So this is THE annexure that got me into SIBM Pune. I really hope you find it useful and wish you all the very best if you are an aspirant. Hope you get into one of India's premier B-schools. The thing is once you succeed at something, you get this urge to help others succeed at it too. And I should know. A lot of people are responsible for my having reached where I presently am. So this is my humble attempt to give back. First up some tips.
Ok so when I first got this annexure I kept procastinating and finally wrote down what you're about to read just two days before I needed to upload it. First up I make no claims of being a great writer but I'm a voracious reader and I know that reading hundreds of annexures of this sort would be terribly boring for whoever it is whose gonna finally read it. So I tried ( whether I succeeded or not is upto you to decide) to be a little funny,a wee bit witty and interesting and most importantly, tried to give all my answers in the form of a story. And I am very,very proud of my effort. Mind you,even though i took just two days over it,I did a lot of research and introspection and thinking over it. So put in some effort and who knows where you might end up! Without further ado. . .
1. How will an MBA help you achieve your goals? How do you think SIBM Pune can help you in that?
Ans: I envision starting a chain of libraries all across india that actively encourages children to read from an impressionable age- giving them the keys to the proverbial floodgates of oppurtunity. I dream of an India where unlike today, reading is as cool as playing a guitar. Where brainy is the new sexy! And for this, I require credibility,confidence,a plethora of contacts,leadership and communication skills,a big picture perspective- all corollaries to the accelerated learning curve an MBA program offers. A B-school classroom is a true microsm of today's increasingly globalised world. The experience is a uniquely life changing one in terms of the insights gained by interactions with erudite professors,industry leaders and an eclectic,focussed and extremely competitive bunch of peers from an unusual mix of backgrounds. The strong focus on real-life modelling in terms of current case analysis and updated study material are significant factors. Equally important is the approach and consequent experience gained in its implementation - strict deadlines, odd-timings, crushing course load and the freedom to explore subjects. In the process of getting here i have slowly but surely started to shed my shy,introverted nature and have immensely enjoyed the process of learning rather than solely focussing on the end-results. SIBM being a student driven institute offers me the life-altering oppurtunity of shedding my inherent reticent nature and becoming a confident,more forceful personality . I look forward to hone my speaking and leadership skills at the toastmasters club at SIBM.The plain truth is that i have no unbelievably special skills or genius eccentricities ,but i do have a genuine love for learning and self-improvement and SIBM offers me the chance to do just that. P S: being from Delhi, I'm naturally a showoff and a sucker for big brands! An MBA from Symbiosis,Pune would brand me for life!
2. Please cite any difficult situation from which you emerged with a sense of accomplishment and explain how.
Ans: "Beta,get 75% in your boards and I'll get you a seat in any of India's top deemed universities",offered my mom,a senior officer in the UGC.
"Consider it done", answered her son.
6 months into the future: Somewhere in the deep forests of Chengalpattu,in rural Tamil Nadu,in a hole-in-the-wall college of an average university,lying alone,confused and frightened on my hard hostel bed,the tears just wouldn't stop. From being a bright student upto my 10th boards,to studying in one of the poshest schools in south Delhi,how had I ended up on the outskirts of Chennai with no friends,no knowledge of the local language,inedible food,in a place which was physically,culturally and socially as contrasting to Delhi as was imaginable. My horror show in the 12th boards had forced my parents' hand. That night, a new perspective was to change everything. I realised that I had the ideal start to the most unlikely of stories. The kind of story that everybody loves... The comeback kind. The dramatic fall was done and dusted. Now to orchestrate the comeback. And comeback I would,I promised myself. 3 years on: Being one of the toppers of the college for the past 3 years,having learnt to speak fluent malayalam and tamil,forged strong friendships and learnt self-motivation,discipline and sincerity the hard way,I could not but help thank my parents for having had the courage to take that fateful decision 3 years back. If it weren't for the so called issues,problems and challenges,there'd be no other way I could have grown,learnt so much more about life and myself,become a better human being and even more happier and cooler.
Granted,my being even cooler does boggle the mind!
