Ross & ISB Admits w/ USD 60K scholarship: SaiNikita’s Success Journey 

[Intro by Arvind Kumar]

SaiNikita proves that a nonlinear career path can be your greatest strength.

She graduated at 19 and joined Goldman Sachs as one of the youngest analysts on her team, rotating through three roles over three and a half years.

When her mother was diagnosed with cancer, she resigned to be at home. Later, she pivoted to scaling an arts community project and consulting for the Tamil Nadu government on welfare for persons with autism.

With six and a half years across three sectors, she faced real challenges: employment gaps and a seemingly scattered narrative. But her diversity of experience became her USP. She speaks German (B2), rock climbs, runs, and co-founded “Sit With Us,” a community art initiative.

Ross stood out for its action-based learning, AI + healthcare concentration, and a community where every student she reached out to responded. After Round 1 waitlists and a strategic shift, she earned admits from Ross and ISB – plus a USD 60K scholarship.

Background and Motivation

Nikita: To give you a brief overview, I completed my undergrad at MOP Vaishnav College in Chennai. I pursued a BBA because of my inclination toward specific business subjects. During my college years, I participated in multiple events, which eventually led to an internship opportunity at Goldman Sachs. I was incredibly excited to apply, and after securing the internship, I was eventually offered a pre-placement position.

After graduating first class with distinction, I joined Goldman Sachs as one of the youngest analysts on the team at just 19 years old. I stayed with the firm for three and a half years, rotating through three different roles: Mutual Fund Operations, Equity Settlements, and finally, a role in Sales. These positions tasked me with handling high-value trades and provided significant experience in stakeholder management across various departments.

My time in the sales team was unfortunately cut short when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. At that point, I realized I couldn’t balance the intensity of the work with my responsibilities at home, so I made the difficult decision to resign.

Once I was able to return to work, an opportunity arose with a company called Shunya, an arts and community project firm. I worked there for about 10 months and truly enjoyed being part of that community. During my tenure, we grew from a two-member team to over ten people, and I helped manage more than 250 events. It was a very exciting and different chapter for me.

As things stabilized at home, I decided to reassess my long-term career path. I realized I was strongly drawn toward consulting, so I dedicated the next few months to applying within that field. This led me to a role at Environ, where I consulted for the Tamil Nadu government. I worked on two primary projects: the first was for the Non-Resident Tamils department, developing welfare initiatives and benefits for Tamils living in other states and countries.

Later, I transitioned to the Welfare of Differently Abled Persons department. The project closest to my heart has been working with the Centre of Excellence for Persons with Autism, focusing on schemes and welfare initiatives specifically for that community.

Outside of my professional life, I’m someone who really enjoys outdoor activities. That’s a bit about my journey so far.

Nikita: As you mentioned, two people have had a profound influence on my life. The first is my grandmother. I was raised predominantly by her, and she was someone who had to give up her own career to raise two children. Because of that, in my household, education and having a career were always seen as non-negotiable. She is truly the reason why I am so ambitious and driven today.

My mother was also a major influence because she started her career in her 30s. She taught me that it is never too late to start something new. That is a principle I’ve really lived by, especially now, as pursuing further studies after six and a half years of working can be quite a challenge. I have always taken a great deal of inspiration from both of those women in my life.

Nikita: I am someone who truly loves learning languages. I speak German, having completed my B2 level, and I am currently in the process of learning French. Beyond languages, I love anything physical, especially rock climbing. I enjoy running and going to the gym, and I’ve recently started playing tennis. I also play badminton every other week. These are all activities I continue to make time for.

Apart from fitness, I’ve been heavily involved in community work. I started volunteering during my time at Goldman Sachs, and later, I volunteered independently for an LGBTQIA+ organization where I helped build their social media presence.

Most recently, a friend and I started an initiative last year called “Sit With Us.” It’s a project where people come together to create art as a group. It’s a great way for me to stay connected to my interest in art while providing a space for people to gather, connect, and take some much-needed time away from their phones. Those are a few of the things that keep me busy outside of work.

Nikita: The thought of an MBA has been on my mind for a while now. With six and a half years of experience across different sectors, I have a clearer idea of what I want to do next. Up until now, my work has been primarily focused on execution. While I’ve had a taste of strategy, that is the area I really want to lean into. I see an MBA as the perfect opportunity to pivot from execution-heavy roles toward consulting from a strategic point of view.

Beyond the career pivot, I also felt I was constantly around the same people and limited to the same perspectives. I believe being part of a diverse classroom and gaining a global viewpoint will be incredibly beneficial, allowing me to think from different angles and broaden my professional horizon. That was a major reason why I decided to pursue an MBA, especially one abroad.

Differentiating Points

Nikita: I believe my strongest asset was the diversity of my experience. Having worked across three different sectors in six and a half years was a significant USP. It demonstrated that I am adaptable, quick to learn, and capable of meeting different objectives across various projects.

My ability to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders was another strong point. I’ve gone from communicating with traders who have only seconds to respond, to parents of children with autism who want to speak for an hour about their child’s needs. Being able to bridge those different worlds was a core strength, alongside a solid GRE score and consistent extracurricular involvement.

On the “con” side, I had to address employment gaps. After each role, I took time off to manage the situation at home. I had to be very intentional about explaining those gaps so my career didn’t look discontinued. Additionally, I had to establish a clear flow in my narrative. If you look at my CV without knowing my story, it might look like I was just bouncing between paths without stability. A strong essay and a well-articulated narrative were essential to show how these experiences were connected rather than random.

