For some, MBA happens by chance, while some aim for the
top B-schools since childhood and work towards it in a focused manner.
In today’s MBAUniverse.com Topper Mantras series, we present to you the
success story of Prabhu Dheva Ravi, who aimed for only IIM Ahmedabad so
as to carry on the family legacy of studying in the apex B-School of the
country.
Prabhu, who plans to become a sports broadcaster after
completing his MBA, had scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2011. He pursued
his graduation in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras. He was placed
in Deutsche Bank & ITC. Prabhu is a State Level cricketer and was
the captain of the Cricket Team at IIT Madras which pretty much sums up
his passion for sports and his future career plan. He also enjoys
dancing and playing guitar.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Why and when did you decide to do MBA? What is your plan after you complete your MBA?
A: My father is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and I grew up watching him and his co-alumni. This ingrained in me an interest to do an MBA, especially from IIM Ahmedabad. My long-term plan is to become a sports broadcaster.
Q: What is your CAT 2011 percentile?
A: I scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2011.
Q: How was your WAT/PI experience?
A: The PI was very smooth. I talked about my final project in IIT, my hobbies and instances where I exhibited leadership, which came through in the form of my experiences as the cricket captain of IIT Madras.
Q: Which institutes offered you final admission? Why did you choose IIM Ahmedabad?
A: I had aimed only IIM Ahmedabad and concentrated only on making it to the premiere MBA institute in India.
Q: How did you start the preparation and what was your overall strategy?
A: I started my preparation in January 2011. I attended coaching classes till April. After that, I solved a lot of section-wise tests, reverting to full tests two months before CAT.
Q: Do you think it is possible to crack CAT without taking formal coaching? What would you suggest the CAT 2012 aspirants who would like to prepare by themselves?
A: Without coaching, it is possible but difficult. Coaching basically gives you a direction. The amount of practice you put in is up to you, and is what probably decides the outcome.
Q: CAT saw a major change in the format & pattern in 2011. How did you prepare for it? Did this new pattern cause any hindrance in your preparation or exam taking strategy?
A: To be frank, it caused no change whatsoever in my preparation. Three sections were compressed into two. Other than that, there was no change in the exam.
Q: What was your preparation strategy for the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning?
A: For Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, I practiced a lot and revised formulae whenever possible. For the Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning section, I followed Cue cards, took online sectional tests, read novels and the newspapers.
Q: What was your strategy for time management?
A: In my penultimate semester, I had my academics, placement preparations, CAT preparations and the responsibility of leading the cricket team. I managed by prioritizing my activities through the day and making sure I was focused on the task currently at hand.
Q: What is your message for the MBA aspirants who will take CAT 2012 and other exams of the season?
A: Be sure you want an MBA, and know what it entails. Prepare hard for the exams, but realize that luck plays a major role, at least in CAT. So, have back-up options. Speed and accuracy are the differentiators in CAT. Try to peak on the D-day of CAT 2012.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more Topper Mantras.
Prabhu, who plans to become a sports broadcaster after
completing his MBA, had scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2011. He pursued
his graduation in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras. He was placed
in Deutsche Bank & ITC. Prabhu is a State Level cricketer and was
the captain of the Cricket Team at IIT Madras which pretty much sums up
his passion for sports and his future career plan. He also enjoys
dancing and playing guitar. Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Why and when did you decide to do MBA? What is your plan after you complete your MBA?
A: My father is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and I grew up watching him and his co-alumni. This ingrained in me an interest to do an MBA, especially from IIM Ahmedabad. My long-term plan is to become a sports broadcaster.
Q: What is your CAT 2011 percentile?
A: I scored 99.99 percentile in CAT 2011.
Q: How was your WAT/PI experience?
A: The PI was very smooth. I talked about my final project in IIT, my hobbies and instances where I exhibited leadership, which came through in the form of my experiences as the cricket captain of IIT Madras.
Q: Which institutes offered you final admission? Why did you choose IIM Ahmedabad?
A: I had aimed only IIM Ahmedabad and concentrated only on making it to the premiere MBA institute in India.
Q: How did you start the preparation and what was your overall strategy?
A: I started my preparation in January 2011. I attended coaching classes till April. After that, I solved a lot of section-wise tests, reverting to full tests two months before CAT.
Q: Do you think it is possible to crack CAT without taking formal coaching? What would you suggest the CAT 2012 aspirants who would like to prepare by themselves?
A: Without coaching, it is possible but difficult. Coaching basically gives you a direction. The amount of practice you put in is up to you, and is what probably decides the outcome.
Q: CAT saw a major change in the format & pattern in 2011. How did you prepare for it? Did this new pattern cause any hindrance in your preparation or exam taking strategy?
A: To be frank, it caused no change whatsoever in my preparation. Three sections were compressed into two. Other than that, there was no change in the exam.
Q: What was your preparation strategy for the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning?
A: For Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, I practiced a lot and revised formulae whenever possible. For the Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning section, I followed Cue cards, took online sectional tests, read novels and the newspapers.
Q: What was your strategy for time management?
A: In my penultimate semester, I had my academics, placement preparations, CAT preparations and the responsibility of leading the cricket team. I managed by prioritizing my activities through the day and making sure I was focused on the task currently at hand.
Q: What is your message for the MBA aspirants who will take CAT 2012 and other exams of the season?
A: Be sure you want an MBA, and know what it entails. Prepare hard for the exams, but realize that luck plays a major role, at least in CAT. So, have back-up options. Speed and accuracy are the differentiators in CAT. Try to peak on the D-day of CAT 2012.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more Topper Mantras.
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