Shrikant gave it adequate time and adopted an authentic approach in his application to secure admit in one of the most coveted Global MBA programs
Profile Snapshot
Shrikanth M
GMAT: 750
Education: B.Tech (CS), MIT, Manipal GPA: 8.6/10
Work Experience: 4
years, 10 Months with US-based Big 3 Technology company
Post MBA Industry of Interest: Management
Consulting
Interview Calls: Michigan (Ross), U.Penn (Wharton)
When
and why did you first consider getting a global MBA?
It was 4 years into my work at Microsoft, the learning
curve had been extremely steep and I had gained a lot of exposure at sales
strategies, business development and working with small businesses. I felt
uniquely positioned to take the next steps towards my goal of becoming a
management consultant and decided that an MBA will provision me with right
platform and tools to make the shift. The decision to pursue a global MBA was
guided by the fact that I wanted a diverse experience and a school that
provided with hands-on experiences.
You
scored high on GMAT, can you share what you did to prepare for the test?
I tried to be very patient with my preparation and did
lot of questions, everything from the official guide, to multiple supplement
course books and online exams. I consistently tested my self over weekends to
get comfortable with the format. In my opinion the key is to find a balance
between accuracy and speed. I would have practiced over 1000 questions for each
quant and verbal.
Close to the exam I was very comfortable with the
format and key concepts that are examined through the test. Given that I was
working while I was preparing, gave me very little free time and hence I
decided to study on my own and work at my pace. I ensured I gave myself 2.5 – 3
months of prep time before attempting the exam.
Describe
your test day experience?
I had taken a couple of days off from work right
before my test day, and used that time revise and more importantly rest. On
test day I was fortunately calm and relaxed. I had decided my strategy while
attempting the exam (thanks to the numerous mock tests I had given), and
executed on the same. I tried to give every question enough time, but mindfully
moved on when I was stumped.
What
should one do to ace the GMAT?
Most things that the GMAT examines, have been taught
to a lot of us during school, hence, after a brief revision of key concepts. I
would recommend attempting questions of varying difficulty and a thorough
post-mortem of the attempts. This will not only allow for an early grasp of the
format but also allow one to practicing balancing speed and accuracy. However,
in case some concepts are unclear or new for an aspirant, I would strongly
recommend pursuing alternate material/sources like classes (offline/online).
Tell us
your experience of the MBA application process. Did anything surprise or shock
you?
The MBA application process was one that I learned a
lot from, it pushed me to introspect and analyse what my goals were, both long
term and short term. I was shocked when I saw that what schools demanded beyond
score and GPA’s was the clarity of thought and its expression. I am extremely
grateful to Sumeet for helping me form concrete ideas and helping me express
them impactfully! Its important to note that building your story can be a
tedious process and to give adequate justice, one must start their research
early.
Tell us
about Ross School and why you applied there?
While Ross is revered as one of the top MBA schools
globally an in the US, what attracted me most was the university-town warm
culture and their academic focus on action-based learning. It was clear that
they make a targeted effort to foster their culture through avenues like MTrek,
MAP, Student Funds, etc. I was drawn to this, given my priorities that were
hand-on learning and diversity in experience.
Any
advice for future applicants regarding the application process?
I can’t stress enough on giving active
time to every part of the process, whether its GMAT, Resume, Essays, and even
the small parts of the application. Iteratively reflecting on your story with
the help of an unbiased guide will help you form your most impactful
application. So start early and once again provide active-time in your
application every day.
For more tips on this or other topics
or to get regular updates on new articles, write to me:
sumeet [underscore] verlekar [at the
rate] berkeley [dot] edu
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