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Experts’ Global: Hi Pulkit, thank you for taking out time for our conversation! Could you kindly share your story in your own words?

Pulkit: Sure! I completed my MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler just last year, although my journey began back in 2015 when I took the GMAT as a fresh graduate. Securing a 710, I then went on to accrue professional experience in two different roles before taking a year’s time to take the GMAT again and apply to various MBA programs. With MBA admissions consultants Experts’ Global’s help, I was able to secure multiple admits!

 

Experts’ Global: In your opinion, what factors most affected your success?

Pulkit: The most important factor was the decision to begin preparing for my applications with significant time in hand. I took the GMAT years ago, and spread out my applications work over a year. Other than that, being introspective about your ambitions and understanding your goals in the long-term is necessary. Business schools look for candidates who know what drives them, as that makes such candidates more valuable members of the community. Reaching out to alumni and current students from your targeted schools is also highly recommended.

 

Experts’ Global: In hindsight, what mistakes did you make along the way?

Pulkit: One thing that I did not do well was to focus solely on my GMAT score and career growth to build what I thought was the strongest possible profile. I did not pay too much attention to the particular culture of each school I applied to. While this did not ultimately affect my admission outcomes overmuch, I did learn that the difference between a good and a great application is that the latter shows an awareness of a school’s specific ethos.

 

Experts’ Global: About your GMAT prep, what resources did you use and what advice do you have for other candidates?

Pulkit: I used the official material from the GMAT website, as well as the mocks available there, as they reflected the algorithm and question structure of the actual GMAT exactly. As a supplement, one can surely use a well-reviewed GMAT online course, but one should make sure to exhaust the official material.

 

Experts’ Global: What can you share about your lessons from managing the applications timeline?

Pulkit: Managing the application timeline is made much smoother if you make sure to have a lot of time in hand and start as early as possible. In my case, I thought that my first GMAT score of 710 was great until I realized after my research that it was an average score for an over-represented profile such as mine. I took the GMAT again to improve my score thereafter.

In other cases, you might face contingencies like an increased workload in the middle of your applications, delays in getting references, and multiple drafts of essays, all of which can be smoothened over by having a well-planned process.

 

Experts’ Global: How was your business school interview experience?

Pulkit: My interview experience was easy-going, and most of the questions were quite behavioral in scope. I realized early on that more than being tests of one’s intelligence or authenticity, the interviews were designed to test my fit for each particular school. There was an attempt to see how a candidate would mesh with an MBA learning community, and whether their dedication would match the program’s rigor. I would suggest that you gear your MBA interview prep accordingly.

 

Experts’ Global: How would you describe your MBA immersion?

Pulkit: My MBA experience was quite interesting because the pandemic hit the world in the middle of my program. Overall, the program had something for all interests and inclinations and provided me with several opportunities to build a global professional network, learn from my peers, and even cultivate international exposure through exchange programs. Consulting programs in the MBA empowered me to build a skillset of great use in my post-MBA career as well.

 

Experts’ Global: What can you share about the post-MBA job search and what advice do you have for aspirants about the same?

Pulkit: The job search, in my experience, was quite similar to the application process. All the stories that you come up with during the application process, as well as the soul-searching that helps you clarify your motivations beforehand, will all prove useful during the job interviews. Further, the network that you build during your MBA will come into play in a significant measure during the job search too.

 

Experts’ Global: In your post-MBA journey, how have the pre-application process and the MBA itself come to influence your growth?

Pulkit: Most of the skills I picked up during the pre-application process, such as a deepened research ethic and greater comfort with setting timelines and sticking to them, have been vital post-MBA as well. The MBA taught me to always bring out the value in any proposition and focus on actionable improvements and measurable results.

 

Experts’ Global: What common mistakes should all GMAT and MBA aspirants look out for?

Pulkit: One big mistake that I have found GMAT applicants make is to attempt really difficult question sets for Quant. The GMAT is mostly a time-management and decision-making exam, and more than training your abilities to a high pitch, you need to be familiar with the kind of questions that appear on the actual test. The GMAT requires you to make guesses and take quick calls on whether a question is too time-consuming for you to even attempt it. Having taken some good quality GMAT mocks during your prep will go the extra mile during the day of the real GMAT.

 

Experts’ Global: What would be your final suggestions to our readers?

Pulkit: Take your time with the MBA journey. It begins well before you start your applications, and lasts until well after you graduate from the MBA. Make sure to be well-secure in your motivations for an MBA, and the direction in which you want it to take your career. Further, take a free GMAT practice test before you start your studies to diagnose where you stand and to optimize your prep thereafter.

 

Experts’ Global: Thank you for sharing your insights with us today, Pulkit!

Pulkit: It was my pleasure!