What influenced you to do an MBA?

The thought of an MBA came into my mind around five to six years ago. When I joined JSW steel in the TQM department and got into a consulting job,  I realized that I needed to do an MBA if I wanted a career boost.

How many years of work experience do you have in total?

Around 4.4 years.

How did you shortlist b-schools to apply for?

I wanted to pursue a one-year MBA and did not want to go too far away from my home country, so I planned to apply for B-Schools in India and ISB was my first choice. I also started applying for a few other b-schools in India. Apart from that, I was trying for a few Singapore schools as well. Keeping my final GMAT  score in mind, I had selected the Singapore schools, which were the Nanyang Business school and the National University of Singapore. I had also spoken to Shreekala from CrackVerbal regarding B-school suggestions and she suggested a few schools in Europe.

What are the challenges you faced during your application writing process? How did you overcome them?

With 680 as my final GMAT score, I thought that it was a miserable score and I won’t be landing anywhere with it. The deadline was just about three weeks for the first round of applications. So the first and foremost thing I did was to browse through the internet and check what were my chances of getting into ISB or any other school I was targeting with this kind of score. I remember talking to Shubam from CrackVerbal regarding this. I had contacted him because of the testimonials available on the website. He told me that my score is decent enough and my work experience in the manufacturing sector would help me stand a good chance of getting into ISB. When I was going through various testimonials, people said that the GMAT score plays an important part in the admissions along with the application which is whatever you write. So since my GMAT score was not that competitive, I was adamant enough to put my two hundred percent into the application that I  will be writing.

But at the same time, I knew my writing skills weren’t that great. So that is when I decided to take help from CrackVerbal. The first thing I remember is that CrackVerbal asked me to fill a PES (Personal Evaluation Survey) form. I nearly took four or five hours to fill that form which helped me in realizing all the points I would like to highlight in my application. Basically,  it helped me in knowing myself better and what all points I wanted to highlight in my application. After that, I interacted with my mentor Naveen and he helped me with the entire process. To begin with, we had a good conversation regarding what I wanted to write and then guided me through what I shouldn’t write and what should be my focus while writing my essay. This has been the most helpful process.

Could you tell us how different your final application was from your first draft?

It was very different. When I actually read through my first draft now, it feels like a kid has written it. I guess I went through almost 7-8 revisions. When I read my final essay now, it seems to be a whole new different story. My mentor really helped me in putting my story forward and bringing the entire essence that I wanted to present in front of the admission team.

Could you tell us about the interview calls? How many interviews did you attend?

ISB has always been my first choice. I submitted my first application form to ISB. The second application form I wrote was to HEC Paris. So, as soon as I got an interview call from ISB, I went through quora and searched for different kinds of questions on the internet. I’ve been very impressed with my peer group. So, accordingly, I spoke to a few people associated with me to take my mock interviews who are from prestigious colleges like IIM, FMSs. So three to four people took my mock interviews over the phone and that is how I prepared for my interviews. I got rejected from the HEC Paris post which I also stopped three more of my applications midway.

Could you tell us more about your admission process?

I submitted my application on the 16th of September which I  guess was the deadline. I got my interview invite on the 13th of October and then my results were declared on the 15th of November. So, the entire process took almost 2 months.

What was your experience with CrackVerbal?

The support given by the entire CrackVerbal team was really nice. Whenever I have approached them, they have been very prompt in answering my questions and queries. Naveen, my mentor,  has been really prompt about each and every query of mine. So that is what really helped me in writing my application in just 15 days. Those 15 days were really hectic. I had to give in my two hundred percent. CrackVerbal team and my guide helped me submit my final application.

How excited are you? What are your expectations from ISB?

I am absolutely excited about the curriculum and the diverse cohort at ISB. People from different backgrounds be it engineering, medicine, athletes, fashion designers, bankers would be there. I feel that any kind of query I have g regarding any aspect of my life will be sorted out there. I am also looking forward to reviewing my passion for dancing and singing.