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 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 is published in 4 parts, wherein she shares her incredible application journey.
In Part 1- Mansi talked about:
- Her Background
- Career Goals
- Reasons to Pursue MBA
- Her Preference for HBS
Indian Engineer- Harvard and Stanford Admission- Mansi’s Journey to 5 Top MBA Programs
In Part 2- Mansi shared:
- Her Application Strategy, Planning & Preparation
- Selection of Consultant-What She Liked about Poonam
- Providing Sufficient Time to All Applications
Indian Engineer-Harvard and Stanford Admission- Mansi’s Journey to 5 Top MBA Programs
In Part 3- Mansi recalled:
- Most Challenging Part of the Application Process
- Her Advice on Video Essays
- Indian Engineer- Harvard and Stanford Admission- Mansi’s Journey to 5 Top MBA Programs
In this concluding part, Mansi shares
- Her Success Mantra
- Sacrifices Made During Application Journey
- Her Personal Interests/Hobbies
Success Mantra
Poonam: What is the Mantra of your astounding success? Not many people are able to achieve what you have achieved. That is why I would like to know about the Mantra of your phenomenal success.
Mansi: That is a tough one. I think everyone will have their own set of ways to achieve their goal. For me, the number one mantra is hard work. In life, there is no shortcut to success. It is the way you look at things. You must have sleepless nights and long days and give yourself enough time to achieve your goal, sacrifice other things in life, and maintain a balance. As you had rightly suggested- start early. The best way is to start early to give ample time to apply.
The second Mantra is ‘strategy.’ If I had pushed myself to apply to Harvard in Round I and had not listened to you, I am sure I could not have accomplished it. The kind of story I had in Round I and the confidence I had in my story in Round I was much less than what I had in Round II. Again, I came to know myself a lot more in four-five months than in the two months I had before the Round I deadlines. So you have to strategize well because your dream school deserves the best of your time, your strategy, and your hard work. I would advise applicants to give it enough time and thought and strategize well.
The third Mantra is ‘introspection.’ Indian applicants never go through such a process; they only prepare course material and take exams. But B- school application is entirely a different ball game. It has an exam that requires a lot of introspection and an interview process that truly focuses on your soft skills. Lastly, working on your weaknesses is also very important, for which self-reflection is the key because unless you know your worth yourself, you will not know what you are weak at. Especially for the interview processes, you should be confident in handling your weaknesses and what you can do to mitigate them.
Poonam: That is right. It is a process of self-discovery. In your case, you had already discovered yourself by the time you reached Harvard Application.
Mansi: Absolutely.
Poonam: And I have memorized all your stories by heart.
Mansi: Yes. I know. And sometimes, I was amazed when you would return my essays with comments that this example does not fit this essay as much as the other example. You remembered all my stories, which at times, I had forgotten. You rightly said that this is a process of self-discovery. I also remember the 30-minute Harvard interview that happened in Mumbai; those 30 minutes felt like 3 hours, as we had a conversation that I would normally have with somebody in 3 hours. It was short, yet it covered almost every aspect of my life- professional and personal. If I had not known about myself that well, I could not have given that 3 hours’ worth of information in thirty minutes.
Sacrifices She Made During Application Journey
Poonam: True. It has truly been a long and arduous journey. You must have made many personal sacrifices as well. Would you like to share those with us?
Mansi: Yes, Poonam. That is very rightly said. You have to work hard towards what is important to you. And in that particular process, you must sacrifice other things to achieve what you want. As you know, I am married and have sacrificed much of my family time. At the same time, I am thankful to my husband, who has been immensely supportive all this while. I had to miss family time, festivals, get-togethers, and weddings. I am blessed to have a supportive family and husband. I will share this one particular incident when we celebrated Deepawali at my in-laws' place in Mumbai. I got my first interview invite from Kellogg right after Deepawali, and my husband prepared for all pooja and stuff while I was preparing for my interview questions. So yes, I had sacrificed a lot of different things- birthdays, family functions, TV, and movies, but I am sure that at the end of the day, those are worth it.
Poonam: Definitely. They all must be very proud of you for this extraordinary achievement. I am proud of you.
Mansi: Thank you, Poonam. Yes, they are.
Interests and Hobbies
Poonam: Let us talk about something outside of the professional area. What are your hobbies and interests? What are your favorite books?
Mansi: As you know very well, I love to dance. Throughout my entire application process, I used to go to my dance class at least once a week to rejuvenate myself. I occasionally read science fiction. I am not a regular reader, though.
Poonam: You are a certified Scuba diver as well.
Mansi: Yes. I am a certified scuba diver. I have dived in many countries, such as Malaysia, India, Maldives, and Thailand. I can dive up to 18 ft. Next month, my husband and I are going to Thailand for another diving trip after a gap of one year.
Poonam: Very good. Mansi, will you like to share anything that I have not asked?
Mansi: I have discussed almost all the aspects of the application process. Again, key parts of your application process are- having a strong GMAT score, partnering with a good consultant, strategizing in which Round and which schools you apply to, starting early, giving yourself enough time for self-reflection, and working hard. There is no shortcut to success. Give your best. I am sure you can achieve what you want.
Poonam: Thank you for sharing your story. Your story will be inspirational for prospective applicants.
Mansi: Thank you, Poonam. This is not only my story; this is your story, as well.
Poonam: It is nice of you to think that way.
Mansi: This is a process you can’t do alone. This is a process where you need supportive people around you. So an equal amount of thanks to you as well.
Poonam: Thank you so much. It was my privilege. I enjoyed being part of your MBA journey. And I wish you good luck with Harvard. I hope you will have a wonderful time there. I will like to get in touch with you later.
Mansi: Definitely. I will keep you updated with my case studies at HBS.
Poonam: Wonderful. Thank you. It was a pleasure chatting with you.
You may connect with Mansi via LinkedIn.
Click here for Mansi’s testimonial of MER services
Click here for Mansi’s GMAT Club Review.
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