ABCL (IIM interviews)

ABCL was always 'Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited' to me before I started preparing for CAT. Posted below are my ABCL experiences, K was posted earlier.

Full-on A (not selected):
The day before:
Our 4:20 PM Spice Jet flight to Ahmedabad left at 10:20 PM...and that was enough to irritate somebody who is so particular about time. Anyway, I slept at around 1:45 and after a sub 5-hour sleep, woke up at 6:30. Contrary to what is prescribed, this sub 5-hour sleeping before all the major events has become a regular now...be it my CAT exam, or the job interviews or the IIM interviews. (Any comparison with Sachin who is unable to sleep properly before a big game would be deeply appreciated :P).

Da Di De (The D Day, 14th Feb, 2009):
With the inclusion of a writing assessment in the evaluation, I felt good owing to my (over) confidence over my writing skills and my general aversion towards GDs. The topic was, "Education system in India is quelling children's creativity." The given time of 10 minutes was grossly inappropriate to think and present your thoughts in a coherent fashion. I had screwed badly. The only saving grace, if any, was that I had put closure to my essay.
One person had not showed up and in the remaining group of 7, I was the 6th to be interviewed. Here it goes:

J1: Referring to my grades, how come you scored so good in your last semesters (A li'l info for the non-IITians: getting good grades in the 5th year is almost granted and it acts as a CPI/CGPA booster)
Me: Rambled sth abt my DDP...
J1 enquires in detail about my DDP, Markov chains, memoryless functions, exponential and Poisson distribution etc. and I answer satisfactorily. J2 says 'short term memory los' and I smile obligingly. (Only after the interview I realized that was Ghajini style).
J2 was older, slightly plump and comparatively warmer and quieter (like a good room heater...couldn't help myself throwing in that :P). Btw, I was astonished to see the interviewers in T-shirts and Jeans...was kind of antithesis of the "corporate culture". J2 starts talking on his phone and I think the move might well be aimed at disturbing me but the brave remain undisplaced :P

J1 moves on to ask sth abt wheels and axles and automobiles and JEE physics. One question was, when an automobile is turning, the inner wheel would rotate at a lesser speed as compared to the outer wheel, what happens to the axles? Won't it get twisted? If I remember correctly, I could not answer any of them. I confessed that I have not done courses on automobiles. (If I get through, the key is maintaining your cool, and if I don't, well, that explains it). He moves on to gears (It seems that revising the gears was not a very bad idea). During the next few questions, I blurt out whatever I know of gears. Finally,
J1: How are gears made?
Me: Mathematically or manufacturing?
J2: Manufacturing, we know you are very good at maths.
I am stuck and suddenly in a moment of epiphany, I say milling. I feel like a winner. Even I am amazed how I remembered that. J1 asks me if I have heard of gear-hobbing. Negative, I say.
J1: Have you done a course on Strength of Materials?
Me: Yes, sir (had prepared this also).
They ask me something and again I am not able to answer, blaming it on my weak memory.
J2: (taking a pun at me) It seems like you are not only working on memorylessness, you also suffer from it and I just maintain my smile.

