Hello everyone,
A big congratulations to all the shortlisted candidates!
It’s often said that out of 10 applicants, around 8 receive a shortlist, and from those, only about 2 receive an offer. While these figures aren’t official, they do remind us that the shortlist is only the beginning.
While it’s natural to feel happy and elated at this stage, I wanted to share a few considerations based on my past experience that may help as the journey ahead is equally challenging.
1) Essays matter a lot: especially your authenticity.
Although there’s no official data on how candidates are evaluated, essays definitely play an important role in presenting your story.
It’s important to stay authentic. Sometimes we unintentionally exaggerate certain aspects of our journey, but if we can’t defend those points during the interview, it may overshadow the strengths of our application.
It’s absolutely okay to share failures—as long as you connect them with what you learned and how you evolved. The committee isn’t looking for a “10/10” perfect achiever; even a journey from 3/10 to 7/10 can be a powerful and compelling story.
2) Bring your best stories
This is the time to highlight the most meaningful experiences from your school, college, or work life—incidents that truly shaped you.
3) How I approached the essay-writing process:
I used AI tools for understanding flow and grammar. Once I had a draft ready, I asked the tools to review it- to comment on the structure, flow, and gaps not to write the story for me.
Keeping the narrative yours is essential. The process can feel intense, but by the end, you’ll be genuinely proud of the story you’ve crafted.
4) Missed an achievement?
If you realized later that you left out an important achievement in the application, you can still highlight it in your resume.
Wishing you all the very best ahead!