On Being A GEM, 3-Year Journey To XLRI, And Yoda

After months of preparation, I registered for all examinations. My CAT score reduced compared to my previous efforts and I ended up with the same number of interview calls as before. Yoda was right about GEMs. To make things a bit more interesting, my body decided to fall sick on the day of XAT exam. Surviving a sneezing fit for 15 minutes proved harder than the Decision Making section of the exam. I gave up hope.

The results finally arrived and I had cleared the sectional cut off by 0.3 percentile and eventually got an interview call. I looked up at Yoda to find a smug smile across his face. He took some sadistic pleasure in putting me through GD’s and see me sweat.

For the umpteenth time, I lied to my manager that I had fallen sick with a mysterious medical condition and caught my train to Bangalore. Sitting in a GD being countered by 6 people at the same time, I looked up at Yoda who was rolling on the floor laughing. Next, I survived my interview which lasted barely 9 minutes.

I took a cab back to my friend's place. By the time I reached my destination, I had convinced myself of another year of waiting before I made it to a B-School. I went back to work after recovering from the “mysterious disease”. 2 months later, I received a conversion letter from XLRI. I had one single question in my mind. I asked Yoda “What made you think I deserve this?” Yoda replied “Because you worked hard”. I smirked and asked him “Me? After all this time?”. He replied “Always”.