If you need a big doze of motivation to help you crack CAT 2020, here it is! This is a story of a young lady who triumphed over all odds to get into India’s best B-school – the IIM Ahmedabad. She broke the mold and myths that cracking CAT and getting into Top IIMs is only for Engineers and Quant types. Presenting Miss India 2016 Finalist and now IIM Ahmedabad student Ms Adya Niraj!
Adya completed her Bachelor of Arts and LLB with International Law Hons from National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi. She scored 96.69 percentile in CAT 2019, converted IIM Ahmedabad and MDI Gurgaon amongst many others.She was the Miss India 2016 Finalist and has been a professional Model.
What is even more interesting about Adya’s profile is that she scored only 80%ile in Quantitative Ability section and faced a few questions from panelits in PI round, yet she emerged a winner. Adya’s success also shows how venerated IIM Ahmedabad is changing its admission approach to welcome students who come from diverse backgrounds, and may not be the Top 1% candidates on CAT percentile yardstick alone.
Indeed, Adya’s journey wasn’t a cakewalk. It required persistence, focus and immense self-belief. MBAUniverse.com interviewed Adya to understand her CAT preparation journey, how she cracked IIM Ahmedabad interview and more. So, read on for getting inspired and accelerating your CAT journey!
Q:So let’s start with your performance in CAT 2019. How much did you score?
A: I scored 96.69 overall percentile in CAT 2019; 99.73 percentile in VARC section; 91.83 in DILR Section and 80 percentile in Quantitative Ability section.
Q: Apart from CAT, which other exams did you appear?
A: Apart from CAT 2019, I appeared in TISSNET and cleared the cutoff for MA in HR.
Q: So, which B-schools did you finally converted?
A: Apart from getting final admission offer from IIM Ahmedabad for PGP 2020-22 batch, I converted MDI Gurgaon, IIM Rohtak, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Jammu, IIT Madras, Roorkee, Dhanbad, XIMB and IMT Ghaziabad.
Q. Ok. Tell us about yourself and what motivated you to do MBA after doing Law?
A: I have done Bachelor in Arts and LLB with International Law Hons, from National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi.
I was a finalist of Miss India 2016 and during that competition and even after that, while I was working as a model, I got inspired to become an entrepreneur. But, I felt that I should first gain the requisite knowledge and experience so I decided to pursue an MBA. Another reason is that after an MBA my career prospects, even in the legal field would diversify far and wide. I analyzed all these possibilities and decided that it would be worth a shot to give CAT 2019.
My personal interest areas are Dancing, Reading, Writing poems, Stories and Articles.
Q: Coming to your CAT preparations, what was your overall preparation strategy?
A: My preparation was primarily focused on Quants as I was not in touch with it since past 5 years. The second area of difficulty for me was DI. Also, I had started preparation only three months before the exam so, I had no option but, to stress on these two sections. I was good at LR and VARC from the start so, I only practiced them through several mocks but, I ensured that I read newspapers every single day and that helped me greatly, in VARC and WAT-PI rounds.
Q: How did you prepare for VARC section?
A: For VARC, as I said, I ensured that I read the newspaper every day. I used to note down the time taken by me to read articles from editorials to fasten my reading speed. Also, I tried to read articles from diverse topics as we get some very interesting and difficult articles in CAT exam.
Q: Please share your preparation strategy for DILR Section…
A: For DILR, I had to pay more attention to DI. I tried to solve atleast 1 difficult DI question every day. I had planned that if need arises I would only solve LR questions in CAT but, the worst occurred, LR questions in my set were very difficult so I solved two DI questions and two LR questions in CAT.
Q: So, how did you prepare for Quant Section?
A: For QA, as I was extremely short of time, I focused on mainly arithmetic. Questions from arithmetic form the bulk of questions in CAT.
Q: How did you overcome challenges for Quant and DI section?
A: Quant and DI were my weak areas. To overcome the challenge, I focused more on Arithmetic for Quant and solved atleast one difficult DI set every day.
Q:What role did Mock Tests play in your success?
A: Mocks played a huge role in my success. I used to give mocks every week. Mocks help one to be comfortable in the stress during the exam which is the most important factor to score well.
Q:Did you self-prepare or attend a coaching centre and why?
A: Yes, I took coaching as I was in a very poor state for the exam. I started preparation only three months before the exam and I had to study Quants and DI from scratch. Coaching greatly facilitated my preparation as I had different teachers throughout the period of my preparation to seek help from.
Q:What was your Exam Day strategy. What was your last-minute preparation?
A: On the day of the exam I tried to sleep as well as I could. I had received the afternoon slot and thus, was panicky that I would get sleepy during the exam- which actually happened! In general, I tried to keep myself as much relaxed as possible since the eve of the exam. This is because I realize the importance of a calm mind during the stressful exam that CAT is.
I did not have any last minute preparation as I don’t believe in the same. The only thing that I did was that I went through all formulas for Quants that I had compiled at one place.
Q: How did you prepare for PI Round?
A: I read newspaper every day, especially the editorials and economics sections. I also revised my graduation subjects and the research work that I had done in my UG course.
