'Dear who will pay IIM fees then...': CAT aspirant shares hilarious chat with pricey coaching institute's rep, questions 'The Audacity'

A recent exchange between a CAT aspirant and a coaching institute’s representative has set Reddit abuzz under the post titled “The Audacity!?”

The conversation starts innocently enough, with the prospective candidate requesting the fee details for an online course. Things quickly take a turn when the institute in-charge responds with, “Call me dear,” followed by revealing a hefty base fee of ₹74,950—discounted to ₹60,950 under a package referred to as “Lumspum.”

The aspirant’s reaction was instant—an exasperated “Oh god” followed by a polite decline, citing budget constraints. The conversation took a cheeky turn when the representative quipped, “Dear if you feel it's high fees then who you will pay IIMs fees then,” and added that admission depended not just on fees but on proven results.

The aspirant’s parting shot—“I can take a loan for IIM but I won't be taking a loan for an online tuition coaching lol”—left little doubt about his stance.

Reddit users quickly joined in, with comments highlighting a broader trend of escalating fees reminiscent of IIT JEE coaching.

Some users lambasted the institute’s approach, arguing that the real conversation should centre on return on investment. Others shared personal experiences of negotiating fees, "They negotiate even upto 30k. I had paid 28k last year for Career launcher. Cant disclose branch. Started from 50k, then i had a cat percentile of 94.5k last year so basis that had a good nego and closed at 28k."

In the end, the viral exchange there lies a growing sentiment: while top B-schools may justify steep tuition fees, not all students are willing to shell out nearly the same amount for a virtual prep course.