Interview with MIT Sloan MBA student on how to tackle the MIT Sloan MBA essays and admissions process, and how to get a post-MBA product management role from MIT Sloan
Key lessons from the interview:
Applying with an unconventional background
- [1:20] How growing up in a village with no amenities & electricity led to Sumit’s academic and pre-MBA career
- [3:20] The extracurricular activities that helped in chart Sumit’s pre-MBA career path
- [5:30] Why you don’t need an IIT degree and consulting background to get into MIT Sloan; and how to do so with a completely unconventional pre-MBA career
Why MBA & Which MBA program
- [14:45] Why Sumit wanted to pursue an MBA degree
- [17:15] Sumit’s success with the Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship program, but the rejection from Stanford MBA
- [18:30] Why Sumit chose to apply to MIT Sloan MBA program
MIT Sloan MBA admissions process
- [21:00] Detailed advice on how to address the MIT Sloan MBA cover letter essay
- [24:30] Why Sumit’s MIT MBA essay was successful, and why past track record is an indicator of future success
- [25:10] Sumit’s breakdown of how he tackled the video essay: “Introduce yourself to your classmates”
- [27:00] The final Sloan essay that only selected candidates are invited to write, and how Sumit answered the essay
- [29:00] The uniqueness of the interview process at MIT Sloan
Getting accepted to MIT Sloan
- [31:45] What receiving the admit phone call from MIT feels like?
Career opportunities for international students at MIT Sloan
- [34:00] Most popular career options available for international students
Culture at MIT Sloan
- [36:00] The relaxed, but unique hands-on learning culture at MIT Sloan, and how it differs from the culture at Harvard Business School
- [37:15] Why MIT Sloan is a great school for those interested in innovation and entrepreneurship?
Advice to Indians and internationals applying to top MBA program
- [40:00] Why Sumit recommends doing more research on the school’s culture and curriculum before applying
One last thing before you go…
If you’ve been rejected by an MBA program, we specialize in helping people reapply. The first thing we do is a DING analysis to help you figure out what you can do better next time. If that’s you, start by accessing the self-assessment here.