How did a male candidate with low academics (83/60/67) convert IIM Rohtak over IMT Ghaziabad with CAT 98.07 and 4 years work experience?

A 26-year-old male candidate with a notably uneven academic profile — 83% in 12th, 60% in graduation, and 67% in post-graduation — successfully converted IIM Rohtak while also holding an offer from IMT Ghaziabad. He ultimately rejected IMT Ghaziabad's marketing specialization in favour of IIM Rohtak's broader curriculum and stronger brand value. Here's what the conversion looked like, and what it means for candidates in similar positions.

What worked in his favour

The single biggest enabler was a CAT percentile of 98.07. At that score, the application clears most shortlisting filters comfortably, and the burden shifts to PI performance rather than academics. Alongside this, four years of work experience — spanning Deloitte and a startup — added professional credibility that purely academic profiles often lack. In our experience, this combination of a high percentile and substantive, diverse work experience is one of the more forgiving pathways for candidates carrying academic baggage.

How he handled the PI

The personal interview was, by all accounts, the decisive factor. Rather than deflecting questions about weak academics, he took an honest, self-aware approach — acknowledging the 12th grade performance frankly and attributing it to not being in the right environment during that period, without leaning on it as an excuse. What strengthened his narrative was a concrete counter-data point: maintaining a 67% in BBA while working a 5-hour daily part-time job at Decathlon. That context reframes the number. It's not a story of disengagement — it's a story of competing priorities and demonstrated resilience.

Beyond the academics discussion, his PI covered his startup experience, personal interests including anime, motorcycles, and travel, marketing terminology, marathon running, and standard HR questions. The breadth of that conversation suggests a candidate who came prepared to hold a genuine discussion rather than deliver rehearsed answers.

What didn't convert

He also received an MDI Gurgaon interview call but couldn't convert it, largely due to a weak GD performance. This is worth noting — GD and PI are distinct skills, and underperforming in one doesn't necessarily mean the other is lost.

The broader picture for similar profiles

We've seen this perspective consistently across experienced professionals who advise on MBA admissions: work experience doesn't erase weak academics, but it does shift the conversation. At 98+ percentile with four meaningful years of work, the committee is evaluating a different kind of candidate than a fresher with the same 60% graduation score. The GNEM category consideration (General/Non-Engineer Male is typically the most competitive, but the diversity of profile here — startup background, Deloitte, non-engineer background — likely added some differentiation) also played a role in the overall calculus.

His advice to candidates in similar academic positions is direct: prioritise CAT preparation above all else, aim for the highest possible score, and then invest heavily in GDPI readiness. His framing — "GDPI is tougher than CAT" — is one we've tracked repeatedly from candidates who've been through both.

The picture that emerges here is not that weak academics don't matter. They do, and they will narrow your college list. But at a sufficiently high percentile, with real work experience and a well-prepared, honest interview, conversion at strong institutions remains very much possible. This profile is a data point worth holding onto if you're in a similar position — not as a guarantee, but as a realistic reference.