I hadn't really planned on writing this down, but since one of the interviewers actually asked me if I would, I thought - 'Why not?' Yesterday was my first interview for an MBA admission, and it was for Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. I have no inkling of what result the future holds for me, but I will just jot down my personal experiences here - I hope it can prove to be of help to someone else.
I entered the interview centre (HMATC, which will be a constant fixture for all IIM calls in Mumbai) at 1 pm, an hour early. I had been told by an alumnus of IIM-L that it helps in getting to know your group-mates before the GD starts. The atmosphere was quite somber and as the aspirants trickled in I found it quite tough to engage them in conversation, especially since almost all of them were busy reading up last minute details, glued to some journal or magazine. I did finally find a couple of guys to talk to, but as it turned out they were both not in my group come two o'clock, once the interviewers came in and split the waiting party into three different groups. So much for that theory.
The GD topic at IIM K is generally a short note (as explained by our panel members). We were given a small piece of paper which said (not even close to verbatim) : "The University Grants Commission has decided to include astrology as a science in the curriculum. There are two different lobbys, one in favour and one against. Those against argue that there is no scientific framework or logic behind astrology, and it is based more on belief than science."
The GD went on for fifteen minutes by the clock. I didn't get to start but I got in a few points, speaking atleast 4-5 times and interjecting, elaborating as required. One or two other speakers also contributed, one being my namesake from IIT-B. The GD was very peaceful and there was no room for a fish market to develop.
After the GD, they asked us all to move out and interviewed us according to our order of seating in the GD - I was lucky to be slated second (I was already calculating how soon I would be able to make it back to Pune once I was done). The first guy went in for about half an hour and I kept talking to people outside to keep my speaking muscles tuned - also kept sipping water every now and then as I waited.
I was called in for the interview at about 3.05 pm. There were two panelists, P1 and P2. Here's a transcript of what followed (to the best of my memory)
P2 - Give me your certificates (handed over my carefully sorted and marked folder)
P1 - So, do you have any skeletons in your closet?
I - No, sir (quite confused)
P1 - If you find someone to be too good to be true, what's the first thought that comes to your mind?
I - Perhaps there could be something wrong, that needs to be verified.
P1 - Precisely, so are there any skeletons in your closet?
I - No, there aren't any.
P1 - So are you an overachiever?
I - No, I wouldn't say that. I set certain goals for myself and try my best to achieve them.
(I realised now that I had been ignoring P2 all this while, who seemed to be going through my certificates. As I looked at him, he too looked back)
P2 - So which branch are you in? (trying to figure it out from the marksheets)
I - Computers, sir.
P2 - So why do you have all these subjects - Civil, Electrical?
I - Sir, those are first year subjects - common to all branches (hope rushed in as I realised that at least one of them was not from a Computer background)
P2 - Ok, so what's a computer?
I - Defined it saying meant for calculations earlier and now multiple functions and processes.
P1 - So would you call calculator a computer?
I - Initially, yes it was. But now its functions are too limited to be classified as a computer. (Both nod)
They go on to ask me about Microprocessors, RAM, ROM. I define it to the best of my knowledge.
P1 -So in a pen drive of 1 GB how much storage space do you get?
I - Sir you get less than that around 970 MB.
P2 - Why is that?
I - I spoke about additional memory and bootstrap facility required for running the drive (now i've read that it's about different perspectives of looking at memory - in PC it is the binary system, while hard-disk manufacturers use decimal system - so it's 1 GB according to them)
P1 - (Seemed convinced by my answer). Tell me, who's Shantanu in Mahabharat.
I - (My eyes light up - I love Mahabharat) Sir, he was the King of Hastinapur - he had two wives - Ganga and Satyavati.
P2 - Who was his first wife?
I - Ganga
P1 - Who was Satyavati's father?
I - Sir I can't recall his name, but he was a fisherman. He was the one to whom Bheeshm made his "pratigya"
P1 - Ok, so was Bheeshm her son?
I - No sir, he was Ganga's son.
P1 - So how many sons did Satyavati have?
I - Two sons sir - Chitrangad and Vichitravirya.
P1 - Are you sure?
