24 episodes

In the Crack The MBA Show, Nupur Gupta talks with a new guest every episode to learn about their MBA journey and beyond, be it admissions, student life, careers. Hear from current students and alumni about their journey to the top MBA programs globally, be it Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, MIT, INSEAD, LBS or more. Prepare yourself to Crack The MBA and achieve your dreams, just like the guests on the show did.

Crack The MBA Show Nupur Gupta

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 4 Ratings

In the Crack The MBA Show, Nupur Gupta talks with a new guest every episode to learn about their MBA journey and beyond, be it admissions, student life, careers. Hear from current students and alumni about their journey to the top MBA programs globally, be it Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, MIT, INSEAD, LBS or more. Prepare yourself to Crack The MBA and achieve your dreams, just like the guests on the show did.

    Ep024 How Keerthana Cracked HBS & Wharton | HBS MBA & Entrepreneurship Experience

    Ep024 How Keerthana Cracked HBS & Wharton | HBS MBA & Entrepreneurship Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Keerthana Wuppulur who is a first-year student at Harvard Business School. Keerthana completed dual bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras. Joining ITC, she became a member of a start-up like founding team where she setup a first-of-its-kind greenfield US FDA approved plant to cater to nicotine derivatives in smokefree product category. Thereafter, Keerthana joined Unilever, becoming the youngest and first female manager to head the world’s biggest manufacturing unit of Pears soap bars. At HBS, Keerthana has been awarded over $115,000 as financial aid scholarship. Keerthana is a member of sustainability club, food and agriculture club, women’s business association and iLab. In a departure from traditional recruiting efforts, Keerthana is not sitting for consulting or tech placements and is instead applying to become a Rock Summer Fellow and is founding a startup, Next-Zero, where she’s building a carbon accounting software that will cater to the Indian B2B market space.



    00:00:00 Episode Highlights

    00:00:45 Introduction

    00:01:56 Fun Fact

    00:04:33 Winning Habits & Influences

    00:09:27 Social Entrepreneurship Ventures in College

    00:12:03 Experience Working with CTM

    00:14:07 How to Approach the HBS Essay

    00:19:10 HBS’s Evaluation Criteria

    00:21:12 Identifying Key Essay Anecdotes

    00:22:35 Approaching Career Goals

    00:24:37 HBS Admissions Interview

    00:30:36 Wharton Team-Based Discussion

    00:33:50 HBS’s Unique Identity

    00:35:08 HBS Class Profile

    00:37:26 Section X

    00:39:43 Dating at HBS

    00:40:41 Flagship Events

    00:42:51 Boston Location

    00:46:56 Food Scene

    00:49:05 Extracurricular Activities

    00:50:47 Favorite Spot on Campus

    00:51:40 Biggest Challenge at HBS

    00:52:33 The Case Method

    00:57:02 5 Ps of the HBS Classroom

    00:58:21 Star Professors & Popular Electives

    00:59:37 Speakers at HBS

    01:01:16 Entrepreneurship Post-MBA

    01:04:59 Rock Summer Fellow

    01:07:30 Resources for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

    01:09:14 Internship Recruiting

    01:11:21 Parting Reflection





    Thank you for watching!







    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.



    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/



    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 1 hr 13 min
    Ep023 How Aishik Cracked McKinsey London | INSEAD MBA & MBB Recruiting Experience

    Ep023 How Aishik Cracked McKinsey London | INSEAD MBA & MBB Recruiting Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Aishik Dhar. Aishik graduated from BITS Pilani with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Thereafter, he worked as a Software Developer at Amazon
    in their Payments division and then as a Product Manager at Goodera, enabling volunteering opportunities for people worldwide. Aishik was a recipient of the Orange scholarship at INSEAD and graduated with an MBA degree from INSEAD in 2022. Aishik is currently working as an Associate at McKinsey & Company in London. During his spare time, Aishik is an avid theater, photography, chess and football enthusiast. In fact, Aishik has been to nearly 10 Arsenal matches at their stadium in the last one year!

     

     00:00:00 Episode Highlights

    00:00:39 Introduction

    00:01:29 Fun Fact

    00:02:08 Winning Habits & Influences  

    00:05:38 Experience Working With CTM

    00:07:44 Why MBA

    00:08:51 Why INSEAD

    00:10:32 Essay Advice 

    00:12:30 International Motivation

    00:16:20 Interview Prep

    00:18:30 Admissions: Evaluation Criteria

    00:19:16 Scholarships

    00:21:10 Applying as a Younger Applicant

    00:22:36 August vs. Jan Intake

    00:24:07 1Y vs. 2Y MBA

    00:25:24 Casing in 1Y MBA Program

    00:27:00 Flagship Events

    00:28:40 Fontainebleau vs. Singapore Campus

    00:29:50 Biggest Challenge at INSEAD

    00:31:04 Star Professors & Popular Courses

    00:32:11 Consulting Recruiting at INSEAD

    00:38:35 Why McKinsey London Office

    00:39:27 Recruiting Outcomes for Indian Students

    00:42:09 Tech Recruiting: INSEAD vs. US Schools

    00:43:21 Consulting: Regional Salary Variations

    00:45:15 Most Memorable Experience at INSEAD

    00:46:02 Consulting: a Day in Life

    00:47:22 Consulting: Case Staffing

    00:50:11 Consulting: Recruiting Environment

    00:50:57 Impact of INSEAD MBA

    00:52:11 Final Advice

     

    Thank you for watching!