I have learnt that there is no predicament that cannot be turned into an advantage. Now how fair is that!
3. What are the 3 most important values that you hold dear? Describe a situation when the obvious solution was in conflict with the values you hold. What did you do?
Ans. Kindness, compassion and honesty are the 3 of the most important values that have been instilled in me by my parents. Back when I was in the 6th standard,I was caught cheating in a test by my teacher and it was duly reported to my parents. My mom told me in no uncertain terms," Abhishek, by cheating,you are defeating the very purpose of a test. You may think you are deceiving others but infact you are only cheating your own self. You are robbing yourself of the oppurtunity of gauging your own progress and setting yourself up for a fall in the long run. I would rather you fail in an exam than come first ,having cheated." Years later, in my 2nd year of engineering, during a particularly tough and tricky semester exam I faced a similar situation. I had prepared well but could hardly manage to answer about 60% of the paper. Every single one of us in the hall seemed to be reeling under severe stress. I could see anxious faces and weak smiles all around me. Suddenly,with about 45 mins left to go,the external invigilator declared 'the house open'. She told us to copy whatever we could from our neighbours. All hell broke loose as people clamored for answers. I decided not to be a part of this madness. With 30 mins left to go,our college topper submitted her answersheet which the invigilator immediately offered to me. My instinctive 'NO' stunned the invigilator. She shook her head and offered it to someone else. I completed my exam and submitted my answersheet. I walked out the hall with pride and dignity intact. A smile on my face, a sense of truimph and a feeling of new found respect for myself.
4. Specify two/three instances where you were able to demonstrate leadership and team-building skills. What were your greatest oppurtunities and challenges?
Ans. 1.Our college decided to conduct a robotics competition for our technical symposium and needed a home team to participate. I was able to gather together some friends at short notice to put together a relatively inexperienced team. Though offering relatively little technical input,I managed the whole team. I coordinated everyone's efforts and devised the strategy. Our combined efforts lead to a pleasant surprise- the First position. 2.Last September, students across all four years and departments of my college protested against the excessively harsh,newly implemented disciplinary measures. I was able to act as a mediator between the director of our institution and the student representatives. I was able to convince all the student leaders that their point had been made, to discontinue the protests immediately and wait peacefully until a meeting with the director could be arranged. A common resolve was peacefully found due to the level-headedness of all involved. 3. MJ was shy,reclusive and socially awkward. A misfit in our class. She had no friends. I tried to take the lead and help her blend in but to no avail. Then suddenly,in 2nd year she attempted suicide. I was shocked and decided that I had to do something. I got her number and started texting her every single day,just to let her know that she too had a friend. I realised that we shared a common love of books and our bond grew stronger. I introduced her to a few of my friends and encouraged her to develop new relationships. Today it is extremely heartening to see that she has her very own gang of friends-her safety net. Because I know. I once had a friend who touched me with his kindness and it changed me forever.
5. What is the average time you spend daily on social networking sites such as Facebook? Is the time that you spend on these sites justified?
Ans. The time I practically spend on social networking sites such is zero since it's been almost a year since I deactivated my account on Facebook. I do have an account on Twitter though, where I generally follow news sources such as FirstPost,Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine,CNN-IBN,NDTV, and also stand-up comedians and inspirational quote accounts. I find Twitter a great source of interesting reads and quick news updates.
Coming back to Facebook,the reason I decided to take a virtual sabbatical was that I found it's negative effects on me,my studies and my life were far over-shadowing the joys of being constantly in touch with friends and family. Ofcourse,the sabbatical has turned permanent since. One of the things that has always been clear to me has been that the number of virtual friends I had had no relation to the number of my real-life friends! The problem is that FB provides us an extremely narrow view of our friend's lives and that view is unrealistically positive. The more number of 'friends' you have, the more likely you are to enviously read about their job promotion,new car or their latest shopping exploits. It invites constant comparison with our own lives and I found that I was consistently overestimating the fun that my friends were having while having no idea about their unhappy experiences. Another negative impact was that I found myself consistenly logging in and out of Facebook to get updated on the latest gossip and info on everyone's lives. Facebook exploits the inherent voyeuristic tendency of human beings. To say that it was a constant distraction would be an understatement and it took away from the time and focus to be spent on my studies. So it wasn't a particularly difficult decision for me to deactivate my account.