I - (Oh, I forgot Vyasa) Not two - three sons sir. Ved Vyasa was also her son
P1 - Hmm. And who was his father? Shantanu?
I - No sir. Not Shantanu, but I don't know who was his father.
P1 - So Satyavati had another husband?
I - Not that I have heard of.
P1 - Oh you haven't heard the story of Parashar Muni and the mist on the river?
I - No, sir.
P1 - Which book did you read Mahabharat in?
I - Sir, my grandfather's book. He has the Kalyan series from the 1930's and 40's.
P1 - No wonder. He must have removed those pages before giving it to you to read - it's because he was born out of wedlock.
I - (Don't remember my reaction - perhaps an 'Oh' and a shrug. Plus I was beginning to sweat - the A/C had been switched off sometime between the GD and my interview, and there was no fan either- I don't take kindly to humid weather)
P1 - So what is your opinion on pre-marital sex? Right or wrong?
I - I think it's an individual's choice
P1 - What about suicide?
I - Sir, that's wrong
P1 - But that should also be an individual's choice.
I - I don't think it's right to take away life, even if it's your own
P2 - Ok, so how about extra-marital affairs?
I - Sir, that's also wrong. Marriage is a commitment to your spouse and to break that commitment would be wrong. For example, in Christian weddings, they say "in life and in death"
P1 - What about other religions? No commitment there?
I - In all religions, marriage is a sacrosanct act. Plus, extra-marital sex is unethical (ah! light bulb, they were questioning me on ethics - ala the Satyam fiasco). Suicide would also be unethical.
(Sweat starts trickling down my forehead now and I involuntarily raise a finger to wipe it. P2, who's generally been quiet, notices and asks me if I'm not comfortable. I mention I'm feeling hot since the A/C was off and I had heard that the place was centrally air-conditioned. He immediately goes to switch on the A/C)
P1 - (while P2 is away) Ok, so you must be good at developing logical algorithms (How wrong can you be!) If I give you two cities A, B and the distance between them, can you find the co-ordinates on the map?
I - (didn't want to give an impulsive answer) Can I think about it for a minute?
P1 - Sure (hands me a piece of paper).
I - (draw a graph and loudly tell him what I'm doing) If you take a graph where you take all the points on it to represent co-ordinates on the ground, you can get infinite solutions.
P1 - Ok, if there are three cities and distances given again.
I - Sir, still infinite solutions. Wait a second, these are straight line distances? Because if not, there will be different constraints to work with - waterbodies, ranges etc.
P1 - Ya, Straight lines.
I - Then, infinite solutions.
P1 - Ok, if there are 20 cities.
I - (try to think for some time)
P1 - You know how to calculate distance right - given the co-ordinates?
I - Yes, sir - root of sums of squares of differences in x and y co-ordinates (missed the clue here)
P1 - Right. So getting somewhere?
I - I still think there are infinite solutions.
P2 - (getting back into the conversation now) Can you prove it that there will be infinite solutions?
I - Sir, there will be too many variables and hardly any known values in comparison.
(I brainstormed with my friends later, and the answer came out from a senior in IIM-C (Georgie Sir) : Even at 3 cities, there will be only about hundred such instances and on 20, you can definitely get distinct cities since distances are given. I also realised the co-ordinates differences have to be perfect squares - Not so difficult when you think of it!)
P2 - Ok, leave that.
(turns to P1) That should be all, right? Oh wait, we didn't ask him about TCS.
(turns back to me) So why don't you join TCS right now and do an MBA later? (I had mentioned that as a fall-back plan in my alternative career option)
I - (rehearsed answer)
P2 - Ok, so which stream do you want to join?
I - Sir, since your institute offers generic management courses in the first year, I will make a more informed decision later. Right now I just want to learn the different nuances of management.
P2 didn't look entirely convinced, but turned towards P1. They thanked me and as I was leaving, P1 asked "You'll write about this?"
I said, "Perhaps".
"You'll blog right?"
"I think so"
"There is a solution to the co-ordinates problem"
"I will try to find it, sir"
"Right"
"Thank you, sir"
And, that was that. My job's done there - will not wonder about the result till it's declared. Over to the next one now.
