I had started my
CAT preparations around July in 2018 and ever since this journey of mine started I had not once dreamed of getting into XLRI. I used to believe that being a BCom fresher, it would be outlandish for me to think that i could get into one of the
top 10 mba institutes so I only focused on getting into the top 30 colleges. But fate had something else in store!
The first exam that I gave was NMAT and I missed the cut off for their Mumbai campus by a mere 3 marks. Then I gave
CAT and got a 94.87%ile. I knew it was nothing extraordinary so I didn't expect much from it. After getting so close to my goal and failing twice, I had made up half my mind to just give up on the remaining
mba exams including XAT. I still don't know how or why but I did give
XAT. The paper was just I had expected it to be after giving many mocks. I ended up scoring 96.65%ile. I knew it was good but I never knew it was good enough. I did get a call for both the courses and I remember even when I was preparing for the interview I thought to myself that there is no way that I am going to spend 2 years of my life so far from home.
My interview lasted for a good 25 minutes and covered everything from Integration and Derivatives to the last destination that I had visited. My group discussion topic was somewhere on the lines of old talent vs new recruits and how to keep up a balance between the two.
Finally a few weeks back when the results were announced I got selected into the BM course in the second list released. After much consideration and discussing with literally anyone who had any remote idea about MBA I decided to take admission in XLRI as it would be a completely irrational decision to give it up just to stay in my city.
After sitting through so many interviews and preparing for so many months I have realised that there is no one who cannot get into the best of the colleges just because their path was different from the ones taken by most others. In my case what really pushed me through the other candidates was my consistency. I have had an excellent academic record since college and have been to some many extracurricular classes (which is all thanks to my mother, as I was her first child, she kept no stone unturned). I also always made sure that I used my college opportunities effectively. As I result, I ended up being a member of over three committees in a single year.
If there is one last advice that I could give to any MBA aspirant out there: STAY CONSISTENT. I gave my CAT in 2019 November and I remember as soon as the calendar turned to 2019, there was not a single day that I missed my CAT preparation. Any time if I was unable to study through the day, I would stay up for an hour late and solve some sums or do a little reading. I used to feel guilty about going to bed without studying something.
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You May Also Like To Read:
- How I Overcame My Obstacles And Made It To XLRI Jamshedpur | Saloni Malhotra
- "Had No Expectations From XAT After My Failure In CAT" | Rounakshi's Journey To XLRI HRM
- Don't Let The CAT Prep Subdue Your Life | Shivam Jha, IIM Indore '22