of the teams, but here the students who wanted to be a part of a society had the option to join without being a pro in that extra-curricular. What this does is, it broadens your horizon and your think capabilities. The overall development is paramount if you want to succeed in the current world. Academics will you take you to a certain level and believe me – a UOL degree holds more weightage than a DU degree. But the experience, exposure you get from ECA’s will help you more. All international colleges want to know what extra you did in your undergraduate program that makes you a worthy candidate that they should offer a position in their university. Everyone who applies to an international university has similar background in education, work experience and GMAT/ GRE score. DU makes sure very few could participate in the ECAs. ISBF will not only allow you to be a part of a society, but the atmosphere around will make you push beyond to learn and achieve.

I have been saying it for the last 5 years that leaving DU for ISBF was the best decision I ever made. Since then, I have worked with UBS AG in London and with a massive Indian Start-up right from its inception. I also got my MBA from Singapore Management University and then went on to work for Zurich Insurance Company in Singapore. I sure don’t know too many of my friends from DU who have had a similar decade of opportunities.

A testimonial by Shiven Nagrath
An ISBF student | BSc Economics Batch 2014