Getting into a top MBA program like NYU Stern is competitive enough, but securing a full-ride scholarship worth nearly $200,000 makes it all the more remarkable.
In this Q&A, Divy Gulati walks us through his academic choices, career pivots, GMAT preparation strategy, application decisions and the unexpected surprise of receiving a full scholarship from Stern.
What stands out even more is Divy’s well-defined career vision, with every academic and career decision thoughtfully aligned with his long-term career goals. His story is quite interesting, so let’s hear how he did it.
NYU Stern with Full Scholarship ($200,000) for Indian applicant
MG: To begin with, can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? What do you do and what is your educational background?
Divy: I graduated in 2023 from BITS Pilani. I studied Chemical Engineering along with a Master’s in Biological Sciences. Alongside that, I also pursued a minor in Finance. My interest in finance developed in my second year, so I took additional finance credits.
In my final year, I did a one-year internship at a trading firm in the marketing department, and that’s how I started my journey into finance.
After that, I worked at ICICI Bank in the forex department as a Product Manager. Currently, I am working at Morgan Stanley in Credit Risk. That’s been my journey so far.
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How I built a strong profile for Healthcare Investment Banking
MG: Morgan Stanley is one of the more coveted employers. When did you start thinking about an MBA? Also, tell us about your GMAT journey?
Divy: I gave my GMAT while I was working at ICICI Bank. It took me around 7-8 months and 2 attempts to get a score that would be competitive for top schools.
I also pursued CFA Level 1 because my post-MBA goal was to move into healthcare investment banking. I wanted to make sure I had done my homework before applying. I took relevant courses and tried to build a strong foundation for that transition.
I also moved to Morgan Stanley’s Credit Risk team as part of that preparation. Along the way, I completed investment banking courses from Wall Street Oasis and financial modeling courses from Wall Street Prep. All of this was part of preparing for my career pivot.
MG: You had a strong score of 735. Any tips or resources that helped you get there?
Divy: I started with a diagnostic score of 435, so it was a long journey. My cousins recommended e-GMAT, and I liked the structure after trying the trial version, so I went ahead with it. GMAT Club was also very useful, especially for practicing specific types of questions.
The official guides from MBA.com were helpful, particularly for Data Insights, which was a weak area for me. I spent about 15 -20 days focusing on that.
My main issue in the first attempt was timing in Data Insights, which I fixed in the second attempt. That made a big difference.
My journey to NYU Stern – $200K scholarship
MG: You had a strong score but relatively less experience at that point. How did you decide to work with MBA Crystal Ball?
Divy: I initially approached MBA Crystal Ball for a profile review after my GMAT. At that time, I had about 2 years of experience and I was considering applying to NYU Stern.
The feedback I received was that it might be better to wait, since the average experience at top US schools is closer to five years. So instead of applying in 2024, I waited for another year and worked on improving my profile.
During that time, I built more relevant experience, moved to Morgan Stanley, and strengthened my overall profile. Then I applied in 2025 with the help of MBA Crystal Ball.
My consultant was an alumnus, which really helped. He had a good understanding of the school culture and what the admissions committees look for.
MG: Which schools did you apply to and how were your interview experiences?
Divy: I applied to Wharton, Booth, Columbia and NYU Stern.
The interviews were quite relaxed. They didn’t grill me much. I think the main concern was whether I would be able to secure a job after the MBA.
I addressed that by explaining the work I had done to prepare for my transition and how I planned to move within the same bank. That helped reassure them.
MG: What was going through your mind while waiting for the results?
Divy: I was waitlisted at Columbia and rejected without an interview at Wharton and Booth. So, I didn’t have very high expectations from Stern either.
I thought I might get an admit, but not a scholarship; definitely not a full ride.
So, getting a full scholarship was a big surprise. The process really feels like a black box. It’s not over until you get a rejection.
Final advice: What applicants often get wrong
MG: Any final tips for applicants?
Divy: One important thing is to connect everything you have done in your past, whether it’s your work experience, college or even earlier, and link it clearly to your future goals.
In my case, I had studied Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani and I connected that to my goal of moving into healthcare investment banking. That helped show a clear and logical path.
Another important point is not to neglect your essays. Even if you have a good GMAT score, you should not assume that it will compensate for weak essays.
I have seen applicants with strong scores get rejected or miss out on scholarships because their essays were not strong enough.
MG: Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Divy. We wish you all the best!
NYU Stern’s location in downtown Manhattan in New York city can be strategic for a healthcare investment banking career. Stern is also a target school for investment banking recruiting. In fact, the 2025 full-time MBA class saw 28% being hired into the investment banking industry.
The school’s close ties to Wall Street and specialized healthcare and finance electives can make it an ideal launchpad for a career in healthcare investment banking.
So Divy chose a school that was a perfect fit for his career aspirations. Additionally, he dedicated a good amount of time for GMAT prep and managed to get a high score.
During his profile evaluation with MBA Crystal Ball, he was advised to work for an additional year which would add value to his profile. He used that additional one year to his advantage by moving to a top investment bank and building relevant work experience.
He then worked with his mentor at MBA Crystal Ball and crafted a solid application, all of which helped him land an admit with a full-ride scholarship.
At MBA Crystal Ball, we’ve helped thousands of applicants get into the top MBA programs, often with scholarships. Drop us a line at info@mbacrystalball.com if you need help with your application.
