Which colleges did a candidate with 99.65 percentile in CAT '24 receive calls from?

65 percentile in CAT 2024 typically unlocks interview calls from most IIMs and top B-schools, though not always the very oldest IIMs if your profile has weaker academics or you belong to the General category. One working professional with 42 months of experience and a tier-3 undergraduate degree reported calls from IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, SPJIMR, IIFT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon**, and several new IIMs.

Conspicuously absent were IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode (the last likely due to composite scoring), showing how past academics and diversity factors still matter heavily in shortlisting.

Why Some Top IIMs Don't Call at 99.65

IIM A, C, and I use composite scores that weigh Class 10, 12, and undergraduate marks alongside CAT percentile. A tier-3 engineering background with average marks can pull your composite score below the shortlist threshold even at 99.6+.

IIM A's PGP, for instance, assigns 10% weight to 10th marks, 10% to 12th, and 10% to undergrad, meaning a candidate with 70% in each loses ground to peers with 90%+ academics at the same CAT score. You can compare colleges side-by-side to see how each weights profile elements.

Which Calls You Can Expect

At 99.65, General category candidates reliably receive calls from IIM B, L, and most new IIMs (Trichy, Udaipur, Ranchi, Raipur). IIM Bangalore weights CAT at 40% and past academics at 30%, so strong work experience (15% weight) can offset moderate undergrad marks. SPJIMR and IIFT Delhi both appeared in this candidate's call list because they value professional experience more than static academic records. MDI Gurgaon also called, as it applies a balanced composite formula.

FMS Delhi was missed entirely, not because of the percentile but because the candidate overlooked the application window.

FMS closes registration in late November, often before CAT results, and requires a separate form. This is a common mistake; run an eligibility match early to track every deadline.

Profile Gaps That Matter

The candidate's tier-3 UG and 42-month work tenure helped at some schools but hurt at others.

IIM C's shortlist algorithm penalizes non-premier undergrad institutions in its diversity score.

IIM I similarly applies academic filters that screen out candidates below ~80% in 10th and 12th. From Reddit, we learnt that even 99.7+ percentile General candidates with weak academics miss IIM A and C calls, while OBC/NC-OBC peers at 98.5 sail through due to relaxed cutoffs.

If you're targeting the older IIMs with a similar profile, focus on acing the personal interview. A strong PI can recover 10–15 composite points at IIM B and L. You can also build a CAT prep plan to push toward 99.8+, where even moderate academics become less of a barrier.