Sathish Vaddempudi earned his Master of Science from the University of South Alabama, Alabama. After gaining six years of professional experience in the US, Sathish decided to pursue an MBA with the goal of becoming a Product Manager for a top-tier technology company such as Google or Amazon. He collaborated with MER for his application to 5 MBA programs (ISB, IIM, Foster, Cornell, and McCombs). Sathish belongs to the overrepresented applicant pool (Indian, male, IT). However, with his hard work, diligence, and perseverance, combined with our guidance, he received interview offers from all five schools he applied to and was accepted into two – ISB and Foster. Sathish has accepted ISB’s offer.

Read Sathish’s interview with Poonam to learn about his application journey. The interview covers the following:

• His background
• Why MBA
• Career Goals
• Application strategy, planning, and preparation
• His preference for ISB over UV Foster
• Reasons to defer admission by one year
• Challenges during the application process
• Interests/ Hobbies

Poonam: Hi, Sathish, could you share a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What do you do now?

Sathish: Sure, Poonam. I am originally from a small city called Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, India. I completed my Bachelor's in Information Technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India. Later, I moved to the USA to pursue my Master’s in Computers and Information Systems at the University of Alabama. I am currently working as a Business Intelligence Lead at Pepperidge Farm.

Poonam: That’s interesting. When did you start thinking about an MBA? Why now?

Sathish: I always wanted to pursue an MBA. I had even planned to apply to a few schools right after my Bachelor's, but I dropped that idea, considering that I needed more experience before applying for an MBA. After working for a few years in the U.S., I realized that to make a transition to senior management roles, especially in Product management, I need an MBA.

Poonam:  What are your career goals after completing your MBA?

Sathish:  My post-MBA goal is to become a product manager at a technology company such as Google or Amazon. In the long term, I want to become a tech entrepreneur.

Poonam: You applied to ISB, IIM, Foster, Cornell, and McCombs. You received interview invites from all of them and were accepted into Foster and ISB. You chose to accept ISB’s offer.  It must have been a difficult decision between Foster and ISB, especially because you have already been working in the US since 2010.  Could you please tell us why you decided in favor of ISB?

Sathish: Yes, it was a tough decision because both are equally great schools but after having detailed discussions with my parents and a few alums who have moved from the US to India to join ISB, I decided to accept ISB’s admission offer and move back to India. I had both professional and personal reasons to prefer ISB to Foster. On the professional front, there were multiple reasons to opt for ISB. First, ISB’s PGP program is a 1-year program, so I will be able to go back to the workforce after one year.  Second, ISB brings top faculty from the world's best business schools, such as Kellogg and Wharton, and it has the best career services team. Lastly, after graduating from ISB, if I decide to switch companies/ roles in my post-MBA career, I will have more options in India, whereas in the US, someone will sponsor my Visa, and I will have to stick with that company for a few years whether I like it or not. On a personal level, I wanted to stay close to my family in India.

Poonam:  You have deferred your admission to ISB. Can you please tell us something about your plans for the next year before you move back to India and begin your PGP program at ISB?

Sathish: Sure. I deferred my admission for two main reasons. Professionally, I got a new opportunity at my current company, which will help me learn more about sales and distribution processes. Personally, I realized that I need more time to wind up stuff things in the US. I recently signed a one-year apartment lease, and I do not want to break the lease. Also, I have joined the Toastmasters club to improve my presentation and communication skills. This one-year gap will give me an opportunity to be actively involved in the Toastmasters club.

Poonam:  That sounds like a great plan, Sathish. You started preparing for your MBA application pretty early on. Can you please share your application strategy, planning, and preparation with our readers?

Sathish: I generally plan everything well ahead of time, and this quality has helped me in the Business school application process. After reading various admission blogs, I realized that the application essays are important, along with the GMAT score, undergrad GPA, and quality work experience. Therefore, I spent close to 6 months on the application essays and school research. The key is to write draft versions for common questions such as ‘Why MBA,’ ‘Short-term and long-term goals,’ and ‘Why X school,’ etc., and then work on each school’s essays separately. Even though the essay prompts various schools to look similar, they are not. Each essay needs to be tailored to that particular school’s requirements. Thanks, Poonam, for your guidance on my essays.

Poonam: You are welcome, Sathish. It was indeed a pleasure working with you. What was the most challenging aspect of the school admissions process? How did you approach that challenge and overcome it? What advice would you give to MBA applicants facing similar challenges?

Sathish: In every phase of the application process (GMAT- Application Essays – Personal Interviews), there were times when I thought I would not be able to make it to a good business school. But I persevered and did not give up. I gave myself a pep talk and stayed focused. It is pretty challenging to prepare for the GMAT with a full-time job. It took me close to a year to get my desired score. School research and application essays took me another 6 months. If you thoroughly do your research about schools and your future goals, the interview process becomes pretty easy and straightforward. Most of the interviews revolve around your career goals and what you plan to do at that school to achieve those goals. For some applicants, it might take more than 2 years to get to their dream school, so I would advise the MBA hopeful to stay focused and work hard. Hard work is the key to my success.

Poonam: True. What are your favorite non-school books?  What are your hobbies?

Sathish: My favorite book is ‘How to Win Friends & Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie. It helped me improve as a person. In my free time, I love playing tennis.

Poonam: I absolutely agree. Dale Carnegie is one of my favorite authors, too. Thank you, Sathish, for sharing your story with us. Good luck with your professional career and your ISB experience.

Click here for Satish’s testimonial of MER Services.

Click here for Satish’s GMAT Club Review.

Note: You can connect with Sathish via LinkedIn.

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Since 2011, Poonam, founder, and president of myEssayReview (MER), has helped applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including ISB and Foster. (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)

Want to discuss this? Email Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com