The Beginning: Beyond a Degree, I Wanted Direction
I grew up in a small town in Madhya Pradesh where people didn’t talk much about “careers.” There weren’t many schools, no coaching centers, and certainly no career counselling. Most students just followed the usual path—pick a subject, get a degree, and find a job.
But I was always curious about what else was out there. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I knew I wanted more.
After Class 12, I moved to Delhi with a dream: to get into a premier design or architecture school. I prepared for NID, NATA, and JEE Paper 2 with full focus.
I cleared NATA and JEE Paper 2 — but couldn’t convert the top-tier institutes I had aimed for.
At the time, it felt like failure.
But it was also my first real lesson in resilience — how to not get what you want, and still move forward.
A New Path, A New Purpose
Thankfully, I had also appeared for SRMJEE — and by God’s grace, secured a good rank at their main campus. I didn’t waste the opportunity. Over four years, I worked hard and earned academic scholarships.
Somewhere during college, my interest shifted — from visual design to business design. I became more curious about how decisions were made, how brands grew, and how data powered action.
By final year, I landed a placement at NielsenIQ — my first step into the corporate world.
But one dream still quietly lingered:
To study at one of India’s top B-schools.
CAT 2023: First Attempt, First Heartbreak
In 2023, while working full-time, I began preparing for CAT.
Balancing prep with a demanding job was nothing short of a circus. Weekdays meant logging off late, squeezing in 1-2 hours of prep. Weekends were consumed by mocks, revisions, and often, exhaustion.
I missed vacations. Skipped family functions. Sat alone in my PG during festivals while everyone else celebrated.
Some nights, I filled my stomach with packaged chips because the PG food was just not edible. The physical fatigue started eating into my mental stamina.
Still, I kept going.
I gave mocks, revised diligently, stayed consistent.
And when results came — my percentile wasn’t enough to receive calls from any of the old IIMs. I was devastated. Because I had given it my all.
But deep down, I knew: I wasn’t done yet
Mindset > Marks: The CAT 2024 Shift
I reflected hard on what went wrong. It wasn’t concepts. It wasn’t discipline.
It was my mindset. The timer made me panic. Quants made me freeze. I knew the answers, but couldn’t think straight.
In Feb 2024, I made a decision — to go again. But this time, to build calm, not just skills.
In June and July, I solved 40–50 quant questions daily — timed and untimed. Slowly, Quants went from fear to favorite. I started scoring 96+ consistently in every mocks.
For DILR, I solved previous years’ papers from TIME, CL, and IMS, tracked errors in Excel, and sought feedback from mentors and my elder brother.
VARC? I followed VARC 1000 by Gejo Sir (CL). His structured approach helped me think like a paper setter — and that changed the game.
By May, I was giving 3 mocks and 4–5 sectionals per week. I’d analyze every mock deeply — not just what I got wrong, but why. Then I’d revisit weak concepts before moving forward.
All in all, I gave 60+ mocks.
My lowest mock percentile was 47.98. My highest? 99.79.
My graph wasn’t linear — in fact, it looked like a W-curve: rise, fall, recovery, repeat.
CAT Day: A Win Hidden in a Loss
On D-day, I gave my best. I stayed calm, executed my plan.
But when results came — my percentile still wasn’t enough for BLACKI.
It hurt. But this time, it felt different.
Because I had finally defeated the mental block. The timer didn’t haunt me. My fear didn’t win.
Still, I was drained. Burnt out. On the edge of giving up.
And then I remembered something my mentor Hunny Sir (from Elites Grid) always said:
“You don’t need all the colleges. You just need one.”
And his poem — which I’d saved in my notes:
Abhi to safar zari karke pana wo mukam baki hai...
Khwab hai meri zindagi ka jiunga jee bhar ke kisi din...
Itni jaldi na jaunga abhi to meri
Kamyabi ki suhani si shaam baki hai…
That was my reminder: my shaam was still waiting.
MICAT, XAT & The Comeback
After a short break to reset, I turned to MICAT and XAT.
MICAT is a different beast — it tests creative thinking, writing, and critical problem-solving. I practiced descriptive writing, story-building, and brushed up on QADI, DRC, VA, and GK. The biggest lesson? Don’t over attempt — be selective and sharp.
7th Dec — MICAT day — was rough. The exam got delayed by 2.5 hours. I was starving and exhausted. But I stuck to my strategy and pushed through.
When results dropped — I had scored 22.5. A Solid score. I was in.
Meanwhile, I treated XAT past-year papers like mocks. Analyzed deeply. Tracked every metric.
And in Decision Making — I scored 96.7 percentile. I had finally found my footing.
The Valentine Call (Almost)
On 14th February, I got the shortlist mail from MICA.
What a poetic coincidence, right before Valentine’s Day — it wasn’t roses, but it felt just as special.
Other calls came too , But my heart? It was already set on MICA.
GEPI: From PG Room to ITC Bengaluru
I prepped rigorously for interviews — mock after mock, journaling my answers, tweaking my pitch.
I practiced so much that if someone had nudged me at 3 AM, I could’ve begun:
“GoodMorning, My name is Shivani Saraf, and I am born and brought up in Kotma, Madhya Pradesh…”
With fingers counting off points and transitions — like muscle memory.
On March 5th, I faced MICA's GEPI round at ITC Bengaluru. I was in Panel 1, the longest of all. Others wrapped up in 25 minutes — our panel took 40–45 minutes per candidate. I was the second last in the panel.
It was intense, but also exhilarating. The panel tested my authenticity, creativity, spontaneity — all things MICA values.
And I gave it my best.
April 15th: The Breakthrough
That morning, I opened my inbox, heart pounding — and there it was:
MICA First Merit List – PGDM-C and PGDM.
I had converted.
MICA was my first convert — and eventually, I went on to convert every single call I had received.
(All thanks to my brother and mentors — couldn’t have done it without them.)
Final Thoughts: One Seat, One Story
My CAT journey wasn’t picture-perfect. It had burnout, self-doubt, underperformance, and heartbreak. But it also had resilience, growth, and silent wins.
If you're someone preparing while working, doubting yourself after mocks, or sitting alone in your PG during Diwali wondering if this is worth it — this is for you.
It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it.
You just need one college. One breakthrough.
And the version of you who didn’t quit — that’s the real convert.
And maybe — just maybe — your own Suhani Si Shaam is still waiting for you.
