Against All Odds: Debanjan Nayak’s Relentless Journey to Stanford GSB
When Debanjan Nayak began thinking about pursuing an MBA, it wasn’t just a casual thought or a career-boosting detour—it was a deeply personal and sharply defined ambition. His focus was unwavering: Stanford Graduate School of Business. This level of clarity did not make the path any easier. What followed was a grueling journey marked by a couple of personal professional challenges, along with a juggling act between two demanding roles across continents.
At the time Debanjan committed to his MBA dream, he was managing an extraordinary workload. He was straddling two high-pressure jobs at early stage organizations: one – building MSE, the youngest Stock Exchange of India and navigating complex regulatory hurdles, and another building Afara, a social enterprise promoting leadership development in emerging markets, based out of Nigeria. Each role came with its own set of demands and emotional stakes, and balancing the two required superhuman discipline. Most professionals struggle to manage one full-time job while applying to top-tier MBA programs—Debanjan did it while pouring himself into two. The fatigue, stress, and constant travel might have worn him down, but he didn’t allow it to derail his vision.
His goal was not just to earn an MBA but to use that education to scale a meaningful mission: to help students from underserved backgrounds find career paths aligned with their true interests and passions. That clarity of purpose helped him power through adversity. Influenced by his parents, close friends, and mentors—including his flatmate Soham Saha, who got into Stanford GSB—Debanjan sought guidance from Admissions Gateway.
The first hurdle was the GMAT. Debanjan, despite his academic strengths, found the GMAT incompatible with his work-life balance. Juggling two demanding roles left him drained. After two attempts, he was faced with a hard truth: his scores didn’t reflect his capabilities. It was a moment of reckoning. With his consultant’s help, he made a bold yet necessary decision: to not apply that year. Instead, they recalibrated, shifting from the GMAT to the GRE after recognizing his stronger verbal and analytical skills. This decision was not a setback—it was a strategic pivot that paid off.
Yet even with that breakthrough, life didn’t ease up. During GRE preparation, a series of emotional blows struck, including his own father’s near death journey. These weren’t just interruptions—they were life-altering events. Debanjan found himself shuttling to Kolkata, managing hospitalizations, and trying to maintain professional responsibilities across two geographies, all while holding onto the thread of his Stanford dream.
By mid-2024, Debanjan re-entered the application process with renewed focus and a competitive GRE score. But even then, the balancing act between work and applications continued to test his limits. In Round 1, he didn’t get his desired results. In hindsight, he attributed part of these results to rushing through applications due to professional obligations. In 2024, Debanjan successfully led fundraising along with the Management at both organizations, a critical initiative essential for the survival of both. The dual-job grind that defined his daily life was both a strength and a stumbling block. He was creating value in real time but often lacked the bandwidth to translate it perfectly on paper.
Round 2 was his final shot—and this time, he went all in. Despite another personal loss (his grandmother) and the unrelenting pace of work, Debanjan began working seriously on his Stanford application in late December, just two weeks before the deadline. The final stretch was intense. With his consultant’s help, he produced nearly 20 drafts of his essay, cancelling majority of them. However, they designed the final draft in the last 72 hours, fine-tuning every sentence to capture not just what he had done, but who he was. They worked late nights, pushing the boundaries of exhaustion and creativity. This wasn’t about portraying perfection—it was about presenting resilience, purpose, and authenticity.
What ultimately resonated with Stanford was likely the intersection of impact and integrity in Debanjan’s story. He didn’t just survive tough circumstances; he kept building, kept leading, and most of all, kept caring. His dual professional roles were platforms through which he practiced the leadership, problem-solving, and social vision that Stanford values. His ability to navigate high-stakes environments in both the private and social sectors while also remaining grounded in his commitment to education equity is what sets him apart.
Debanjan’s story underscores the reality that the road to elite institutions is not always paved with linear success. Sometimes, it’s built on adaptation, mentorship, and moments of painful growth.
As he now prepares to join the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Debanjan carries with him not just a letter of admission but a profound sense of purpose. He is focused on building an AI-powered platform that will help students from all backgrounds find meaningful careers—a project already in motion. For him, education is not just about credentials or campus prestige; it’s about democratizing opportunity and empowering self-discovery. Through years of balancing two jobs, enduring personal loss, and pushing past rejection, he has emerged not just as an MBA admit but as someone who turned obstacles into stepping stones.
To read more such stories of folks who got into their dream business schools to pursue their lifelong passion, check out our success stories.
