317 GRE, Career Gap, and an Oxford Admit for PE/VC Ambitions

Bhavik Kukdeja (Read Linkedin Testimonial Below)

Oxford Saïd MBA

Bhavik’s journey was anything but conventional.

A 317 GRE score, for an Indian applicant, is already on the lower side for a top B School. On top of that, he made a move most applicants would hesitate to consider. He left his Analyst job at McKinsey before applying to MBA, with the goal of pivoting into the investment space through internships.

In reality, it could have gone either way.

When we started working together, these were fundamental decisions about positioning his candidacy and timing the application. Through our early discussions, we realised that if Bhavik stayed on the conventional path, his profile would blend in, but although he was strong, his profile was not distinctive enough for Oxford and PE/VC goals in the UK.

The decision to step away from MBB and pursue internships was not taken lightly by him. But once we aligned on the bigger picture, the goal seemed simple: show intent, show action, and show that the pivot to impact investing was already underway. Bhavik executed brilliantly. By the time his application went in, he had already secured a couple of internships and had timelines in place to start before interviews. That changed the narrative entirely. He was already in motion with his goals strategy.

Where we spent the most time was on how to tell this story in a way that Oxford would value. Oxford is looking for people who can connect their past experience to a broader sense of impact. Bhavik had that in his background, but it was not immediately obvious in how he presented it. We worked closely to reshape this. Instead of listing Finance focused experiences, we focused on connecting the dots. For example, his exposure to IFC (World Bank) initiatives, his work on affordable housing, and his understanding of financial inclusion became central to his story.

This came through strongly in his essays and even better in the Said business school interview with an official from Said’s career team. He articulated how impact investing firms recruit and what they truly look for reflecting honestly on his own gaps. He did not oversell himself. He demonstrated that he knew exactly where he stood and what he needed to do next.

In the end, that made all the difference.

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