IESE MBA Admit w/ Scholarship: Rahul’s Success Journey

[Intro by Arvind Kumar]

Rahul is one of the most perseverant, hard-working and determined candidates I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring. 

With a B. Tech from BITS Pilani, Rahul brought 7 years of diverse experience in software development across big-tech (Amazon) and startups (Jupiter, CommandK, Cockroach Labs).

Outside of work, his passion for dance and global travels added a vibrant angle to his profile.

His MBA goals were clear: international exposure, a global network, and transitioning into business roles.

Looking mainly at European schools, he was particularly drawn to IESE. His decision to visit the IESE campus and engage with alum, students and AdCom helped weave authentic insights into his essays.

Our collaboration on his MBA applications focused on strengthening key areas: transforming his resume for impact, crafting robust essays, and gaining clear insights into his MBA goals.

We worked to reframe perceived challenges, like his undergrad GPA, and job switches.

Our preparation also covered the exhaustive IESE assessment day – tackling case studies – and honed his interview storytelling skills.

Dive deeper into Rahul’s journey in the full debrief below, in his own words.

He shares candidly about his career shifts, GRE preparation, why Europe was his top choice, and how we tackled his profile’s unique aspects. Over to Rahul!

Background

I’m from Lucknow and completed my bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from BITS Pilani, Hyderabad.

During my engineering, I transitioned into software development, and professionally, I now have over seven years of experience. I started my career at Amazon, where I worked for two and a half years before moving to different startups, driven by my passion for entrepreneurship and the startup culture in India.

After Amazon, I joined Jupiter, a fintech startup, at an early stage. I spent around two and a half years there, helping build and stabilize the platform. After Jupiter, I moved to another startup, CommandK, as a founding member. There, my role extended beyond engineering. I also supported client onboarding, contributed to hiring, and got involved in product design.

Currently, I work at Cockroach Labs, a database company, as a Site Reliability Engineer. My role here is not limited to engineering; I also work closely on the business side, ensuring our systems comply with client contracts and contributing to customer support and operational processes.

Outside of my professional life, I’m passionate about dance. I trained professionally in various dance styles around 2020 and continue to pursue it as a hobby. I also love traveling and have visited over 10 countries, usually on longer trips. That’s a bit about me.

MBA Motivation

I had a mix of reasons for pursuing an MBA.

The primary reason was to switch geographies and gain international exposure. At this stage of my career, I really wanted to broaden my network by being in an environment where people from diverse backgrounds and cultures come together. I believe that building a strong, global network will be very valuable in the long term.

In addition to international exposure, I also wanted to transition from my current role. So far, my experience has been mainly in engineering, and I am looking to explore what next steps I can take in my career. Naturally, I am inclined towards moving into product management. However, I see an MBA as an opportunity to open multiple doors.

While product management is currently my primary focus, I am also excited to explore other fields such as finance or consulting during business school.

Overall, these motivations led me to pursue an MBA.

Application Strategy: GRE Decision

I had explored taking the GRE back in 2019 when I was considering pursuing a Master’s degree (MS). At that time, I began preparing for the GRE. However, I eventually decided not to continue with the MS plan.

In 2023, when I started exploring MBA programs, I realized that many MBA schools also accept the GRE. Since I already had some familiarity with the exam from my earlier preparation, I decided to continue with it.

Most of my preparation was self-driven. I primarily used the ETS Official Guides along with some online resources. Coming from an engineering background, the Quantitative section was relatively easier for me, and I didn’t have to spend much time on it.

However, vocabulary was quite challenging. Initially, I tried improving my English by reading a lot of books, but that approach didn’t work well for me. 

A turning point came when I came across some online videos. After that, instead of broadly reading, I focused on specific strategies and techniques for answering vocabulary questions.

This targeted approach really helped me improve my verbal score significantly.

Selecting B-schools: Why Europe

My primary reason for selecting Europe was the strong emphasis on work-life balance, which I really value. I had also visited Europe a few times before and could see myself living there long term, which made it a natural choice for me.

Additionally, I wanted to avoid the visa-related uncertainties that often come with studying and working in the US, which further reinforced my decision to prioritize Europe.

In terms of selecting schools, my first step was quite straightforward: I looked at the rankings and focused mainly on the top 10 business schools in Europe that seemed realistic for my profile.

I also had a preference for certain countries. For example, I prioritized Spain because of schools like IESE and ESADE, both highly ranked, and because I had previously visited Spain and enjoyed my time there. I preferred it over countries like France, for instance.

