Hey there! Lot of kind people have helped me on these forums, so Im doing my bit by giving my transcript here. For any candidates who are gonna give their interview this week/ in the future.
Interview Transcript- Vidushi Shandilya- IIMB Interview- 03/02- IIM Mumbai
(Interviewer calls me, I walk in, ask for a seat politely, they allow. I offer my resume but apparently they can’t accept. Ugh. Mehnat waste.)
Interviewer 1: (Lady probably late 40s or early 50s) Okay Vidushi so you’ve come from Panvel. That’s really far, how do you travel?
Me: Ma’am I usually take a sharing taxi with office goers till a common metro station
Interviewer 1: but that’s for daily purposes, what about today?
Me: Ma’am today I took a direct taxi.
Interviewer 1: Okay. So you’ve mentioned Professor Axelrod in your SOP and his game theory experiment. What was it about can you explain?
Vidushi: surely. Ma’am professor axelrod wished to understand the dynamics of game theory, hence he conducted a tournament inviting professors and students from reputed universities. It was supposed to be based on the Prisoner’s Dilemma. People thought a very complex program must be used to conquer this tournament, but surprisingly, the simplest program won- Tit for Tat. It cooperated when the opponent cooperated, and it deferred when the opponent deferred.
Interviewer 1: Yes but you can’t apply this everywhere. What practically did you really learn?
Vidushi: of course the approach changes in policy, business etc but the Crux is: That sometimes we overcomplicate things unnecessarily, when the simplest solutions are the best.
Interviewer 1: Alright. You’ve stated about Ambika (okay background for those who don’t know me, in my SOP I’ve mentioned a girl who worked in my house and was married off young instead of allowing her to study. She’s Ambika). What if people from her community argue that this is their culture ?
Vidushi: Ma’am cultures and traditions are important in their own place, but they shouldn’t impose people to sacrifice their ambitions and alter their life trajectory.
Interviewer 1: All of that is fine, but we see people who go study in 11th and then flunk. Might as well get them married off. That’s what they say
Vidushi: I agree such circumstances do occur, but my viewpoint is that they should at least get the opportunity, denying them their right to Education in the name of culture is unfair.
Interviewer 1: Okay fine. You’ve mentioned “Knowledge driven leaders- Sudha Murthy and Jensen Huang” in your SOP. What do you mean by knowledge driven leader, how does Sudha Murthy come in the picture?
Vidushi: Ma’am what I admire most about Sudha Murthy is her emphasis on education as a tool to better society. Through Infosys foundation, she’s done a lot of charitable work and her being the face of it had spread awareness.
Interviewer 1: Wait are you saying Sudha Murthy is a part of Infosys?
Vidushi: Ma’am I mean that through her books and public presence she’s become synonymous with Infosys
Interviewer 1: There’s a difference between being the spouse of a member and being a member of a corporation
Vidushi: Oh I’m so sorry I phrased that incorrectly. You’re right.
Interviewer 1: No worries. But what do you really mean by knowledge driven leader?
Vidushi: (clearly, I’m confused) Ma’am can I have a minute?
(So this is where I realise she’s expecting an answer which shows that leader took data- derived insight- took action and not the kinda answer I gave, so I had to pivot)
Vidushi: Well ma’am to explain that better I think the example of Jensen Huang is fitting, whom I’ve also mentioned, who took the NVIDIA NV1 chips failure - because it was based on quadratic curves- but Microsoft DirectX needed triangles- and turned that into a success with RITA 128-
Interviewer 1: (cuts me off) ah I see what you did there. No worries, I’ll hand it over to her now (interviewer 2)
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I had so much fun reading your transcript! My best wishes. My favourite part was when you acknowledged that you should have rephrased it differently (Mrs. Sudha Murthy) while being confident in the other points you made.
Thank you ☺️
wow, sounds like your interview went really well! surprised they didn't ask any academic qs, mine was in del yesterday and most of it revolved around maths and eco
Yeah it really depends on your panel. My panel focused mostly on SOP which was the case with my friend as well who gave an interview with the same panel yesterday.
That was a really great interview.
I am sure you will get the call soon!
And thanks a lot for sharing it .
Can you please share some tips for the interview?? I mean how much time does it take to prepare?
And anything important you realised with this experience( what actually matters and what doesn't, what should we mainly focus on etc ) ?
Thank you for the compliment :) Well, I started preparing for the interview right after the entrance exam (not that I was sure to clear the cutoffs, but in case I did, I had to prepare as much as I could), so I had roughly 50 days. Since I had preboards and JEE at the same time, my interview prep was just two steps :
After I got the official invite, I joined AceIPM's PI crash course (it's for 400 rupees) and found it quite helpful, mainly coz of the 3 mock PIs. Not that it made a world of difference, but it psychologically made me feel ready. You can also use ChatGPT to simulate interviews, just feed it some past-year transcripts, and it'll do wonders. Record your answers in a voice note and copy and paste its transcript onto ChatGPT. Although this method does have its learning curves, without the right prompts, ChatGPT may not give you challenging or engaging enough questions.
