August Academy's MBA Admissions Blog

Hema: Software Products -> University of Virginia Darden

HemApart from being a knowledge trove when it comes to b-school applications, he is also a brilliant individual and a good friend with whom I have had some energising conversations that have helped me grow professionally.

Last year I was an aspiring B-school candidate with roughly 28 months of work experience and a decent GMAT score of 740. But being an Indian IT candidate, the prognosis didn’t seem good. Almost every blog that I read emphasized on the competitive nature of the Indian applicant pool in US b-schools and how difficult it was to get admission into most of the dream schools. That was when I came across Karthik and August Academy. It should be mentioned now that I started my application process pretty late (sometime in December). So I was expecting to be denied due to the impossible deadlines. But Karthik was pretty straight forward about the timeline problem and gave me an unbiased opinion of my chances in the schools I planned to apply. He clearly gave an overview of the process, the time required for each step in the process and how he would help me put forth the best. Since the deadlines were pretty close, we had to work in overdrive. Karthik didn’t blink an eye and went beyond the usual to help me get the applications ready on time. He initiated a conversation where he understood my educational and professional background, my aspirations and career plan. We then crafted a compelling story that stood out from the rest of the crowd and garnered interview invitations from 5 of the 6 schools that I applied to. As is usual, the interview stage is one where a lot of factors come into play. Karthik was an excellent source of knowledge during this stage. He provided invaluable advice on how to tackle the questions, what to do and what not to do. His instruction on how to convince the admissions committee that I am the right fit helped clinch it for me. I ended up getting admission offers from 4 of the schools with scholarships ranging from 50% to 100%. Finally I am starting at Darden School of Business this fall, my dream school thanks to Karthik.

What makes Karthik unique is his genuine interest in helping his students get the best. He motivates them and helps them realize their true potential. His personalized approach works wonders. Apart from being a knowledge trove when it comes to b-school applications, he is also a brilliant individual and a good friend with whom I have had some energising conversations that have helped me grow professionally. He has been a never ending source of motivation during the whole process and I would highly recommend him to future aspiring candidates.

Leave a Comment