Now J2 takes command, moving on to Why MBA stuff? I answer with my dream of opening a chain of restaurants focused on healthy eating.
J2: So, where do you get your dose of healthy food apart from hostel mess?
Me: Sir, to start with, the mess food is not actually healthy (Its funny how your mind processes a zillion thoughts a second. I feel like I went over it a million of times, thinking about its appropriateness...to say or not to say; to have my share of humor or let them have all the fun). (continuing with my answer) And I get it from malls.
J2: So, what would you prescribe as a healthy breakfast for me?
Me: (It was crucial at this moment, not to hurt his pleasantly plumpness - a euphemism for obesity). I take muesli and yogurt. You could use the same.
J2: Would that be enough?
Me: I would also need proteins but at this age, you won't.
J2: You would not need them now. You have grown of age. What are your sources of protein? Are you a vegetarian?
Me: (Attempt at humour: take 2) Look at me (pointing to my 5'8" yet sub 60 kg structure), I still need lot of protein. Milk, pulses or lentils, nuts. Yes, am a vegetarian. Whey protein is also an option.
J2: You take that?
Me: I do not want to jump into sth before weighing its pros and cons.
J2: So, this fascination with healthy lifestyle, is it due to your father?
Me: Almost certainly, sir.
We talk a bit about family background, they go through my extracurrics certis enquiring about sports - swimming, water-polo, long distance running; the vocab-book I prepared etc.
J2: So, what next? The full marathon.
Me: No, sir, my father asked me not to do such long running. He asked me to rather focus on sports which would beef up my body, add bulk to it.
J1: So, you want to develop a physique like Michael Phelps...
Me: (Being a smartass: take 3) Off late, he has also developed fat around his waist. I just want to be lean and fit.
J1: Well, he was in news recently?
Me: He was criticized for taking marijuana (and I pronounce it correcly ma-ri-uha-na...that's cool :D)
J2: What's it called in common language?
Me: Grass.
J2: Do people in IIT take grass?
Me: Yes, they do.
J2: Do you take grass?
Me: No, sir (with assertion).
J2: Do people in Hanumangarh (my hometown) take grass? Where do they find it?
Me: Not that I know of but people who want to would always have their sources.
J2: I see that you do one work at a time. First you worked on JEE, then your vocabulary, then sports, now what...body building?
Me: Seems like it sir.
J1: Thank you, you may go.

The verdict (written before the results):
Essay writing: Okiesh types
The interview: Very relaxed (only later did it turn out that everybody had a relaxed affair). Would have been happy if they were to ask me about current affairs and Indian politics (had worked really hard on it)
Technical: Screwed (Can hold me back)
HR portion: Cool
The above had been put in a crude form on the same day only. Now, as the results are out, it is easy to pinpoint faults and say what went wrong. Nevertheless, a CAT aspirant might actually gain sth like I used to from other blogs (payback time) :)


I planned to produce each interview in detail but the enthu waned off after the first two - K & A and as such they are the only ones that remain documented in detail. BCL are highly factual (alas! without any dramatization) and might not appeal to people except for CAT junta. Continue at your own risk :P

Highlights B (selected):
SOP: I guess I had done a very good job there.
References: I guess the professors had done a very good job there ;) ...In fact, one of the professors had even told me that he had given me the best possible reference :)
GD: Should there be an upper age limit for politicians? - Argued for both the sides - Discussed the nuances - Quoted Gandhiji 'Be the change you want to see in the world' in some context and everybody referred to that making me one of the more important members in the group.

Interview: After a good academic record since school, superb SOP, nice references and impressive GD, I knew I had to just perform average to secure an admission. However, I screwed the interview completely. The discussions were completely non technical - on Marwadi baniya (from SOP) - engineers moving to MBA - my interest in Maths - JEE maths like deriving the formula for summation of first n natural numbers, first n squares - life at IIT - why MBA - difference between pretentious and ostentatious. A snippet from the interview:
I say, "I am interested in finance, plan to join consultancy after MBA and finally want to become an entrepreneur." Interviewers say, "I think you are quite confused." (and select me :P)

Highlights C (not selected):
GD: Should there be something like International Men's day? - big group but less time for discussion - fish market due to one limelight hogging enthu punter (you can be pretty sure that the adjectives for him are not that plain deep inside) who believed he was improving his chances by saying every second sentence. Most of the time, discussion did not move away from International Women's day. The panelists stopped us in between saying we were circling around a few points :(
Interview: 3rd last to be interviewed in a group full of work-exed IITians - the 3 interviewers seemed least keen on me. A very boring affair. However, I was made to sing and I sang haar na maan na from our last year's PAF :)

Highlights L (selected):
Writing assessment followed by GD: Habits and routine have the power to waste and destroy - wrote a decent piece, even incorporating examples from Mahabharata - GD was also good - 8 people were not able to fill up 20 minutes and stopped after some time - The panelists forced us; we spoke for a minute and again fell silent.
Interview: Was a very short 10 minute affair for everybody - Was asked about President and PM of Russia; focus of 2nd five year plans; one more weird question which I can't recall - In the end, I asked about their reason for such a short interview.
For a change, the interviewers were confused about the top post holders of Russia and we had a disagreement about the same. Immediately afterwards, I checked and thankfully, google was on my side. :D

And so concludes the epic :)

So Be It :)

First the results:
I got through BLK; could not convert AC; ditched the I interview and was not even shortlisted for S.

