The beginning of my MBA journey dates back to when I was in Class VIII. Back then, I was an average student, and none of my family members, even in my extended circle, had ever pursued an MBA from a premier business school.
My journey to B-School has been a gradual one. I first attempted CAT in 2022 and scored a 79 percentile. Fast forward to today, I’m grateful to be joining SPJIMR’s PGDM batch of 2025–27. Before sharing more about my story, here is a bit about me. I have an 8/8/8 academic profile and come with two years of work experience. I completed my high school education through the Cambridge Board (A-Levels) and went on to pursue a B.Sc. in Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics. Post graduation, I have been working full-time while preparing for CAT alongside. My preparation has been self-driven throughout, and I was able to achieve my goal in my second focused attempt.
Completing my B.Com (Hons) in 2023, I took up a full-time job, believing I could manage CFA Level 2 preparation, CAT exam, and work simultaneously. However, juggling all three soon became overwhelming. After nearly two years of balancing these challenges, I made a crucial decision in November 2023 to quit my job and focus solely on cracking CAT and clearing CFA Level 2. This article shares my journey of how I achieved a 99.8 percentile in CAT 2024 and secured admission to IIM Calcutta despite the two-year gap and the demanding preparation for CFA.
Getting into IIM Calcutta still feels surreal. If you had asked me in 2022 what I’d be doing a couple of years later, I would’ve confidently said “running a growing trading business.” Back then, that was the dream. But life had other plans.
May 2024. The air was thick with excitement, internships, and the comfort of college life. Most of my peers at IIM Indore, where I was pursuing the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), were immersed in their internships and case competitions. But for me, the month marked something more profound. I had decided to take a shot at the Common Admission Test (CAT). The goal wasn’t just a score; it was to push myself, to see how far I could go, and perhaps, to see if I could walk through the gates of one of India’s most prestigious institutions.
Profile: 9/9/8, 2 years of work-ex, CAT score 98%
In 2024, after three rigorous years and over 240 mocks, I finally made it — I’m joining IIM Calcutta this year with a 99.81 percentile in CAT. This was my third attempt. The journey wasn’t linear, but every setback shaped the comeback.
When you grow up surrounded by the best engineering talent, all you can hold on to are tech and mechanics. Witnessing my parents excel at IOCL, I was naturally drawn to a career in engineering. But my ambitions extended beyond what was in front of me. I painted. I sang. I acted. I played different sports.
The beginning of my MBA journey dates back to when I was in Class VIII. Back then, I was an average student, and none of my family members, even in my extended circle, had ever pursued an MBA from a premier business school.
My journey to B-School has been a gradual one. I first attempted CAT in 2022 and scored a 79 percentile. Fast forward to today, I’m grateful to be joining SPJIMR’s PGDM batch of 2025–27. Before sharing more about my story, here is a bit about me. I have an 8/8/8 academic profile and come with two years of work experience. I completed my high school education through the Cambridge Board (A-Levels) and went on to pursue a B.Sc. in Economics, Mathematics, and Statistics. Post graduation, I have been working full-time while preparing for CAT alongside. My preparation has been self-driven throughout, and I was able to achieve my goal in my second focused attempt.
Completing my B.Com (Hons) in 2023, I took up a full-time job, believing I could manage CFA Level 2 preparation, CAT exam, and work simultaneously. However, juggling all three soon became overwhelming. After nearly two years of balancing these challenges, I made a crucial decision in November 2023 to quit my job and focus solely on cracking CAT and clearing CFA Level 2. This article shares my journey of how I achieved a 99.8 percentile in CAT 2024 and secured admission to IIM Calcutta despite the two-year gap and the demanding preparation for CFA.
Getting into IIM Calcutta still feels surreal. If you had asked me in 2022 what I’d be doing a couple of years later, I would’ve confidently said “running a growing trading business.” Back then, that was the dream. But life had other plans.
May 2024. The air was thick with excitement, internships, and the comfort of college life. Most of my peers at IIM Indore, where I was pursuing the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), were immersed in their internships and case competitions. But for me, the month marked something more profound. I had decided to take a shot at the Common Admission Test (CAT). The goal wasn’t just a score; it was to push myself, to see how far I could go, and perhaps, to see if I could walk through the gates of one of India’s most prestigious institutions.
Profile: 9/9/8, 2 years of work-ex, CAT score 98%
In 2024, after three rigorous years and over 240 mocks, I finally made it — I’m joining IIM Calcutta this year with a 99.81 percentile in CAT. This was my third attempt. The journey wasn’t linear, but every setback shaped the comeback.
When you grow up surrounded by the best engineering talent, all you can hold on to are tech and mechanics. Witnessing my parents excel at IOCL, I was naturally drawn to a career in engineering. But my ambitions extended beyond what was in front of me. I painted. I sang. I acted. I played different sports.
