Applicant:
KN
Pre-MBA Industry:
Business Finance and Strategy Analyst in an Edtech company.
From:
Mumbai, India
Years of Experience at the Time of Application:
3 Years
GMAT/GRE Score:
740
Undergraduate GPA:
8.05/10
Graduate GPA:
Admitted to:
Stanford GSB
How a Goal to Create Imapct Paved the Way to Stanford GSB
Background
KN was a passionate Edtech advocate who dreamed of amplifying technology’s impact on Indian education. A B.Com graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, with CFA and CA certifications, KN’s first job was with an online food delivery aggregator. He worked here as an Analyst in Business Finance and Strategy, partnering with core business functions. He then grew to middle management in operations strategy. KN became increasingly motivated to harness technology to understand business levers and develop platforms to deliver transformational results.
His next move was to an education-focused NGO, where, despite not having a technology background, he worked on projects that made technology-enabled education resources a cost-effective reality for rural Indian students across multiple Indian states. Buoyed by the success of his initiatives, he aimed to become a transformational force in the Edtech space, working on innovative solutions to amplify the reach of schools and democratize access to computer learning across different age groups.
KN showed tremendous drive to act on his ambitions and had a learning mindset. He taught himself coding to lead technology teams and build a sustainable open-source technology ecosystem that supported innovative education solutions at scale. We needed to help KN put together a coherent narrative that explained his shift in the industry and provided adequate context for his investment in developing Edtech solutions to democratize access to education.
Approach
We assisted KN in reflecting on his journey and understanding how education and mentoring shaped his life decisions and projects. This process led us to help him craft a pitch that reflected his initiative, entrepreneurial mindset, and dedication. He then embarked on a mission to achieve the following goals:
Providing peers access to knowledge banks. Mentoring graduates from premier engineering institutes towards fulfilling careers in social impact. Solving problems of access and simplicity for rural learners.
We helped KN put together a pitch that married his innate sense of initiative with his entrepreneurial mindset. It brought to the fore his drive to provide students with resources that encouraged them to gain mastery over mandated lessons while also following their curiosity. This pitch caught the attention of leading business schools, and KN gained admission to Stanford GSB, Berkeley Haas, and Kellogg’s one-year program. He finally chose to attend Stanford GSB.
Key Takeaway
KN’s goals were rooted in his passion and work driving impact at scale in the Edtech sector. His clear vision and delivery-focused lens gave credibility to his future aspirations. By helping him craft a narrative highlighting his initiative, entrepreneurial spirit, and impactful projects, we helped him to effectively showcase his potential and ultimately achieve his goal of studying at Stanford GSB.