Faith Career's Co-Founder and Study Abroad Expert, Tanmay Singh, is fond of Mimansha's story of perseverance and unwavering determination which ultimately led to success. In this interview, Tanmay has asked questions about Mimansha's candidature and her ESCP MiM journey. Read on and keep checking our blog for more such success stories.
#1) Can you please briefly describe your profile?
In 2020, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA). During the program, I specialized in Finance and International Business and interned in the Taxation and Insurance sectors. After graduating, I was inclined towards pursuing a career in Marketing, Sales, and Communications owing to my natural proclivity towards these disciplines. I pursued several certifications in areas like Digital Marketing to upskill myself and worked as marketer in sectors like Ed-tech, Non-profit, and Fashion. Moreover, I have been volunteering and contributing to NGOs from a very young age.
#2) Why did you decide to pursue an MIM degree?
From a very young age, I was exposed to foreign languages and diverse cultures. I participated in several student exchange programs and studied languages like French and German for 7 years. My formative experiences bolstered my aspiration of becoming an international citizen. I want to work at global leadership positions and contribute & travel all around the world. The MiM program would open the gateway of the European job market for me and also orient me in the international ways of business. Furthermore, I like how flexible MiM programs are - they give you the opportunity to take a gap year (after the first year) to pursue internships or pursue apprenticeships along with taking few classes (an academic model unique to European schools).
#3) Why did you choose Tanmay to be your mentor for your study abroad application?
When I decided to pursue my masters abroad, I was looking for a counsellor and mentor who could guide me about the application process for MiM programs offered by European colleges. There are a number of study abroad consultants in Delhi who provide a standard package of services, but I required more customised and personalised counselling.
A friend of mine introduced me to Tanmay Singh, and raved about Tanmay’s expertise and essay writing skills.
On our first guidance call, I shared with Tanmay, my motivations of studying in France. Being a graduate of SKEMA (one of the top colleges in France), Tanmay had in-depth knowledge about the culture, rules & regulations, and job market in France as well as neighbouring countries. Moreover, he is very resourceful and maintains a wide network contacts (such as students & admin staff) at top European schools - this made the entire process simpler.
#4) What 2 tips you would like to share with an ESCP aspirant who is working on their application?
Firstly, if you’re looking for scholarships then it is very important that you apply in Round 1 of the applications to maximize your chance of receiving any scholarship. If you apply in the later rounds, you might also not get allotted the campus of your choice (if the college has multiple campuses).
Secondly, as Tanmay suggests, one must read the essays everyday and think about possible improvements. This habit will help you to perfect the essays before the deadline.
#5) How was Tanmay’s mentorship important while writing down ESCP's application?
Tanmay knows all the tips and tricks to impress the admissions committee. He helped me identify my USPs and coached me on how to communicate them in essays and interviews. He also helped me enhance my résumé and LinkedIn profile.
Tanmay also advised me to thoroughly go through the college website and write about specifics like what specializations I want to pursue and what student clubs I’d like to join.
#6) How did you prepare for ESCP's interview after submitting the application? What all steps did you take to make yourself ready for the interview?
Tanmay gave me a list of commonly asked questions which turned out to be quite useful. As he advised, I typed out the answers to all those questions and Tanmay made me rehearse them a few times by taking my mock interviews. While I wasn’t asked the exact same questions during the interview and had to improvise, I was able to do that because Tanmay had made me practice very well. This practice helped me gain more confidence.
Lastly, Tanmay also advised me to prepare a few but intelligent questions for the admissions jury. It's important to ask such questions because it signals the adcom that you have done your due diligence.
#7) What were the questions asked to you during the interview?
I was asked the following questions in my ESCP admission interview:
Walk us through your résumé.
Why do you want to pursue MiM and why at ESCP?
Tell us about your hobbies and interests.
How is the Indian luxury industry different from the western luxury industry?
Name a collaboration between an Indian and an International luxury brand ?
Why do you want to study in France? Why not in Italy?
#8) How did you think you performed in ESCP's admission interview?
My interview for ESCP's MIM program lasted for 15-20 minutes. The admissions committee was polite but they asked a few tricky questions. Not only did they want to test if I’m a good fit for their program, but they also wanted to check my knowledge of my social environment as well as current affairs.
They had gone through my résumé and essays (thus, my interview was comprehensive as opposed to blind). I'm glad Tanmay had made me aware of the differences between these two types of interviews while he was preparing me for mock interviews. Hence, they asked specific questions about my interest in the luxury industry. They also asked me to describe my leadership experiences (Tanmay prepared me for this theme).
One of my interviewers was French and I had trouble understanding his accent. But one mustn’t be afraid to ask an interviewer to repeat or explain a question.
#9) What are your final ‘Dos’ and ‘Don'ts’ for a study abroad aspirant?
Try to think about your long-term goals and aspirations from the moment you decide that you want to study abroad.
Talk to students & alumni on LinkedIn to better understand your program and get more insights about the universities that you plan to apply to.
When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to send an email directly to the college's admissions team.
Below are few more inspiring success stories from Faith Career ✨
Smriti Dhawan's journey from Ambedkar University to the London School of Economics (LSE) – https://www.faithcareer.org/post/progress-story-smriti-s-mpp-offer-letter-with-35-scholarship
Nikhil Bhonsle's story of bagging MBA offers from 5 B-Schools in the UK with scholarship, without a GMAT score - https://www.faithcareer.org/post/5-mba-offer-letters-in-4-months-without-gmat
Yashashwat Srivastava’s MIM journey from IP University to the Schulich School of Business - https://www.faithcareer.org/post/yashashwat-s-mim-journey-to-the-schulich-school-of-business
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