Mr. Army Veteran! Got admitted into ISB and Oxford with a 700 GMAT!

I started working with MBA and Beyond in October. I had a decent 700+ GMAT score but was completely unaware of the application process. In addition, I am a military veteran from an unconventional background; thus, I wanted a deliberate and systematic approach to my B school application process.

I contacted the MBA and Beyond team and had a detailed discussion with Elana. Post our conversation, I attended a webinar wherein I could better understand the process and methodology followed by MBA& Beyond.

Further, I was also briefed by Paridhi on how MBA& Beyond has helped people from unconventional backgrounds with their MBA applications. Finally, I was mapped with Dr. Vinita Singh, and right from day one, I could feel the kind of experience and knowledge Dr. Vinita had. It was very kind of her to accept my profile, especially when I had already missed the round 1 deadline and was even late for round 2.

Dr. Vinita has been more than a consultant to me: she has helped me to understand what exactly transition means for a veteran. She made me understand why having crystal clear short-term and long-term goals are significant for someone like me, owing to my work experience and profile as a veteran. At the same time, she made me realize my main strength- Leadership experience and how we can leverage it to make a strong application. Further, she removed any noise from the process and kept me focused and attentive toward the smallest details.

Finally, she quickly realized my biggest shortcoming: interview skills and patiently worked with me toward overcoming the same. She pushed me to the extremes and ensured that I gave at least three to four mocks before appearing for the final interview with any school. It is her sheer dedication and ownership she has toward her students which makes her a true mentor. Over the last year, I have realized that more than the guidance and help, it is the partnership between the consultant and the student which helps to bring the best in the application.

The true value which I was able to get out of MBA& Beyond is surely beyond MBA. To summarise in Dr. Vinita’s way, the three things which make her stand out from any other consultant are:-

1) She is incredibly genuine and empathetic, with an uncanny ability to observe your unique strengths and weaknesses.
2) She knows how to present these unique traits in a manner that is attractive to the top programs
3) She understands the core of the MBA application process extremely well and can provide outstanding advice on how to navigate through it using the unique strengths each candidate has.

I was able to find a true mentor and a genuine person whom I trusted, and I will always be thankful for making it happen for me. I was able to get shortlisted to 50 % of the schools I applied to and convert 50% of those shortlists to a final admission with a scholarship.

Schools Applied- ISB, IIM A, USC Marshall, Notre Dame Mendoza, IESE, WBS, INSEAD, LBS, Oxford