Why was I rejected by IIM Indore despite 98.43 percentile and strong profile?

A 98.43 percentile CAT score, 9/9/9 academics across board, and two years of work experience — and still no call from IIM Indore. For a General category male (GEM) applicant, this outcome feels inexplicable. But from what we've tracked across similar profiles, it's actually more common than most aspirants expect, and the reasons are worth understanding carefully.

The pattern is broader than one profile

We've seen multiple high-scoring profiles document the same outcome this cycle. A 99.7 percentile rejection. A 99.66 percentile candidate with 40 months of work experience — also rejected. Several others with 99+ percentile scores received no call from Indore whatsoever. This isn't noise. It's a signal that something systematic is at play beyond the headline CAT score.

The 10th standard score theory — and why it's credible

The most substantiated explanation we've encountered points to how IIM Indore normalizes 10th board scores in its composite calculation. Here's the specific issue: CBSE moved from percentage-based grading to CGPA at a certain point, which means older applicants who scored 10 CGPA — technically equivalent to 95% — are now competing against younger applicants who could achieve 96%+ under the revised system. For candidates whose 10th score sits around 90.25%, this is particularly consequential. From experienced professionals familiar with IIM selection processes, the informal internal threshold for 10th standard scores appears to hover around 94–95%. Falling below that band, regardless of CAT performance, may effectively cap a candidate's composite score before other factors are even weighed.

Demographic and category factors are real

From SPJIMR and IIM alumni perspectives we've gathered, the picture that emerges is nuanced. A female GEM fresher with a 9/9/9 academic record and 99.43 percentile did receive the Indore call — while male candidates with stronger percentiles did not. Separately, an OBC category candidate received a call at 94.04 percentile. Neither outcome is surprising once you account for the fact that category reservation meaningfully reshapes the effective cutoff landscape. What reads as inconsistency on the surface is often the composite score formula interacting with reservation brackets in ways that aren't publicly disclosed.

On sectional cutoffs — probably not the culprit here

One explanation that circulates is minimum sectional cutoffs, with 80+ per section cited as a threshold. In this case, the applicant confirmed 90+ in each section, so that explanation doesn't hold. Sectional cutoffs are a floor, not the differentiator at this performance level.

The seat scarcity argument has some merit

It's also fair to acknowledge the structural reality: IIM Indore has finite interview slots relative to the number of candidates clearing 99+ percentile in any given year. When the eligible pool compresses significantly at the top, even small differences in composite scores — driven largely by academic history — can tip the outcome. The CAT percentile becomes less decisive than it appears.

The frustration is legitimate, but here's what's worth internalizing

We've seen this perspective from experienced professionals who've navigated IIM processes: criticizing IIM Indore's heavy weighting of scores from eight or ten years ago is fair and widely shared. The concern that "wholistic evaluation" may, in practice, be dominated by a few quantitative inputs is not unfounded. The characterization that Indore selects only "ultra overachievers" across every single parameter reflects a real pattern, not just sour grapes. At the same time, getting a call from IIM Lucknow at this percentile is a genuinely strong outcome — and the absence of other 'Old IIM' calls (Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Indore) doesn't diminish that.

What this means practically

If your 10th standard score is below 94–95%, IIM Indore's composite formula is likely working against you regardless of CAT performance. That's not a reason to abandon ambition — it's a reason to understand which institutions weight academic history differently, and to calibrate your shortlist accordingly. IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and several top-tier new IIMs use different composite weightings where a strong CAT score and work experience carry more relative weight.