     



     

    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA
    (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International
    Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.

     

    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 53 min
    Ep022 How Aanchal Cracked the Dean's Merit MBA Scholarship | Michigan Ross MBA Experience

    Ep022 How Aanchal Cracked the Dean's Merit MBA Scholarship | Michigan Ross MBA Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The
    MBA’ show. Our guest today is Aanchal Gupta.

    Aanchal is a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group in their New York office. Aanchal recently graduated with an MBA from Ross School of Business, where she was awarded the prestigious dean’s fellow merit-based full tuition scholarship. Aanchal originally hails from India and, prior to pursuing her MBA, worked for four years at Fidelity Investments as a data scientist. During her time at Fidelity, Aanchal managed machine learning based solutions lifecycle across various business units and also acquired a US patent for one of her solutions. She completed her undergraduate degree in computer science and engineering at MNIT Jaipur, where
    she was a merit scholar and student placement coordinator. Aanchal has always been actively engaged in extracurricular activities, most recently being a peer coach, student ambassador and being involved with consulting club, Indian
    Student Business Association, Community Consulting Club and Michigan Code Academy at Ross.

     

    00:00:00 Highlights

    00:00:58 Introduction

    00:02:00 Fun Fact

    00:02:38 Winning Habits & Influences  

    00:06:26 Why MBA     

    00:07:23 Why Ross

    00:09:22 Essays 

    00:11:14 Identifying Career Goals

    00:13:14 Overcoming Weaknesses

    00:14:58 Interview Prep 

    00:17:28 Admissions: Evaluation Criteria

    00:19:40 Scholarships

    00:21:13 Ross’s Unique Identity

    00:24:52 Flagship Events at Ross

    00:26:55 Life in Ann Arbor 

    00:29:14 Student Clubs

    00:33:18 Biggest Challenge at Ross

    00:36:12 Academic Highlights at Ross

    00:39:51 Star Professors at Ross

    00:41:36 Experiential Opportunities

    00:46:38 Consulting Recruiting 

    00:53:28 Internship Experience

    00:55:28 Day in the Life: Consulting

    00:59:14 Current Recruiting Environment

    01:00:27 Ross’s Impact

    01:02:26 Pre-MBA Internships

    01:04:33 Final Advice

     

     

    Thank you for watching!

     



     

    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA
    (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International
    Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.

     

    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Ep021 Chat with Vivek Varma Sakhineti | Michigan Ross MBA Experience

    Ep021 Chat with Vivek Varma Sakhineti | Michigan Ross MBA Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA Show’. Our guest today is Vivek Varma who is a second-year student at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Vivek graduated from UPES with a B.Tech. in Applied Petroleum Engineering. Thereafter, he worked at the intersection of energy, finance, and technology at Royal Dutch Shell as a data engineer and senior business analyst for almost 5 years. At Ross, Vivek is President of Indian Subcontinent Business Association, International Chair, Open Road Fellow, MTrek
    Lead, member of Ross Follies, contributor to Business Beyond Usual Podcast and winner of EY Consulting Case Competition. In the summer after first year, Vivek pursued an internship with LEK Consulting in Boston.

     

    00:00:00 Start

    00:00:38 Introduction

    00:02:30 Fun Fact

    00:04:52 Winning Habits & Influences          

    00:10:02 MBA Admissions Timeline

    00:12:42 GMAT 

    00:17:25 Letters of Recommendation

    00:18:34 Essays

    00:19:26 Resume

    00:19:57 Interview Prep 

    00:25:49 Ross Admissions: Evaluation Rubric 

    00:27:45 Approaching Ross’s Essays

    00:31:29 Identifying Essay Anecdotes

    00:33:11 Ross Interview Experience & Tips 

    00:36:09 Overcoming Weaknesses

    00:40:15 Financing Your MBA

    00:44:38 Pre-MBA Internship Opportunities

    00:46:05 Sporting Culture at Michigan

    00:51:02 Experience Living in Ann Arbor

    00:58:02 MAP Experience

    01:00:12 MTrek

    01:02:38 Academic Highlights at Ross

    01:04:47 Consulting Internship Recruiting

    01:07:46 Internship Recruiting for Indians

    01:11:43 Final Advice

     

    Thank you for watching!

     



     

    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA
    (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.