6. If you were given an oppurtunity to choose to become one of the following personalities,whom would you choose? would you have liked to introduce some changes in the new you? If yes,what would they be and why?
a. Mukesh Ambani
b. Narendra Modi
c. Aamir Khan
d. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Ans. Being a huge fan of Aamir Khan,I would love to lead his life if given a chance. The passion that he brings to the table,his attention to detail and his unique marketing skills are unmatched in the film industry. If given a chance,I would introduce the following changes in the new me. 1.In 2012, the highly anticipated show Satyamev Jayate debuted in English and all major Indian languages and received both popular and critical praise for its discussions on various social issues plaguing Indian society .I felt the whole show was structured to let Aamir take on the mantle of a judge and offer simplistic solutions to issues that have plagued our country for decades. We obviously can’t expect a TV show to solve the nation’s problems. I would have put out all the facts on the enormously complex social issues, taken on board politicians and policy makers and engaged them in dialogue,putting out on the public platform what was actually being done on the issues at hand and what were the challenges being faced by them on the ground instead of going with the populist view and offering simplistic,one size fits all solutions in the course of an one hour episode.
2. Having the clout that only superstardom in Bollywood can muster, I would use my production house to promote new talent and original films in India wherein the script is king.Despite abundant talent in the industry, I feel the industry is stuck in a rut as it is dependent on a star and formula system whereas the plight of small budget independent film-makers is pathetic. 3. Last but not the least, why so serious? I would attend all the film award ceremonies,crack self-deprecating jokes a la Shahrukh,have a good time and take home a few awards as well! Well. thats that folks! I have tried to be honest as far as possible in the annexure and would advice you the same! Plus ,I had the cushion of 99.95 percentile in the SNAP too! So an annexure isn't the most important thing to take care of. Also work on your GD/PI. Once again,wishing you the very best of luck from the deepest recesses of my heart. Hope to meet you here.
Any feedback and criticism is welcome! Would be glad to help anyone in need of it! Just hit me back!
Ok so when I first got this annexure I kept procastinating and finally wrote down what you're about to read just two days before I needed to upload it. First up I make no claims of being a great writer but I'm a voracious reader and I know that reading hundreds of annexures of this sort would be terribly boring for whoever it is whose gonna finally read it. So I tried ( whether I succeeded or not is upto you to decide) to be a little funny,a wee bit witty and interesting and most importantly, tried to give all my answers in the form of a story. And I am very,very proud of my effort. Mind you,even though i took just two days over it,I did a lot of research and introspection and thinking over it. So put in some effort and who knows where you might end up! Without further ado. . .
1. How will an MBA help you achieve your goals? How do you think SIBM Pune can help you in that?
Ans: I envision starting a chain of libraries all across india that actively encourages children to read from an impressionable age- giving them the keys to the proverbial floodgates of oppurtunity. I dream of an India where unlike today, reading is as cool as playing a guitar. Where brainy is the new sexy! And for this, I require credibility,confidence,a plethora of contacts,leadership and communication skills,a big picture perspective- all corollaries to the accelerated learning curve an MBA program offers. A B-school classroom is a true microsm of today's increasingly globalised world. The experience is a uniquely life changing one in terms of the insights gained by interactions with erudite professors,industry leaders and an eclectic,focussed and extremely competitive bunch of peers from an unusual mix of backgrounds. The strong focus on real-life modelling in terms of current case analysis and updated study material are significant factors. Equally important is the approach and consequent experience gained in its implementation - strict deadlines, odd-timings, crushing course load and the freedom to explore subjects. In the process of getting here i have slowly but surely started to shed my shy,introverted nature and have immensely enjoyed the process of learning rather than solely focussing on the end-results. SIBM being a student driven institute offers me the life-altering oppurtunity of shedding my inherent reticent nature and becoming a confident,more forceful personality . I look forward to hone my speaking and leadership skills at the toastmasters club at SIBM.The plain truth is that i have no unbelievably special skills or genius eccentricities ,but i do have a genuine love for learning and self-improvement and SIBM offers me the chance to do just that. P S: being from Delhi, I'm naturally a showoff and a sucker for big brands! An MBA from Symbiosis,Pune would brand me for life!
