If you’ve been following along since I started this blog, you know it was born out of sheer grit, and a good amount of frustration.
Before I ever typed a single post here to hold myself publicly accountable, I had already sat for the GMAT four separate times. It was an absolute mental beatdown: 690, 690, 670, and then a crushing 650. Watching my score drop after months of prep felt like getting the wind knocked out of me. But making my progress public worked and I finally broke through and crossed the 700+ mark.
With that score in hand, I threw myself into the admissions process. What followed was a multi-year roller coaster of brutal rejections, agonizing waitlists, and ultimate clarity.
The Wake-Up Call (Spring 2011)
In early 2011, I rushed into Round 3 late in the cycle, a notoriously tough round for international applicants. I threw applications at Duke (Fuqua), SMU (Cox), Emory (Goizueta), Rochester (Simon), and Michigan (Ross).
Getting invited to interview at Ross in Round 3 was a huge shot of confidence and proved my profile could compete at a top-tier level. Ultimately, though, that late round ended in rejections across the board.
The Emory ding hurt the most, but looking back, I simply wasn't fully ready yet. My story wasn't sharp enough, and applying late didn't help. Having already survived four GMAT attempts, though, I knew how to take a hit, pick myself up, and rebuild.
The Heartbreak Cycle (2011–2012)
Armed with my 700+ score and much stronger essays, I came back for the 2011–2012 cycle with a broader strategy. This time, my applications hit the mark, but the process tested every bit of my patience.
First came the waitlists at three dream schools: Cornell (Johnson), Duke (Fuqua), and Michigan (Ross), where I was once again invited to interview before being placed on the waitlist. Sitting on three top-tier waitlists at the same time is a unique kind of emotional limbo. Week after week, month after month, you hold onto hope, send updates, and wait for the phone to ring.
Eventually, all three converted to final rejections. It was heartbreaking. You put so much of your soul into those applications and interviews that getting turned down after months on a waitlist feels deeply personal. (I also picked up dings from Dartmouth Tuck and Emory as a re-applicant).
Amidst that heartbreak, though, the breakthroughs happened: Darden admitted me into their executive MBA program. Rochester (Simon) turned my previous rejection into an admit with a $12,500/year scholarship. William & Mary (Mason) admitted me with a tuition scholarship.
Taking Back Control (2013)
I wasn't quite done testing my limits. In 2013, I pushed into one final stretch.
I also went all-in on Duke Fuqua’s Early Action round as a re-applicant. After getting invited to interview, my schedule went sideways. Work had unexpectedly pulled me from India to New Jersey right when I received the email that I was supposed to interview with an alumnus in Bangalore. Fuqua asked me to fly down to Durham for the interview and I scrambled logistics and made it to the school.
The moment I walked in, I knew this was the place for me. I loved Durham, the greenery and the small town vibe. I loved Fuqua even more, the students were so friendly and overall, the the school had an energy that I relished. Meeting students, sitting in on classes, and interviewing with an Admissions Fellow was an incredible experience, bringing closure to my years of pursuing Fuqua.
I had also applied to Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), and was invited to interview. When I went to Pittsburgh to CMU for the interview, I didn't have the same feeling as I had for Fuqua. The weather didn't help either. It was freezing cold! Anyway, I completed the interview, and flew back to work. Now the waiting game began.
October 30th, 2013, was the decision day for Fuqua. I was still in the US and about to leave to India in about a week. At about 3:00 pm on Oct 30th, 2013, I got an email from Fuqua. Nervously, I logged into the portal and was so excited to see that I got in! I shared the good news with my good friend at work, who had helped with shopping for my interview.
Tepper later let me know that I was waitlisted, but by that point, I already had the admit from Fuqua in hand and withdrew my application to CMU. No regrets there.
The Real Crossroads: Listening to My Heart
This brings me to the hardest decision of the entire journey; one that didn't happen on an application portal.
After receiving my funded offer from Rochester Simon, I was all in. I paid the tuition deposit, submitted the paperwork, and went through the entire U.S. visa process. I literally held my passport with a stamped U.S. visa in my hand.
On paper, the mission was accomplished. My bags were practically packed.
But as the departure date got closer, I had to be honest with myself about a quiet truth I’d been ignoring: my heart simply wasn't in it.
Walking away when a school rejects you is easy because the choice is made for you. Walking away when you have an open door, a scholarship, a paid deposit, and a stamped visa took some real self-reflection. It meant letting go of sunk costs, ignoring societal pressure, and admitting that just because I could go didn't mean I should.
What I Learned From All of It
1. Heartbreak is temporary, but grit stays. Dropping to a 650 GMAT or getting turned down after top-tier waitlists felt devastating at the time. None of it defined my ceiling-it just forced me to get better.
2. Never let sunk costs dictate your life. Money spent on deposits or time spent getting a visa stamped means nothing if your heart isn't in it. Don't go through with a massive life decision just to satisfy a process you started years ago.
3. You own your path. Whether it's retaking a test four times, flying across the country for a last-minute interview, withdrawing from a waitlist, or walking away from a stamped visa, you are the author of your career.
To anyone out there struggling through test prep, staring at waitlist emails, or agonizing over a decision: trust your gut, don't be afraid to say no, and remember that you are in control.
