The things that kept me going were my parents’ expectations and faith in me. I wanted to accomplish the same thing as everyone else: make my parents proud. Seeing your parents overjoyed and wiping away tears of joy in addition to happiness is an unforgettable experience that I wished to have. I started preparing for the CAT exam a few days after finishing my graduate examinations in May. I was committed to pursuing MBA and was off to a wonderful start. At first, the thrill of getting admitted into one of India’s best business schools kept me going. After a few mocks, though, reality hit in. Even though I was consistently failing, I never gave up. Rather than being demotivated, I realized that I needed to focus on addressing my weaknesses. A month before the big day, I began giving mocks daily. Finally, on the big day, I sat down in front of my computer, confident in my abilities. I started the VARC section on a high note, but it turned out to be a difficult task. DILR, on the other hand, was the source of my worry. In the first 15 minutes of the part, I couldn’t do a single set. I began the QA part after finishing a set and a half. I knew this was my last opportunity for a high percentile score at the moment. And I breezed through the part. “It’s not over until it’s over,” as the saying goes. On January 7th, the wait was finally over, and there I was, bathed in ecstatic emotions as I received a 94.91 percentile. I didn’t give up hope while knowing that getting into an IIM with this percentile was unlikely.
I had made it to the interviews for IIM Ahmedabad when the results were announced. I believed it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me. After that, I focused solely on interview preparation and self-improvement. I don’t remember all of the questions that were asked during the interview, but I was able to remain cool and confident in my responses. Honestly, I said “I don’t know” in response to certain inquiries. However, this did not detract from my qualifications. And here I am today writing about the incredible journey and announcing that I’m thrilled to study at IIM Ahmedabad for the next two years. In retrospect, I feel the entire CAT preparation process was a pleasant experience with highs and lows. All you have to do is keep moving forward.