Another factor I considered was the program duration. European MBAs are typically shorter, which can sometimes be a disadvantage. I wanted a program that wasn’t too short, ideally around 1 to 1.5 years, so I prioritized schools that offered a balanced program length.

Campus Visit: IESE Experience

When I first started thinking about pursuing an MBA and approached Arvind (admitStreet) for guidance, I had a limited understanding of the overall process. I knew I wanted to pursue an MBA for specific reasons, but Arvind helped me realize how much business schools, particularly in Europe, value the depth of research you’ve done about the school and how much you engage with their community.

As I began to explore this process, I started talking to current students to better understand the college and the potential benefits of the MBA experience. Fortunately, I had a visa at that point, and an open day was happening at one of the schools. A senior I had spoken with recommended that instead of just applying, I should visit the campus to see if it was a place I would actually enjoy studying at. Given that I already had the visa, I decided to take that opportunity.

I figured it would be a great chance to visit not only the business school but also other countries, which would help me make a more informed decision about spending one and a half to two years there. I felt that rankings can sometimes be superficial, and in my case, I didn’t entirely trust them. So, visiting the campus and engaging with students seemed like a much more reliable way to get a sense of the school.

During the visit, I was impressed by the caliber of people applying to the program, which reassured me that I was applying to a reputable school. The experience also gave me an edge in my application process, as it allowed me to interact with the admissions committee in person. Later, during any online meetings or webinars, they always remembered me, which, I believe, added a distinctive element to my profile.

Profile: Challenges & Roadblocks

In terms of weaknesses, my main concern was my undergraduate GPA, which was 7.1. Given the highly competitive applicant pool from India, I initially viewed it as a significant drawback.

While working with Arvind (admitStreet), I realized how important it was not to portray it negatively. Earlier, I was inclined to highlight it as a “low GPA”, but Arvind helped me shift the perspective – focusing instead on my strengths and achievements during college, without drawing unnecessary attention to the GPA itself.

Additionally, my GRE score of 330 helped balance the profile and reinforced my academic ability. Overall, we chose to emphasize my strengths rather than trying to justify or dwell on perceived weaknesses.

Profile: Unique Selling Points

One of the major strengths, which I hadn’t fully realized earlier but came to appreciate while working with Arvind (admitStreet), was my work experience. I had exposure to both big tech companies and early-stage startups – I saw startups succeed, and I also experienced failure firsthand.

This mix of experiences made my profile unique and helped differentiate me from other candidates. Another important strength was my GRE score, which added further weight to my application.

Additionally, I visited IESE for an open day, met with the admissions team, and got a better sense of the school culture. I incorporated this experience into my essays to demonstrate genuine interest and a strong fit with the program.

Working with admitStreet

Working with Arvind (admitStreet) was an excellent experience. He helped me connect the dots across my career and build a compelling profile. What really stood out was his genuine investment in my success; he wanted me to get in just as much as I did.

After the initial months, once we had refined my resume and overall profile, he gave me the confidence that I had a strong chance. We developed a clear strategy, targeting a mix of ambitious, realistic, and safe schools in a well-structured manner.

In terms of the CV and essays, the process began with working on the resume. Arvind shared a lot of valuable pointers on how to structure and refine it. Initially, the resume was very tech-heavy, and most of the points did not quantify the impact of the work, making it difficult to understand the value created in each role.

Working with Arvind helped me realize the importance of ensuring every point clearly reflected an impact, as that is something business schools look for. We iterated on the resume at least three to four times. One of the key steps that helped was Arvind’s suggestion to first write as many points as possible without worrying about perfection. Later, he guided me in trimming and selecting the strongest points, using his experience to identify what would resonate better with business schools. This understanding was something I did not initially have, and it significantly improved the quality of the final resume.

When we moved on to essays, Arvind followed a similar structured approach. For every essay prompt, he encouraged me not to worry about the word limit initially but to focus on writing extensively and introspectively. He provided clear structures for each prompt, which made it easier to connect different aspects of my profile and experiences.

Throughout the process, Arvind edited and helped bring down the content to fit within the word limits, resulting in essays that were much stronger and more refined than my original drafts. What stood out was that he never spoon-fed edits: instead, he would ask pointed questions whenever something was unclear or lacked depth. He pushed me to elaborate wherever necessary and only after that helped trim and polish the content, ensuring the final versions were authentic and impactful.

Arvind also had a deep understanding of what IESE looks for in applicants, which really helped in shaping my story for them. Through him, I got a clear picture of the admissions process, what matters, how to position myself, and where to focus.

