Indian, male, engineers (IME) face an uphill task while applying to top business schools worldwide. One of the major reasons for that is the immense competition that they are subject to. While you would never find any top B-Schools admit this openly, but it is a well-accepted thumb rule to assume that the average GMAT/GRE scores for IME candidates are always a few points above the published class average for the school.
Adding to the difficulty is the fact that the international MBA admissions processes are highly unfamiliar territory for Indian candidates. Accustomed to believing that high test scores would be more than sufficient to land them at the best schools, many candidates simply are ill-prepared for the meandering journey of global MBA admissions!
INSEAD is among the best business schools in the world - regularly featuring among the Top European B-Schools, and well known for its proclivity towards Consulting! It is the only school in the world to boast more than half of its class moving into Consulting roles post the MBA.
With a tremendous focus on building global leaders, INSEAD presents what can only be called "crazy numbers", in terms of its class profile. With a 95%+ international classroom, representing 80+ countries, with ~40% female cohort among ~1000 graduating students every year, INSEAD prides itself on being "The Business School for the World".
We caught up with Lovish Gidwani, who worked with us on his MBA applications. At the time of application, Lovish had 8+ years of work experience, an IME profile, and was working with Careem, a major ride-hailing firm in the Middle East. Focusing primarily on 1-year MBA programs so he could rejoin the workforce at the earliest, Lovish applied to Cambridge Judge and INSEAD with us, and secured admits from both the schools.
Below is his story, in his own words.
I vividly remember the time last year when I was deep into researching business schools. Although all of the top schools offered the best-in-class management degree, to my surprise, each school was unique and nuanced. Some were known for finance, some for consulting, some had strong entrepreneurial roots, while some were known for their global classroom and teaching methods. As I went deep into understanding these nuances, I recall undergoing a feeling of overwhelm and information overload. In that moment of confusion also came a singular clarity: The stakes are high and I need professional help to put across my best possible narrative!
That’s how I came about talking to Piyush. He was a reference from a trusted colleague at work. “You’ll find Piyush very perceptive”, my colleague had said at the time, an assessment that I also second post working with Piyush. I reached out to Piyush over Linkedin and we scheduled an introduction meet-up. It was an hour-long zoom call on a late June afternoon. We discussed my career story and my motivations along with the value and approach Piyush brings on the table. I recall Piyush being super candid and I felt a certain connection with his approach and openness. However, most importantly, I felt a sense of being in a safe space - somewhere I could discuss my aspirations as well as my inhibitions. By the end of the call, we had agreed to work together and we started the following week. Our association together lasted the next 9 months, spanning 5 applications and countless conversations.
The process that Piyush followed synced very well with my working style. It was super structured and intuitive. We started with an articulation of my motivations and differentiators. These initial sessions helped immensely in structuring my unique narrative and finalising on my target schools. Through Piyush I also gained access to a pool of current/past school alums (who also had in the past worked with Piyush on their b-school applications). These exceptional individuals were super open about their experiences and they helped me gain priceless insights about the culture of my target schools. As we approached the deadlines, we worked to marry the admission essays to my narrative, helping represent my story in the unique context of the school for which we were applying for. This was followed by countless re-edits, helping polish the essays and storyline.
My interactions with Piyush left me with a strong appreciation for his working methods and personality. He struck the perfect balance between listening and consulting. His patience for wanting to understand the full picture of candidates' background before probing, showcases his dedication to help candidates bring out their best story forward. More importantly, his kindness and genuine positivity made every interaction an enjoyable one.
It goes without saying that Piyush has strong expertise and experience in consulting a wide range of candidates on admissions across top global schools. Given the 100% success I had with my applications, I feel vindicated in my decision to work with Management Masters. I would recommend Piyush to anyone looking for a strong and empathetic professional to help them on their b-school applications.
Piyush Ranjan is the Founder of Management Masters. He has helped multiple candidates get admits from some of the best schools around the world, including the likes of Wharton, Kellogg, Columbia, London Business School, INSEAD, HEC Paris, Chicago Booth, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Haas, Tuck, Cambridge, Cornell, Indian School of Business and others.
If you are looking for help with your applications, connect with us.