MBA Students Fight COVID by Mentoring ApplicantsAs Covid-19 is terrorizing India, we have 300 spartans- The incoming class of 2021- who’ve rolled up their sleeves, pulled up their socks, readied their armours to fight the deadly virus plaguing India.
Precisely when India was on a path to recovery, it was hit by the second wave of coronavirus, deadlier than the previous wave, that has the entire country in shambles- gasping for air! As of May 14, India is recording a daily case count of over 4,00,000, with a total death count of 250,000. In such dire times, even a small initiative can bring in that much-needed ray of hope. One such initiative is the
Students Fight Covid Initiative. “It’s a very helpless and overwhelming feeling. You want to help, but, how? Most people aren’t in need of just financial support. They’re in need of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and medicines. How do you help them?”, explains Shree, a Wharton
MBA admit and one of the 300 volunteer mentors of the initiative.
Spearheaded by over 300 volunteer mentors from across top schools, the initiative aims to alleviate the shortages in covid-related supplies, supporting the fight against the deadly coronavirus. The volunteer mentors are working passionately to offer consultations for aspirants applying to top schools around the world, irrespective of the program.
“The team has been doing a great job and goes above and beyond to help aspirants. And all this for Covid relief in India,” explains Jatin Batra, one of the registrants.
“Himanshi did a comprehensive review of my profile, resume, and post-MBA career goals. She gleaned each and every point in my resume and went on to explain how I can better improve them. The call was scheduled for an hour but it went on over 1.5 hours and if that wasn't enough, Himanshi also connected me to two other alumni from my undergrad for further tips and suggestions. All in all, I couldn't be happier to have to connect with them."In exchange, the initiative requests registrants to donate directly to their fundraiser (link) or any other COVID-19 charity. Thus far, the initiative has
raised over Rs. 20 lacs with over 500 registrations, says Aishwarya, a Columbia Business school admit.
‘I realized that if I didn’t do anything now, 20 years down the line I’d be disappointed in myself for not finding a way to help out’The ball started rolling when Indian admits from schools across began offering consultations. With an intent to join hands and multiply the impact, admits from The Wharton School reached out to the admits from The Columbia Business School. And within a mere day, students and admits across schools such as HBS, Tuck, Kellogg, Wharton, Yale, Darden, Ross, INSEAD, LBS came together to join the initiative, which is now
300+ volunteers strong!“We aren’t one club, one MBA program, one school. We’re from across geographies with one intent- to help out as much in any way we can,” explains Shree, “Until now, there wasn’t just one platform that offered mentorship from people across different schools and backgrounds. With #studentsfightcovid, one can request for a mentor of their choice. We even have students from Columbia law school, Stanford masters program, and such.”
It’s truly inspiring to see not just a face or a single group to the initiative, but a collective of volunteers leading it together and coming together with the sole intention of driving change.
“We have a few undergraduate students who are eager to contribute as well. In the interest of diversifying our services to accommodate every contributors’ needs, we are working on expanding the offered services.”, explains Aishwarya.
The initiative now provides a range of services, including:
- One-on-one consultation
- Group consultation
- GMAT workshops
- Workshops on trending topics such as cryptocurrency
Manan Kumar, Enzo education has stepped forward to offer GMAT workshops and Jonathan from the prep zone is offering his consultation services, as part of the initiative. 100% of the funds from every service are directly being donated to the initiative’s own fundraiser for
Swasth.
“It’s really motivating to see the support we’re receiving. It deepens our resolve to work harder!”, says Shree.
Hope“While admitted to the hospital for a small surgery”, explains Aiswarya, “I witnessed heart-wrenching scenes- people fighting it out to save their loved ones. I realized my own privilege and decided that I had to contribute as much as possible from my end. I really wanted to be part of something that spreads hope”
The initiative is raising funds for the NGO- Swasth, which is working on-ground to mobilize supplies. Big kudos to all the frontline warriors working relentlessly to combat the pandemic and to all such initiatives- big or small- trying their very best to bring in a change.
Not only is the group offering services in exchange for a donation, but they are also actively involved in raising funds for and helping out those in need.
“We are a collaborative unit. Recently, we came across a Milaap fundraiser that required immediate assistance of up to 20lacs for a youngster suffering from Covid. His lungs were heavily infected and had to be airlifted to Hyderabad. The fundraiser needed to gain traction. Every one of us stepped up to ensure the fundraiser met its goal ASAP.” says Shree. If this doesn’t symbolize hope, I don’t know what will!
Addressing a few cynical comments about the initiative, the duo says, “It doesn’t warrant any thought. There’s personal gain such as networking for sure. There’s no denying that. But, the passion to support the cause supersedes it all. We are a bunch of truly passionate people, who are new to this. We stumble, we fall but we also get back up and figure things out as a team. And, that for us is what matters the most.”
What’s next?Having serviced over 500+ requests including MBA prep for US Army officials, Start-up advice to African entrepreneurs, and GMAT guidance for aspiring Indian professionals, the initiative hopes to expand its services across more geographies, raising more funds.
“It actually helps me to have clear direction and more visibility for my future career. Definitely, it is going to make an impact on my choice which I am sure will be a positive one, with now all the faith and confidence I carry from this conversation. Again, thanks a lot for your help”, says Amadou N'Diaye.For this month, the group has many events planned along with mentorship sessions. Find all the details below:
-
Youtube session on admits’ journeys to Wharton, Haas, and NYU Stern by GMAT Club on May 22nd at 7 PM IST. Add this event to your Google calendar
- GMAT Bootcamp on May 17th and 18th from 8 PM to 9 PM IST
- Webinar on ‘How do you select your target schools?’ on 22nd May from 6 PM to 8 PM IST
- Webinar on ‘Goals X Application’ on 23rd May from 6 PM to 8 PM
- Session on ‘Resume building’ on 29th May from 6 PM to 8 PM
If there were ever a time to step up and help out while also furthering a cause, now is the time. It’s been heartwarming to see people across stepping up collectively, albeit heartbreaking to know just how much this effort is needed!
GMAT Club too has donated to the fundraiser and is facilitating following YouTube sessions on the applicants’ journeys to Ivy League schools in order to support and raise awareness for the initiative.
- How I got Admitted and Why I am Going to Haas, Ross, Kellogg, Stern, Anderson
- 5 Admits Share their Road to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Haas and CBS MBA
- 4 Women Share Their Journey to Harvard, Kellogg, Ross and Fuqua MBA
- 4 Women Share Their Admissions Journey to Wharton, Berkeley Haas and NYU Stern MBA
- If you wish to donate and avail #studentsfightcovid’s services, please check out:
Studentsfightcovid - Link to a list of verified NGOs you can donate to
Covid resources - PS: If you are looking for more such initiatives,
please find the master link here. For more details about the initiative, please feel free to contact Aishwarya Kamraj(
aishwaryakamraj1509@gmail.com)
Thanks for supporting,
Anupama
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17 May 2021, 11:39
