Growing up in a family of government servants, the words “transfer”, “seniority”, and “job security” often echoed through dinner table conversations. Business, strategy, and branding? Not so much. But somewhere deep inside, I was always drawn to the world of commerce, not just numbers on a balance sheet, but how businesses actually work, how brands build culture, and how decisions shape lives.
So, I followed my gut and chose to pursue a BBA. Not the conventional path in my family, but it felt right. By the time I was in my final year, the thought of doing an MBA began surfacing more frequently, not just because it was the “next step,” but because I genuinely believed that an MBA could compress five years’ worth of industry experience into two intense, transformational years. If there’s ever a time to take the leap, I thought, it’s now. And if I’m doing this once, why not aim for the top?
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Like most aspirants, CAT and XAT became the gateways to that dream.
I didn’t join a coaching institute. No timed batches or motivational pep talks from mentors. It was just me, past year papers, and a growing awareness of where I stood and where I wanted to be. I approached it the way I would approach a game, figuring out the rules at first, identifying the blind spots, playing to my strengths, and keep iterating it in a loop.
But if there’s one thing nobody tells you loud enough, it’s that the journey tests you in more ways than just academically. There were days when the mocks were brutal. I was juggling final semester exams, internal assessments, and trying to squeeze in two hours of Quant or VARC practice. At one point, I even had a university exam scheduled the day before XAT.
But you don’t come this far to only come this far, right?
I leaned on my support system—my parents, who quietly kept encouraging me in the background, and my close friends, who cheered me on without overloading me with “advice.” That mix of solitude and support kept me going.
Quant was always my happy place—ended up scoring a 99.6%ile in that section. VARC took efforts, some serious ones, I read extensively to develop a habit of reading long RCs and build a habit of understanding nuance. For DILR? PYQs were my teacher. I thought I had it all figured out.
Then came CAT day.
It was a morning slot. I reached early, sat outside the center trying to calm my nerves, but couldn’t shake the thought that the next two hours could potentially alter the course of my life. The pressure I mounted on myself was unreal.
I fumbled VARC. That spiralled into DILR. Ironically, the VARC section wasn’t as bad as I thought, but the domino effect had done its damage. QA salvaged what it could, but I walked out feeling gutted. When the scores came in, I had missed my target. Not because I didn’t prepare well—but because I let the pressure beat me.
I took a deep breath. Gave myself a week. Focused on my semester exams. Then, quietly, I reset.
XAT was next.
This time, I wasn’t trying to control everything. No ideal plan. Just vibes.
A few of us travelled 2 hours to a distant test center ( typical XAT) laughing, sharing Spotify playlists, just happy to be away from the pressure of “the exam.” I started with VARC to get it out of the way, moved to Decision Making and solving the last 5–6 years of PYQs came in clutch, and finally topped it all with Quants. Unlike CAT I was fairly satisfied with my XAT attempt and now was the time to wait for interview calls to pour in. And with that came interview calls from IIMs, IIFT, MDI (thanks to CAT), and both BM and HRM programs from XLRI.
But the real storm? March.
Interviews one after another. No room to breathe. The day of my XLRI interview clashed with IIFT’s. I had to pick. I chose XL.
Slots for Delhi and Mumbai were full, so I booked a train ticket from Lucknow to Jamshedpur. That ride, surprisingly, was peaceful. Introspective. A break from the chaos. I kept thinking in my heas that this must be it. I’ve done the prep, I’ve had my lows, I’ve reset. Time to show up.
The GD topic was whether employee tracking software should be allowed in the workspace or not. I took a multi-angle approach, discussing ethics, moonlighting, and workplace trust. The GD was calm, well-structured, and everyone got the opportunity to express their viewpoints.
My personal interview had three panellists. It lasted 20 minutes. They asked the classic questions like Why MBA? Why HR? Questions on my academics. Threw a few curveballs. But it stayed conversational. By this point, I was grounded. I wasn’t there to impress—I was just there to be me.
My GDPI prep had a huge role in that confidence. A few of us XL call-getters formed a WhatsApp group. Initially, it was for mock PIs and GD drills. But over time, that group became something much more meaningful: friendships. We critiqued each other brutally, but with care. Now, every single person in that group is in a top B-school. Today, we’re vetting each other’s CVs, trading campus gyaan, and laughing about how it all began.
Then came the day.
4 PM. I was at a friend’s place when the notifications started buzzing with notifications of “Check your XLRI result!” By now, I had typed my login credentials so many times, I could do it with my eyes closed.
I logged in. XLRI HRM – Offer Letter. I froze. Then smiled. That was it. All those train rides, all those mocks, all that pressure, all the self-doubt—suddenly, it felt like puzzle pieces clicking together.
If you ask me what got me through, it wasn’t just skill. It was discipline. As Kobe Bryant once said, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” Talent helps. But showing up daily? That’s what separates the dreamers from the doers.
To anyone starting their CAT journey, here’s my two cents on it, always remember that this journey is yours.Not your senior’s. Not your friend’s. Not your idol’s. Life is a canvas. And you are the painter. Sketch what you want, how you want. Messy lines, imperfect strokes, but remember that everything is part of the masterpiece. There will be days you break down, days you ace mocks, days you question if it’s even worth it. But when you see that convert mail in your inbox, when you get that call from your dream B-school, every second that you toiled will be worth it.
As I now gear up for the sleepless nights, the infamous 'Bhasad' and the academic tornado of Term 1 at XLRI, I carry this journey with me—not just as a backstory, but as a reminder:
You’re not made by a percentile. You’re made by what you overcame to get it.
