My MBA journey started in January 2024 and honestly, it was never part of the plan. I was preparing for CA exams while juggling my graduation studies. Graduation went well, but CA didn’t. That failure hit me hard. As someone who had always been a school topper, it felt like I had lost everything — my confidence, my direction, and my motivation. But one thing didn’t change - my family’s belief in me. When I couldn’t see a future, they reminded me to reflect and realign.
That’s when I took a pause, reassessed what I truly wanted, and realized maybe CA wasn’t my calling. On New Year’s Day, a new chapter began - my MBA journey.
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#The MBA Grind: Not So Smooth
At first, I took coaching and attended every single class. But I made a huge mistake - I never revised. I believed just attending classes would be enough. Spoiler: it wasn’t. Another mistake? I started taking mocks early, but when my scores dropped, I got scared and completely stopped giving them. As CAT came closer, I found myself stressing more about shortlisting colleges than preparing to actually get into them.
Eventually, I realised the damage. So I started again - slowly but sincerely. I began giving sectionals, revising concepts, and doing proper analysis. That’s when I discovered something important:
* VARC was my strength - I scored highest in it in all exams.
* QA and LRDI were my weak points - I struggled to clear the cutoffs.
#Snap, NMAT and the Turnaround
Even though CAT didn’t go well, I didn’t give up. I gave SNAP and NMAT, and this is where my strengths helped me. In both exams, I gave more weight to VARC and logical reasoning, and this time tried to solve at least Level 1 and 2 Quant questions, and I leveraged those sections to push my scores up. This gave me confidence that maybe I wasn’t entirely off-track - I just needed the right strategy.
#XAT: My Last Shot - And a Miracle
By the time XAT came around, I had three strong pillars: VARC, Decision Making, and GK. I knew QA could pull me down, so I focused hard on maximising scores in other sections and a clear cut-off in Quants. And it worked.
I cleared all the cutoffs except QA, but the strong performance elsewhere balanced it out. That mindset - “play to your strengths, manage your weaknesses” - became my game plan. This mindset is the reason I’m now an MBA student and not an aspirant.
#Interviews: Research, Realness, and Redemption
For interviews, I didn’t leave anything to chance. I read interview experiences on Reddit, watched tons of YouTube videos, and prepared for all types of questions.
I was the first candidate in my FORE interview, and I knew I had to own the moment. Yes, I was nervous, but I made sure it didn’t show. I focused on showcasing my skills, took control where I could, and tried to steer the interview in my favour. That mindset helped, and I converted my best call and secured admission.
I applied to: FORE School of Management, BIMTECH, IMT Nagpur, KJ Somaiya and LBSIM. I converted FORE, BIMTECH, and IMT Nagpur. I was waitlisted at KJ and LBSIM.
No, I may not be going to a Tier-1 B-school, but I’m proud of where I’m headed because I know what it took to get here.
#What I Could’ve Done Differently
Looking back, the biggest reason I couldn’t make it to a top B-school was that I didn’t turn my weaknesses into strengths. I realised it too late, and while I did make a solid backup plan and gave my best, it taught me a big lesson.
Here’s what I’d advise:
1. First, own your strengths. Make sure you’re in full control of them, but don’t be overconfident.
2. Then, consciously work on your weak areas - they can pull your percentile down more than you think.
Resources that helped me: Rodha YouTube channel, InsideIIM Mocks, Previous Year Papers (PYQs), Arun Sharma’s Quant Book and my coaching material, once I began revising properly.
#Real Talk: "Top B-School" ≠ Only Path
Many believe that a top B-school is everything. And yes, you should aim high.
But let’s be honest - can everyone make it? No. And that’s okay. Success isn’t defined by a college name. It’s defined by your effort, mindset, and resilience.
#Final Word
From CA failure to MBA admit - this has been a rollercoaster. But if there's one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: You don’t need a perfect path. You just need to keep moving.
To every MBA aspirant out there, don’t give up if things don’t go your way at first. Your story might look different from others’, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. Stay motivated even in tough times and believe in yourself. Convert weaknesses into strengths or learn to work around them strategically. Give your 100% - consistency > intensity.
By: Muskan Bansal
