The Challenge

IITian with very low GPA.

The Solution

Sahil comes from a smaller town and had solid experience with an Indian unicorn. He was aware that his GPA was very low and could affect his chances at a top school.

We approached his candidacy with 2 clear determining factors:

1) school selection strategy

2) positioning.

Our strategy was to apply to schools with early admission rounds where he could have a significant advantage over candidates applying in later rounds and those where he was more likely to get an interview.

If he were not to get admitted to any of these, to then include a safe school in Round 1. Rather than hiding or not addressing his academic underperformance we focused on his strengths and differentiators.

Delving deep into his story, rather than just showing him as a manager who had grown quickly, we showcased his leadership, initiative and innovation in revived low-performing categories, and launching new services that impacted customers.

Given we had choices of goals from consulting to product management, we chose a story which tied in well with his past, positioned him uniquely, was ambitious and yet achievable.

The Result

Admitted to a top 10 school with a scholarship/ Admitted to Duke with a scholarship