Can an Indian male engineer land a coveted offer from a top 20 global university, along with a €10,000 scholarship? Absolutely! Aditya's journey is a testament to perseverance. After setback in his few initial GMAT attempts, he didn't give up. With unwavering dedication and the guidance of Tanmay Singh, a study abroad coach at Faith Career, Aditya achieved his dream. Read on to discover his inspiring story.
#1) Aditya, could you please briefly describe your profile?
Born and brought up as a first generation military child, I have lived in 15 out of 29 states in the country, an experience which has exposed me to diverse socio economic groups. I completed my schooling primarily in Army Public Schools throughout the country, which inculcated in me a sense of discipline, integrity and the ability to empathize with people.
An engineer by education, I completed my bachelors in Electronics and Communication engineering from Vellore Institute Of Technology, but given my proclivities of connecting with new people, I decided to pivot towards the field of business by taking up a business development role in LiDO learning.
In my 4.5 years of work experience, I have worked in client-facing roles in both B2B and B2C organizations and have created campaigns generating 100k+ euros of GMV monthly for my organization. In my current role, I lead a 5 member Kerala and Tamil Nadu team for the DigiNerve vertical of Jaypee Brothers, which is the largest medical publisher in Asia and am responsible for handling a portfolio of 130k+ Euros. In my free time, I like to play Counter Strike, read books, and attend Toastmasters meetings to network with like minded people.
#2) Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
At Classplus, I was one of the few BDMs entrusted with enterprise-level responsibilities, managing high-value accounts. I learned YouTube SEO optimization and created personalized two-page brochures analyzing each client’s digital traffic and student journey. I also learnt real-time course correction on Youtube and A/B testing This approach led to a 33% increase in daily meetings and significantly shortened the sales cycle.
The success of this strategy reinforced my belief that aligning marketing with sales is crucial for business success and played a crucial role in my goal of pursuing an MBA with a specialization in Marketing to expand my knowledge of Brand Strategy and Management.
In my current role at Jaypee Brothers, I lead a four-member team in Tamil Nadu and Kerala for the ‘DigiNerve’ vertical, targeting postgraduate medical students. Initially, I attempted to implement an institutional sales channel, but I failed to account for product-market fit, as our software was incompatible with desktop OS, and unit economics posed challenges for bulk subscriptions. These experiences underscored my need for an MBA in marketing to deepen my knowledge of consumer research, business economics, and strategy
I have identified a gap in my ability to set broader business and marketing goals. This became evident when I proposed launching a B2B segment for DigiNerve but lacked the strategic marketing expertise to execute it effectively. Additionally, my background has been predominantly in the Ed-Tech sector, which has limited my understanding of industries like FMCG and retail, where I aspire to transition. Leveraging my transferable skills such as empathizing with people and bottom funnel strategy, I plan on developing skills pertaining to this industry to align with my long term goals.
#3) What were your top 3 reasons for selecting Tanmay Singh to be your mentor for your ESADE MBA application?
A) Experience and Track Record:
Tanmay has an impeccable record of helping candidates gain admission to top MBA programs and boasts a 100% success rate. He had deep knowledge regarding the programs I was targeting, including their values, culture and admissions criteria. One of my friends introduced me to Tanmay.
B) Personalized Approach:
Tanmay offered a customizing targeting approach based on my profile, goals, and target schools rather than offering a generic plan, unlike a consultant whose services I had availed before. He demonstrated genuine interest in my success and helped me even getting my bearings both in my academic and personal life, and during the times when I was low on morale.
C) Communication Skills:
Tanmay provided clear, constructive, actionable feedback on my essays, interviews, and other application components. His timely communication and responsiveness, especially when deadlines approached, were critical to my success.
#4) What 3 tips would you like to share with an aspirant working on their study abroad application?
A) Get your GMAT/GRE score early.
Standardized scores are an important part of an MBA application. In most schools they account for 30% of the application but are an essential part in getting your foot through the door. Having a good standardized score beforehand provides you with the bandwidth to focus extensively on the rest 70% of the application such as the essays and the interviews.
B) Take mock interviews.
The selection rate of top B schools is less than 15% in most cases. To that extent interviews play a crucial role in helping the ad-com understand your personality, your motivations for pursuing an MBA from that particular school, and why the school should select you amongst their immensely large pool of applicants.
C) Do ample research on the schools you are applying to.
Each business school has its own set of values and domains where the academic pedagogy excels in. It is imperative to understand what these values are and then align your application in accordance with the values. To that extent, it's simply not enough to browse through the website, and talk about clubs and courses. One needs to research extensively by networking with current students and alumni of the business school and then highlight these efforts in the application and the interview.
#5) How did you prepare for the interview after submitting the ESADE MBA application? What all steps did you take to prepare for the interview?
Preparing for a business school MBA interview requires a mix of introspection, research, and practice. I was clear about why I want an MBA and why specifically from ESADE. I also was crystal clear about my short-term and long-term goals and how ESADE would help me achieve these goals. Networking and having coffee chats with alumni and current students helped me formulate refined answers for these questions.
It is imperative to also have the pre-application meeting with an ad-com member as it gives you further insights on the culture fostered by the school and provides you with talking points in the actual/real interview. I did the same. Most importantly, Tanmay’s extensive interview preparation pedagogy and numerous mock interviews were quintessential in preparing me for any sort of curveballs thrown my way.
#6) What questions did Edina Horvath ask you during the ESADE MBA interview?
Edina and I spoke for 30 minutes. Most of the questions that she asked were practiced during my mock interviews with Tanmay.
Introduce yourself and explain your need for an MBA from ESADE in 2025. (Intro, Why MBA and Why ESADE combined)
Where do you see yourself after a few years post your MBA?
