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Interview with Anshuman Pandey (CEIBS MBA 2014)

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We interviewed Anshuman Pandey, CEIBS MBA Candidate for the Class Entering 2014, and learned about some of the strategies, best practices, and tips for the MBA Admission process (Research, GMAT, Essays and Balancing Work & MBA Admissions).

1) Why did you choose to join an MBA program?

There are many reasons which motivated me to do an MBA:

a. Many of the roles and positions I wanted to apply, required an MBA; or applicants with an MBA were given preference.

b. An MBA widens the horizons and increases your chances to thrive in new functions and new markets thus creating more opportunities. So if, down the line, I feel I need to switch my function, let’s say from Pharma to Luxury Brand Management it wouldn’t be a steep ask.

c.  I wanted to be part of the strategy team of a company that requires a thorough understanding of market forces and finances. An MBA would help me bridge this knowledge gap in a shorter span of time than if I were to slog on with my current qualification and role.

d.  Better compensation.
 
2) While shortlisting Business Schools what were your criteria. Why Asian Business Schools?

I shortlisted the schools before taking the GMAT and I made a checklist with the following points in order of their importance:

• Placements: Placements and career services provided were top priority for me. I focused on schools which had more than 90% placement record.

• Expenses: Because I come from a financially humble family, the total cost of the program was an important consideration for my family and I. A major chunk of the expenses would be sponsored by my family and we wanted to take minimum possible loan.

• Duration: A program of duration of less than two years was preferred.

• Reputation/Ranking and Accreditation: The school should be well ranked (in top 30-35) and have good accreditation. Opportunities of student exchange arise from such points, which further enrich your MBA experience.

With a lot happening in Asia, I preferred to complete my MBA from an emerging market, where I would get several opportunities to explore.  The diversity of the economy is another factor. Also, most top Asian Business Schools have courses dedicated for emerging markets, and the cost of the program is relatively lower compared to US and European counterparts.

Related Download: MBA Research Guide (Choose your MBA)

3) Why CEIBS?

When you choose to stay in Asia, the options for Business Schools ranked in top 30 becomes limited. This actually helped because I didn’t  have to send my scores to colleges different from what I chose while giving my GMAT. Thus researching wasn’t a very steep task.

I listened to podcasts, surfed videos and went through brochures numerous times. And as per the criteria I had for selecting the business schools, I found that CEIBS was the best pick. Growth exhibited by China is what is actually driving the Asian Economy and the curriculum at CEIBS boasts of “China Depth Global Breadth” factor, which makes it best in China.

As far as higher education is concerned, CEIBS is rated among the most successful joint ventures in the world, and the phenomenal growth that the institution has seen in 20 years made CEIBS my first choice. Other contributing factors include its location & the course on healthcare. Since I have experience in healthcare, and China is a booming market for the same, my experience would have an incremental value with an MBA.

CEIBS has a vibrant student community and around 40 student clubs so I guess I could enjoy a multi-dimensional growth rather than single dimensional academic oriented growth.

4) What was you GMAT Score and what preparation strategies did you follow to reach a GMAT 710 Score?

I scored 710 in GMAT with Verbal: 38, Quant Score: 49, AWA: 5.5 and IR: 7.

I found myself comfortable with the Quantitative section so my basic aim was to get my verbal score up; verbal score somehow carries more weightage than quant so it is important that you get an above average score in verbal. For this, apart from the official guide, I purchased Verbal Aptitude Handbook of GMAT by GMAC.

Strategy wise I practiced equal distribution of SC, CR and RC questions but did a little more of SC and CR questions because Reading comprehension wasn’t my strong point. I also bought the extra question pack and extra exam pack from GMAC to master the computer adaptive format as much as possible. Because I am working, I couldn’t spend more than 2 hours daily, but I did a lot of casual reading and problem solving in free time while travelling for work and coming back home. I studied mostly on weekends. The latest edition of Manhattan GMAT was helpful, but I used it more as a reference than as a study material.

For AWA, I found a template online and prepared on my own using it and trying 10-15 questions from OG13. I carried out my practice of AWA on the computer rather than using pen/paper. I didn’t prepare much for IR as I felt comfortable with it. I gave free tests conducted by Veritas Prep and Kaplan too, for practice under timed conditions. For overall exam, I feel it is important to remain focused for a long period, because it is more like a marathon. Don’t get bored studying or reading. Since the toughest section comes towards the end one needs to be on the toes for four hours.

5) Since you have worked only in one company how did you approach the recommendation letters?

