Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Aishik Dhar. Aishik graduated from BITS Pilani with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Thereafter, he worked as a Software Developer at Amazon in their Payments division and then as a Product Manager at Goodera, enabling volunteering opportunities for people worldwide. Aishik was a recipient of the Orange scholarship at INSEAD and graduated with an MBA degree from INSEAD in 2022. Aishik is currently working as an Associate at McKinsey & Company in London. During his spare time, Aishik is an avid theater, photography, chess and football enthusiast. In fact, Aishik has been to nearly 10 Arsenal matches at their stadium in the last one year!    00:00:00 Episode Highlights 00:00:39 Introduction 00:01:29 Fun Fact 00:02:08 Winning Habits & Influences   00:05:38 Experience Working With CTM 00:07:44 Why MBA 00:08:51 Why INSEAD 00:10:32 Essay Advice  00:12:30 International Motivation 00:16:20 Interview Prep 00:18:30 Admissions: Evaluation Criteria 00:19:16 Scholarships 00:21:10 Applying as a Younger Applicant 00:22:36 August vs. Jan Intake 00:24:07 1Y vs. 2Y MBA 00:25:24 Casing in 1Y MBA Program 00:27:00 Flagship Events 00:28:40 Fontainebleau vs. Singapore Campus 00:29:50 Biggest Challenge at INSEAD 00:31:04 Star Professors & Popular Courses 00:32:11 Consulting Recruiting at INSEAD 00:38:35 Why McKinsey London Office 00:39:27 Recruiting Outcomes for Indian Students 00:42:09 Tech Recruiting: INSEAD vs. US Schools 00:43:21 Consulting: Regional Salary Variations 00:45:15 Most Memorable Experience at INSEAD 00:46:02 Consulting: a Day in Life 00:47:22 Consulting: Case Staffing 00:50:11 Consulting: Recruiting Environment 00:50:57 Impact of INSEAD MBA 00:52:11 Final Advice   Thank you for watching!   —   Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.   Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/   Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Aanchal Gupta. Aanchal is a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group in their New York office. Aanchal recently graduated with an MBA from Ross School of Business, where she was awarded the prestigious dean’s fellow merit-based full tuition scholarship. Aanchal originally hails from India and, prior to pursuing her MBA, worked for four years at Fidelity Investments as a data scientist. During her time at Fidelity, Aanchal managed machine learning based solutions lifecycle across various business units and also acquired a US patent for one of her solutions. She completed her undergraduate degree in computer science and engineering at MNIT Jaipur, where she was a merit scholar and student placement coordinator. Aanchal has always been actively engaged in extracurricular activities, most recently being a peer coach, student ambassador and being involved with consulting club, Indian Student Business Association, Community Consulting Club and Michigan Code Academy at Ross.   00:00:00 Highlights 00:00:58 Introduction 00:02:00 Fun Fact 00:02:38 Winning Habits & Influences   00:06:26 Why MBA      00:07:23 Why Ross 00:09:22 Essays  00:11:14 Identifying Career Goals 00:13:14 Overcoming Weaknesses 00:14:58 Interview Prep  00:17:28 Admissions: Evaluation Criteria 00:19:40 Scholarships 00:21:13 Ross’s Unique Identity 00:24:52 Flagship Events at Ross 00:26:55 Life in Ann Arbor  00:29:14 Student Clubs 00:33:18 Biggest Challenge at Ross 00:36:12 Academic Highlights at Ross 00:39:51 Star Professors at Ross 00:41:36 Experiential Opportunities 00:46:38 Consulting Recruiting  00:53:28 Internship Experience 00:55:28 Day in the Life: Consulting 00:59:14 Current Recruiting Environment 01:00:27 Ross’s Impact 01:02:26 Pre-MBA Internships 01:04:33 Final Advice     Thank you for watching!   —   Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.   Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/   Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA Show’. Our guest today is Vivek Varma who is a second-year student at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Vivek graduated from UPES with a B.Tech. in Applied Petroleum Engineering. Thereafter, he worked at the intersection of energy, finance, and technology at Royal Dutch Shell as a data engineer and senior business analyst for almost 5 years. At Ross, Vivek is President of Indian Subcontinent Business Association, International Chair, Open Road Fellow, MTrek Lead, member of Ross Follies, contributor to Business Beyond Usual Podcast and winner of EY Consulting Case Competition. In the summer after first year, Vivek pursued an internship with LEK Consulting in Boston.   