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Free Workshop: Crafting Successful Business School Applications — Oct 31 → Join Now
Free Workshop: Crafting Successful Business School Applications — Oct 31 → Join Now
Free Workshop: Crafting Successful Business School Applications — Oct 31 → Join Now
Free Workshop: Crafting Successful Business School Applications — Oct 31 → Join Now

Case study

Kellogg Admit | Software Developer with 2 Years’ Experience Pivoting to Consulting

How clarity of vision and strategic storytelling helped a young professional pivot from software development to consulting and earn a Kellogg admit.

Kellogg Admit | Software Developer with 2 Years’ Experience Pivoting to Consulting

Summary

With only two years of professional experience, this student risked being seen as “too early” for an MBA. Through Open Admits’ personalized mentorship, she transformed her profile into a powerful story of problem-solving, leadership, and purpose-driven impact. The result: an admit to the Kellogg School of Management, despite early concerns about competitiveness.

About the Applicant

  • Name: Confidential (Female, Indian)
  • GPA: 8.8
  • GMAT: 715
  • Work Experience: 2 years in software development (Banking sector)
  • Undergrad: Tier-2 engineering college in India
  • Pre-MBA Industry: Software Development
  • Target Pivot: Consulting
  • Accepted To: Kellogg School of Management

Although she had a strong academic record and impactful volunteering experience, her profile faced skepticism: Was she too early in her career? Would her technical background and Tier-2 undergrad make her competitive globally?

Challenges Faced

Limited experience: Only 2 years in the workforce risked the “too early for MBA” perception.

Unclear pivot story: No strong narrative linking software development to consulting.

Tier-2 undergrad: Raised concerns about global competitiveness.

Disconnected volunteering: Impactful service work but not aligned with her professional goals.

Vision gap: Difficulty articulating a long-term purpose beyond consulting.

How We Resolved It

Vision Mapping

Conducted deep-dive sessions to anchor her long-term story in financial inclusion.

Reframing Work Experience

Positioned her technical background in building financial applications as scalable problem-solving experience.

Demonstrated leadership and potential impact through her professional projects.

Connecting the Pivot

Framed consulting as the natural bridge between technology and strategy.

Showed how her skills could translate into broader business leadership.

Integrating Volunteering

Wove service experiences into her narrative to highlight empathy, values, and leadership.

Essays & Interviews

Refined essays for clarity, authenticity, and alignment with Kellogg’s collaborative culture.

Prepared her through mock interviews to confidently present her pivot and purpose.

The Result

Admitted to the Kellogg School of Management with just 2 years of work experience.

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