Meet Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Class of 2017

Aditya Ponnapalli

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

Hometown: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Undergraduate School and Major: Pune University, Computer Science

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Wave Infotech Solutions – Software Developer, Strategy & Technical Consultant

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Planning is the most important part of cracking the GMAT or GRE. Do not underestimate how complex these exams can be. Learning the concepts is pretty simple and straightforward, but applying them to actual GMAT or GRE questions is not. It is important to practice and build a tempo as you move toward the actual exam. This process ensures that you don’t get shocks during the exam and helps ease the nerves. So, start early, create a detailed plan of action leading to the GMAT or GRE, and execute the plan diligently.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? Before you start applying to various schools, analyze your own strengths and weaknesses, all the while keeping in mind your goals. Evaluate how much a particular school will help you improve in your weaknesses, build on your strengths, and move toward your goals. Speak to professionals, do sufficient research on the internet, and speak to friends or family who know about particular schools. Then, pick your schools based on all the available data.

The GMAT or GRE is critical since it narrows down the number of schools a regular candidate can apply to. Based on this, draw up a list of prospective schools under three categories – Stretches, Likelies, and Safe Bets.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? One needs to be always a step ahead of the game and prepare for each of these things in advance. Introspection is key. Each step in the application process involves a lot of thinking about your personality, achievements, and goals – especially in the essays and interviews.

It is important to reach out to the desired schools before you apply because this helps you understand whether or not you are a good fit for that particular program. As for recommendations, it is imperative that you communicate your goals to the recommenders clearly so that they can structure their responses accordingly. For example, if you are a career switcher going from consulting to finance, you don’t need the recommender to tell stories about how good a consultant you are. Instead, it would be relevant if the recommender were to narrate stories and point out your skills that are transferable to finance.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Georgetown MBA is one of the most holistic and internationally-oriented MBA programs in the world, which also is the need of the hour in today’s global business scenario. The coursework, the student body, the alumni, and the business environment in Washington, D.C. contribute immensely toward this.

The McDonough School of Business is dedicated to producing leaders who serve society and work for the greater good of society. These values are completely in sync with my goals and where I want to see myself as a leader. I would like not only to lead people, but also to contribute toward improving the lives of people while doing so.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate?  At the McDonough School of Business, I would like to develop myself into a global manager who can deliver solutions in diverse settings. I also would like to develop teamwork and leadership skills that can help companies and teams attain high levels of sustainable productivity. In addition, I would like to gain exposure to various cultures and people and broaden my understanding of them. 

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