Imperfect Applicant Admitted To Ross & UCLA ($$$)
In many ways, I was an ‘imperfect’ applicant. I came from a non-feeder undergrad, non-feeder job role, industry and company, and also had a year gap. I had tried my luck in the previous cycle applying to Kellogg and Tuck but was unsurprisingly met with rejections but was nonetheless disappointed, and was seriously questioning whether I should go ahead with an MBA at all, given that most people had advised me to look at T25-35 as ‘safety’ schools.
However while speaking to a student from one of my target schools, I was referred to Amrit. I liked the approach he walked me through over the call and he provided me that much-needed confidence that I could make a compelling application, given a possible improvement in my test score. He told me how my goals previously may have sounded vague and unrealistic and suggested alternatives that made more sense given my background. I was convinced and decided to enroll with him and in hindsight, it was a great decision that paid off!
There are several positives to working with Amrit. The approach he suggests for all components of the application, even the order in which to go about completing the different components is extremely thought through and meticulous. Breaking the seemingly endless parts of an MBA application into smaller parts in a logical manner goes a long way in making the daunting process seem very achievable. Having a quick TAT is super underrated. I knew that if I submitted material for review after work at night, I would have the edits the next day to resume working on it. These quick iterations help you make even 2-day deadlines workable! (although not advised). It was because of this that I managed to put in 10 applications in R1!
The best part about working with Amrit was that he always managed to bring out the best in you. He has a way of pushing you to introspect, dig deeper, and ensure that your most authentic, truest self is displayed in your essays. For an unconventional applicant like me, it was essential to have mind-blowing essays, essays that got me interview invites from schools such as Booth.
I ended up with admits to UCLA with 50% and Ross and waitlists at a couple of M7s. Looking back, I feel like it was a great decision working with Amrit, and truly believe he helped me punch above my weight and secure a T-10 admit!