     

    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 1 hr 15 min
    Ep020 Chat with Shivani Taskar | Kellogg MBA Experience

    Ep020 Chat with Shivani Taskar | Kellogg MBA Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Shivani Taskar who recently completed her first-year at Kellogg School of Management. Shivani completed her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from BITS Pilani, where she helped end night curfews for women. Thereafter, she worked with Deutsche Bank, working on an intrapreneurial initiative with the CEO’s office, and with Urban Company, pioneering digital
    transformation by introducing remote consultations in response to COVID-related lockdowns. At Kellogg, Shivani has served as Director of Content, Gender Equity Network, Director of Alumni Engagement at Kellogg Student Association, and Section Leader for Day at Kellogg. Shivani is actively involved with Kellogg Entrepreneurship and VC Club, Kellogg Cares, and the Games Club. In her second year, Shivani will be Co-President of the General Management Club, and leading KSA’s new alumni engagement division. She will also be Speaker Chair at Kellogg’s first-ever India Business Conference in Spring 2024. This summer, Shivani is scheduled to intern with Baird. Once she returns to Kellogg, she will pursue an in-semester internship at f7 Ventures, which will be her first foray into the world of VC.

     

    00:00:00 Coming Up

    00:01:08 Introduction

    00:02:40 Fun Fact

    00:03:35 Winning Habits & Influences          

    00:05:50 Experience with CTM

    00:07:32 MBA Application Timeline

    00:11:10 Advice on Resume 

    00:12:50 Brave Leaders Essay

    00:17:55 Values Essay

    00:20:03 Identifying Key Essay Anecdotes

    00:23:03 Video Essays

    00:24:29 Overcoming Weaknesses

    00:25:50 Interview Experience & Advice

    00:27:44 Admissions: Evaluation Rubric

    00:29:14 Kellogg’s Unique Identity

    00:31:12 Flagship Events

    00:33:43 Experience Living in Evanston

    00:36:01 Global Hub

    00:38:08 Winter in Evanston

    00:40:57 KWEST Trip
    00:45:52 Biggest Challenge Faced at Kellogg

    00:47:29 Insider Tip

    00:48:35 Student Clubs & Activities

    00:58:04 MBA Programs at Kellogg

    00:59:09 Academic Highlights at Kellogg

    01:01:31 Star Professors & Popular Electives

    01:03:53 Recruiting at Kellogg

    01:14:38 Final Advice for Applicants

     

     

    Thank you for watching!

     



     

    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA
    (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur served two terms as president and two terms on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions.

     

    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 1 hr 16 min
    Ep019 Chat with Admissions Ambassador: Nikita Gupta | Yale SOM MBA Experience

    Ep019 Chat with Admissions Ambassador: Nikita Gupta | Yale SOM MBA Experience

    Welcome to another episode of ‘Crack The MBA’ show. Our guest today is Nikita Gupta who recently completed her first-year at Yale School of Management. Nikita was born and raised in Delhi; she completed her B.A. in Psychology from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University where she was the class topper. Thereafter, she worked with Invest India, supporting the Startup India program and building bilateral startup engagement with Portugal, France, UK and Australia, helping Indian startups expand to these countries. Nikita is a strong advocate for mental wellness and founded a COVID-19 mental wellness helpline, apart from leading education initiatives at Tulasi Healthcare – a group of mental health establishments. At Yale, Nikita has been involved with the Consulting Club, South Asia Club and Healthcare Club. She is also an admissions interviewer and student ambassador. This summer, Nikita plans to pursue an internship with BCG in the Washington DC Office.

     

    00:00:00 Coming Up

    00:01:02 Introduction

    00:02:05 Fun Fact

    00:02:36 Winning Habits & Influences

    00:05:18 Why ‘Crack The MBA’        

    00:06:22 Experience with CTM

    00:07:25 MBA Admissions Components

    00:09:06 GMAT Prep

    00:11:28 Commitment Essay

    00:14:41 Identifying Key Essay Anecdotes

    00:16:04 Career Goals Essay
    00:18:11 Overcoming Weaknesses

    00:20:21 Admissions Interview Experience

    00:22:13 Video Essays & Behavioral Assessment

    00:25:26 Admissions Evaluation Rubric

    00:27:02 Student Ambassador: Great Questions Asked

    00:29:53 Yale SOM’s Unique Identity

    00:33:25 Flagship Events

    00:35:44 Experience Living in New Haven
    00:38:00 Experience as an International Student

    00:39:35 Biggest Challenge Faced at Yale SOM

    00:40:36 Lesser-Known Yale Resources
    00:41:57 Academic Highlights at Yale

    00:44:59 Star Professors & Popular Electives

    00:46:18 Raw Case Approach

    00:48:38 Interdisciplinary Learning at Yale

    00:51:15 Recruiting at Yale SOM

    01:00:12 Consulting Recruiting at Yale SOM
    01:10:19 Final Advice for Prospective Applicants

     

    Thank you for watching!

     



     

    Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC.

     

    Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA’ on our social media platforms for more updates:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/

    https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/

    https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate’s circumstances may vary, and our advice is always provided specifically based on an applicant’s specific profile.

    • 1 hr 11 min

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