Q1. So, Yash, why don’t you just briefly tell us about yourself and what was your aspiration behind applying for an MBA program?

• I am originally from Mumbai and I did my Btech from KJ Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai University
• I have been working as a cybersecurity analyst for Accenture for the last 4.5 years. I basically serve as the first line of defence against any cybersecurity threat and I have worked with multiple US based healthcare client
• I wanted to expand my impact directly on businesses and work on more strategic initiatives due to which I thought about applying for an MBA and started my journey in 2023.

Q2. So, Yash, you come from that Indian IT male cohort, right? There’s this notion that it’s probably one of the worst places to be and really not conducive from an application point of view. So, why don’t you just tell us about your thought process in terms of how you approach the MBA application process?

• Being an engineer, I had a decent GMAT score but one challenge was that I had 96 percentile in quant and only 33 in verbal. I wasn’t sure if schools would look past this unbalanced score
• While I tried to improve my GMAT score, due to health reasons, I was unable to make any progress and thus I took the risk to apply with my score
  
  

When I started the process of interviewing admission consultants, I interviewed around seven to eight consultants face to face before finalizing The MBA Edge. One of the primary motives was the focus on fit over stats or rankings.

On Abhinav’s recommendation, I went to Taj Land’s End multiple times for MBA fairs, met with multiple adcoms post which I came up with an initial list of 15 to 20 colleges

• Finally, based on primary research, cultural vibe and in person interactions, I was further able to narrow this list to the core 4 colleges where I concentrated all my efforts

Q3. So what was the final outcome for you?

• I got through Mendoza Business School at University of Notre Dame with a scholarship of 50%, then Simon Business School at University of Rochester with a 50% scholarship, and lastly BU Questrom with a $100,000 scholarship.

Q4. So, Yash, when you look back at your journey, what do you think made you stand out from other applicants? What factors worked in your favour and helped differentiate you?

The first important factor I feel is that I was really realistic and down to earth about my goals and about my schools. I would consistently ask Abhinav – is this school a good fit for me? Is it too aspirational? Am I aspiring for the right career?

• • The second factor was the time and effort I invested in writing my own stories. At the end of the day, all the essays were mine and not some template responses. This effort paid off even at the interview stage as I had clarity and confidence in my story. 

  Q5. What made you opt for Mendoza over Simon and Questrom? The other offers also entailed significant scholarships? 

  • It was a tough choice, but I had nailed it down to two final schools based on my prior experience, Simon and Mendoza.
  • To go deeper, I wanted to know where I would grow differently and grow more personally, so I met Indian alumni at various forums. Here, I would ask them about the school’s culture and my fit for the school.
    
    

  There is a Notre Dame club based out in Mumbai. They invited us new admits to watch the football final against Ohio State and it was at 6am in the morning. I was quite shocked that so many people from Notre Dame came to Mumbai and Lower Parel at 6am. And I watched the game with the chief investment officer of Deutsche Bank. This experience basically sealed the deal for me.

  • Interestingly, one parent told me that her kids have been to UCLA, USC. But she said that the family feeling that comes from Notre Dame is difficult to find anywhere else.

  Q6. Now, Yash, looking back at your journey, if you were to advise other MBA applicants or aspirants who are in a similar boat that you were almost roughly over a year back, what would you tell them? You 3 key takeaways.

  • I would say GMAT, which I had stressed so much over, is just one of the many factors. It’s not the whole story. It’s not the whole package.
    
    

  The second one is that you need to own your story. You need to write your own essays, reflect deeply because this one year of the entire application has completely changed me. I mean, if you write your story, you contemplate on your career, you try to find who you are exactly before going to a business school. And that’s what the journey basically taught me.

  Third, rejections are a part of the journey. In my case, I was rejected by GeorgiaTech Scheller and looking back if I think about it from a school perspective, I now understand that the adcom also needs to make a cohort, which are people from different backgrounds, different industries, different age groups. So, Don’t take any rejections / setbacks personally 

  Additionally, one more takeaway, Abhinav is the best and The MBA Edge is the best. You guys really helped me a lot. Your mentorship really changed how I look at admissions and how I look at my career. So thank you, Abhinav. 

  Q7: Any words of encouragement to your fellow IT male Indians who sort of are very apprehensive about the MBA applications and they tend to look at themselves as on the back foot in the MBA process?

  • I feel that when you’re applying to a business school, start looking at your professional life from a business point of view, like the kind of impact you’ve made in your career, in terms of revenue, etc. And try to change your perspective.
  • While applying work on your resume in such a way that it shows business impact rather than your technical skills.
    
    

  Don’t read Reddit, obviously, and don’t search Indian IT male on Google, because it will make you nervous like you will think that you’re going to a really bad business school. It’s just people are trying to scare you a lot. And during this journey, the more you read on online forums, the more nervous you get.

  • Focus on your journey, focus on your story. You will find a place which accepts you with the whole heart.