00:00:00 Start 00:00:38 Introduction 00:02:30 Fun Fact 00:04:52 Winning Habits & Influences           00:10:02 MBA Admissions Timeline 00:12:42 GMAT  00:17:25 Letters of Recommendation 00:18:34 Essays 00:19:26 Resume 00:19:57 Interview Prep  00:25:49 Ross Admissions: Evaluation Rubric  00:27:45 Approaching Ross’s Essays 00:31:29 Identifying Essay Anecdotes 00:33:11 Ross Interview Experience & Tips  00:36:09 Overcoming Weaknesses 00:40:15 Financing Your MBA 00:44:38 Pre-MBA Internship Opportunities 00:46:05 Sporting Culture at Michigan 00:51:02 Experience Living in Ann Arbor 00:58:02 MAP Experience 01:00:12 MTrek 01:02:38 Academic Highlights at Ross 01:04:47 Consulting Internship Recruiting 01:07:46 Internship Recruiting for Indians 01:11:43 Final Advice   Thank you for watching!   —   Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.   Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/   Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Shivani Taskar who recently completed her first-year at Kellogg School of Management. Shivani completed her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from BITS Pilani, where she helped end night curfews for women. Thereafter, she worked with Deutsche Bank, working on an intrapreneurial initiative with the CEO’s office, and with Urban Company, pioneering digital transformation by introducing remote consultations in response to COVID-related lockdowns. At Kellogg, Shivani has served as Director of Content, Gender Equity Network, Director of Alumni Engagement at Kellogg Student Association, and Section Leader for Day at Kellogg. Shivani is actively involved with Kellogg Entrepreneurship and VC Club, Kellogg Cares, and the Games Club. In her second year, Shivani will be Co-President of the General Management Club, and leading KSA’s new alumni engagement division. She will also be Speaker Chair at Kellogg’s first-ever India Business Conference in Spring 2024. This summer, Shivani is scheduled to intern with Baird. Once she returns to Kellogg, she will pursue an in-semester internship at f7 Ventures, which will be her first foray into the world of VC.   00:00:00 Coming Up 00:01:08 Introduction 00:02:40 Fun Fact 00:03:35 Winning Habits & Influences           00:05:50 Experience with CTM 00:07:32 MBA Application Timeline 00:11:10 Advice on Resume  00:12:50 Brave Leaders Essay 00:17:55 Values Essay 00:20:03 Identifying Key Essay Anecdotes 00:23:03 Video Essays 00:24:29 Overcoming Weaknesses 00:25:50 Interview Experience & Advice 00:27:44 Admissions: Evaluation Rubric 00:29:14 Kellogg’s Unique Identity 00:31:12 Flagship Events 00:33:43 Experience Living in Evanston 00:36:01 Global Hub 00:38:08 Winter in Evanston 00:40:57 KWEST Trip 00:45:52 Biggest Challenge Faced at Kellogg 00:47:29 Insider Tip 00:48:35 Student Clubs & Activities 00:58:04 MBA Programs at Kellogg 00:59:09 Academic Highlights at Kellogg 01:01:31 Star Professors & Popular Electives 01:03:53 Recruiting at Kellogg 01:14:38 Final Advice for Applicants     Thank you for watching!   —   Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.   Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/   Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Nikita Gupta who recently completed her first-year at Yale School of Management. Nikita was born and raised in Delhi; she completed her B.A. in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University where she was the class topper. Thereafter, she worked with Invest India, supporting the Startup India program and building bilateral startup engagement with Portugal, France, UK and Australia, helping Indian startups expand to these countries. Nikita is a strong advocate for mental wellness and founded a COVID-19 mental wellness helpline, apart from leading education initiatives at Tulasi Healthcare – a group of mental health establishments. At Yale, Nikita has been involved with the Consulting Club, South Asia Club and Healthcare Club. She is also an admissions interviewer and student ambassador. This summer, Nikita plans to pursue an internship with BCG in the Washington DC Office.   