Success Stories: How Indian Male Engineer made it to Copenhagen

Piyush has a profile to envy. But with only 2 weeks to the application deadline for his target MBA programs, he had to work fast.

The Challenge

Piyush graduated with an Electronics and Telecommunication degree in 2013. He worked as a Developer for 2 years, and then pivoted to a mid-sized infrastructure and utilities firm in Patna, Bihar. Soon, he was promoted to Associate General Manager of Operations in 2019, where he handled development and infrastructure projects with the Government of India.

But the problem with a heavily localized industry like infrastructure is it doesn’t necessarily provide opportunities to move geographies. Also, Piyush realized he didn’t have much in the way of formal leadership training, even though he’d been managing people for years. So Piyush applied to MBAs to get global exposure, leadership training, and to transition into the sustainable energy industry.

In December 2021, he retook his GMAT and scored a solid 720. With the GMAT out of the way, he started looking for business schools and got in touch for a free chat. We started by exploring his target schools and sorting them by their deadlines: Copenhagen, RSM, INSEAD, HEC, ESADE.

Then, we built frameworks for each essay and tackled his writing challenges one by one. For Piyush, with more years of experience than average, the biggest challenge was to edit his content down to within the word limit. We focused on adapting his story to demonstrate his sustainability credentials, which is how his profile stood out.

Piyush’s first deadline was Copenhagen Business School. They loved his sustainability stories, and he received an admit. He accepted the offer on the spot!

Hello Copenhagen!

Copenhagen tends not to feature on the mainstream MBA rankings, especially the rankings that skew towards salary and so favor consultants and banking as post-MBA careers. But I work with a surprisingly high number of clients applying to Copenhagen Business School. Here’s what they love about it:

• Denmark in general, and Copenhagen especially, is big on sustainability, with initiatives such as green taxes on vehicles and renewable energy systems. CBS is plugged into this sustainable energy ecosystem (pun intended!), and ranks consistently among the top for Sustainability. This was a huge attraction for Piyush, who is looking to pivot into the sustainable energy industry.

• Denmark consistently ranks as one of the safest and happiest nations in the world. Culturally, there is a strong emphasis on social safety and welfare. Piyush was looking forward to a better lifestyle and work-life balance for him and his spouse.

• The country’s generous Visa policy allows dependents to work full time, which meant that Piyush’s wife could continue her career while he studied. From many of the applicants we’ve worked with, this consistently comes up as an appeal.

All of this means that Copenhagen Business School is ranked 24th in the 2022 QS Global MBA Rankings. It’s home to a community of leaders that share a common vision to strive towards the development goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Watch the Interview

You know what a successful admit means - a congratulatory chat over Zoom!

Piyush’s story about successfully applying while balancing work is an inspiration to busy professionals everywhere. I sat down with Piyush to discuss his MBA application journey, competitive profile as an Indian male applicant, and the virtues of Copenhagen Business School.

“You brought out the story from me. I myself wouldn't have been able to put that kind of story out. You prompted and poked me and got the words out…It’s all due to your efforts that my application was successful. And I would like to say that reading my application, I couldn't believe that I've done all these things, and I've put it so beautifully.”

I can’t wait to see what Copenhagen has in store for Piyush. If you are a busy professional who needs that extra push for your MBA application essays, book a free chat today! Just don’t leave it quite so late, please.