Geography and School Preference

Nikita: I specifically targeted US schools because, through my research, I found that I really preferred the two-year format. There is also a strong personal connection: my sister is currently studying in the US, and I have other family members there as well, including my uncle. It has been a long time since my sister and I have lived in the same place, almost ten years, so the prospect of being in the same country again is very exciting for me.

Beyond the personal aspect, my interest in the US also stems from my time at Goldman Sachs. During my orientation in New York, I felt a strong sense of alignment with the work culture there. I knew then that I wanted to work in that environment eventually, so it felt like the right move to take this step now and transition to the US.

Nikita: I chose schools based primarily on my post-MBA career goals. I looked for programs with strong consulting pipelines that also value social impact and have a presence in the sectors I want to enter after graduation.

Ross stood out to me particularly because of its learning methodology. I am someone who learns best by doing, and the action-based learning approach at Ross really resonated with me. That hands-on philosophy is a major reason why I was so excited to apply to the program.

Nikita: For me, Ross stood out because of the sheer volume and quality of my interactions. I had the most conversations with Ross students and alumni, and nearly every single person I reached out to responded. They were incredibly open and helpful. Even my interviewer was supportive; after the process, when I reached out with questions about accommodation, she immediately offered her help. That culture really set Ross apart for me.

Beyond the community, their specific learning opportunities were a perfect fit. The consulting club is very strong, but I also wanted to explore healthcare. Ross has a dedicated health club that stood out, particularly because of my interest in the intersection of AI and healthcare, an interest sparked by my work at the Centre of Excellence for Persons with Autism. Ross was the only school offering a concentration in AI, specifically at that intersection with healthcare.

Finally, and this might sound a bit crazy, I’m actually excited to experience winter! Having lived in Chennai and Bangalore my whole life, I’ve never truly experienced a real winter, so that is a small but fun reason I’m looking forward to it.

Nikita: Exactly. One of the main reasons you do an MBA is to build a high-quality network. It was very important to me to be in a college town where I could bond more deeply with my classmates. Ross checked that box perfectly for me.

Application Strategy

Nikita: A lot changed for me between Round 1 and Round 2. Round 1 was my first time applying, and it happened immediately after my GRE. I was very focused on the mechanics of the application and the basic facts about the schools. When I was waitlisted, I realized I needed a change in strategy.

I began reaching out to a significant number of students, which was a total game-changer. They made me feel like I truly belonged in the community. While I reached out to a few people in Round 1, in Round 2, I cast a much wider net, connecting with both students and alumni. I also moved away from asking about their general experiences and started asking more directional, targeted questions. This allowed me to gather much deeper details about each school, which was incredibly beneficial.

I also became more efficient. I understood how to write effectively and could produce high-quality work in a shorter span of time. A big learning for me was not to lose hope. This is a daunting and unpredictable process, you can have a great interview and still end up on a waitlist. I learned to focus on the controllables and just hope for the best. By Round 2, I was much less stressed, which made the process a lot more helpful.

Nikita: Exactly. I had a lot of interviews in Round 2. I think there was a point in February where I had an interview every other week. Round 1 essentially laid the groundwork and helped me get comfortable. By the time Round 2 arrived, I felt much more at ease in the interview chair. That initial experience was essential for giving me the perspective I needed to succeed later on.

Working with admitStreet

Nikita: My first suggestion to anyone is that it’s always better to start early. Working together was incredibly helpful because you provided a very structured approach while we were managing multiple moving parts. For instance, while I was coordinating with others for my Letters of Recommendation (LORs), which don’t depend solely on me, I was simultaneously ensuring my essays were moving forward. Having those structured timelines was essential.

One big takeaway is that you can actually handle much of this in one go. Once you figure out your core narrative, your LORs remain relatively consistent across schools; if you provide clear guidance to your recommenders early on, you’re largely sorted for the rest of the process.

Essays, on the other hand, do change from school to school, but the essence of your story remains the same. You just need to ensure you’ve done deep research on each specific school and adapt your personal story where the values align. I found that while some schools had very different prompts, many others were quite similar, so having those core answers prepared in advance makes you feel much more ready.

Another realization was just how much, or how little, word counts matter. You don’t always realize how long 500 words can feel, or conversely, how little 200 words actually are. Learning how to capture the same depth of story in a much tighter space is very important. You were instrumental in that process, and I really appreciate your help in ensuring I could develop my story effectively regardless of the format.

Interview Experience

Nikita: Personally, I realized I’m someone who prefers an in-person setting. You can convey more of who you are as a person, whereas online it can sometimes feel a bit harder to establish a connection. That said, I actually enjoyed the process. Most of these interviews are fundamentally trying to figure out two things: why you are pursuing an MBA and whether you would be a good fit for that specific school. If you have those core answers covered, you are in a good position.

In terms of style, the US schools felt much more conversational. By contrast, my experience with ISB felt a bit more intense; they asked more difficult, probing questions about my professional experience. It’s possible it just felt that way because it was in person, but there was a noticeable difference in the vibe.

I also noticed that many schools have a quirky element. For one school, I had to provide a quote and explain why I chose it. These are scenarios you usually know about ahead of time, but you still need to be prepared for them. Ultimately, regardless of the format, the focus always comes back to who you are and what you bring to the table.

Advice for Prospective Students

Nikita: I think the first and most important thing is knowing exactly why you want to do an MBA and having clarity on your post-MBA career path. An MBA is a significant financial and time investment, so you need to understand the “why” behind that investment.

I would also suggest never losing hope. You have to keep trying because the process is undeniably daunting. There are many factors beyond your control in this scenario, so my best advice is to ensure you put your absolute best self out there. If you do that, you will eventually find the right fit and hear back from the right school.

Nikita: Thank you so much!