Student Spotlight: From Don Bosco to Kelley School of Business

Our Student Spotlight is a series of interviews and conversations that will be helpful for everybody applying abroad for higher education. From students who are studying in colleges abroad, to kids who’ve made it for the Fall 2015 admission and are eagerly waiting to go, to parents and teachers who were an integral part of this overall process, we bring to you perspectives and stories from a diverse population for a ring side view on how to get into college.

Sohail, a student of Don Bosco Park Circus, Kolkata. Sohail spoke to us on how dance got him into Business School. Ok that’s an exaggeration, but he’ll give you a glimpse of the varied aspects that he worked on to make his dream college – Kelley School of Business – a reality that he is going to live. 

Below are Sohail’s answers (completely unedited) to a volley of questions that we posed to him.

Why did your dream school admit you?

Kelley School of Business was a school that I may not have got through had it not been for my “equilibrium” as I spoke about in my essays, which centred on a total personality change. Dance and Business Economics have no link whatsoever. I used to think that too. I realised that intricate connection between the two, and along with that 4.0 GPA at school, I did come across as “different” to the admissions office. 

What advice could you give to prospective dream school applicants?

‘The early bird catches the worm’ sounds apt when it comes to getting through your dream school. Start early. Most of the EA/ED deadlines are in early November, and there is stiff competition out there. Your application would be placed against of those who have served in the Army, invented a machine, or started a business, as a child. It is crucial to start the applications as soon as you realise that studying abroad is the best fit for you!

How important an activity was Dance in your application process?

Firstly, dance is not an activity for me. It is what has shaped who I am today. Becoming an entrepreneur in sixth standard, I formed the youngest dance crew in the city, together with my best friends. Winning all the 8 inter-school dance competitions in the city in the year 2012, and breaking all such earlier records is not just what dance means to me. I learnt much more than winning fests. Trust me; colleges want to hear your TRUE story.

What was your greatest impediment in the college application process?

I faced an amalgamation of impediments before I started with the college application process. Be it strengthening school grades/SAT scores or writing college essays. During the sessions with my counsellor, I gained instant motivation along with groundbreaking ideas for my essays. No singular step is the sole deciding factor in your admission - neither the grades nor the essay. Every step has to be well balanced. My SAT score was not exceptional. But I made every other part of my application stand out and hence bid farewell to all my ugly impediments.

How did you go about managing the rigorous academic preparation and the co-curricular/profile building activities?

Forget Whatsapp and scrolling through Facebook for a good deal of time. It was not taking me to college, anyway. I was regular with the deadlines because I started my mentoring/application process around a year before the deadline. Most importantly, I had to sacrifice meeting up with friends, going out for movies and dance parties. Apart from keeping up with the academic rigour, I made time to do stuff which mattered to me most. 

What do you look forward to in the Kelley School of Business?

Along with the brilliant faculty, the rigorous Economic Consulting curriculum, the Investment Banking workshop, I look forward to the beautiful blend of the ‘work harder but play hard too’ maxim. Kelley, for me, is much more than just the classroom learning process. It’s about making a diverse friend group, dining and networking with top notch CEO’s and always sustaining that 4.0 GPA. This secret is too hard to resist, but I think I might want to have my first date at a Business School. That is, if I get the time.