After a decent CAT score, I was looking forward to converting ABC. I was pretty clear that if I am not able to convert any of them, I would work for 2 years and then reappear. However, after the interviews, I was reasonably sure that BC have slipped out of my hands and my best bet is A. And since I believed that I had done a fair job in A, I was a bit on the hopeful side. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I got through B and a little disappointed when I could not make it to A.

Infi people while congratulating, said - koi na, B bhi badhiya hai. Some have even pointed out that B has less acads load, a better work life balance, more diverse student-profile and the best babes across all the schools and I believe each of them :)

Circumstances have forced me to choose a side where I won't find much takers except for the B junta. I have unknowingly been inducted in the A vs. B war. The best I can get from people is that ABC are on equal footing or that AB are much much above the rest of the lot. No one would put B before A, not even the alphabet :P

Like any die hard Aamir Khan fan would refuse to believe that Shahrukh is better, like any Sony Ericsson user would refuse to believe that Nokia is better, like any BCGian would refuse to acknowledge that McKinsey is better, like any IITD student would refuse to acknowledge that IITB is better, I too, on record state that B hai to behtar hai; that B is the place to be. So, B it is and so be it :)

Thou shalt not drink!

Next morning, I saw this written on our wing-board 'Pukesters suck'. Am not sure if pukester is a proper word but I had got the intent. I was a pukester the previous night. My jeans bore testimony to the fact :(

The night before:
Wing treat at Tian's pub - drink a lot (all bottoms up, and almost all neat) - some puffs of cigar - intentional head banging to the songs - unintentional head banging to the walls - keep falling to the ground - no dinner, no desserts - puke - puke - puke - 4th puke - go to SMS's flat - taken to SMS's flat - sleep - wake up next morning - feel uneasy, uncomfortable, guilty, ashamed, humiliated.

I had made a fool of myself on 1st April. I decided to renounce alcohol. Many would be surprised to know that I could drink as I have always been thought of as a prude. Some would even find this farcical considering I rarely drink and hence there is not an issue. Nevertheless, here is a flashback:

When it all started:
The motives can be discussed and debated - to loosen me up; to be more adaptable, more flexible; the inherent human tendency to chart into the forbidden waters and to explore the unknown; and of course peer pressure. I am almost certain that SMS played a huge role in upping my intake. I was competing but more importantly trying to be in the same group as his. I aped him in our race towards foolishness.

During our wing treats, there was always this division between the sober 5 and the high 5. But then we succumbed: first Gharde, then Manpreet and finally I. It’s good that Gangal and Simit are still holding strong. My first few sips were always from PB's vodka-sprite. And for the next few occasions, I was this curious newcomer who wanted to say: been there, done that. To ease my entry into this new club and yet remain aloof from its pitfalls, I made a certain number of rules:

1. Alcohol should not be a means to celebrate happiness. You don't need alcohol to stay happy.
2. Alcohol should not be a means to overcome your griefs. This is escapism but you can't escape life.
3. I would always tell Papa whenever I drink.

And as time progressed, I found it real hard to keep up with the third one. Before I started drinking, I always asked myself - why should I not drink? What you do/achieve depends on what you seek. Now, I merely changed the question to why should I drink. I have been looking for reasons to continue drinking but can't find any.
Though getting a high might be a good enough reason for most; it does not work for me as I like to be in full control of my mind. Besides, I don't like the taste of alcohol. Neither is it healthy. Thus, I don't like it when I am drinking; what happens afterwards is certainly not pleasant; talking about it at home makes me feel guilty and it even sets a bad precedence for Sharad. Hence, it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to drink. I tried my best to like it and adopt it but (un)fortunately the match was not made.

It’s not that I would be out of sync with the whole world. Rather, I have chosen to be in sync with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Muhammad Ali, David Beckham and of course Warren Buffett. These are just some of the names I knew beforehand. The wikipedia list of teetotalers springs many surprises (must be visited).

My tryst with alcohol is finally over. At last, I would be able to drink Death by Chocolate at NH1 :)