IIM Calcutta Interview Experience PGP 2019-2021

Interview Date- 17th March 2019

Venue- Monarch Luxur Hotel, Bangalore

Time- 8 am. 60-odd candidates in the morning slot. 6 panels of interviewers. I was in panel 6. I was a bit surprised to find 6-7 people not turning up for the interviews ( it might be commonplace, but this was my first IIM A/B/C interview )

WAT- Time limit of 25 minutes, word limit of 300 words.  The topic was "How does Bollywood promote national integration? Is cinema supposed to enforce opinion upon the audience? Give your views".
I wrote just fine, not too well, would rate myself 2-3 out of 5, as I had given examples and tried well to put forth my opinion.

Interview- I was the second candidate in my panel. Entered the room confidently and with a smile. The panel consisted of 1 female professor ( sitting in the centre ) and 2 male professors ( 1 young professor to my left and the elder professor to my right ).
I was asked what my interests were ( the young male professor asked while reading my hobbies ). I told him about music and my taste in music ( he then asked me to differentiate between various genres which I had mentioned in my form ). I talked about the instrumental arrangements and the themes of the lyrics in writing such songs.
The female professor ( who interacted with me the most ) then asked me why they should select me ( I am not remembering this too well, it was not the question she asked, probably ). I told them about certain good qualities I had, and how I align with the values a student at IIM C must possess. I also said that I believed in the panel's esteemed judgment and would try my best to convince them that I am fit for IIM C. She was nonplussed ( might be the deal-breaker for me ) and suddenly changed the topic to how I got into  BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus ( the exam, marks I scored, cut-off system etc. )
The female professor asked me about the work I did at Fractal. I explained confidently and was cross-questioned on the forecasting practices. I also mentioned about the initiatives I took at work regarding automation and developing a product.
The senior-most professor asked me, " Raahul, do you think you are good at Maths?". I was taken aback a bit, but immediately gained composure and said, " Sir, I scored 100 marks in board exams and scored high in QA section of CAT as well, which is the sole reason of me sitting here in front of you. So yes sir, I would like to believe I am good at Maths". I said so confidently and with a smile, and thought to myself that I was going to be asked very difficult questions soon. But the professor merely smiled and nodded.
I had mentioned in my form about being an "impactful decision-maker", so was asked by the female professor to explain the same. I was asked whether a hierarchical or a flat organization was better. I gave the example of my organization, and adding how each person at each hierarchy level with his knowledge, added value to the final delivery going to the client engagement. This was not too great an answer, but the panelist seemed convinced with it. I had mentioned that I believed in sequential progress, and hence was asked to take up a stand regarding the same.
The female panelist then asked me who would win the elections by a majority. I conveyed my thoughts and also talked a bit about the budget and how it will take time to see progress being made, if implemented well.
The 3 panelists looked at each other, nodded and asked me to leave.

That was it. The most important interview of my life till now, lasted for 15 minutes. I may have left out some questions in the description above( I left the room with my knees jittery, I was happy it didn't happen during the interview ).

Expectation of result- I do not want to sound pessimistic, but I feel I missed out on mentioning certain things which could have impressed the panel. My ordinary performance in the WAT, coupled with my inadequacy during the interview, might mean closed doors for me. Nevertheless, it was a great experience, one to remember for a lifetime.

Result- I was wait-listed at 49, when the results were declared. As per last year trends, there was a probability of me making it, but a convert is better than being stuck in wait-lists.
Fast-forward to 7th May and I receive a confirmation mail from the Admissions Office of I.I.M Calcutta. They were pleased to announce admission to me "to the MBA Program in Management of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, subject to the enclosed Terms and Conditions and fulfillment of all eligibility criteria". :)