Q: You scored 80 percentile in QA section in CAT. Was there any question on this aspect by panelists during your PI round?
A: Yes, one of the interviewers was curious to know how I expected to keep up with the competition at IIM Ahmedabad given my feeble quantitative skills. I convinced him by clearly stating that I realize the challenges ahead of me and I am ready to undertake them, which is why I attempted CAT in the first place. Also, given my diverse academic background and varied experiences I would definitely contribute to the peer learning process at IIMA.
Q. So, how has been the experience of online classes at IIM Ahmedabad?
A: The experience has been pretty smooth until now. At first I, along with most other people, was very apprehensive about online classes but they have tremendously exceeded our expectations. Classes are fun and interactive in every way. And given the workload honestly, I hardly notice that I am receiving virtual education. But, I am sure, that reaching the campus would be an altogether more enriching and thrilling experience.
Q. Your journey is a great motivation…How can Non-Engineers do well in IIM Admission process?
A: I don't think that non-engineers can do anything specifically different to enrich their profile. I feel that it applies to all candidates to have a great and balanced profile because that definitely helps in the admission process. Especially in interviews and group discussions, having diverse experiences enables one to make some significant points which do come to the notice of the panelists.
Ultimately, what matters is that one should have some interests and they should be capable of establishing the impression that they have worked passionately towards pursuing those. In other words, one should be a passionate person, who has sincerely worked towards some or other goal in life.
Q. What is your message for Non-Engineers, who may be afraid of Quants, but still have talent and aspirations…
A: I think non-engineers should realize that CAT is not all about Quants. There are other sections as well. So, the exam is not impossible for non-engineers. In fact, non-engineers do get relaxation in selection for WAT-PI rounds so the competition gets evened out in the later half. Therefore, just keep working towards it and you will achieve it!
Q:Your final message and tips for candidates preparing for CAT 2020.
A: Keep practicing because there is no other way to be successful in CAT but, at the same time, don’t take a lot of stress and don’t keep thinking about the result. Take each day at a time. Also, try to keep your mind fresh by doing things that you enjoy like, playing instruments, cooking, exercising and so on. Remember that you can only keep your enthusiasm high for the exam if you give yourself adequate breaks/leisure time in between. But, then again, I reiterate, practice problems every single day.
Read more inspirational stories & secret mantras of CAT Toppers, only on MBAUniverse.com
- CAT 2023 Toppers: How Nishakar Kumar achieved 99.83% - A Saga of Dedication and Hard Work
- CAT 2023 Topper Shiladitya Bhadra tells MBAUniverse.com How He Scored 99.4% - Check Section wise Raw Score, Scaled Score and Percentile
- Why SPJIMR is A Preferred Destination for CAT Toppers with 99+ %ile? Aditya, Prateek, Pooja, Sundar Joined SPJIMR Mumbai and Declined IIMs, XLRI, IITs, MDI, SIBM; Toppers Bare secrets to MBAUniverse.com
- Why CAT 2022 Topper with 99.44%ile, Akshat Agarwal, declined IIMs, MDI to Join MBA at IIT Delhi; How he prepared & cracked the Exam-MBAUniverse.com Interview
- Why CAT Toppers with 99+ %ile Jatin, Shrey, Vishal, Nikhil Joined IIM Kashipur and Declined Other Top B-schools? Toppers Bare secrets to MBAUniverse.com
- How Pooja Sudhakar from Chennai, Working as Marketing Professional at Mockat, cracked CAT 2022 with 99.11%ile, and got into SPJIMR Mumbai
- XLRI Student Nipun Garg Cracks XAT 2023 with 99.95% and CAT 2022 with 97.02; Reveals Why he Chose XLRI over IIMs, MDI - MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How Jay Bosamia, A Chartered Accountant with Work Experience at PwC & Reliance overcame his weakness to crack CAT 2022 with 98.79%ile, and got into IIM Kozhikode
- XLRI Student Tanish Jain Cracks XAT 2023 with 99.99% and CAT 2022 with 99.78; Reveals Why he Chose XLRI over FMS - MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How Patna's Prateek Rai secured 99.80%ile in CAT 2022 and joined SPJIMR Mumbai by sacrificing Social Media, uninstalling YouTube, and overcoming his Weaknesses
- How K. Sashank, Software Developer at JIO from Coimbatore overcame his weakness to crack CAT 2022 with 99.90%ile, and got into IIM Kozhikode
- ‘XAT Not More Difficult than CAT’ Nandagopal V Busts the Myth; Scored 99.99%ile in XAT 2023 and 99.15%ile in CAT 2022; Declines Top IIMs to join XLRI Jamshedpur - MBAUniverse.com Interview
