Gurleen Matharu

Q 1: Hey Gurleen, so lovely to meet you, why don’t you give us a brief background about yourself?

I graduated from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies with a degree in Business Administration, where I developed a strong foundation in finance and problem-solving. During college, I was actively involved in social impact initiatives and leadership roles across multiple societies, and was honored with the Vanishree Award as the best female student in my final year.

Professionally, I currently work at Bain & Company as a Senior Associate in the Private Equity practice. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on 50+ commercial due diligence projects across industries, while also mentoring junior team members and contributing to team leadership.

Q 2: For most MBA graduates consulting is a natural post MBA goal, so given that you already had a full-time role with Bain what motivated you to consider an MBA?

While I was already at Bain, I realized that I wanted to transition into more client-facing roles and take on greater ownership in shaping strategic decisions. While I had built a strong analytical foundation, I felt the need to strengthen my business acumen, leadership skills, and communication at a broader level. An MBA, for me, is not about switching careers, it’s about accelerating within consulting and preparing myself to take on more impactful, front-end roles with clients. 

Q 3: Can you briefly talk about the application journey and what your experience was like going through the grind? Any surprises during this journey?

The journey was intense, but also very structured, and that made a huge difference.

Working with Abhinav was honestly one of the most important parts of my application process. He helped me step back and really understand my story, what truly matters, what differentiates me, and how to present it in a way that is both authentic and impactful.

I think one of the biggest surprises for me was realizing that it’s not just about achievements – it’s about how you connect the dots and present your journey with clarity and intent. That’s something I wouldn’t have been able to do as effectively on my own.

Q4. What was the outcome? And where are you heading finally?

I applied to three schools and received admits from two, ISB and Rotman, with a CAD 45,000 scholarship from Rotman. After careful consideration, I decided to move forward with ISB for my MBA.

Q5. Why ISB over Rotman?

This was definitely a tough decision, especially with a scholarship offer from Rotman. However, for my career goals (particularly in consulting) India currently offers stronger and more immediate opportunities. The pace of growth, the kind of problems being solved, and the exposure you get here is very compelling. ISB also has a very strong consulting pipeline and network within India, which aligned better with where I see myself in the next few years.

Q6: What are your Post MBA plans?

Post-MBA, I aim to transition into management consulting roles (preferably within MBB) where I can work more closely with clients and drive strategic decision-making.

In the long term, my goal is to build my own boutique consulting firm, where I can combine strategic thinking with a more personalized, impact-driven approach to solving business problems.

Q7: Any advice for those planning for their MBA? 3 main takeaways

I’d say three things:

• Understand your story deeply
  • Spend time reflecting on what truly defines your journey, not just what you’ve done, but why it matters
• Focus on what you bring to the table
  • Applications are not about ticking boxes, they’re about clearly articulating your unique value. This is something I personally struggled with, and getting the right guidance really helped me here
• Get the right mentorship
  • Having someone who can objectively guide you, structure your narrative, and challenge your thinking can make a huge difference in how your application comes together