You have applied to IESE. What motivated you to apply at ESADE? Why do you want to pursue an MBA from abroad?
Follow up question: What do you think is different regarding the work culture in foreign countries when compared to India?
Tell me about a time when you worked in a team and made a project successful.
Have you ever stayed abroad?
Do you have any questions for me?
#7) How do you think you performed in the ESADE MBA interview with Edina?
From the very start, I felt that my ESADE MBA interview was more like a fluid conversation rather than a stress test, like what is conducted in many Indian B-Schools. I was clear about my motivations for pursuing an MBA now and why I was particularly attracted to ESADE. I was able to align my professional successes of creating campaigns and standardized models pertaining to bottom funnel optimizations and people management, with my suitability for the rigorous academic and collaborative curriculum at ESADE.
For my extra-curricular activities, I was able to relate my stint in professional Counter Strike and my tenure as the Lead Director at VITCC Dramatics Club with the specific clubs at ESADE, which managed to grab Edina’s attention.
Towards the end of the interview, I was able to understand that Edina was extremely satisfied with the conversation and was proactively helping me understand how ESADE would be the right choice for me as well, given my proclivity of pursuing an MBA in Marketing and Brand Management. When the interview concluded, I had a strong feeling that I would get in.
#8) How was Tanmay’s mentorship important while working on the ESADE MBA application?
Before I started working with Tanmay, the concept of networking and school-specific research was completely alien to me. His email consisting of all the research links for ESADE was quintessential in helping me maintain a central repository of all the information pertaining to this B School.
Tanmay’s mentoring style is exploratory in nature. As in, he motivates his students to think about instances that have shaped their personal and professional journey, and then relate them with the fundamental traits that each B-school is looking for. His exhaustive documents, IOE, PBW and PBW, and the guidance he provided while I was brainstorming, gave me with multiple talking points in my application and my interview. He has stayed up on calls with me even till 1 AM at night to fix things in my application.
Apart from the application, Tanmay also doubled down as my therapist even though he did not have any compulsion to do so. At times when I was feeling down and was unsure of how to proceed and whether my profile was strong enough for an MBA from such a prestigious school. Tanmay proactively helped me get my bearings and reinvigorate my confidence in the process. He even pushed me to hustle in the application when I started to slow down and his motivating presence was essential in ensuring my success.
Finally, during the mocks, when I was performing abysmally in the beginning, he kept my morale up and consistently put in efforts to help me be best prepared for the actual D Day.
#9) Congratulations for receiving a scholarship of EUR 10,000! How did that happen? What did you do to bag that scholarship?
Tanmay made me aware that the scholarship amount is decided on the basis of one's GMAT score + interview performance. Out of the various scholarship awards that prospective students could target, I specifically chose the Leadership Excellence Award as it allowed me to showcase my professional and personal achievements and align them appropriately with the award in the scholarship essay.
I talked about the standardized model which I created during my tenure with the enterprise team at Classplus, which was later adopted as the de facto pitch for high value clients. I mentioned the affiliate model which was my brainchild and which cemented Classplus’ position as the market leader, contributing to 30% of the total retail sales. On the personal front, I talked about the work I did with Asha schools throughout the country which contributed to the empowerment of specially-abled children, an endeavor which stemmed from the drive to care for my sister who was a special child herself.
#10) What are your final ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for a study abroad aspirant?
Do:
1. Start early.
Many students wait for an appropriate GMAT score before they start working on the essays and peripherals of the application. This approach is flawed in my opinion as the essays hold equal if not more weightage in the application when compared with the standardized scores. It takes months to brainstorm appropriate school specific stories from your personal and professional life and even longer to proof read, make changes and consult alumni regarding your essays. One should start preparing for the application and the GMAT together at least a year prior to the expected admissions cycle.
2. Stay focused.
In my last point, I mentioned starting early. But this is a double edged sword as those who are done with their GMAT early on tend to lose momentum when it comes to the essays and interview preps. It's imperative to stay motivated and consistently revisit the IOE, PBW and PBQ sheets provided by Tanmay and constantly think of ways of how you can better frame the material.
3. Network, Network and Network.
Once you are done with the LinkedIn Networking Workshop conducted by Tanmay, you will be equipped with the right tools to go out and connect with as many alumni/ current students as possible. Try to get these accomplished people on coffee chats and have your set of questions ready beforehand. This not only helps to get your name flown around the B School community but also provides you with many talking points in the interview.
Don’t:
1. Don't wait for a 700+ score to start working on the written parts of the application.
As mentioned before, GMAT/GRE is just 30% of the application, and though getting a good score on the standardized test is imperative to success, its not the only deciding factor. Start preparing your essays beforehand as 1 month is not nearly enough to get the essays and the interview prep done right.
2. Don't blindly follow a consultant on the basis of their price/website.
Having worked with MBA consultants before, I know for a fact that I am lucky that I found Tanmay when I did. Using the word "consultant" does injustice to him as he is more like a mentor and an elder brother to me. Before I sought his help in my MBA application, I did my research on his track record, talked with his previous students, and understood his mentorship style through our Discovery Call.
Most importantly, since he does not operate on a hub and spoke model, he was there for me at every step of the application journey, whether it's 1 AM at night or 6 AM in the morning. This was a process which I had not experienced before as in the case of other consultants where the one conducting the discovery call was different from the one associated with the application process. I completely attribute my success to the efforts and the individual attention Tanmay put in.
3. Don't use AI tools to write your application.
ChatGPT is useful, but it will be your downfall if you use it to write your essays. People who graduated from the business schools you wish to apply to are working at these AI companies and these business schools have softwares which could catch generative text. Instead, just spend ample time and complete your application the old fashioned way. That is, by writing it yourself.
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