MBA Admission 2023: “Be Consistent and Honest” Says Lavisha Taneja, Converted XLRI Jamshedpur

Shiksha: Hi, please tell us about yourself.

Lavisha: I am Lavisha Taneja, born and brought up in Faridabad, Haryana. Currently, I'm pursuing my Master in English Literature from Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University. I have recently converted to XLRI Jamshedpur's prestigious HRM program, which was a huge accomplishment for me.

Exchanged pleasantries

P1- Where are you right now?

Answered- I am at home sir. (I know very silly, I was trying to make it light and breezy).

P1 (amused)- No I meant where are you, as in the place?

Answered - Oh, I am in Faridabad as of now.

P1- You’re studying in Delhi right? How do you travel?

Answered- Told them about the metro route.

P1- You're still pursuing your post-grad right and it's a working day so why aren't you in college?

Answered - Because sir it is my final semester and it mostly requires doing my own research, currently I am working on writing my dissertation paper. So most of the resources are present online and I can easily access them for references. We are only required to go to college if we want to use the library or talk to our professors about research paper.

P1- What is your paper about?

Answered - The title of my paper is "Investigating Violence and Reframing the Female Body as a Cite of War in Context on Indian Partition".

P2 interjected - That sounds interesting but would you care to explain what it is about?

Answered - (quite extensively that they had to interrupt in the middle).

I aim to trace back to the catastrophe of partition and retrieve women and the unheard voices from history, thereby adopting a ‘gendered conception of war’. When women write about History, it is fundamentally different from when it is “His-story”; the Western conception of History that aims to achieve objectivity is altered, and ordinary-marginalized stories are centralized, seeing the domestic as a legitimate area of inquiry.

P2- This history point has been covered before in other papers as far as I know.

Answered - Yes sir that's right. But no one has covered that yet in the context of Partition.

P1- What references are you primarily using?

Answered- Sir most of my paper uses the anecdotal experiences from Urvashi Butalia's book "The other side of Violence" and Menon and Bhasin's research.

P1- What's the last book that you read?

Answered- Kamila Shamsie's Kartography. It is a coming-of-age novel that integrates the love story of two best friends starting from when they were born against the setting of war in Karachi.

P1- What is cartography?

Answered- It is the study of maps, sir.

P1- Alright I am done. Over to you sir.

P2- So you are pursuing post-graduation already. Haven't you considered becoming a professor? Why do you want to do an MBA and that too in HR? Don’t you think your Masters degree would go to waste?

Answered (somewhat nervously) - No sir, certainly not. I chose to go for Masters because I was keenly interested in the subject and at that moment it was a rather natural thing to pursue after Bachelor degree and I didn’t take MBA into consideration at that time. (took a deep breath and then continued)

So in my 3rd semester, I had a paper on Audio-Visual studies wherein we engaged with ads and advertising and subsequently marketing strategies. We also read a couple of case studies which further piqued my interest in the field. Then I started browsing more about management studies and I realized that my curriculum has equipped me with good communication and comprehension skills that would provide a solid base for HR. HR management is about dealing with people and enhancing their performance and providing them with opportunities to grow. As Literature is widely about story-telling and critical analysis, it allows one to view a situation from various angles and I am sure I’ll be able to bring a fresh new perspective to the table.

P3- I am not such a voracious reader. What would you suggest I should start with?

Answered- I think it’s hard to develop a reading habit when someone’s not interested. But one can surely begin with reading short stories or essays on topics that one would want to read before picking up a novel. Or you could inculcate a habit of reading 4-5 pages before going to sleep every night.

P3- What short story would you recommend I read tonight?

Answered- Ummm. (My brain was seriously not helping me out at this point, I don't know why I couldn't think of one single short story at that point).

After taking about 10-15 seconds I said The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

P2- You mentioned something about war and bodies initially. In war, the primary motive is to attack the opponent. So do you think that in war all people are just mere bodies and there are no persons?

Answered (after taking 20 seconds, I did ask them if I can take a moment to gather my thoughts, and they complied)- I said sir there was a paper we read by Elaine Scarry wherein she explored this thing that it is bodies that are displaced with the site of war and then attacked. And the war veterans are trained in this manner that they are not to treat anyone as a “person” on the opposite side so to say.

P2- So you’re saying that bodies are fighting bodies in war? But what about the feelings of patriotism and nationalism that they’re ingrained with? Does that have no value whatsoever?

Answered- Yes sir that’s true but…

P2- He interjected and kept reiterating this thing and didn’t really give me an opportunity to answer. He was basically asking the question and answering on his own which was really weird. P1 and P3 were laughing at this torture all along.

Then finally he gave me a chance to speak.

Answered- Sir I think it is an interesting topic to ponder upon but I don't think I have many ideas about this. But I’d surely consider doing my research on it and I'll send you the first draft when I am done.

P2 chuckled.

(Then P3 asked me about my hobbies and I answered whatever I could about watching shows and playing badminton.

They asked me a couple of other questions but it was relatively chill as it was mostly centered around the last show I watched. I am really glad that’s how it ended.)

You may log off now.

Thank you sir.

Shiksha: Congratulations on converting XLRI Jamshedpur! How do you feel?

Lavisha: Honestly, I hadn’t expected this so I still feels surreal. But right now if I were to describe this feeling, I am literally jumping and screaming with excitement, that’s all I can say.

