Case studies

Ten files that ended in admits

Our best work happens when we unearth strong, unique perspectives from candidates with a 600 or lower GMAT, below 60% academics, zero work experience or a completely average profile. Here is how those stories actually went.

Case file 01

2 year gap on CV

Situation: GRE below 310 and 2 year gap on CV
Client mindset: She was quite hesitant about her chances owing to the large gap on her CV and also no significant brand names or eye dropping experiences.
Our analysis & approach: After our profile understanding sessions with the client we identified significant strengths in her profile and implemented them in essays.
Her international exposure in Korea before the age of 10 had given her multiple perspectives and she had also learnt Taekwondo.
She was the only woman in her team at an industrial plant and had handled men double her age at such an early point in her career.
During her break, she had built a social media handle posting about women empowerment and also picked up some technical skills on the side.

Admitted

Admits from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and UT Dallas with a scholarship

Case file 02

4.5 years to complete engineering and low GPA

Situation: CGPA was less than 7 on 10 and the engineering degree had taken 9 semesters to complete
Client mindset: He was quite hesitant about his chances at top MIM and MIF programs owing to the low grades and gap in studies.
Our analysis & approach: After extracting detailed information from the client we identified some unique strengths which we implemented in the application and also focused on during the interview.
His trips to Turkey and Australia had given him multicultural exposure.
He had assisted his father in the family business right from the age of 14 and this side hustle was leveraged during the essays.
He had tried building an online store and learnt basic website development and digital marketing, which was quite the standout thing in his profile.

Admitted

Admits from ESCP Europe for MIM and WHU Germany for MIF

Case file 03

No GMAT and fresher

Situation: No GMAT score and zero full time work experience
Client mindset: The client had some apprehensions towards preparing for the quants part of the GMAT exam and wanted to apply to schools without GRE or GMAT.
Our analysis & approach: We understood how much the client was underestimating his profile and encouraged him to apply to top schools through deeper profile insights and attention to detail in the CV.
He had done bike trips across India covering more than 3000 kms which helped him tackle tough situations.
He had gained some business exposure on a short business trip with his dad to China.
He had gained cultural insights interacting with people from Europe and USA through a freelance stint at a youth hostel.

Admitted

Admit from ESMT

Case file 04

Second application after rejection

Situation: No GMAT score and previously rejected by ESMT
Client mindset: The client had already applied to ESMT in the previous cycle and faced a rejection.
Our analysis & approach: We understood the small issues in the profile of the client in the previous year.
He needed strong interview preparation highlighting his roles in leading college clubs focusing on the actual outcomes.
His work in a small startup in a pivotal sales role was given central focus in his story and we highlighted all his challenges and learnings in that role.

Admitted

Admit from ESMT with scholarship

Case file 05

Below 60% grades

Situation: Poor academics and work experience without major outcomes
Client mindset: The client felt his grades were too low and had no confidence in applying to top 10 MIM schools.
Our analysis & approach: We got more details into the reasons for his low grades and also explored deeper into his college activities.
He had done multiple internships and taken up small leadership roles with high impact during his college, and these outcomes were strongly projected.
His digital marketing domain experience was nicely leveraged and fell in place with some specialisations offered in top schools.
He was an AIESEC member and the brand helped add huge value to the CV, where we also focused on his achievements in that role.

Admitted

Admit from ESCP MIM and ESSEC SMIB with scholarship

Case file 06

Fresher with a law background

Situation: Below 650 GMAT score and zero full time work experience
Client mindset: The client wanted to get into a top 10 MIM school but was lacking confidence to actually crack these applications.
Our analysis & approach: Our initial consulting calls revealed the challenges the client had faced in her family and college life owing to tough financial circumstances. She had learnt a lot of lessons including multi-tasking and working more than 15 hours a day.
She had a unique interest in mandala art and even had a small business, which was leveraged to show her entrepreneurial skills.
Her academic excellence was emphasized and the business impact from her law related internships was given focus in the CV.

Admitted

Admit from ESSEC MIM

Case file 07

Low GRE and fresher

Situation: Low GRE score and zero full time work experience
Client mindset: The client was quite doubtful about her chances at any of the top 30 MIM schools.
Our analysis & approach: We understood the challenges faced by the client's family during her school life and developed a storyline.
Her constant change of schools across 3 countries before the age of 12 was leveraged to highlight her adaptability skills.
She was highly initiative driven with many relevant examples through her role in college activities, and we emphasized these scenarios.

Admitted

Admits from ESCP, EDHEC and Frankfurt School MIM

Case file 08

Low grades and no GMAT

Situation: No GMAT score and low grades with average academics in school
Client mindset: The client had not prepared for competitive exams much and we hardly had 20 days to meet the early bird deadline to apply.
Our analysis & approach: We encouraged the client to prepare for the FSAT exam which is offered as an alternative by Frankfurt School.
Her experiences during trips abroad were highlighted in the application.
Her job had a strong brand name and deep financial analysis projects were explained in an outcome based manner in the interview.

Admitted

Admit from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MIF with a 25% scholarship

Case file 09

Average grades and 550 GMAT

Situation: Very low GMAT score and average academics in college
Client mindset: The client wanted to try safer options and even some schools outside the top 50.
Our analysis & approach: We understood some unique strengths in the profile of the client.
He was a mountain climber and these experiences brought some unique personal flavor to the essays.
He had moved to another country to learn English and learnt to adapt to unfamiliar situations.
He had gained some unique business analysis skills during his internship which we explained well during the final interview.

Admitted

Admit from ESCP & ESMT MIM with a 25% scholarship

Case file 10

No work experience and below 620 GMAT

Situation: Low GMAT score and no full time work experience
Client mindset: The client wanted to have some backup schools and options and felt the top 10 MIM options were hard to crack into.
Our analysis & approach: We understood how the client worked in an early stage startup and understood financial jargon and uncertain situations.
Her social experiences were very personal and these were highlighted in the essays.
Athletics as a career had taught her a lot of things and this added a unique perspective to her profile.

Admitted

Admits from ESCP & EDHEC MIM

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