00:00:00 Coming Up 00:01:02 Introduction 00:02:05 Fun Fact 00:02:36 Winning Habits & Influences 00:05:18 Why ‘Crack The MBA’         00:06:22 Experience with CTM 00:07:25 MBA Admissions Components 00:09:06 GMAT Prep 00:11:28 Commitment Essay 00:14:41 Identifying Key Essay Anecdotes 00:16:04 Career Goals Essay 00:18:11 Overcoming Weaknesses 00:20:21 Admissions Interview Experience 00:22:13 Video Essays & Behavioral Assessment 00:25:26 Admissions Evaluation Rubric 00:27:02 Student Ambassador: Great Questions Asked 00:29:53 Yale SOM’s Unique Identity 00:33:25 Flagship Events 00:35:44 Experience Living in New Haven 00:38:00 Experience as an International Student 00:39:35 Biggest Challenge Faced at Yale SOM 00:40:36 Lesser-Known Yale Resources 00:41:57 Academic Highlights at Yale 00:44:59 Star Professors & Popular Electives 00:46:18 Raw Case Approach 00:48:38 Interdisciplinary Learning at Yale 00:51:15 Recruiting at Yale SOM 01:00:12 Consulting Recruiting at Yale SOM 01:10:19 Final Advice for Prospective Applicants   Thank you for watching!   —   Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC.   Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/   Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to today's episode of Crack The MBA Show. We have a different format today with multiple guests. Today’s topic is ‘Standardized Tests in MBA Admissions’. To speak about this we have three guests who represent different spectrums. Eric Chambers from GMAC, Jay Bryant from ETS, and Travis Morgan who doubles up as a test prep guru and MBA consultant. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:13 Why GMAT or EA 00:08:47 Why GRE 00:12:20 Choosing between GMAT and GRE 00:24:01 Do Schools Prefer the GMAT or GRE? 00:28:31 Are GMAT and GRE percentiles equivalent? 00:31:33 Impact of GMAT and GRE on rankings 00:34:33 Submitting both GMAT and GRE scores 00:38:50 How are multiple test attempts perceived? 00:43:51 In-person vs. Online Test 00:52:58 Test Prep Timelines 00:59:36 Test Prep Resources 01:01:33 Managing Test Anxiety 01:07:37 Parting Advice For Test-Takers Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to today’s episode of the ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Anupama Kamath who is a first-year student at Harvard Business School. Anupama completed her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from NIT Warangal where she was awarded a gold medal and full tuition scholarship in two semesters. Anupama co-founded her college’s first radio club, organizing 100+ episodes. Pre-MBA, Anupama worked for close to five years at ITC in Projects, Operations and Marketing, and a year and a half at Zomato as Digital Growth Manager. At HBS, Anupama has been awarded a need-based scholarship and is a member of Management Consulting Club, South Asian Business Association and Salsa Club. Anupama recently landed an internship with Bain in the New York Office. 00:00:00 Coming Up 00:01:42 Introduction 00:02:40 Fun Fact 00:03:07 Influences 00:07:36 Why ‘Crack The MBA’ 00:08:53 Experience with CTM 00:12:11 MBA Admissions Timeline 00:13:05 GMAT Prep 00:21:34 HBS Essay Advice 00:30:24 HBS Application Form Advice 00:33:29 Identifying Career Goals 00:37:04 Overcoming Weaknesses 00:39:02 HBS Interview Experience 00:49:01 Wharton TBD Interview Prep 00:51:28 Case Method at HBS 00:56:08 Experience as International Student 00:58:58 Flagship Events 01:00:54 Academics: Star Professors & Popular Courses 01:03:10 Consulting Recruiting at HBS 01:14:04 Advice for Prospective Applicants Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to today’s episode of the ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Abhi Arora who is a second-year student at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Abhi holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, where she was part of The Dramatics Society, Students’ Union and SRCC Business Conclave. Pre-MBA, Abhi worked for two years at Kearney, three years at IFC, before helping start ‘Proactive For Her’ – a women’s health startup. At Stanford, Abhi is the co-president of Women in Management Club and Wellness Club. Abhi interned at Caraway – a digital healthcare company for college women, helping the founders launch the company. 