So a friend of mine, a non-engineer male, fresher with a year gap and a BBA degree from a tier-3 college scored 98.08 percentile in CAT 2024. And as we were talking I realised there were a lot of factors that he didn't know about that later became the reason for his dissapointments.
Here’s the thing, when you come from that kind of background, you already know the job market’s not gonna roll out a red carpet for you. My friend knew it too knew it too. That’s when he decided to give CAT a shot. The idea? A good B-school could be his launchpad into the corporate world.
He had heard the classic rumour: "Bro, just get a good percentile and you’re in."
That was bubble no. 1.
He started prep in May. By August, 70% syllabus done. Mocks started rolling in. Solved 500+ quant questions, multiple DILR sets, countless RCs, you name it. The guy was consistent.
CAT Result:
98.08 overall
QA: 96.68
DILR: 95.7
VARC: 98.23
Also, a 247 in NMAT.
So yeah, anyone in his place would’ve been hopeful.
But here’s where reality smacked him hard.
First Bubble: Percentile ≠ Calls
Like every other anxious CAT aspirant, he kept checking his inbox, waiting for that magical “shortlisted” mail.
But it didn’t come from A, B, C, I, or L.
The dream colleges?
Some rejected him before the process even started.
But yes, he did get good calls:
IIM K, S, M | FMS | TISS | IIFT | NMIMS | All CAP IIMs | Other top non-IIMs
That’s when the realization hit — scoring well isn't enough.
Your academics (10th, 12th, grad) play a big role.
Second Bubble: “If I do well in the PI, I’ll convert.”
Now came the PI prep phase. This time, he went all in even more intense than CAT prep.
In 1.5 months, he covered almost his entire BBA curriculum:
Marketing, Branding, Accounting, Finance, HRM, Economics, Stats. All of it.
He thought he was ready.
But interviews don’t care about your syllabus. They come at you with the most random stuff. Check out what he was asked:
*What’s the difference between Telugu and Telgi?
*Which dish is named after a meeting between two PMs in Gujarat?
*Who is Madhuri Nene?
*What’s the connection between Smriti Irani and Boman Irani?
Yep, that unpredictable.
And that’s where the second bubble burst that interviews aren’t just knowledge-based. They’re unpredictable, quirky, and sometimes borderline absurd.
Third Bubble: “Good interview = Convert”
Some of his interviews were 30 minutes long, others just 5. Some went great, others average, some completely messed up.
But the aftermath?
Overthinking. Self-doubt. Constant what-ifs.
And then came results.
And with results… came waitlists.
Not one or two — almost every good call waitlisted him.
FMS?
His dream college, the one he manifested all through prep?
First result. First heartbreak.
Non-convertible waitlist.
He had to say goodbye to the dream of the red building of dreams.
Where He Stands Now
Waitlists:
IIM Shillong (WL 07)
IIM Kozhikode (WL 54)
IIM Mumbai (WL 100)
IIFT Delhi (WL 06)
Converts:
IIM Rohtak
IIM Amritsar
IIM Jammu
IIM Sirmaur
IIM Bodh Gaya
IIM Sambalpur
IIM Kashipur
DFS (Rank 1 in EWS)
DBE
The Takeaway
When I asked him what he learnt from it all, he simply said:
“Bubbles break. Reality kicks in. But growth happens in between.”
His journey is a reminder that:
*A great percentile doesn’t guarantee anything.
*A good interview doesn't mean a confirmed convert.
*Your profile matters more than people tell you.
*And the process is unfair sometimes — but you learn. And you move forward.
So if you’re someone who’s going through this same rollercoaster — just know, you’re not alone.
And just like my friend, your story might not be linear…
But that doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it.