2. Please cite any difficult situation from which you emerged with a sense of accomplishment and explain how.
Ans: "Beta,get 75% in your boards and I'll get you a seat in any of India's top deemed universities",offered my mom,a senior officer in the UGC.
"Consider it done", answered her son.
6 months into the future: Somewhere in the deep forests of Chengalpattu,in rural Tamil Nadu,in a hole-in-the-wall college of an average university,lying alone,confused and frightened on my hard hostel bed,the tears just wouldn't stop. From being a bright student upto my 10th boards,to studying in one of the poshest schools in south Delhi,how had I ended up on the outskirts of Chennai with no friends,no knowledge of the local language,inedible food,in a place which was physically,culturally and socially as contrasting to Delhi as was imaginable. My horror show in the 12th boards had forced my parents' hand. That night, a new perspective was to change everything. I realised that I had the ideal start to the most unlikely of stories. The kind of story that everybody loves... The comeback kind. The dramatic fall was done and dusted. Now to orchestrate the comeback. And comeback I would,I promised myself. 3 years on: Being one of the toppers of the college for the past 3 years,having learnt to speak fluent malayalam and tamil,forged strong friendships and learnt self-motivation,discipline and sincerity the hard way,I could not but help thank my parents for having had the courage to take that fateful decision 3 years back. If it weren't for the so called issues,problems and challenges,there'd be no other way I could have grown,learnt so much more about life and myself,become a better human being and even more happier and cooler.
Granted,my being even cooler does boggle the mind!
I have learnt that there is no predicament that cannot be turned into an advantage. Now how fair is that!
3. What are the 3 most important values that you hold dear? Describe a situation when the obvious solution was in conflict with the values you hold. What did you do?
Ans. Kindness, compassion and honesty are the 3 of the most important values that have been instilled in me by my parents. Back when I was in the 6th standard,I was caught cheating in a test by my teacher and it was duly reported to my parents. My mom told me in no uncertain terms," Abhishek, by cheating,you are defeating the very purpose of a test. You may think you are deceiving others but infact you are only cheating your own self. You are robbing yourself of the oppurtunity of gauging your own progress and setting yourself up for a fall in the long run. I would rather you fail in an exam than come first ,having cheated." Years later, in my 2nd year of engineering, during a particularly tough and tricky semester exam I faced a similar situation. I had prepared well but could hardly manage to answer about 60% of the paper. Every single one of us in the hall seemed to be reeling under severe stress. I could see anxious faces and weak smiles all around me. Suddenly,with about 45 mins left to go,the external invigilator declared 'the house open'. She told us to copy whatever we could from our neighbours. All hell broke loose as people clamored for answers. I decided not to be a part of this madness. With 30 mins left to go,our college topper submitted her answersheet which the invigilator immediately offered to me. My instinctive 'NO' stunned the invigilator. She shook her head and offered it to someone else. I completed my exam and submitted my answersheet. I walked out the hall with pride and dignity intact. A smile on my face, a sense of truimph and a feeling of new found respect for myself.
4. Specify two/three instances where you were able to demonstrate leadership and team-building skills. What were your greatest oppurtunities and challenges?