Working in one company for long actually helps because people know you well. I have excellent rapport with my managers and supervisors, and they knew that I was interested in pursuing my MBA. So when I went to them with the request to write recommendations they were not surprised and were helpful. Here are some useful tips for MBA Aspirants:

a. Keep your referees updated about your plans and let them know that you are passionate about your plans of pursuing an MBA.

b. Choose your referees properly. Make sure that your referees know you well both professionally and personally. My referees were from work they were used to filling out my appraisal forms, so it wasn’t tough for them. Make sure that they are good with writing skills.

c. Enlist your achievements if referees aren’t clear because they have a lot going on.
 
6) How did you approach the essays?

All the colleges that I applied had essays on similar themes, so I had to prepare for not more than 7-8 different questions. Essay writing mostly involved introspection and research. I used to start by writing the questions on a notepad and thinking about different points that could be written for a day and then come up with a draft followed by editing to fit the essay within the word limit.

I then read the essays aloud without the questions to my friends and family members and asked them what could be the questions. This exercise ensured that my essays are to the point. Getting a lot of different views made me write decent essays in a short time. I think it is important to leverage your resources well during the application process so that you can do your best. Also reading about the school is important because it helps not only with your essays but also in interviews.

7) How did you prepare for the interview?

The interviews that I had participated were over Skype, and the experience was completely new to me. Learn how to handle a Skype interview and practice as much as possible, I had seven days to prepare for mine and I practiced with my family and friends every now and then over Skype. For the interview, this is what I did:

a. Every interview has a lot of general questions, which you can prepare well. Answers to questions like, “Tell me something about yourself, your career progression,” should be at the back of your hand. Do your research, identify these questions write down the answers and memorize them well so that you don’t waste time thinking of what to say.

b. Know your subject inside out. If the interviewer has experience in your chosen field, he can ask some tricky or tough questions. This happened with me during CEIBS interview.

c. Revise your essays and go through your application form as many times as possible.

d. Inputs from research done while shortlisting the college can be used to answer questions like, “How will you contribute to the class?”

e. The research done while shortlisting the college can also be used to ask any questions after the interview.

f.  Have a good night sleep before the interview and stay relaxed.

8) What was the most important lesson that you learned through the MBA Admission process

Focused efforts and positive mindset can get you where you want to be. Anything short of “relentless” reduces your chances to reach your goal.

9) How did you balance MBA Admission process with your work? Did you follow a daily schedule?

As I said I hardly had exclusive time to prepare for GMAT, it was a similar case for application essays too. So basically I had to make most of what time I had. My evenings were spent in front of the word processor and my travelling time, which is nearly four hours per day, was spent on introspection and jotting of points or thinking how to be impactful with my essays or mumbling the answers to obvious interview questions. I remember, I had to run a half marathon during the application process for one of the universities (CUHK), so I used to train in the morning before going to work and edit and draft essays in the evening. Somehow everything worked out and I was even selected for CUHK full-time MBA program.

10) You can visit this page after 2 or 3 years and check whether you have reached this goal or whether your goals have evolved - what would you like to achieve after an MBA?

I would like to be working as a strategy manager in a Pharmaceutical company preferably in South East Asia (China, India or Singapore).

About Anshuman Pandey

Apart from being admitted to the prestigious CEIBS MBA August 2014 Class, Anshuman Pandey is a computer science engineer and has been working since July 2010 with Cognizant Technology Solutions. Within three years, Anshuman switched his role to an IT Business Analyst in Pharmaceutical function. He is an endurance runner, basketball player, and a blogger. He has also reviewed technical books.

Winning MBA Essay Guide - A Complete Guide for M7 and Top 15 MBA Application Essays 


F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay guide will teach you how to transform your essay into a life journey with trials and tribulations that will move the admission team.

+ Over 245 Sample Essays (Read Previews of F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay Guide Sample Essays here)

+ Top 15 MBA Programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Booth, MIT, Kellogg, Yale, Haas, Darden, INSEAD, LBS, NYU Stern, Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Ross)
+ The Art of Storytelling 
+ Leadership Narratives
+ Review Tips
+ Persuasion Strategies
+ The Secret to "unleashing" your unique voice
+ How to prepare and present for the Video Essay
+ How to write about your Strengths
+ How to write about your Weaknesses
 
 

Want to try the individual school Essay Guides before upgrading to the Winning MBA Essay Guide? Try below.

