Balancing Work, Life, GMAT prep & MBA Applications took me from Oil Refineries to Elite European B-Schools

As if maintaining work life balance wasn’t challenging enough, MBA aspirants grapple with the additional complexity of juggling with GMAT prep and MBA applications as well.

While working in the Oil & Gas sector, Aravind was managing over 1000 workers and multiple roles at work. But he knew that he had to push himself more, if he had to change the status quo and get into the top business schools in Europe.
 

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Balancing Work, Life, GMAT prep & MBA Applications

My journey from PSU Oil Refineries to Elite European B-Schools

by Aravind P S

 

I come from Ravaneshwar, a small and beautiful village in northern Kerala. Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about football and automobiles.

Additionally, I had a keen interest in quiz competitions and music, often winning prizes in both arts and technical festivals. I studied Carnatic music for about six years. Indeed, music is an integral part of my life.

Both my parents were teachers. While I loved participating in quiz competitions, I was often lazy with regular school academics, resulting in grades that didn’t meet my parents’ and teachers’ expectations.

However, I had no plans to impress them and maintained my status quo until the 10th standard. Reality hit me that year, and I started becoming anxious about my future and career goals.

With newfound passion and motivation, I finally met the expectations set by my parents and teachers in my 10th standard results. I continued this momentum through higher secondary studies, achieving a 99th percentile rank in the engineering entrance exam.

After graduating from the College of Engineering Trivandrum, one of the best engineering colleges in Kerala, I joined in one of the biggest Oil & Gas PSUs in India.

I started at one of the largest PSU oil refineries; a solid launch to my career. I managed maintenance and projects, leading large teams of over 1000 workers. My job was challenging because I had to handle multiple roles simultaneously.

I remember, during covid, when the whole working population started confining to their homes, I had to work day and night to seize the low oil demand opportunities by undertaking turnaround maintenance activities for process units.

Despite the learning opportunities in my current job, I aspired to accelerate my career and attain leadership roles in global energy giants. I realized that an MBA from a globally recognized school could transform my career.

In 2022, I began focusing on MBA requirements and schools, discovering that clearing the GMAT was the first step.

My target GMAT score was 720, as I aimed for elite schools in Europe or Singapore, not the US. I began preparing for the GMAT in late 2022, intending to apply for the first round of 2024 intake.

The GMAT requires intense concentration and discipline in preps. My preparation was frequently interrupted by work commitments. On my first attempt, I scored 620, which was far below my expectations.

In July 2023, I retook the exam, scoring 670, but was still short of my goal. Determined to achieve 700, I juggled work and study, but ongoing projects from July to November 2023 limited my preparation time.

From the start of my MBA journey, I was following MBA Crystal Ball (MCB). I found their blogs and reviews genuine and insightful.

In August 2023, I reached out to several top admission consulting companies, including MCB, and received an instant reply from Manish Gupta (consulting head of MCB) with a profile evaluation.

Manish advised that a higher GMAT score would increase my chances at my target schools. His feedback was clear and honest, highlighting that my PSU experience and lack of international exposure needed to be addressed.

By the end of November 2023, my hectic projects concluded. At this late stage, I faced two major concerns: the need for a higher GMAT score and impending deadlines.

With Round 2 and Round 3 deadlines in January 2024, I knew I had to quickly start my applications alongside GMAT preparation.

I planned to write the MBA application essays on my own, but I was unsure of what the admissions committee truly expected.

I realized I needed assistance from an experienced MBA admissions consultant to review my essays and help build a competitive application.

I contacted Manish and opted for a two-school plan. Manish connected me with Ravi Agarwal, who helped me prioritize my school list based on my profile and GMAT score.

After thorough research and conversations with alumni, I decided to apply to SDA Bocconi and ESADE, both top European schools with strong consulting networks, aligning with my career goals.

Bocconi was my top priority due to its strong network in the Middle East, similar to IESE.

Since the Middle East was in my career plans, Bocconi was an ideal choice.

However, with only 120 seats available, Bocconi is highly competitive. But I decided to apply.

Managing exam prep and applications was tough. I dedicated 1-1.5 hours daily to applications and 2-3 hours to studying, despite a 10-11 hour workday.

I began scoring 720-740 consistently on mock tests, but a new work project disrupted my final preparations.

Still, I was satisfied with my 700 score in my third attempt, which boosted my confidence to apply to my target schools. I finally bid adieu to GMAT.