Ans. 1.Our college decided to conduct a robotics competition for our technical symposium and needed a home team to participate. I was able to gather together some friends at short notice to put together a relatively inexperienced team. Though offering relatively little technical input,I managed the whole team. I coordinated everyone's efforts and devised the strategy. Our combined efforts lead to a pleasant surprise- the First position. 2.Last September, students across all four years and departments of my college protested against the excessively harsh,newly implemented disciplinary measures. I was able to act as a mediator between the director of our institution and the student representatives. I was able to convince all the student leaders that their point had been made, to discontinue the protests immediately and wait peacefully until a meeting with the director could be arranged. A common resolve was peacefully found due to the level-headedness of all involved. 3. MJ was shy,reclusive and socially awkward. A misfit in our class. She had no friends. I tried to take the lead and help her blend in but to no avail. Then suddenly,in 2nd year she attempted suicide. I was shocked and decided that I had to do something. I got her number and started texting her every single day,just to let her know that she too had a friend. I realised that we shared a common love of books and our bond grew stronger. I introduced her to a few of my friends and encouraged her to develop new relationships. Today it is extremely heartening to see that she has her very own gang of friends-her safety net. Because I know. I once had a friend who touched me with his kindness and it changed me forever.
5. What is the average time you spend daily on social networking sites such as Facebook? Is the time that you spend on these sites justified?
Ans. The time I practically spend on social networking sites such is zero since it's been almost a year since I deactivated my account on Facebook. I do have an account on Twitter though, where I generally follow news sources such as FirstPost,Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine,CNN-IBN,NDTV, and also stand-up comedians and inspirational quote accounts. I find Twitter a great source of interesting reads and quick news updates.
Coming back to Facebook,the reason I decided to take a virtual sabbatical was that I found it's negative effects on me,my studies and my life were far over-shadowing the joys of being constantly in touch with friends and family. Ofcourse,the sabbatical has turned permanent since. One of the things that has always been clear to me has been that the number of virtual friends I had had no relation to the number of my real-life friends! The problem is that FB provides us an extremely narrow view of our friend's lives and that view is unrealistically positive. The more number of 'friends' you have, the more likely you are to enviously read about their job promotion,new car or their latest shopping exploits. It invites constant comparison with our own lives and I found that I was consistently overestimating the fun that my friends were having while having no idea about their unhappy experiences. Another negative impact was that I found myself consistenly logging in and out of Facebook to get updated on the latest gossip and info on everyone's lives. Facebook exploits the inherent voyeuristic tendency of human beings. To say that it was a constant distraction would be an understatement and it took away from the time and focus to be spent on my studies. So it wasn't a particularly difficult decision for me to deactivate my account.
6. If you were given an oppurtunity to choose to become one of the following personalities,whom would you choose? would you have liked to introduce some changes in the new you? If yes,what would they be and why?
a. Mukesh Ambani
b. Narendra Modi
c. Aamir Khan
d. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Ans. Being a huge fan of Aamir Khan,I would love to lead his life if given a chance. The passion that he brings to the table,his attention to detail and his unique marketing skills are unmatched in the film industry. If given a chance,I would introduce the following changes in the new me. 1.In 2012, the highly anticipated show Satyamev Jayate debuted in English and all major Indian languages and received both popular and critical praise for its discussions on various social issues plaguing Indian society .I felt the whole show was structured to let Aamir take on the mantle of a judge and offer simplistic solutions to issues that have plagued our country for decades. We obviously can’t expect a TV show to solve the nation’s problems. I would have put out all the facts on the enormously complex social issues, taken on board politicians and policy makers and engaged them in dialogue,putting out on the public platform what was actually being done on the issues at hand and what were the challenges being faced by them on the ground instead of going with the populist view and offering simplistic,one size fits all solutions in the course of an one hour episode.
2. Having the clout that only superstardom in Bollywood can muster, I would use my production house to promote new talent and original films in India wherein the script is king.Despite abundant talent in the industry, I feel the industry is stuck in a rut as it is dependent on a star and formula system whereas the plight of small budget independent film-makers is pathetic. 3. Last but not the least, why so serious? I would attend all the film award ceremonies,crack self-deprecating jokes a la Shahrukh,have a good time and take home a few awards as well! Well. thats that folks! I have tried to be honest as far as possible in the annexure and would advice you the same! Plus ,I had the cushion of 99.95 percentile in the SNAP too! So an annexure isn't the most important thing to take care of. Also work on your GD/PI. Once again,wishing you the very best of luck from the deepest recesses of my heart. Hope to meet you here.
