My profile is 8/7/6 (Commerce graduate) with 2 years of work experience. I got 99.6 in CAT 2022. No calls from A or B, but I got calls from C, FMS, SPJIMR, and new IIMs like Trichy and Udaipur. FMS and IIM C weigh CAT percentiles much more heavily than academics. So yes, while A and B may be harder to crack due to their rigid formula, you definitely have a good shot at C, FMS, and even XLRI (if you're open to XAT). Your percentile can compensate to an extent, but know which colleges value it more.

I had a 7.4/6.8/7.2 profile, which isn’t great. But with 3 years of solid work ex in a reputed firm and a 99.55 percentile in CAT, I managed to convert IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and MDI. My A and B calls didn’t convert, probably because of my academics. 

I’ve seen people with 9/9/9 profiles get rejected because they couldn’t justify their goals or came off unprepared in interviews. My profile was 8/7/6 and I had 2.5 years of work ex, but I worked on my SOP, HR answers, and GK, and cracked SPJIMR and IIM K.Remember, once you're past the shortlist hurdle (which CAT percentile helps with), the interview round is a clean slate. If you can defend your academic dips, show learnings, and show motivation, many colleges will take you seriously.

I had a 7/7/7 profile and scored 99.7 percentile in CAT 2023. Still, I didn’t get a call from IIM Ahmedabad or Bangalore. These two IIMs place significant weightage on your past academics, especially A. Ahmedabad has a composite formula that heavily factors 10th and 12th marks, and Bangalore adds work experience and undergrad scores too.However, I did get calls from IIM Calcutta, Lucknow, FMS, and MDI. So yes, poor academics do hurt, but they don’t eliminate your chances entirely. Just be strategic, focus on colleges that have a more holistic or CAT-heavy selection process.