00:00:00 Coming Up 00:00:56 Introduction 00:01:34 Fun Fact 00:02:39 Influences 00:05:06 Admissions: GMAT & Timeline 00:13:07 Essay: What Matters Most 00:21:42 Essay: Impact Essays 00:23:34 Essay: Why Stanford 00:27:48 Career Goals 00:30:01 Stanford Interview Prep 00:32:01 HBS Interview Advice 00:35:15 Flagship Events at GSB 00:39:49 Stanford’s Unique Identity 00:41:19 Advantages of Bay Area Location 00:43:33 Club Activities (WIM & Wellness) 00:47:19 “Touchy Feely”: Interpersonal Dynamics Class 00:49:52 Academics: Star Professors & Popular Courses 00:52:24 Biggest Challenge Faced at GSB 00:53:25 Startup Internship Recruiting Journey 00:56:22 Advice for International Students Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Aditya Marathe who graduated from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management in 2018. Aditya is currently working as Director, HIV Analytics at Gilead Sciences. He has global pharma experiences, including stints at Amgen, Dr. Reddy’s and Novartis. Aditya completed his B. Tech. in Electronic Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. At UCLA, Aditya was a merit fellowship recipient, president of strategy and operations management association, and a healthcare career coach. Through our conversation, we discussed Aditya's Pre-MBA experiences, MBA admissions journey, MBA experience at UCLA Anderson, involvement in activities, and more: 00:00:00 Coming Up 00:01:14 Introduction 00:01:48 Fun Fact 00:02:22 Influences 00:04:09 Winning Habits 00:05:43 Why MBA 00:06:58 Where to Pursue MBA 00:07:41 Why UCLA 00:08:22 Why West Coast? 00:08:56 GMAT Preparation 00:10:10 Approach to Essays 00:11:07 Demonstrating Leadership & Teamwork 00:14:12 Identifying Essay Anecdotes 00:14:56 Identifying Goals 00:16:40 Weakness that Aditya Overcame 00:17:50 MBA Interview Preparation 00:19:00 Anderson’s Unique Identity 00:20:35 UCLA: Location Advantage 00:22:21 Flagship Events at Anderson 00:24:10 Career Treks 00:25:13 Housing 00:26:28 Club Activities 00:27:58 Biggest Challenge Faced at Anderson 00:30:42 Academics: Courses & Star Professors 00:34:05 Structuring Healthcare Journey 00:36:29 Healthcare Business Association 00:37:25 Healthcare Opportunities for International Students 00:40:12 Role of Career Center 00:41:50 Advice for Introverts 00:44:42 Experiential Opportunities (AMR, Venture Competition) 00:48:38 In-Semester Job Opportunities 00:51:40 Would Do Differently 00:52:38 Alum Engagement with UCLA 00:54:01 Advice for Incoming MBA Students Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

Welcome to today's episode of the ‘Crack The MBA Show’ with Gourav Soni, who graduated from the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS) in 2016. Gourav holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from the College of Business Studies, Delhi University and a certification from the Gemological Institute of America or GIA. Prior to pursuing the MBA, Gourav was a founder in the credit card loyalty and rewards space. Thereafter, he worked in his family’s jewelry business – 64Facets, taking it online. At CBS, Gourav was involved in the leadership teams of the luxury marketing group LEF, family business group and entrepreneurship group. Through his MBA and since graduating, Gourav has expanded the firm’s operations to eighteen US locations, including many Neiman Marcus stores. Through our conversation, we discussed Gourav's Pre-MBA experiences, MBA admissions journey, re-application strategy, MBA experience at Columbia, academic experience, involvement in activities, and more: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:28 Why MBA 00:02:57 Application Process 00:04:05 GMAT Strategy 00:05:42 School Selection 00:07:32 Why Columbia Business School? 00:10:18 Re-application Strategy 00:13:16 Introspection Process 00:14:30 Gourav’s Essay Anecdotes 00:19:35 Demonstrating Leadership in Essays 00:21:13 Identifying Post-MBA Goals 00:26:40 Advice for Student Outreach 00:31:52 Acing Your Interview 00:36:38 CBS’s Evaluation Criteria 00:41:42 CBS's Unique Identity 00:47:59 Masterclass: Luxury Strategy 00:51:07 J-term & Career Switch 00:54:44 Early Decision: When To Apply? 00:55:55 Academic Highlights at CBS 01:02:30 Club Activities 01:04:37 What Would You Do Differently? 01:06:19 Biggest Challenge Faced at CBS 01:07:23 Deriving Value as an Alum 01:09:16 Advice for Incoming MBA Students Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary and our advisory is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.