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Posted on April 25, 2018

Indian Engineer- Harvard and Stanford admission: Mansi’s journey to top 5 MBA programs – Part 3

Mansi Mansi Dhiman, an IIT Delhi civil engineering graduate,  started as a field engineer with Schlumberger and swiftly advanced in her career. Her determination led her to work on an oil rig in Indonesia before joining Cairn India as a Petroleum Engineer, where she achieved two promotions in three years. Despite lacking a petroleum background, she advanced in her career and handled multimillion-dollar equipment selections. Mansi decided to pursue an MBA to lead a global clean energy firm and create a positive impact on the company, country, and people. She partnered with MER on her application to 5 top programs- Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, and INSEAD and gained admission into all. Mansi is headed to her dream school -Harvard.

Mansi’s interview will be published in 4 parts wherein she will share her background, goals, reasons to pursue MBA, unwavering preference for HBS, application strategy and preparation, her biggest challenge in the admission process, advice on video essays, her success mantra, and much more.

In Part 1-  Mansi talked about:

In Part 2- Mansi shared:

In this part 3- Mansi talks about:

  •   The Most Challenging Part of the Application Process
  •   Her Advice on Video Essays

The Most Challenging Part of the Application Process

Poonam: Looking back, what was the most challenging aspect of the admission process? How did you overcome that challenge?

Mansi: The most challenging part of the entire process would be introspection. It is not about building a particular profile for the business schools but thinking through your stories and diving deep into yourself, and deciding what you want out of your education and life. I think that was the most important and critical part. It was initially very challenging, but as I started diving deep, discussing with my friends and family, and with you, I got a good perception of what others think about me, what I think about myself, and how to match it. If it is the same, it is good; if not, I have to think about how to bridge it.

The most challenging part was building my story and having the confidence to present it, especially for Harvard and Stanford essays. To me, brainstorming ideas and writing essays were one of the most critical parts. I suggest that instead of asking what Ad Com wants to hear, take your time, say a month or two months, and dig deep into your stories and decide what you want to present to the Ad Com.

Her Advice on Video Essays

Poonam: This is immensely valuable advice, Mansi. How about video essays? I think video essays are also very challenging.

Mansi: Of course. You have to go into minor details about the application.  I cried after Kellogg’s video essays. That was my first video essay, so I was very stressed out. I think my Kellogg’s video essay did not go well, and I am not sure why. I prepared a list of 50 to 60 questions and memorized the answers for all the video essays, which I now think I should not have done. I remember you always advised me to be spontaneous. But I was taken aback when those three questions appeared on the screen. I did not know what to say. First 10 to 20 seconds, I was just staring at the screen blankly and did not know what to say. I was not prepared for the spontaneity.

So, I think being yourself, being calm, and being stress-free helps you to be able to think in those 20 seconds that you get for your response. So if you are stressed, you will lose those 20 seconds in a blink and not know what to answer. If you are calm, you will have time to look for two to three points and then discuss them in two or three lines. Sixty seconds are not much; the time is gone even if you say three lines. The questions are very simple and something you can relate to in your everyday life. For example, introduce yourself or talk about your hobby or a global problem that you are concerned about. These are pretty simple questions, and if you think calmly, you can easily get to the questions and the answers, but if you are stressed out, it is not easy.

Video Essays for INSEAD

Poonam: Exactly. Confidence and a calm approach are key to doing well in video questions.

Mansi: My experience with INSEAD video essays was different. I submitted my application, and a couple of hours later, I dressed up in my business suit and submitted the video essays. INSEAD video essays went so smoothly because I had learned enough from my experience of Kellogg’s video essays. So I suggest that applicants should just be prepared for the important questions for an interview, such as ‘Why MBA,’ ‘Why this school, ‘What are your short-term and long-term goals,’ etc. For the other questions, you cannot have a list. Just be prepared to be stress-free and spontaneous, and you will be fine.

Poonam: It’s true that Kellogg’s video essays prepared you for INSEAD video essays.

Mansi: Exactly. INSEAD was a cakewalk after Kellogg’s video essay.

Note: Stay tuned to Mansi’s interview Part 4, where she shares her success mantra, interests, and hobbies.

Click here for Mansi’s testimonial of MER services

Click here for Mansi’s GMAT Club Review.

Related Posts:

Kellogg MBA Experience – A Current student Shares Experience and Advice 

Michigan Ross MBA experience -A Current Student Shares his Experience and Advice

Oxford MBA Experience- Indian Engineer Shares experience and Advice

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

Do you have questions about your application? E-mail Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com or sign up here for a free consultation.

 

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