LOW GMAT SUCCESS STORIES: Journey to Rotman

In this article, we are speaking to a chemical engineer who supposedly has a regular profile of an Indian engineer with a “low GMAT score” of 670 and still cracked the admissions of one of the best business schools in Canada (Rotman) to embark on his journey for her second MBA.

Through the journey of a successful candidate, we are here, addressing issues like how to bring uniqueness in your applications despite belonging to an over-represented MBA applicant pool, how important is GMAT for MBA, how to choose the right MBA programs and what Rotman looks for in a candidate.

Q: AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR CAREER DID YOU DECIDE THAT YOU NEED A SECOND MBA ABROAD?

I have been thinking about a second MBA for a long time. But once when I got the opportunity to visit and work in my company’s London office, my interaction with many different personalities from varied cultures inspired me to start considering global options for my second MBA.

Also, pursuing a second MBA can be a golden opportunity for me now because I belong to the Oil & Gas Industry and it’s very niche. Now, with the pandemic, the industry is going through a rough time and so from the career point of view, it made sense to do an MBA now and pivot my career to consulting.

Q: BEING A 670 GMAT, WHICH IS SUPPOSEDLY A “LOW GMAT SCORE”, DID YOU FEEL UNDER-CONFIDENT AS REGARDS YOUR CHANCES TO THE TIER 1 BUSINESS SCHOOLS?

So, I got this score back in 2019 and I still remember vividly, I was not at all satisfied and for me it was a low GMAT compared to my mocks and back then also, I reached out to Shantanu for advice on whether to retake or not. Since I had time, he advised me to give it another shot and I did, not just once, but several times and it did not work out for me. And I think it’s okay to have a low GMAT score if you have an otherwise strong profile. Also, a lot depends on how you communicate your profile to adcoms which in many ways also helps to compensate for a low GMAT. So, while I knew a 670 GMAT is a low GMAT score especially for a candidate from an over-represented MBA applicant pool like an Indian engineer, I did not lose hope and Shantanu always advised me that it’s the overall profile that matters.

Q: AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR MBA APPLICATION PROCESS DID YOU FEEL THE NEED FOR A CONSULTANT?

My biggest hurdle, which I think many Indian applicants can relate with, was a low GMAT score with an over-represented MBA applicant pool of Indian, engineer applicants and so, I knew I was not playing on very safe ground. Being a low GMAT, I had to have exceptional essays in my MBA applications to make a mark on the adcoms and so, for that, you need someone who understands the school well as well as put more than the required effort in understanding you to connect each and every dot. So, I knew what I was looking for in a consultant and I found Shantanu an optimal choice because of his deep and expert understanding of the school and the scientific process he follows throughout the application which also made me believe that my low GMAT has a very limited effect on my application.

Q: HOW WOULD YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE YOUR WHOLE MBA APPLICATION JOURNEY? HOW YOU STARTED, WHAT HURDLES YOU FACED AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE GAINED FROM THE WHOLE JOURNEY?

For me, it was a hell of a journey! I started with MBA and Beyond 8 months before the deadline. And we started with the content gathering process where there were hundreds of questions in a document that was sent to me, my friends and my family. This helped me to introspect a lot about myself that I think I never could get time to, plus with the feedback from people closer to me, we could remove the personal biases from the information we collected about me.

So, after the whole branding process ended and we got the theme and direction of my application, we started with essays. We used to have long sessions and work on at least 4-5 drafts for every single question before reaching the final answer.

Two of my biggest hurdles were my goals essay and low GMAT. A lot was going on, I needed to think through every part of my goals and life and it required a lot of research. But the best part was, Shantanu was there to be patient with me, to set me in the right direction and walk with me side by side during this whole process. So, I think, the best decision I took is I knew I had a disadvantage of a low GMAT and over-representation and to get an edge over others, I started my MBA applications much earlier.

Q: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR MBA ASPIRANTS IS TO CHOOSE THE “RIGHT” SCHOOLS. WHAT EXACTLY THIS “RIGHT” MEANT FOR YOU AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT MBA PROGRAMS FOR YOURSELF?

So, I think, this decision of the right schools should be very personal and it should first come from within. The first step that should go in choosing the right MBA programs is introspecting on your own goals, career and preferences. This can help you cancel a lot of noise around you.

For me, geography was one of the most important factors. I already have opted the USA out of my preferred locations because of the visa issues and I was definitely interested to look for options in the UK because I have had work-experience there and I was fascinated by the culture I experienced. So, after deciding the geographies, we started looking for schools, networking with alumni of different schools and evaluating each MBA program on various parameters like career opportunities, ease of living, the culture of the schools etc. and I still vividly remember it took us 21 odd days to just shortlist the schools.

SEE THE MAIN FACTORS THAT CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT MBA PROGRAMS