r/ISB_Aspirants

Just out of curiosity has anyone gotten a call with low GMAT /gre scores ? because all I'm seeing is crazy high scores.

I had my ISB PGP YL interview yesterday and I would appreciate some feedback, since I was of the view that ISB interviews are generally very chill and conversational and mine was nothing like that. It is my best call and I think I fucked up. Profile - 9/9/9 Fresher GNEM, GMAT 740

TMAY — Once I was done with that, they said they understand my passion and why I am here, but they still don't know who I actually am.

They asked for another TMAY, but more personal — where I talked about myself, my family, my schooling, where I grew up, what I love to do, and other things that inspire me.

Tell me the difference between ESG and Impact Investment (my goal) — I explained the difference between the approaches of each, how ESG is largely a fad, and all of that. They agreed with the ESG evaluation but pushed back on how something can be both socially impactful and generate returns.

I answered by quoting the works of Banerjee, Duflo, Kramer, and J-PAL to show that investing can give us a high IRR if we know empirically tested ways to target capital delivery.

They pushed back by saying that there are already funds doing that — so why not just join them? I replied by saying that the funds today generally give debt, often at exploitative rates, and Banerjee's research has shown that microcredit does not actually work for the people it wants to help. So my approach is fundamentally different. 

They pushed back again saying they don't understand how I will generate returns. I explained more about my model and how it manages returns. 

They pushed back again by asking why I don't just do a Master's in Social Work and help people directly. I replied by saying that I have been a research assistant in social studies and a long-time volunteer, and that without capital and network, you can never have the impact you want and you end up relying on funds and people who have an empirically flawed approach to investment, like many large philanthropies.

They pushed back and said they don't understand my idea yet and still think it doesn't fully work. They asked: if that is the case, is it worth spending 40lacs at ISB to figure it out? I replied by explaining how without ISB's academic environment, peer cohort, and network, developing this idea further is nearly impossible, and even if I somehow figure it out independently, without capital it is impossible to achieve anything anyway.

They pushed back and said (since I had mentioned I don't have the best financial situation at home) — shouldn't I just get a job and not risk this amount, and instead contribute to my family? I replied by helping them understand the long-term value an ISB MBA could have for me and for my family.

They then gave me a few general questions:

• What is my biggest failure and how did I cope with it?
• What is my biggest success and what did I do to succeed?
• How will I contribute to ISB?

I talked about my passion for philosophy and they asked how it will help me at ISB, and why I am trying to be a jack of all trades and if I am so diverse in my exposure and internships, why haven't I got a job offer yet. They ended it on a funny note and said that I should send them my resume and they will give me a job,

They then asked why I didn't get a PPO or a job yet. I explained I am not entirely sure, but I believe I have the right qualifications and bent. They pushed back by saying: if I am struggling to get a job, why should ISB take me? I replied by highlighting my academic and personal record and my ability to rise to the occasion and solid performance in academics and internships in global organizations.

They asked if I had any questions. I asked mine, but it somehow furthered the interview, since after answering my question, they again said they think my idea is still not developed enough and maybe I don't need an MBA.

I pushed back. At this point I'll be honest — I think I broke my composure slightly. I told them honestly that without ISB and a high-quality pedigree and network, I will never have any chance to realize and test my passion. And that rather than regretting every day that I didn't work on the things I care about, I would rather come to ISB, test myself, and even if I fail, I would be better equipped to help the people I care about.

That started another round of questions. They asked what company I want to work at after graduation. They pushed back on my answer since the company I mentioned is a large ESG investor I don't fully agree with ESG itself, so why would I work for them?

I pushed back and highlighted the need to make necessary moral trade-offs in order to gain the right network and pedigree to eventually build my own firm.

They again brought up that maybe I should work in an NGO first. After some back and forth, they finally said that I am young, my idea still needs more time to grow, and maybe they are the ones who are not understanding it at this stage — but it is what it is. They apologized for being too critical. 

I thanked them and apologized if I had wasted their time or hadn't explained myself well.

I don't know what to take from this. If I'm being honest, I feel like I royally messed up. But at least I was honest, I guess.

Any thoughts on how this reads? Positive or negative signal? Would really appreciate perspectives.

By far the best most conversational interview I have had. Somehow went on for over an hour. Lots of questions were asked, some indirectly tested for acads and work ex.

They wanted to look past the work and the college and see me as a person.

I made them laugh a few times too. I was very relaxed and came out so happy

But now I'm seeing that sabka acha gaya hai. YL has 150 seats of which more than 60 were filled in R1. Hopes have gone down since I've gotten on reddit post-interview

GNEF 8/9/9

GMAT FE 675

1.4yrs work ex at tier 1 NBFC as of calculation date

Started a company few years back with parents

Post graduate degree in fine arts

Decent dance and art achievements (one state and national level) and consistent social initiatives

Chances of interview call? Applied in R2

Also are Delhi calls out or when can we expect?

hi,
i got 88,89,86 as my acads
economics graduate
Got 695 in gmat and 96.75 in caat
fresher male
had 2 small ventures, tshirt and ai agents.

is it sufficient for isb ylp?

Male candidate with 94 in X 87 in XII and 7.45 in UG(Bcom from Tier 1). Cleared 7/13 ACCA Papers. Currently a management trainee in a Real Estate Private Equity leading MNC with 130B+AUM.

Internship at a top Indian company in the Infra sector (CFO’s Office)

Graduated in March 2026, aiming to apply in R1 Dec 2026

Two leadership roles at College Fests

Preparing for GRE

Football as extracurricular (played professionally)

Any tips for me?

bachelors manipal jaipur btech cse- 6.0 cgpa

12th- 70 percent

machine learning Certification from IIT Bombay

work experience - 2 year KPMG analyst - data analytics with 5 months of on site UAE project

1 years - Reliance retail - assistant manager office operations

2 - months blinkit - strategy analyst and analytics lead- customer support

GMAT focus - 665 (720 classic equivalent) - 81 q, 84 v, 84 di

above average co curricular with - sports and social media and volunteer initiatives (7/10)

SMU , NTU Admit 2025 cycle did not go because high fee and especially visa and job uncertainty

XLRI pgdm gm interview shortlisted but not admitted

isb r3 not shortlisted

I really want to start my MBA as I'm close to 4 years work experience and after all this I'm still close to just 10lpa

i really want to convert isb If not I want mba from tier 1 indian school

I'm considering mdi pgdm bm too but it's not as Elite please suggest ways to make profile elite and interview tips, it's so crazy I got admitted to NTU which is asia #2 but not isb which is #7 or #8 or even xlri which comes to show how competitive india is

please guide

X - 10 cgpa

XII - 82%

My bg is Amity Uni, Btech-CSE 7.68 cgpa.

then Accenture for 2 years and the co founded a travel start up, all along with NGO work.

What are my chances if I am aiming for a 700+ on my GMAT?

Hey guys, those of you that accepted offers of R1, could you please tell how many people got the offer sent or have accepted till now through any common whatsapp group you might have or other sources.

Hey wanted a genuine evaluation folks. I have no one to reach out to.

- 10th CBSE - 98%

- 12th CBSE - 94% ( Commerce)

- BBA - 8.0 CGPA

- Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting

- 4 years in Deloitte, working in consulting

- State Level Sports certifications

- Volunteering experience with the state governement.

Bottleneck is i am not able to give GRE or GMAT. Mock exam marks are only in the 80 percentile. Weak in quants.

Any pro tips???