IESE Assessment Day Experience

Overall, the IESE assessment day was a highly interesting experience, quite different from the usual interviews conducted by other colleges. It was a unique aspect of the application process that added an engaging dimension. The process can be a bit intimidating, especially since it’s done in a group setting.

For the assessment, we were given a case one week in advance, and the day began with a simulation of how IESE conducts its classes. A professor guided us through the case, and we were expected to actively participate in the discussion. After that, we were split into smaller groups and sent to breakout rooms where we had to discuss the case and later present our findings to the rest of the group.

Since it was an online session, there were some challenges. For instance, with multiple people in a group, it was difficult to ensure everyone had an opportunity to speak. Each breakout room was given just 10 minutes to discuss several questions about the case, and with 10 people in the room, it became a bit chaotic at times. Despite these challenges, the experience was insightful, and it offered a glimpse into how collaborative learning happens at IESE.

What I found particularly valuable during this process was the preparation I did with Arvind before the assessment day. While I had reviewed the case multiple times, I hadn’t fully thought through each question in the structured way IESE expects. Arvind’s guidance helped me realize the importance of backing every answer with data and ensuring that each solution was well thought out, rather than just providing surface-level responses. This preparation really helped me feel confident going into the session, even though the dynamic was still a bit overwhelming due to the large group.

There was also an interesting segment where we were asked to introduce ourselves with a picture that represents us. This gave everyone a chance to share a personal aspect of their life – many chose pictures related to travel or hobbies – which made it a more human experience and allowed me to connect with others in a meaningful way.

IESE Interview Experience

The interview was straightforward and felt more like a conversation than a formal interview. The alum primarily focused on my post-MBA goals and how IESE would help me achieve them. The questions were simple and aimed at understanding whether I had thoroughly researched the school and thought about my future plans.

They asked about the opportunities that IESE could provide, the types of geographies I could apply to after my MBA, and whether I had considered a backup option. Overall, the interview was relaxed and friendly, making it one of the easier parts of the application process.

It mainly revolved around why I wanted to pursue an MBA, why IESE specifically, and how I envisioned the program fitting into my long-term goals. They wanted to ensure I had carefully considered job opportunities and financing as well.

Preparing for Assessment Day & Interview

My preparation for the assessment day involved thorough case study practice, particularly with Arvind. We spent a couple of days discussing the case in depth, and this helped me approach it in a more structured way.

Although I had already reviewed the case, I hadn’t initially thought through the details as carefully as I should have. Arvind emphasized that every answer I proposed should be supported by data, and each point should be substantiated with strong reasoning. This shift in focus was crucial for me.

With Arvind’s guidance, he provided valuable pointers to help me prepare and scheduled mock interviews to simulate the real experience. I also reviewed my essays multiple times before the interview and reached out to current students and alumni for additional insights and advice.

Advice for Prospective Applicants

My first tip would be to connect with as many students as possible from the university you’re applying to. This will help you understand what the college values and give you a clear idea of what you’ll be studying there, which you can then incorporate into your application.

Definitely engage with a wide range of people – join alumni webinars, talk to current students, and even connect with the admissions committee.

Another key point is to start your preparation as early as possible, aiming for Round 1. I personally underestimated how much time the application process would take, which led me to apply a bit later than planned. So, it’s crucial to start early, get to know the opportunities at your target school, and make yourself known through webinars and interactions.

Tips for IESE Assessment Days & Interviews

For the assessment day and interviews, I would say the key is to truly understand the opportunities that the college offers. If you have a clear understanding of this, the interviews will feel more straightforward.

Another important point, which I learned from working with Arvind, is to set realistic post-MBA goals. It’s important to write goals that are achievable and practical. While it’s great to have big aspirations, you need to be mindful of what is realistic within the scope of your experience and the opportunities the MBA will provide. These schools really focus on whether you are employable after graduation, so avoid mentioning goals that could come across as impractical or unattainable.

Lastly, make sure to focus on your GRE or GMAT scores as well.

Tips for Scholarships

I think the key here is to understand the values of the college and see if you can highlight those values in your scholarship essay.

Most scholarships have specific categories, and you’re typically limited to applying for certain ones. For example, if you’re applying for a technology-focused scholarship and you know that the school values areas like sustainability or social work, showcasing any relevant work where you’ve used technology to contribute to those areas can make your application stand out.

So, definitely try to align your experience with the school’s values, as that will be a strong criterion for securing the scholarship.