I scored 99.03 percentile in CAT.
Yet, I didn’t receive a single BLACKI call.
Shocking? I know. You’ve probably heard of stories like mine - high percentiles, no BLACKI calls, but there’s more beneath the surface. And today, I’m telling you the full story.Early Dreams & Doubts
I was always an above-average student in school. So when the time came to choose a stream after 10th grade, I faced the classic dilemma:
“You’re such a bright student, you should go for Science.” (but I knew that was not my cup of tea)
“Arts is too easy for someone like you.” (And I didn’t have a good enough reason to retaliate.)
So, Commerce it was.
My father, a Chartered Accountant and the most educated person in our family, had inspired many relatives to follow the same path. But I wanted something different. And when not CA, the next ‘logical’ path was an MBA. So I enrolled in a fairly unconventional course: a Bachelor's in Business Economics.
I was always a curious person, dabbling in arts, sports, leadership positions, and everything in between. My profile had range. English came intuitively to me, but Math? That had always been my nemesis.
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First Attempt & The Unexpected Hope
I began preparing for CAT during my third year of college. Life was hectic- I was juggling responsibilities at home and college. I was enrolled in IMS, followed their material, and took a few mocks here and there. But I lacked structure and, most crucially, consistency.
The result? A 91 percentile.
I had already prepared myself mentally for another attempt, when, unexpectedly, I scored over 95 percentile in XAT.
And got the XLRI BM call.
It was my chance at redemption. But to convert that call, I needed to really nail the interview. I didn’t. I prepared with doubts in my head, went in with low expectations, and got a result to match.
Rejected by XLRI Jamshedpur.
Offered XLRI Delhi.
But I knew I wanted more, and decided it was time to go all in this time.
The Year That Changed Everything
I joined KPMG and began working full-time. I said life was hectic during college, but then I had to prepare with a job in a demanding role- weekend projects, late-night deliverables, and constant pressure.
So, is it hard to prepare with a full-time job?
Absolutely. It’s brutal.
But something in me shifted that year. I had stretched myself so thin, so often, that I discovered a new version of myself- resilient, focused, unrelenting.
I began my CAT prep in June 2024, right after my final semester exams, just as my job at KPMG began. I would steal time whenever I could - early mornings, late nights, metro rides, even stolen minutes at the office.
What made a huge difference this time was my support system. My friends kept me grounded, motivated me, held me accountable, and gave me brutally honest feedback when I needed it most.
The CAT 2024 Grind
I was enrolled in IMS’s Elite program and had access to fantastic mentors, resources, and mocks. I’ve been with IMS since my DUJAT prep days, then for both my CAT attempts and GDPI training. If there’s one thing I’d stress - it’s this: follow the process.
Don’t hoard mocks 'for when you’re better prepared'. Don’t look for shortcuts. Use every tool at your disposal. Even 80% of the IMS roadmap, if followed diligently, is enough.
Mocks and PYQs became my lifeline. Some scores were humiliating. Some discussions with peers left me gutted. But every fall made me hungrier. I planned weekly targets, tracked my progress, and kept showing up.
'Consistency is key.' Yes, it’s a cliché - but there’s a reason it’s repeated so often.
CAT isn’t about complex theories. It’s about training your mental muscles - day by day, test by test.
The Twist: When 99.03%ile Isn’t Enough
When the results came, I was stunned.
99.98 percentile in VARC.
96.14 in DILR.
But… a dismal 69.70 in QA.
One more correct answer, heck one less wrong answer and I could have had a very different story.
One bad section.
And just like that, most top B-schools shut their doors on me.
Suddenly, all the dreams felt like sand slipping through my fingers.
I tried to stay practical, telling myself to aim for a 'good enough' B-school, maybe not the best. But there was one name I couldn’t let go of: FMS.
FMS Delhi doesn’t consider sectional cutoffs - just overall percentile and profile. That was my silver lining. My one hope.
The Final Stretch
With no confirmed calls, I started interview prep anyway. I gave every exam I could, studied my undergrad subjects, devoured news, and took mock interviews back-to-back.
Eventually, I got calls from:
IIT Bombay (waitlisted)
MDI Gurgaon (waitlisted)
IIM Kozhikode LSM (converted)
IIM Rohtak and Sambalpur (converted)
NMIMS Mumbai - Rank 1 overall
Yes, I secured the top rank at NMIMS. It was a huge moment- validation that I was finally being seen for all the hard work I had put in.
But still, in my heart, I was holding out for FMS.
The Waitlist and the Redemption
This time, I prepared extremely hard, harder than I did for any of the previous interviews. I studied all of my undergrad subjects, learned all about the world affairs, took a lot of mock interviews, sought criticism and feedback from multiple mentors and friends. And then came the waitlist- No. 36.
A convertible number, yes. But that one month of waiting? Excruciating. I had been so close before- what if I missed it again?
But then, it happened. Last week, the email I had been waiting and dreaming about finally arrived: I was in.
Two days ago, I confirmed my admission to FMS Delhi.
And today, I get to write the final line of this chapter, and share it with all of you.
What I Hope You Take Away
You don’t need a perfect journey to make it.
I didn’t have a 99.99. I had a QA disaster. For someone it could be their 10th or 12th or graduation marks, or gap years or non-mainstream background or some other misadventures But here’s the truth:
You still have a shot.
Behind every person you see walking into your dream b-schools on red carpets, is a story of rejection, doubt, failure, and resilience. You might only see the final scorecard- but not the breakdowns behind the mocks, the sacrifices made in silence.
So don’t write yourself off just yet.
If there’s even a flicker of hope left, hold on.
Work hard. Be consistent. Stay hopeful.
Because sometimes, one more shot- one more ounce of belief- is all it takes to rewrite your story.