- Gurgaon Girl & NIFT Graduate Kirti Goyal Cracks CAT with 99.1%ile, Secures admission at IIM Kozhikode! Shares her success strategies with MBAUniverse.com
- How Mumbai Girl and VJTI Engineer Srishti Yadav overcame her weakness to crack CAT with 99.69%ile, and got into IIM Kozhikode
- Why Amit Kumar Chakraborty, CAT 2022 Topper with 99.34 %ile & XAT 2023 Topper with 99.55%ile declined NITIE, SPJIMR, MDI to join XLRI Jamshedpur; How he cracked Exams – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How Soumik Banerjee, an Engineer Working with Public Sector, Cracked CAT 2022 with 99.95%ile and Got into IIM Calcutta – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How Bhanu Pratap, A Small Town Boy from Farmer Family and a Fresher, Cracked CAT 2022 with 99.67%ile and got into IIM Calcutta – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How Mehak Rathi, a Psychologist & Graphologist, cracked CAT 2022 with 98.08 % to get into MDI Gurgaon - MBAUniverse.com Interview
- Why CAT 2022 Topper from Agriculture Family, Kunal declined IIMs, IIFT to join MDI Gurgaon; How he cracked Exams – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How a Defense Personnel Ward and Consultant at Deloitte, Avinash Cracked IIFT Entrance and Got into IIFT Delhi MBA (IB) 2023-25 – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How An Agriculture Science Graduate, Amit Shailesh cracked CAT 2022 with 96.42%ile and got into IIM Lucknow – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- Why CAT 2022 & IIFT Topper Pushti Shah declined 11 IIMs to join IIFT Delhi; How She cracked Exams – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How a Chemical Engineer and Fresher Shivam cracked CAT 2022 with 99.84%ile and got into IIM Calcutta – MBAUniverse.com Interview
- How a Software Tester Shreyasee Sarkar cracked CAT 2022 with 99.68%ile and got into IIM Calcutta
- How a CA and Asset Management Expert cracked CAT 2021 with 94.78%ile to get into IIM Ahmedabad
- How a CA, NTSE Scholar and a Published Poet cracked CAT 2021 with 98.49% to get into IIM Ahmedabad
- How Ekansh Gupta, a Poet and Working Professional from Moradabad cracked CAT with 99.91 %ile & Got into IIM Calcutta for MBA 2021
- How a BBA Graduate and Fresher from Surat, Yashvi Bansal Cracked CAT with 94.72%ile and got into IIM Udaipur for MBA 2021
- How an Arts & Craft lover, a blogger with BMS, Pranita Maheshwari Cracked CAT with 98.81%ile and got into IIM Udaipur for MBA 2021
- How a BMS Graduate from DU working at DE Shaw, Nandan Goel cracked CAT with 99.95 %ile & Got into IIM Calcutta for MBA 2021
- How A Graphic Designer, Painter with B.Tech, Nancy Jain Cracked CAT 2020 with 99.72 %ile and got into IIM Calcutta for MBA 2021-23
- How Software Developer at Nomura and IEM Kolkata Graduate from Surat - Shubham cracked CAT with 99.98%ile and got into IIM Calcutta for MBA 2021
- How an Animation & VFX Lover with B.Tech Venkata Satya Srikar Medisetti from Tuni Cracked CAT with 98.44%ile and got into IIM Udaipur for MBA
- How A Kathak Dancer, Painter & Engineer Vasundhara Tiwari, Working as Accounts Manager –cracked CAT with 96.68%ile and got into IIM Udaipur for MBA 2021
- How an Electrical Engineer & Working Professional Shuktisindhu Mondal Cracked CAT 2019 & got IIM Ahmedabad for MBA 2020
- How National Medalist in Swimming, A Triathlon Participant & Chemical Engineer Tanishq Diddee Cracked CAT 2019 to get into IIM Ahmedabad for MBA 2020
- How Doordarshan Anchor, Kathak Dancer and Graduate in Tourism, Shefali Chhaya cracked CAT 2019 and Got into IIM Ahmedabad
- How Miss India Finalist and Law Graduate Adya Niraj cracked CAT 2019 to get into IIM Ahmedabad
- CAT Toppers Video Series: How Masscom grad Sandeep Rajguru cracked CAT to get into IIM Ahmedabad
- An NGO Activist and BBA from Surat, Nikita cracked CAT with 99.22%ile; Preferred PGPM at MDI Gurgaon instead of IIMs
- How CA Anushree Naik juggled her finance job in Mumbai, and yet cracked CAT 2019 to get into IIMA! MBAUniverse.com Interview
- Video Series with CAT Toppers: Tanuj Ruia tells MBAUniverse.com how he cracked CAT and PI/WAT Round to get into IIM Bangalore
- Chandanbala, a B.Com with 51% Cracks CAT 2019 with 98.28%ile; Gets into IIM Udaipur; Never found Questions too Hard
- How Alappuzha Girl and NIT Calicut Graduate Sruthy cracked CAT with 97.71%ile and got into IIM Lucknow for MBA 2020!
- How Working Professional & IIT Roorkee Graduate Rahul Gupta cracked CAT with 100%ile and got into IIM Ahmedabad for MBA 2020!
- How Surat Boy and NIT Hamirpur Graduate Shantanu Yadav cracked CAT with 99.7%ile and got into IIM Ahmedabad for MBA 2020!
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT Preparation Strategy by Toppers
