PGP YL Round 1 Rejected
Hi everyone. R1 applicant here. Despite securing a 99.72 percentile, a 3-month internship, and 1.5 years of experience at a top company, I was rejected from the ISB YL program.
Here are my main takeaways from the process:
- Interviews felt like a formality:
Unlike the BLACKI interviews where a killer conversation can actually redeem your profile, ISB seems to have their minds made up before you even walk in. It really feels like they are hunting for specific tags—like IITs, CFAs, crazy PORs, or heavy extracurriculars. If you don't have those, the interview alone probably won't save you.
- The "too good to be true" vibe:
ISB interviewers are super chill and really don't grill you. Because it's so conversational, almost everyone walks out feeling like they just had the best interview of the season, only to get a rejection letter later. It can definitely give you a false sense of security.
Ultimately, I had other BLACKI calls that I am confident about converting, so I'm looking forward.
Just wanted to share my experience. Best of luck to anyone prepping for their upcoming interviews!