F1GMAT's Essay Guides

  • Harvard MBA Essay Guide (20 Sample Essays)

    Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words) 

    Example #1: Persistence Narrative 
    Background Information: The applicant – a design and music talent, shares her journey through several setbacks. She attributes curiosity to her growth.  
    Curiosity: Philosophy  
    Curiosity (Explained): Curiosity as a philosophy is tough to translate into a narrative unless you are from the creative industry or your contributions had an influence on a solution or an initiative.  
    MBA Essay Strategy: I wanted to capture the humanity of the applicant and her influence in music instead of just highlighting how she overcame multiple roadblocks to gain attention as a designer.  
    Theme: Persistence  
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Life Starts at NO (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example) 

    Example #2: International Community Building 
    Background Information: The applicant, a Machine Learning (ML) entrepreneur specializing in healthcare diagnostics, shares how his curiosity to learn other ML algorithms’ evolution in diagnosing Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease transformed his platform into a global community. 
    MBA Essay Strategy: I wanted to show the applicant’s contributions in diagnostic from 2020 to 2024 by citing two events. Such examples build credibility instead of engagements that were recent. The evolution of the platform from an AI development community to a community for discussing the application of AI in diagnostics is captured through a ‘curiosity’ angle.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Growth through Collaboration (AI in Healthcare) (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #3: Culture
    Background Information: The applicant, an Entrepreneur from India narrates his first entrepreneurial experience – facilitating exchange of stamps in the late 1990s.
    Theme: Culture
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Instead of addressing the biases in the investor community that could turn preachy, I wanted to focus on the applicant and his entrepreneurial journey by citing two entrepreneurial experiences – a platform(club) for stamp collection and his Grocery delivery App.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – The American Dream (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #4: Addiction
    Background Information: The applicant – a beneficiary of the foster home system, captures the sacrifice his adopted grandparents made to save him from a path of addiction. Paying it back through early intervention among teenagers and community engagement is the curiosity narrative.
    Theme: Addiction
    MBA Essay Strategy:  My strategy is to capture a gratitude narrative in the first one-third of the essay to demonstrate motivation for starting the venture and dedicate the latter part of the essay to the unique solution
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Drug Addiction and Gaming (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #5: Scarcity
    Background Information: The applicant, an education major, recognizes that 70% of all students in Kenya don’t have a computer. The curiosity that drives him to pivot from one solution to another is the growth narrative.
    Theme: Innovation
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Often, innovation is captured with a ‘hero’ narrative where the applicant is the sole originator of an idea. I wanted to break that cliché and include a person from whom the applicant learned to use a concept called ‘scaffolding.’
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Scarcity (Growth-Oriented HBS Essay Example)

    Example #6: FinTech
    Background Information: The applicant captures a vulnerable moment of a beneficiary to compare his journey of side hustle before a technology giant noticed his talent. Although cryptocurrency is not a flavor for the year, capture niches where innovation is still happening. 
    Theme: Education, Child Welfare
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Empathizing with a techno solution is tough without a strong backstory around the beneficiary. For the essay, I wanted to clearly establish the beneficiary – Rami, before the applicant narrates the similarities to his journey and finally shares the solution that emerged from his curiosity.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – FinTech as a Tool for Good (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #7: Learning from the best
    Background Information: The applicant – a Remote Engineer in the Oil and Gas industry, reflects on a value that has helped her learn from the best regardless of her geographical limitations.
    Theme: Learning
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The effectiveness of the case-study method depends on the assumption that peers in a Harvard MBA class will help elevate your learning experience. For the essay, I have highlighted the applicant’s recognition of this value proposition with three examples.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Learning from the Best (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #8: Military & Search for IMPACT
    Background Information: The most common narrative for US military applicants is to quote 9/11 and the reaction your immediate family had while watching the events unfold. The horrifying moment is captured as a motivation to join the Military. On digging deeper, most applicants would share that their motivations were diverse.
    Theme: Career Choice
    MBA Essay Strategy:  I wanted to quickly highlight that the applicant had the choice of entering any industry. One achievement to demonstrate his curiosity that I shared in the first half is the invention of a game. Since the game is mentioned in the resume and verifiable through search, I didn’t quote the name. By clearly highlighting the person’s curiosity and career options, the family legacy is used as a factor in joining the military.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Career Choice after a Military Career (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)
     
    Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)