Working on my applications was a fresh and rewarding journey. Ravi provided incredible support, guiding me through essay crafting without spoon-feeding. His prompt, precise feedback helped me refine my essays.

Sometimes, his meticulous scrutiny of my essays made me wonder if he was an Adcom member himself.

For example, he advised me to replace the word ‘dream’ with ‘goal’ throughout my essays. Makes sense!

My journey with Ravi was truly remarkable, and I am deeply thankful for the invaluable support he provided.

After completing the Bocconi application, we quickly finished the ESADE application and submitted both by the third week of January, just a week after my 700 GMAT score.

Within a week, I received an interview invitation from ESADE, which thrilled me as it was my first.

I enrolled in MCB’s mock interview preparation. Ravi’s honest feedback on my performance during the mocks was invaluable, helping me improve significantly.

The actual ESADE interview, lasting around 40 minutes was conducted by the Adcom associate director.

She had already reviewed my applications and was keen to learn more about me personally, expressing interest in my extracurriculars such as music and football.

Our shared enthusiasm for Barcelona further facilitated a strong connection. She also inquired about my contingency plans, emphasizing the importance of having solid alternatives.

Three weeks later, I received a response that I’ve been waitlisted.

Three weeks after submitting my application, I received an interview call from Bocconi. I was glad because I never expected this call after messing up my video pre-interview round.

Interviewer was an alumna and the interview was a casual and conversational 45-minute session. She focused on my resume, asking about my career goals and why I chose Bocconi and Italy over Indian B-schools.

Then began the waiting period. Months passed without any response, fueling my impatience as I feared missing the 2024 intake.

Consequently, I enrolled in additional packages for IMD and IE Business School for the January 2025 intake and submitted both applications by the first week of April.

However, on April 15th, I received positive news from ESADE—I secured admission and was waitlisted for the scholarship.

I was thrilled to finally secure admission into one of Europe’s premier MBA programs after a challenging journey.

I was also awaiting an update from SDA Bocconi, and requested the Adcom to fasttrack my application.

To my delight, the Bocconi admissions team responded on the ESADE deadline day, confirming my admission.

It was an unexpected joy, and they informed me that my scholarship application was under review, with a decision expected by the end of May.

This marked the happy conclusion to my two-year MBA preparation journey, during which I waited 72 days for Bocconi’s interview results—a wait that proved worthwhile.

Meanwhile, I received a late interview invitation from IE Business School. However, I opted to accept the offer from Bocconi, considering it the most attractive option.

Bocconi’s robust alumni network in consulting played a significant role in my decision. Also, who could refuse an offer to study at the globally ranked 3rd best business school?

Looking back, I’m proud of my journey. From starting exam preparations on my own to interacting with many people and learning new aspects, it’s been a roller coaster ride.

Managing exam prep and applications amidst a hectic office schedule was challenging, but the journey with MCB was incredible, leading to successful admissions.

I realize that as an Indian Male Engineer, a category that’s over-represented, it’s crucial to stand out from the crowd.

My work experience, albeit in a PSU, was still valuable, particularly my leadership in managing large teams, which Adcoms appreciated.

Extracurricular activities also hold significance for foreign schools, and I was able to differentiate myself through my musical background and sports involvement.

I’m certain that I’m among the many Indian MBA aspirants who struggle to invest time for MBA preparations due to work commitments.

My humble suggestion to them is to prioritize MBA as your primary goal and then focus on building a robust profile.

At times, we must push our boundaries and sacrifice comfort hours to pursue our goals.

It’s a challenging journey that will test and exhaust you, but confidence and commitment are vital. Also, don’t forget to reach out to Manish, who is the best one out there to guide you!

To all my friends from PSU aspiring for an MBA, I suggest enhancing your profile holistically.

While PSU experience may limit international exposure, strong profiles in other areas like extracurriculars, work in non-profit organizations, workplace initiatives, leadership skills, etc., can compensate.

Wishing you all the best!

– Aravind PS

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Aravind shared the intriguing story of how his village got the name Ravaneshwar. It is believed that Ravana lived there in a cave for a short while. There is a temple around that area dedicated to Lord Shiva, but the cave is still preserved.

What story does your name convey to the admission officers?

That’s one of the crucial questions MBA Crystal Ball can help you with, as you work hard to balance test prep, MBA applications, work and life itself.

Send us an email if you’d like to partner with us on your MBA journey: info@mbacrystalball.com