Finally, I am still awaiting my final result. If I make it, I'll let you know what you should do. If I don't, I'll let you know what you shouldn't. Either way, we both will have to wait for that :(
Thanks for sharing this and yes ,please do tell how the final result went
i wish you all the best!!
Nice, very helpful...
By the way I wanted to ask that is it great to study from YouTube and not taking any course of any institute??
Because I am confused that why I take any course of there is such material available for free...
Depends from person to person. If you're extroverted and comfortable conversing professionally with strangers, you needn't buy paid mock PI. You just need to research and self-study. In any case that you have the slightest doubt, I'd recommend going for it (if the price is reasonable). I went with AceIPMs 400 rupees mock PI course (got 3 mock interviews), it was very reasonable and im quite happy with the service. At least it psychologically made me feel "ready" if you know what I mean.
Thank You for your kind suggestion
Ek me hu jiske ke paas 10/12 ki marksheet ke alawa kuch nahi h 😅😅😅😅
What points did you mainly mention in your SOP?
The IIMB form wasnt "just" an SOP, there were multiple facets (like Academic Interest, Personal Background, ECAs, Past Acads) etc, and each of these categories were to be filled seperately in detail. Frankly, it would be impossible for me to sit and write all of it down for you here. But if you go through my transcript, the highlights of my SOP will automatically show.
What can I do to improve my articulation?
Highly recommend watching AfterBoards videos on Yt. Bhavesh bhaiya has this detailed video getting the interview down to a science. Other than that, Vinh Giang is another YouTuber I find insightful.
Was it just me who prepared for all of these kind of questions (like the HR ones, GK, CA, etc) and wasn't asked any of them
They asked me like 90% situational questions
And the worst part about it that I still don't know if my answers were good enough and I'm not able to get satisfied with chatgpt answers
I too prepared for all sorts of questions, but almost all of my questions came from my SOP (I had no acads, no extempore or guesstimate kinda questions). But each panel looks for something different, you can't predict that. If not now, your prep will eventually help you in IIMI or Rohtak or Ranchi's interview. Think like that. There's no point dwelling on the past
Exactly!! I think there should be fixed domain that should be given to every panel
Like not give then the exact questions to ask, but something that is standard
So that everyone can be tested on the same domain
That would be nice but ultimately its an IIM. They want to examine our adaptability and agility. These are tactics for that.
Were the panelists from IIMB or IIM Mumbai?
they didnt introduce themselves, so I cant say conclusively. The interview venue was IIM Mumbai, although the email from IIMB specifically stated only IIMB alumni and IIMB professors would comprise the panel.
hey little update for you, I found them online. Both were professors from IIMB, Ms Rajluxmi V
Murthy and Ms Mukta Kulkarni
I had my interview yesterday at IIM Indore and YO BRO I had the same panel. Both of the professors were very chill. I had a great time with them. I fumbled two questions though.
hai na both were such angels. I really hope we get a chance to talk to them and learn from them again. Dont worry, a lil fumbling here and there is excusable
yesss yess. you know when I mentioned I do Giddha(dance form), Ms Murthy said that you'll have to start the dance club at the campus then, as if I'm really getting in. This was the best and the sweetest part of the Interview. Ahaha, I can't stop thinking about it. Hope to meet you and the professors irl.
u mentioned that u are from panvel
man even I am from panvel
thankyou so much for sharing your interview experience
Interviews can be scary. It is not. At the end of the day, they're just Indian uncles and aunties: it's like talking to your parents' friends.
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Interviewer 2: (Lady, again late 40s or early 50s) Okay so you’ve mentioned how AI can be used to revolutionise society. What societal problem can you solve using AI?
Vidushi: Ma’am as you can see, my profile is centred around education. And I believe AI can make education more accessible. (I said some flowery fluff)
Interviewer 2: (cuts me off) Accessible how but?
Vidushi: Ma’am as we see, a lot of government schools don’t have those facilities or infrastructure to aid students learning completely, like we can afford private tutors, but they can’t. These students can use ChatGPT and such LLMs to simply complex concepts of textbooks and learn better
Inteviewer 2: But how will such people have AI?
Vidushi: Ma’am nowadays smartphones are much more prevalent. They can use it for such cases
Interviewer 2: Do you actually know what percentage of India uses smartphones in rural areas?
Vidushi : Ma’am I’m unsure of the actual numbers, but in my hometown-
Interviewer 2: (cuts me off) where’s your hometown?
