Why did this CAT topper quit IIMs?

Not often do we meet people who chuck an MBA degree from India’s top B-school to pursue something as simple as mathematics.

Well, you haven’t met Shashank Chorge yet. This 26-year-old has an interesting story to tell.

This mathematic genius cracked CAT in 2012, scoring a whopping 99.99 percentile (one of the CAT 2012 toppers) and took admission in IIM-Calcutta.

Life looked good for Shashank. Then, he quit it all. But why?

Here is Shashank’s story in his own words:

Shashank Chorge

I completed my engineering from Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Mumbai University, in 2010. At the end of fourth year, I was placed Infosys, which I intended to join. The thought of pursuing an MBA did not cross my mind at all.

One of my friends, who was preparing for CAT (Common Aptitude Test), would discuss CAT-related problems with me. At that time, I discovered my inherent aptitude for mathematics. Exploiting this talent, I started working as a quant faculty in one of the coaching classes in Mumbai.

My appetite for mathematics was not limited to quantitative aptitude of CAT. I started learning pure mathematics i.e. algebra, number theory and analysis, becoming quite fond of the subject.

But without the help of any tutor, learning was difficult. After the initial slow pace, it became smooth.

I really enjoyed teaching. But considering limited growth opportunities in the field, I decided to pursue further studies. I was skeptical about a career in mathematics and hence decided to pursue an MBA. Hailing from middleclass family, the decision supported by everyone.

CAT was my first choice. I prepared for it while teaching mathematics at the coaching centre. In my first attempt, I managed to score 99 percentile. But it wasn’t good enough for the top three Indian Institutes of Management. So I decided to go for one more attempt.

In this while, my interest in mathematics further increased and I wrote two papers in Number theory. Second time, I scored 99.99 percentile in CAT, becoming of the top performers in CAT for that particular year. I got through IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow and a few new IIMs.

Despite all these “successes”, something was missing. I interest in MBA was waning. I had this feeling that MBA may be a lucrative option but a perfect option. But at that time, I had no other option, so I decided to join IIM Calcutta.

And then it happened.

After staying at IIM Calcutta hostel for two days, I realised MBA definitely not my cup of tea. I knew I had to take a decision.  The thought of spending two-years pursuing something that I am not sure about and spending Rs 15 lakh on it, didn’t gel well.

So, I listened to my heart and quit IIM Calcutta. Everything was at stake. But I chose to follow my heart.

This decision was taken overnight. My friends Abhijeet and Jayesh helped a lot.

Soon, I started preparing for GRE and studying pure mathematics (more in-depth and different from aptitude maths). I published one of my papers in a prestigious international journal.

Today, I have an admission offer from a good US-based university for MS in Mathematics with full funding. I also got through a Chennai-based Mathematics institute for PhD. (Mind you, I pursued BE and not mathematics degree!)

The story wouldn’t end without a special thanks to my teachers Mr Lad and Mr Waghmode, who taught me at their personal coaching classes.

Each one of us has some passion. Get rid of herd mentality and pursue your choice of subject. If my story can inspire even a single person to follow his or her passion, it would be a great achievement for me.

Remember, hard work always pays in the end.