Shiksha: What is the selection procedure at XLRI Jamshedpur?

Lavisha: They haven’t really disclosed the weightage of different factors involved officially but I according to me it does have a huge weightage for the XAT score (about 60%), interview (about 20-25%), and profile (5-10%).

Shiksha: Which other B-Schools selection process did you appear for? How was your experience in other institutes vis a vis in the institute you have converted to?

Lavisha: I took interviews for NMIMS Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad, and FORE School of Management. Among them, XLRI was the most challenging, as I had anticipated. However, I was able to perform decent enough in all of them, and I was able to convert all of them.

Shiksha: What was your Essay topic and how did you structure it? Did you find it easy or you had a difficult time thinking about the topic?

Lavisha: The essay topic was something along the lines of risk. Like why is taking risks important in certain situations?

Shiksha: Did you get help or join a coaching school to prepare for PI? When did you start your preparations for it?

Lavisha: I enrolled in a coaching institute near my place (IMS Faridabad) around the month of May last year and dedicated my weekends to attending classes and taking mock tests every alternate weekend to complement my preparation. I realised the significance of taking timely mock tests right from the start, even when my knowledge was limited, to prevent any overwhelming backlog in the later stages.

Initially, I started my preparation by learning the basics and building up my foundation from scratch. I devoted significant effort to understanding different methods and analysing them to identify the most effective one for me. After attending classes, I made it a point to revise my notes regularly and practice from the modules, especially for quant, as it was my weak area. Additionally, I used to watch a couple of YouTube videos to understand different strategies and enhance my knowledge base. Before attending offline lectures on a specific topic, I would watch conceptual videos on YouTube to develop a better understanding of that particular topic. Positive peer interactions at the coaching centre were also vital. Discussing our doubts and problems during classes enabled me to learn from my peers and gain insights into different approaches to problem-solving. Overall, this collaborative learning approach was a key factor during the MBA preparation journey.

Shiksha: Do you think that Personal Interview requires some separate preparation apart from what you mentioned?

Lavisha: Of course it does. Apart from reading and learning the subject matter required, it is also about communication skills and how you navigate your interview. It also requires reviewing your SOP from time to time to ensure that you speak confidently about your experiences and accomplishments.

Shiksha: Are there ways to handle a situation when one has no answer to a question during PI?

Lavisha: During a personal interview, it's not uncommon to encounter a question that you don't know how to answer. In this situation, it's important to stay calm and composed. If you're unsure about the question or need more information, ask the interviewer for clarification. If you truly don't know the answer, it's better, to be honest and offer to research the topic and get back to the interviewer later. Try to relate the question to your own experience or expertise, even if it's not a direct answer, to demonstrate your knowledge and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, stay positive and show your willingness to learn and grow. How you handle a difficult question can actually demonstrate your strengths as a candidate, so approach the situation with grace and professionalism.

Shiksha: Which interview turned out to be the best one? Enlighten us about the finest one according to you.

Lavisha: In my opinion, my interview at NMIMS was the best one, thanks to the panelists' relaxed and patient demeanor. They didn't grill me at all and instead asked questions about my hobbies and the books I've read, which made the whole experience very comfortable and easy to interact with.

Shiksha: What about the questions which you found difficult to answer? How did you reply to those?

Lavisha: During a personal interview, it's not unusual to encounter a question that stumps you. However, it's crucial to remain calm and handle it in a low-key way. In my experience, if I didn't know the answer to a question, I opted for honesty and told the interviewer that I hadn't researched the topic thoroughly or that I only knew some information. This approach allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge while acknowledging that there is always more to learn.

Shiksha: Any tips for future aspirants?

Lavisha: I believe that consistency is the most crucial factor when it comes to MBA preparation. It is essential to maintain consistency when it comes to taking mock tests, analysing the results, and establishing a routine that will keep you motivated and focused during your preparation. While I was preparing, there was a period when I had to set this aside as I had my mid-sem exams, and post that, I struggled to resume my preparation and it was quite challenging then. So I'd suggest not breaking the consistency. Regularly practicing allows you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, work on areas that need improvement, and ultimately improve your overall performance. Additionally, consistent revision helps to reinforce your understanding of the subject matter and gain a deeper insight into the topics covered.

Focus on the journey right now. Do not think much about the end result. There’s a factor of luck involved as well. So it’s better you focus on things that are in your hands and do your best.

To prepare for the exam, I had taken regular mock tests and analysed them thoroughly, even though it was demotivating to see my scores not improving initially. However, I learned to trust the process and be patient. I experimented with different methods and found what worked best for me. Therefore, I suggest MBA aspirants do not avoid taking mocks regularly and analyse them in-depth. Remember, it's not just about taking the tests, but also about learning from them and adapting your strategies accordingly.

Keep experimenting till you find the most effective method for you. Remember, it's not just about taking the mock tests, but also about learning from them and adapting your strategies accordingly.

Shiksha: What is your future plan?

Lavisha: Currently, as a fresher, I am focused on preparing for my immediate future by building my profile and gaining experience through internships. Specifically, I am looking for a good summer internship that will help me develop my skills as an HR associate in a reputable organization. As part of this effort, I am actively working on enhancing my CV to showcase my strengths and qualifications. And, I am really excited about this new journey I would be starting at XLRI Jamshedpur.

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