Vidushi : Ma’am it’s a small village called Gariba which is in Bihar. It isn’t even on the map 😂
Interviewer 2: Smiles. Okay so continue
Vidushi : So I’ve noticed one in every 4 or 5 people have smartphones in my hometown. At least one per family. So this is feasible
Interviewer 2: Okay. You’ve mentioned “holistically developed person” is something you aspire to be. What do you actually mean by that?
Vidushi: Ma’am, firstly academics- in which I strive for best grades. Secondly extra curriculars, like Piano, Art, Chess, as I’ve mentioned in my profile, then soft skills like communication, and finally emotional intelligence, values and ethics. I need to be an empathetic person to understand what I can do for society and give back
Interviewer 2: Okay when did you realise this and how did you work on it?
Vidushi: Ma’am, when I was child I would often wonder why adults are grumpy all the time (panelists smile, interviewer 1 counters saying not all of them but okay)- but then I realised the weight of emotional stress and life in general. I have to admit, I have let my emotions get the better of me and taken irrational decisions which I regret. But now I’ve learnt from them and I’m actively working towards it. I meditate and journal. Especially journalling has helped me a lot, because it (with hand gestures) are problems are this big in our heads, but actually this small.
Interviewer 2: Okay how have you measured that you’ve become better at handling such situations?
Vidushi: Well, my altercations have reduced- at least the emotional intensity. Now I’m able to understand and listen to the other parties and process emotionally heavy situations rationally.
Interviewer 2: What’s the most common occurrence? And what was the frequency like?how much has it reduced?
Vidushi : well even my therapist doesn’t know (both laugh). But most of my arguments happen with my parents on major decisions. Now they’ve reduced significantly
Interviewer 2: That happens. All children argue with parents. You’ll learn once you move out.
Vidushi: Hopefully to Bangalore (cheeky me 😂) Yes, but I want to be more respectful and understanding with them
Interviewer 2: Definitely. Okay so why are you interested in this course? Why IIMB?
Vidushi: Ma’am firstly the motto, “Tejasvi navdhitamastu” of IIMB aligns with me. Let our study be enlightening- is precisely what I stand by. I’m coming for that ecosystem and core values. I’ve seen lectures by Ms. Malvika Harita and Mr Rakesh Godwani and they elaborate on the same core principles. Being a part of that culture is important for me. The course by itself is pioneering, because earlier the options for me were traditional BTech and BBA, which although both are good in their own ways, didn’t resonate with me. I want to sit at the intersection, and this blend does just that for me.
Interviewer 2: Okay so do you know about economics ? Did you have it as a subject?
Vidushi: I didn’t have it as a subject but I’m curious and I’ve studied basics
Interviewer 2: Okay so what recent news have you seen about Economics ?
Vidushi: The Union Budget ?
Interviewer 2: No what else. What’s the most recent economic activity you came across?
Vidushi (confused) My Taxi fare? That’s microeconomics (both erupt into laughter)
Interviewer 2: No no about India -US
Vidushi : Oh yes yes the tariffs have been reduced from 25% to 18%. And the India - EU deal , mother of all deals
Interviewer 2: Okay good good.
Interviewer 1 and 2: Okay Vidushi that’s all for today. We had a great time talking to you.
Vidushi : Thank you ma’am!
For those reading this; HIGHLY recommend not to experiment with the number of jokes I did, its kinda polarizing. Either they will love your authenticity or outrightly reject on the basis of your "unseriousness". Will let yall know what it was for me
they grilled you hard
eh but I had fun. I didnt stutter or anything, I tried smiling and joking through it. I hope they appreciate my approach.
u are getting the offer letter in the first list , best of luck
i agree
from where did you prepare for the interviews though?
that iim motto stuff and other stuff. they went quite deep. were you somewhat prepared beforehand?
Yes, a lot of free resources are available online. Namely, transcripts and mock interviews on YouTube. If you go through enough of them, you will know what to research. Even Bhavesh bhaiya has an amazing video on YouTube about interview prep. You can also get paid mock interviews to practice, with institutes like AceIPM and Supergrads at cheap prices (but beware, they might just be trying to use your name once you get in)
You have mentioned some nice resources, but who even cares if someone uses our name? What matters is the quality of interviews they are providing and making us ready enough to get into that particular IIM.
By the way, great transcript, I had so much fun reading it. Thanks for helping us all by showing us some light. 🙏🏻
To each his own, I just wanted the facts straight! I'm glad I could help :)
yeah , these are like general resources which we can refer ...can you tell what you specifically referred to?
So there's 2 points to the answer you're looking for
thank you!
and all the best !
Wow, you did an amazing job answering them. Wishing you the best!
thank you!! :)
Have you been selected?
well we both will have to wait for a month to know. Lets hope for the best :)