Suyog Shriram Pathak’s profile is not the kind you see in every MBA application. He was a Chartered Accountant with five years at Ernst and Young in Dubai, and simultaneously running a start-up he wanted to grow into a full enterprise back in India. His goal was not to land a corporate role after the MBA. It was to build something of his own.
That clarity of purpose shaped every part of his application: the program he chose, the stories he told in his essays, and the way he handled his interview. This is his story.
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Get Free Profile EvaluationWhy Suyog Chose ISB PGP Pro Over a Full-Time MBA
After completing his CA qualification, Suyog built a career in external auditing at EY in Dubai while simultaneously working on a start-up he was developing in India. When he decided the time was right to invest in business education, he started with the same methodical approach he brought to auditing: he researched everything.
His initial shortlist included four programs: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, and ISB. As he worked through each program’s structure and outcomes, he came across ISB’s PGP Pro, a part-time management program designed for working professionals.
For Suyog, the decision came down to one specific factor: opportunity cost.
The full-time MBA would have required him to pause his career and step back from his start-up for a year or more. PGP Pro offered him a path to develop the business and management skills he needed while maintaining continuity in his professional life. For an entrepreneur already deep in building something, that trade-off was straightforward.
He also wanted to stay in India specifically to pursue the domestic expansion of his start-up. ISB’s PGP Pro, delivered across campuses in Hyderabad and Delhi, aligned with that intention. To understand how to frame an entrepreneurial background for a selective program like this, see our guide to MBA applications for entrepreneurs.
How Suyog Prepared His Application
Suyog had no one in his immediate circle who had been through the MBA admissions process at a top program. He came to CrackVerbal at the start of the journey, and it became his primary reference point throughout: from understanding which program suited his goals, to GMAT preparation, to building and refining his application essays.
He describes what worked well in three clear steps:
- Have a set goal. Know specifically what you want from the program before you start applying. Vague motivations produce vague applications.
- Have a mentor. Someone who can give you clear information and honest feedback, not someone who tells you what you want to hear.
- Be consistent and hardworking. Preparation cannot be compressed. It requires sustained effort over time.
On the mentorship side, Suyog specifically valued that CrackVerbal’s team never made decisions for him. They provided information and helped him see the implications of each choice clearly, then left the call to him. That approach gave him ownership of his application.
The essay work required multiple rounds of iteration. Suyog went through several drafts before arriving at a version that accurately translated his professional and entrepreneurial journey into something the admissions committee could evaluate. The key was not making his essays impressive. It was making them honest and specific about what he had actually built and what he wanted to do next. For a broader framework on writing essays that do this well, see our guide to ISB essay analysis.
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Explore MBA Admissions ConsultingHow Suyog Prepared for the ISB Interview
Before the interview, Suyog did something most candidates skip: he went through the ISB program portal in detail. He read everything available about the PGP Pro curriculum, the structure, and the outcomes. He then contacted ISB’s admissions office directly to clarify questions that the website did not answer. Finally, he reached out to ISB alumni to understand how the program had shaped their decisions and careers.
The result of that preparation was that by the time Suyog sat down for his interview, he was not trying to figure out why he wanted the program. He already knew. That confidence freed him to have a real conversation rather than a performance.
The interview panel included two ISB alumni. One of them had followed a similar path: completed ISB and then launched his own business. What started as a formal interview ended up as a genuine exchange about the practicalities of building an enterprise after the program. Suyog found himself asking the interviewer about his own entrepreneurial journey.
The preparation that made this possible included mock interviews and recorded self-reviews. Because the interview was conducted online, Suyog recorded his practice sessions and watched them back to identify gaps in his delivery and reasoning. For a comprehensive breakdown of how to approach MBA interview preparation, see our guide to mastering MBA interviews.
The Result: ISB PGP Pro Admit and ₹5 Lakh Scholarship
Suyog secured his admission to ISB PGP Pro. He also received a scholarship of ₹5 lakhs, an outcome he described as a surprise.
The scholarship was not part of his original expectations. It was a product of a strong overall application: a profile that made a clear case for why this specific person, with this specific background, was a strong fit for this specific program.
