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.
From winning speech competitions and bringing home medals to earning multiple certifications, every moment added depth and meaning. Whether it was speaking on stage, competing in Olympiads, performing in street plays, or writing poetry- I wore every hat. Even when I was doing all that I could, it all felt like bits and pieces. What was I made for? After performing well in tenth grade, I aligned my choices with those around me. It was Computer Science over economics for me.
My JEE attempt did not go as planned. I kept my engineering dream alive through a private college. All those subjects, all those terms- they still scare me. Did I even know what I was doing? But that is how college makes one feel.
Free CAT Mocks 2025: Daily Sectionals!
While others chased marks and joined clubs, I chose a different path. I built on an idea. After endless hours, missed meals, and sleepless nights, the idea was patented- a reward that made it all worthwhile. Once again, I gave in to peer pressure. Hackathons were the next big, and I jumped right in. But this time, it was different. I reached the finals, and I won. These were not just trophies. Real opportunities followed- internships and PPOs.
At work, I was putting in all my effort. It did not feel fulfilling. I needed a new beginning.
I had five months for CAT. QA felt like an everyday thing (yes, I am an engineer). But when it came to full-length mocks, it hit me hard. My scores in QA did not reflect my skills. I focussed on QA for the first two days, then shifted to LRDI for the next two, and then VARC for one day. I continued with this cycle initially until the first blow. A zero in LRDI and an overall score of 30. This was not what I had planned.
It was time for a strategy shift. I timed myself. From one LRDI set in 40 minutes, I improved my speed to three. In VARC, I timed the passages and improved my accuracy. CAT preparation resources I used were Rodha for QA basics, Elites Grid and Cracku for DILR sets, and Arun Shama and consistent mocks for VARC. The guided explanations for QA helped me develop a strong strategy and improved my speed. Solving multiple DILR sets from two different institutes strengthened my approach. Time-bound sectionals helped me hone my speed and accuracy. For VARC, I continuously took mock sectionals and analyzed them rigorously to identify my reading patterns and build the patience needed for dense RC passages. And to add to it all, solving the past ten years' paper as mocks was the best addition.
Fast forward to D-day, I panicked. My heart was racing. The strategies in VARC did not seem to work, and time seemed to slip away. I picked the longest LRDI sets and ended up killing a lot of time. For QA, I solved as many questions as time allowed. At that moment, I felt everything I’d worked for slip through my fingers.
The result- 98.76 percentile in CAT. Despite the challenges, I was fortunate to receive calls from ISB and IIM Indore. Giving both interviews was an experience that will always stay with me. Everything about the IIM Indore interview felt right, confirming it was the right place for me. What started as a quiet ambition has turned into a life-changing opportunity. With a 10th grade score of 98%, 12th grade score of 95.6% and graduating with a 9.49 CGPA, I have always aimed for growth. I’m all set to join the PGP 27 batch at IIM Indore—carrying with me every lesson, every failure, and every small win.