    Example #9: Small Business Values
    Background Information: The applicant - a second-generation Asian American, is familiar with the values of fiscal conservatism, building relationships, and understanding the daily struggles of the community through his family’s department store.
    Theme: Customer-Centric
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The applicant’s role in developing an App for the store is highlighted in the essay at a crucial part of the narrative so that the essay is not all about his father. I have also humanized the journey – by sharing how upset the father was when the revenues fell by 40%. The essay is about the transformation in the applicant’s value from a person chasing productivity and optimization technique to someone who is truly thinking about the customers. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Small Business Values (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #10: Breaking Away from Family Business
    Background Information: A unique challenge that applicants whose parents are public figures or CXOs of businesses or entrepreneurs are the pressure to live up to the parent’s standards or milestones. For the leadership narrative, the burden of legacy is established before the narrative addresses his leadership principles.
    Theme: Authenticity  
    MBA Essay Strategy:  For the essay, I want to capture an entrepreneur’s journey to rise above his entrepreneur father’s image. But I didn’t want to make the entire essay about this complex dynamics. The narrative is around the applicant’s focus on customers and surrounding with teams who keeps him grounded. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Breaking Away from Family Business(Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #11: Creativity and Communication 
    Background Information: When the overall percentage of users with internet access is 62% in South Africa and the inequality accentuated by the rural and urban divide, the applicant endured the lack of digital infrastructure, and spending close to 22% of the family income on gaining relevant information on schools, global exams, and financial assistance. 
    Theme: Creativity, Communication
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The strategy is to share why the applicant values no distraction in a child’s home for optimum education experience. Then I highlight the many roadblocks the applicant’s non-profit faced in receiving fee waiver for their cooperative run ISP.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Non-Profit (Telecom) (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #12: Mental Health
    Background Information: The applicant like most didn’t pay much attention to the mental health epidemic until tragedy hit home.
    Theme: Communication, Innovation
    MBA Essay Strategy:  A question we frequently get from applicants is whether they should cite tragedy in the family as a motivation for a venture or a non-profit initiative. As long as you don’t linger too much on the tragedy and offer a balanced narrative, there are no restrictions on leveraging unique stories from your life. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Mental Health (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #13: Trauma, Healing & Finding Authentic Self
    Background Information: The applicant narrates the absurdity of war in the narrative about the duties in Kabul, and the trauma. Instead of wallowing in on the horror, the applicant takes what makes military applicants strong and guides unprivileged children build life and leadership skills.
    Theme: Resilience
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Capturing PTSD in an essay, the healing process, and the cues that helped the applicant are too sacred to be shared in a Harvard MBA application essay. However, with the right motivation and narrative arcs, you can capture the essence of your journey without sharing the darkest secrets. That is what I did by merging two stories – the horrors of the war with a non-profit engagement.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Military & PTSD (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #14: Addiction, Setback and Leadership Mantra
    Background Information: In this narrative, the applicant captures Peru’s Silver mining boom of 2006. The growth experienced in her father’s business shifted the family’s economic status to a new stratosphere. Through the changing economic and family dynamics, the applicant finds her voice in a unique way, initially to record her unheard voice but later as one of the youngest subject matter experts in mining and commodities.  
    Theme: Failure
    MBA Essay Strategy:  For the essay, the strategy is to show how life’s unpredictability is a blessing. By narrating two setback events, the essay demonstrates the applicant’s resilience and her acknowledgment of people who made a comeback possible.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Addiction, Setback and Leadership Mantra (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #15: War, Immigration and Starting Over Again
    Background Information: Despite a raging war in Syria, the family of the applicant was unblemished by the chaos. The strategic government assets near the applicant’s house would have made the region an easy target, but it was not. The calmness of her journey is shattered in one event. From the privileges of a cocooned life, the applicant is forced to think about survival, her sister’s future, and her future in the US. The second half of the narrative captures the change that was forced on her. 
    Theme: Gratitude, Resilience
    MBA Essay Strategy:  I consciously chose not to start the essay with a dialogue or trauma. Two lines are allocated to set up the narrative before the trauma event.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – War, Immigration and Starting Over Again (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Harvard MBA Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)

    Example #16: Creative or Finance
    Background Information: The applicant starts the narrative with the origin of her talents. The unbridled enthusiasm receives a reality check when in high school, the applicant’s father has a conversation with her about academics. While the applicant picked up her quant skills, she was reaching over 50,000 loyal fans, and her videos captured 1 million views. 
    Theme: Passion, Talent
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Capturing vulnerability is the toughest part for Harvard MBA applicants. For this essay example, I have captured the applicant’s uncertainty about career choice throughout the essay. Here the goal is to show vulnerability in the career choice essay while for leadership and growth essay, I could capture one example each from creative and PE industry respectively to balance the narrative. So don’t follow this example without a strategy.  
    Read: Harvard MBA Business-Minded Essay – Creative or Finance (Business-Minded HBS MBA Essay Example)

  • Stanford MBA Essay Guide (24 Sample Essays)
  • Columbia MBA Essay Guide (21 Sample Essays)
  • Wharton MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • INSEAD MBA Essay Guide (19 Sample Essays)
  • Darden MBA Essay Guide  (21 Sample Essays) 
  • Yale SOM MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • Tuck MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • Haas MBA Essay Guide (18 Sample Essays)
  • NYU Stern MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays + 6 Examples - Visual Essay)
  • LBS MBA Essay Guide (6 Sample Essays)
  • MIT Sloan MBA Essay Guide (6 Sample Cover Letters + 3 Sample Video Statement Scripts + 3 Sample Optional Essays)
  • Kellogg MBA Essay Guide (11 Sample Essays)
  • Chicago Booth MBA Essay Guide (12 Sample Essays)
  • Ross MBA Essay Guide (31 Sample Essays)
  • Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide (10 Sample Essays + Two 25 Random Things Samples)
  • Cambridge MBA Essay Guide (12 Sample Essays)

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