Suyog’s Advice for ISB PGP Pro Applicants
Suyog’s advice for applicants preparing for ISB PGP Pro comes down to two things: thoroughness and consistency.
On preparation: go through every resource available on the program before you begin your application. The ISB portal, the admissions team, and the alumni network are all accessible. Most applicants use only the first. The ones who use all three arrive at the interview with a depth of understanding that shows.
On GMAT preparation specifically, Suyog’s approach was two to three hours of focused preparation daily. He emphasises that the GMAT is achievable for anyone who commits to consistent work over time. The mistake most working professionals make is treating it as something they will “find time for” between other commitments. It needs dedicated daily slots, not leftover hours.
For applicants with an entrepreneurial background, Suyog’s most important point is this: your start-up is a significant differentiator, but only if you can explain it clearly. What did you build? What did you learn from building it? What specific gap in your knowledge does the MBA address? Answering those three questions well is the core of a strong entrepreneurial applicant’s case. For more on building the strongest possible ISB profile, see our guide to the ideal ISB profile.
“I wanted to gain some managerial knowledge that will help expand my business, and I was looking for an MBA from a good university. CrackVerbal played a big role to help me get through this process.”
Frequently Asked Questions About ISB PGP Pro
What is ISB PGP Pro and how is it different from the full-time PGP?
ISB PGP Pro is a part-time Executive MBA program designed for working professionals who want to pursue management education without stepping away from their careers. Unlike the full-time PGP, which requires candidates to leave their jobs for a year, PGP Pro is delivered across weekends and modular sessions across ISB’s Hyderabad and Delhi campuses. It is structured for mid-career professionals and entrepreneurs who want to develop management and leadership skills while maintaining continuity in their professional or business lives.
Can entrepreneurs apply to ISB PGP Pro?
Yes, and entrepreneurial backgrounds are well-suited to PGP Pro. ISB values diversity of professional experience, and founders or business owners bring perspectives to the classroom that corporate applicants cannot. The key for entrepreneurial applicants is specificity: being clear about what you have built, what you have learned from it, and what management skills the program provides that your current experience cannot. A vague “I want to grow my business” is not a differentiator. A specific account of the problem you are solving, the stage of the business, and the gap the MBA addresses is.
Is GMAT required for ISB PGP Pro?
Yes. ISB requires a valid GMAT or GRE score for the PGP Pro program. Only test-centre scores are accepted. ISB does not accept at-home or online test versions. There is no published minimum score, but the admissions committee evaluates scores as part of a holistic review that includes academic background, professional experience, essays, and recommendations. A strong score helps, but it is evaluated in the context of your full profile.
How do ISB PGP Pro scholarships work?
ISB offers scholarships for PGP Pro based on merit and need. Applying in Round 1 gives applicants priority access to scholarship consideration. Later rounds typically have a reduced pool of available scholarship funds. Scholarship amounts vary based on the profile and the available pool in any given cycle. Suyog received a ₹5 lakh scholarship, which he described as an unexpected outcome of a strong overall application rather than something he specifically pursued.
What does the ISB PGP Pro interview involve?
Shortlisted candidates are invited for an interview, which may be conducted in person or online. The panel typically includes ISB alumni or faculty. The interview assesses clarity of goals, professional experience, leadership potential, and fit with the program. The strongest interviews are conversational rather than performative. Candidates who have done thorough preparation and know their own profile well tend to arrive with enough confidence to engage genuinely rather than just answering questions. Recording practice interviews and reviewing them is a useful preparation technique for online interviews specifically.
What to Do Next
If Suyog’s story resonates with you (CA or finance background, entrepreneurial ambitions, targeting ISB specifically), the most useful first step is an honest evaluation of where your profile stands. The ISB PGP Pro admissions committee evaluates work experience, academic background, test score, essays, and recommendations together. Knowing which of those is strongest in your case, and which needs the most work, shapes how you should allocate your preparation time.
Start with a free profile evaluation to get a clear read on your current position. If you are in an early stage of preparation, a GMAT diagnostic will show you your current score and which sections to prioritise.
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