Admission Story: Hardik Sinha, IIM Kashipur, 95.3, CAT

Hardik Sinha graduated from ITM University, Gwalior with an 81.8 aggregate. He is enrolled in the MBA Course IIM Kashipur. Hardik scored 93.5 percentile in CAT Exam and got admission to IIM Kashipur. He also has 11 months of working experience at XL Dynamics Pvt. Ltd. as an Associate Analyst.

Hardik Sinha Profile

Current institute: Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur
Graduation College: ITM University, Gwalior
CAT score: 95.3 percentile
10th Percentage / GPA: 85.57
12th Percentage / GPA: 80.3
Graduation Percentage/GPA: 81.8
Work Experience: XL Dynamics Pvt. Ltd., Experience - 11 months. Associate Analyst

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Admission Experience

Did you avail of the benefit of any reservation?

Hardik Sinha: “General (No reservation)”

Describe the general setting of WAT / GD (if any)?

Hardik Sinha: “The process for selection through CAP was pretty simple. There was no GD round. The first round was WAT followed by the interview round. We were all made to sit in a room with chairs and benches. A pen and paper were provided and we were supposed to write on that paper itself. So, in short, there was no virtual/online aspect involved in the process. There are basically two types of topics - Current Affairs and Abstract topics. If the student is updated with the latest happenings, then-current affairs topics are easy to crack. There is no dearth of content. Challenge lies in the abstract topics. The only advice would to practice, practice and practice. And just to be sure, practice doesn't mean picking up a topic and thinking about it or reading about it online. The most quintessential part of practicing for WAT is to actually pick up a topic and write down your essay on paper. Content does play a role, but so does your handwriting. More importantly, writing at least 30 essays helps one to develop a proper structure to the essay (introduction followed by content and then conclusion). I have seen students had fabulous content but failed to make it through the WAT round because they couldn't structure/frame their content properly. Time is not a challenge. The 20-30 minutes given is enough to draft a proper essay.”

What was the WAT / GD Topic?

Hardik Sinha: "The topic was an abstract one.”

What were your answer/points put forward for the WAT or GD respectively?

Hardik Sinha: “Since the topic given to me was an abstract one, I was initially devoid of thoughts. I gave deep thought to the topic and was hoping for something to spark. It actually worked in my favor when instead of random pondering, I tried to find some analogy that I know well about, and then connecting that analogy to the topic is much easier. This approach is very effective.”

Describe the general setting of your personal Interview.

Hardik Sinha: “The Personal Interview was soon after the WAT round ended. There was a small break and slots were released for every student. There were, if I am not wrong, 4 panels. The panel which interviewed me had 3 panelists. The duration of the interview is something that generally depends more on the interviewee than the interviewer. If the interviewee has decent content to sell and effectively drives the interview, it could well last for around 35-40 mins. On average, it’s somewhere around 20 mins. More often than not, it would be a very mild interview involving no-stress questions. The one single tip for aspirants would be to have every single detail mentioned in the resume at the tip of your tongue.”

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Mention at least 5 interview questions that were asked to you and your responses to each of them.

Hardik Sinha: “1) Question - Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?

Answer - My goal is to gain sufficient hands-on exposure and further hone the practical

implementation/application of skills that I would have gathered from my duration in a B-school. My primary focus will be on grooming myself and building up further on the skills relevant to the industry so that 7-8 years down the line so that I can make myself capable enough to work in a senior managerial role in any of the top 10 companies of the Fortune Global 500.

2) Question - What are your two biggest strengths?

Answer - I am a very good learner and have the ability to grasp things that are new to me very quickly. And secondly, I find my skills to be portable which means that the skills and experience that I gain from a given task, I can effectively apply to another assignment.

3) Question - What are your two weaknesses?

Answer - My biggest weakness is that I get impatient. Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. I tend to overthink a lot and start burdening myself. Having recognized this, I am working to overcome it by developing a mindset, where I think less and act more. Secondly, I believe I have decent communication skills, but when it comes to speaking in front of a public, I tend to freeze up.

4) Question - Describe yourself in three words.

Answer - Tenacious, thorough and Result-oriented

5) Question - Why choose MBA?

Answer - Being an engineering student I have developed the technical skills that are required to solve practical problems in the physical world by building upon technological knowledge. However, in engineering, most things are often black or white. But when it comes to managing businesses and leading teams, I soon realized that there are more characterized grey areas to cover. An MBA will help me tackle more complex and conceptual strategic problems that exist in the real world, in contrast to the structured engineering problems that I have faced till now. This includes managing people and business structures effectively. My technical knowledge will help me find innovative solutions to problems but an MBA will enable me to apply them effectively in real-world problems. An MBA will equip me with adequate leadership skills and will also help me utilize the skills and knowledge that I have gained in the field of engineering.”

Mention 3 reasons why you chose this college over other colleges which you converted.

Hardik Sinha: “I converted to other IIMs and some private colleges too. But the reason for joining IIM Kashipur was:

1) Better placement opportunities

2) Competitive culture

3) Better scope in future”

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