I thought I’d share my MBA journey since I got into Harvard Business School this year with scholarship(financial aid) and my profile is pretty non-standard. Neither have I worked for a Fortune 500 firm nor do I come from an elite institution. I have a B.Tech and M.Tech from a Top 50 Undergrad institution in my country.
After college I joined a manufacturing firm as their first data-scientist and helped launch an in-house AI voice assistant for the company. I transferred to corporate headquarters in Switzerland and worked across Europe, ending with a posting in Paris, leading a new team working on e-commerce offerings for 50 countries.
I returned to India after completing that project and landed right in the middle of the second wave of COVID hitting the country. I volunteered as a consultant with the think tank of Govt. of India, helping craft India's AI strategy to improve education outcomes and build an app for teachers for a non-profit.
I always knew an MBA was in my future but I decided it was time. After I started preparing for the GMAT, I was offered my dream job by - a Product Manager role in Switzerland. This changed my priorities and I decided I would only give up this opportunity for an MBA in a top school.
With Harvard as my goal and a 760 GMAT score in hand, I decided to work with a consultant after speaking to multiple admission consultants in the US. My consultant encouraged me to apply to other colleges as well, explaining that Harvard is a long shot generally and that applying to one school has high risk. After discussions, I agreed to apply to Wharton and MIT as well.
I was back in Europe but working with my consultant was easy as he was always available and I could reach him quickly on https://gmatclub.com/chat or a call, regardless of the time differences. He guided with focusing and refining my thinking, taking a strategic lens to my resume and trimming it from three pages to one. When it came to goals thinking, he patiently heard my past experiences and helped build compelling essays that differentiated me. While I was clear on what I wanted to do, he helped me refine and narrow it down to specific, achievable yet ambitious goals.
The interview prep was very solid again. He even guessed who would interview me and what the interviewing style was! The mocks he conducted were in line with the actual interview so I was confident going in and was able to have a conversational interview.
The results speak for themselves; an admit to Harvard Business School. My life experiences, interpersonal approach at work and extra-curricular involvement played a big role and I would encourage you all to target your dream school.
If somebody says Harvard or any other M7 is not possible for you, I would say don't listen and just apply. Your story matters more than you think it does
Please feel free to message me if you'd like to know more about my journey and I am happy to share more.
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Updated on: 05 Jul 2022, 13:19
