Steinbeck
sacman
greenzie
sacman, what's your background? Your GMAT is impressive so it's surprising that you didn't get anything from Olin and got some WLs and a ding from others.
4 years work-ex in an entrepreneurial venture and a tech startup. Undergrad from IIT. I must say I over-estimated my chances at some of the top schools, but the competition seems to be insane if you are an Indian applicant.
Not surprised with Olin's lack of love. This thread clearly shows that very few scholarships were handed out this year
The way you present yourself in the interview too has a say in making or breaking a situation apart from the figures (GMAT, GPA, Years of Work Ex). My friend who is from a private engineering college with 4 years of work ex in an HR role at a leading MNC with 740 GMAT and decent ECA got 50% schol from Olin.
Would like to respectfully disagree with you. Apart from ISB and Olin to an extent, I found all my interviews to be very standardised and there was hardly any scope to truly distinguish yourself. Several other people I know reported similar instances where they felt 'undercooked' at the end of their interviews.
I feel the raw figures (GPA, GMAT, quality of undergrad institution, quality of work experience) are the biggest drivers of admits and scholarships for the top schools while interviews are only a validation of your story and communication skills.