Getting into B-school straight out of undergraduate

Early admit programs are some of the most selective in the B-school space, but Sireesh was up for the challenge.

The Challenge

Male Indian computer science guy is quite possibly the most competitive demographic in MBA admissions. Deferred admissions programs at top U.S. B-schools are regularly the most competitive MBAs on Earth. So from the start, Sireesh was locked in a David versus Goliath struggle. His major differentiator would be his entrepreneurship experience, but unfortunately none of his three companies had really taken off. We had to show that Sireesh deserved a spot based on the skills and personal qualities he had demonstrated while helming these as-yet-unsuccessful startups.

Possible Approaches

Though Sireesh’s startups hadn’t yet borne fruit, he had accomplished a great deal in computer science student groups at his university (a top 30 school in the U.S. Northeast). One idea was to emphasize his leadership as astudent. Sireesh had organized some important conferences and won some big coding competitions. He was undeniably a talented computer scientist, and had proven an ability to get college students to devote time to challenging projects. We ultimately decided against this approach, however. Sireesh’s academic experience was just that—academic—and couldn’t have held up compared to the many other deferred admissions applicants with real-world experience under their belts.

The Admissionado Approach

Two of Sireesh’s startups were already moribund, but one was still growing. It wasn’t large by any stretch of the imagination (a few thousand dollars of revenue), but it was going in the right direction. We decided to focus on this company and dig deep into the challenges Sireesh had faced leading his startup team. In the process, he revealed himself to be a uniquely intelligent and considerate leader with an exciting vision for the future of this company. We built that vision into his long-term goals and encouraged Sireesh to do extensive research on his future market. The result was a convincing elevator pitch for a company that didn’t quite exist yet—but could! By showing the adcom what Sireesh was planning to do in the future, we lent more gravitas to what he had already accomplished

The Result

Sireesh was accepted by the Yale Silver Scholars program.

Personal Shoutout

“I think the biggest, unexpected gain in Admissionado is that I have witnessed how the power of language can positively influence people’s thinking and I will gradually polish the way to present anytime. Many thanks.”