Defying All Odds To Achieve My Dream - Journey To IIM Lucknow

Before I start with writing my journey, here are few highlights:

• CAT 2018 - 98.9 percentile.
• Calls-IIM L, S, FMS, MDI, XLRI, New and baby IIMs.
• Converts-IIM L, S, MDI, New and baby IIMs.
• I am a general, non engineer, male.
• This was my 1st attempt with around 6 months of prep.
• My first mock score was around 50 percentile.
• I joined a coaching institute for my CAT prep.
• Was not a regular reader though now I am.

My friendship started with CAT accidentally in June 2018 - accidentally because before June I was not even aware of what it actually was. I was returning from gym with one of my gym buddies and that's when I heard about it from him. He made me under CAT and its potential. I got so motivated that I thought of writing CAT (also because my life was all screwed up and I had nothing to do).

When I discussed about it with my dad stating I wanted to join a coaching class for CAT prep, and I want to write CAT this year, he was schocked and started laughing. He started saying, ''CAT is not for students like you..Don't waste my money in this way."

But this time his words failed to demotivate me because I was already a frequent guest of failure and demotivation since my school days, and thought to bid goodbye to my guests.

My school friends used to laugh at me, teachers hated me;even I used to hate myself. After hearing from my dad, I went to a flashback for a minute, refreshing all those dark memories which I wanted to delete from my life. I just thought that it was time to prove that all those words, all those underestimations, all those taunts were wrong. So I approached my mother and she immediately helped me join a coaching institute.

I started preparing for CAT with one motivation - I needed to prove to them that I could do it. I was studying for 10-12 hours a day but sadly the outpits were poor. Even after 2 months, I couldn't see much improvement in my mock scores, so I approached the faculties of the institute asking them to take special classes for me. And they were very happy and ready to help.

They were pushing me, helping me, motivating me, and doing everything that they could. Slowly, my mock scores started rising and one of the faculty told me to give more and more mocks (as it is one of the most important part of cracking CAT). He also advised me to write some more mocks of other institutes. I followed his words blindly and my mock scores started rising. In the month of October it crossed 120. I was happy but still I needed to score much more. So I approached him (TU sir) again and he told me not to worry. Also he added, "I have been preparing students for CAT for around 19 years now and all I can say is that you can do it. You have that potential." These words motivated me a lot. So I pushed myself harder and harder.

Finally before the D-Day, I attempted around 70 mocks. The day arrived and I was satisfied. After CAT was over, I immediately started preparing for the decision making section (where I scored 99 percentile) for XAT and I also started preparing for GD-PI. Finally, the CAT result came on the 5th of January,2019 and I got 98.9 percentile.

I started waiting for announcement of calls. IIM A,B,C announced their shortlist candidates and I my name was not there in any of those 3 (the reason being my poor academic record). Then finally, IIM Lucknow announced their shortlist and I was one among those shortlisted candidates. After IIM L call, other calls too started coming.

Now coming to my interview experience, it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I will definitely share my interview experience in another article.

I know my journey is different from most of you. My path to success is like coming out of gutter. All those laughs, taunts at my weaknesses finally proved wrong. Yes some of those brightest students who laughed at me are now studying in 2 and 3 tier b-schools. I was thrown out of school because my class 10th marks were not that good. Even my school teachers hated me for reasons I don't know.

Never forget that everytime you feel like giving up, just remember that you are paving the path for someone else. If you work real hard, you can defy all odds.

Ending my article, I just want all you guys to stay motivated and never allow others laugh at you or demotivate you. Remember, each of us have the same potential and we all are same. I took this journey as a challenge to all the events that took place in my life, and I finally succeeded.

So if I can achieve this dream I am sure everyone of you out there are much more capable and competent in achieving your respective goals. Just go for it and nothing will be able to stop you.

Much Love!