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I have been desperately trying to get myself admitted to a nice MBA college for quite some time, but lady luck has positively decided to make it a hard time for me. The story:

Sometime in Sep, 2007: I had joined CPLC, the CAT training institute, the same place where I had taken training for my BMS CCEE. We (Gaurav, Jai, Sukhi, Sakshi, Amrita... and a few more) figured that due to our past affiliation with Parag Sir, he can give us a nice neat package.

May, 2008: It was all fun and games for the beginning few months and six months into it, we actually wondered what made us pay a small fortune for voluntary torture. One by one, the bowling pins fell and my friends started giving up. Determined to pursue my MBA career I went ahead despite statements like 'Apun ko kidhar milega IIM mein admission.... chod na!' Such statements apart from pulling me away, motivated me even more to stick with CAT.

Sep, 2008: Two months to the horrific day and the Mumbai University with some bribe from Lady Luck decides to plonk the 5th Semester exams right during the time when CAT is taking place. Furious student protests push the date forward after CAT, bringing little respite. After a lot of discussions I decide to finally give CAT a hold and focus on university exams, something which wont come twice unlike the CAT.

Dec, 2008: Unlike my expectations, my University exam results were not as good and my CAT was not as bad. Probably if I had paid more attention to my english section I might be typing this in the dormitory of a prestigious institute, if not an IIM.

May, 2009: Failing to get through any other Indian exam, I decide to give the entrance tests one more shot. I tried taking up part-time jobs with various uncles and relatives but found my concentration wandering away. I finally decided to quit work altogether and focus only on the ferocious exam.

Aug, 2009: The IIM's announce the exam is going online which creates huge ripples with questions pertaining to its stability. Students worry but somehow I am pleased with my computer skills and ability to sit in front of it for endless hours and feel that i have the upper hand.

Nov, 2009: The fateful day arrives and amidst computer problems reported nation-wide, my exams goes quite smooth. With 6 IITians on either side making a joke of the exam, it wasn't particularly comfortable. I realise that CAT has become a game luck and with its CEO not willing to support me, I started looking elsewhere. Hard preparations for all other Indian exams yielded no results, with either the cut offs shooting up or my missing out on in marginally.

Feb, 2010: After giving up all hopes in India, I looked towards my last respite, the GMAT. The exam seemed much more simple than any other previous exam I had taken, but its final outcome of a 620 is not all that bad, not too great either.

March, 2010: Ive finally started working (Social Wavelength) in a job that seems tailor-made for me. I'm still in search of some place that can take me in with my 620 and a years work-experience, but the hunt is still on.

2 years and 5 months is a long time to sacrifice behind one thing, but I did and apart from feeling disappointed with its outcome, I am proud of actually achieving the feat rather than giving up half way. I actually contemplated a life in the army, motivated by my dear friend Anukul, but their extension of the Short Service Commission time period has made me lose interest in it. Cheers to life!


Update on 5th May, 2010:

March, 2010: With a GMAT score that made a whole lot of people burn with envy, I proudly walked into Edwise, an agency that helps students like me get admissions into foreign universities and demanded an admission into one of the best universities this world can offer. The USA agent looked at me and said that I was ineligible for admissions into the USA. I stared at him as if he abused the next five generations of my family all together and asked for the reason. He cited that I would be competing with students who have an extra year of education and hence wont have a chance and besides I have already crossed the dead-line for this years intake. With a 'never-give-up' attitude, I started looking elsewhere and fixed my eyes on the United Kingdom.

April, 2010: After doing a bit of research I learnt that the masters programme in UK does not require any additional education or work experience and is extremely easy to get into. 9 months ago when half the student population of my college were running towards UK colleges, I scoffed at them and called them 'lazy-shortcut-takers'. Suddenly I find myself fascinated with the prospect of studying in the United Kingdom. Shyam, my advisor at Edwise assured me that UK is a brilliant place to study and that getting in is a cake-walk. I swiftly started filling my applications and started preparing for another exam, the IELTS.

May, 2010: As of today I have been rejected by the University of Southampton (they got no idea who they are losing out on) and accepted by the University of Leeds (smart buggers, learn something Southampton!) and still await my IELTS results. Leeds has also assured me that they are willing to take me in without IELTS (wow!). It's only now that I realise how easy it actually is to get into a UK college.

Updated 27th August, 2010:

June 2010: Offers have come and gone, some rejected (screw you!), some didn't bother to respond (lazy brits) and some gracious ones have come forward. Finally accepted the University of Nottingham and rejected all others. Was seriously considering Durham and St.Andrews but had to drop both of them in spite it being far better than Nottingham. Do I want to live in perpetual cold? No. Do I want to go to the same university as Prince William (St. Andrews)? Yes! Do I want to live in an inhabited village where civilisation is miles away and the only people I would be with are upsnoot rich British students? No! 2 against 1, Nottingham it is!

August 2010: Offer accepted? Check! Visa obtained? Check! Bags packed? Check! Flight tickets? Check! Time for a year long paid vacation! The hard struggle to secure myself with a post-graduation education has finally ended and the struggle to finish that post-graduation education has begun. Lets hope the final leg of my education career (hopefully) is not going to be as bad as people have been trying to drill into me.