“CAT is worth it even if it takes multiple attempts to crack” - Ananda, IIT Bombay

CAT Topper Interview: Many students choose to pursue an MBA from IITs as they offer great ROI due to their moderate fees and high placements. Pursuing an MBA from IITs not only adds the prestigious IIT tag to your CV but also offers a great campus life and networking opportunity. Here is another exclusive interview with a CAT topper who did his MBA from SJMSOM IIT Bombay. Ananda Roy scored 98.53 percentile in CAT 2020. In this interview, he talks about how the admission process at IIT Bombay is different than other colleges, his CAT preparation journey, mock strategy, and profile building. This article offers excerpts from the interview. Watch the complete conversation by clicking the YouTube link given below.

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Careers360 - Tell us a little bit about yourself and your profile.

Ananda - I was born and brought up in Kolkata. After that, I did my B-Tech in Mechanical Engineering from SRM University, Chennai. During my undergraduate days, a lecturer came from Mahindra who was an R&D engineer. He gave us a lecture on how an engine is developed, and how platforms of vehicles are developed. I understood that as an engineer, I can only make the vehicle efficient or I can reduce cost. Ultimately, the decisions of when to launch the vehicle, at what price the vehicle will be launched, and other important decisions are taken by managers and executives. And that is what really drew me to pursue an MBA.

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Careers360 - Which MBA entrance exams did you get?

Ananda - Initially I started preparing for the GRE and one of my friends who was preparing for the CAT Exam suggested me to give CAT as well. So I gave CAT and GRE.

Careers360 - How much time did you devote to CAT preparation daily?

Ananda - I devoted almost six to eight hours per day. I did not have a formal job when I was preparing for CAT.So, for CV building I volunteered at an NGO, I did courses on machine learning, economics, and accounting. CV building is very important because you will be asked in interviews about what you did during this time.

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Careers360 - Would you recommend any books for CAT Preparation?

Ananda - I bought a book called Sarvesh K. Verma and I finished that book three times for Quant and For LRDI, I started with solving the previous year's question papers and also I took an LRDI booster course from a coaching institution which really helped. As far as VARC is concerned you

can read essays from Aeon, Medium, Ken, The Economist, The New Yorker magazine, editorials, and some book reviews.

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Careers360 - What other interview calls did you get apart from SJMSOM IIT Bombay?

Ananda - I had calls from MDI Gurgaon and SPJMR. Apart from these, I had IIM CAP calls from all the new IIMs and baby IIMs.I converted MDI Gurgaon and IIT Bombay.

Careers360 - Why did you choose IIT Bombay over other B-Schools?

Ananda - Number one would be the batch strength. In IIT Bombay, the batch strength usually hovers around 120 odd people. So during placements, the competing pool of people is really small. The companies offer great roles and salaries. IIT Bombay happens to be one of those B schools that has the philosophy of a tech school offering an MBA. The campus life is very vibrant. There would be some music competitions, some theatres, some art exhibitions, and some workshops happening all the time.

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Careers360 - So tell us about the admission process at IIT Bombay. What was the procedure like?

Ananda - The admission process is really simple. You apply for admission based on your CAT scores and then you get called for a personal interview, which is taken by a panel. So here is the difference between our college and other colleges. The panel is composed of three people. One

would be an MBA professor, One would be a B.Tech or an M.Tech professor from IIT And the third panelist would be an alum from SJMSOM who has a background similar to the student.

Careers360 - How is the Academic curriculum at IIT Bombay?

Ananda - We have case study-based pedagogy. It's no different from any other B school. The academic focus is more on the quantitative analysis of different subjects. So even if it's marketing and it would be more around the analytical aspects of marketing.

Careers360 - What advice would you give to students who would be giving CAT24?

Ananda - I will say it's never too late.CAT is very much a crackable exam. I have known people who have leaped by bounds and scored stellar percentiles. Even if multiple attempts are needed, it would still be worth it. I know CAT is becoming harder year by year which is why cracking it is possible only through sheer discipline.

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