Mayank’s MIT Sloan Success Story

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Hey guys! Today we have Mayank with us, who got into MIT Sloan in 2010 Fall. He is also a very close friend of mine. We were from the same class at IIT and infact we were in the same hostel. He has an interesting profile and was more than happy to share with us. So enjoy the post and leave a thanks for our guest speaker to show your appreciation :)

  1. Hey Mayank, tell us a little bit about your background.

    2. I was working in Switzerland as an IT Project Manager before coming to MIT Sloan. I was leading teams developing internal enterprise software for my company. I graduated from IIT Delhi in 2005 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

  2. What made you decide to get an MBA?

    3. I understood that in order for me to move up the corporate ladder, I needed management skills and toolsets. I also wanted to see the US and work there, especially in the Technology industry. Both factors led me to B-school in the US.

  3. As a successful applicant, can you tell us a little bit about your strategy?
    1. How did you choose the schools you applied to?

      2. I only applied to two B-schools (Stanford and MIT) as both schools are inclined towards Technology. They send lots of graduates into the Technology industry (Hi-Tech firms or Tech consulting).

    2. What was your timeline?

      3. I had already given my GMAT a few years ago and the score was still valid, so I didn’t have to worry about retaking the test. I applied in Round 1 of both schools, doing Stanford first and MIT Sloan second.

    3. How you approached the essays?

      4. I started thinking about my essays about six months before the deadlines. I made sure to talk about examples answering the question asked, which were also substantial enough to warrant mention in a top b-school application. I used the STAR approach to structure my essays (Situation, Task/Challenge, Actions, Result). I spent the most time/words on the Actions part.

      I also got feedback on my essays from other successful candidates, which helped tremendously.

    4. Tips on getting recommendation?

      5. One recommendation has to be from your boss/manager. I also made sure to get recommendations from people I had worked with extensively and whom I had a good relationship with. Before they wrote my recommendations, I talked with them about their experiences with me. This gave me some idea about what they were going to talk about in their recommendations. It always helps if your recommenders can validate what you’ve said in your essays.

  4. What was the interview process like with MIT?

    5. The interview for MIT Sloan was a typical behavioral interview. I travelled to Paris to meet an Admissions Director. It was more of a discussion rather than an interview. I structured my answers using STAR in the interview as well. The questions were quite standard (you can find these on ClearAdmit Wiki). It always helps if both parties (the interviewer and interviewee) are talking/discussing things rather than it being just a one-way Q&A session.

  5. What was the most difficult step for you in the entire application process?

    6. Essays were probably the most difficult. Getting feedback from successful candidates on my essays helped me understand what is expected out of a top B-school application.

  6. How did you prepare for your GMAT?

    7. I had a 710. I basically read two books (Kaplan, Barron’s) and did the practice tests from Kaplan and from the GMAT council website (www.mba.com).

  7. What do you plan to do post MBA?

    8. Not sure. I would either go work as a Product Manager or go into General management. I’m keeping my options open and exploring a bunch of careers.

  8. Do you have any advice for the readers?

    9. Talk about substantial accomplishments in your essays (where you were seriously challenged) and get feedback from successful candidates on your essays.

——END OF CONVERSATION—–

Thank you so much Mayank! I believe I can always pass on a few questions to Mayank for anyone who is sincerely hoping to get into MIT. All the best guys and do not forget to Subscribe to GMATing. There will be more of these awesome stories coming. So keep coming back for more!

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