Breaking Barriers: Kanika’s Journey to MIT Sloan with a 100% Scholarship
From an early age, Kanika showed a keen interest in leadership and problem-solving. She sought out opportunities to develop these skills, actively engaging in extracurricular activities and leadership roles. Her early experiences instilled in her a sense of confidence and a belief that, despite not attending a prestigious undergrad program, she could still make her mark on the world.
Aware that top business schools often favor graduates from elite institutions, she took it upon herself to stand out through her work experience and achievements.
Unlike students from established universities with existing global partnerships, Kanika had to create these opportunities for herself. Through determination, she secured eight impressive internships during her college years, at firms including Tripda, Nukoe, Ministry of health & Family Welfare (Government of India), IIM Indore, IE Business School, and The Tribune.
The secret sauce to securing these was reaching out to countless people through cold emails to land best global opportunities. Parallelly, she built a foundation in finance and leadership. She also held leadership positions with several non-profit organizations, showcasing her ability to drive impact beyond academics.
After college, she joined a financial services firm in Pune, where she assisted a hedge fund manager in the US. This role gave her critical exposure to the world of finance, allowing her to handle multiple clients and work on private equity transactions.
She later joined the Ministry of Finance as a Program Manager, where she played a pivotal role in setting up India’s first government-owned agency for non-core asset monetization, working closely with bureaucrats and leading teams from top firms like McKinsey, PWC, EY, and KPMG. She led high-stakes transactions and spearheaded projects that shaped India’s economic landscape.
Her next career move was to the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), India’s sovereign wealth fund. At NIIF, Kanika evaluated strategic investments across multiple sectors, including space, energy, clean tech, and infrastructure. She structured a multi-billion dollar fund and managed high-value deals, further solidifying her expertise in finance and strategic investments.
Kanika’s drive to create impact extended beyond her professional life. Learning from her early experiences with non-profit organizations, she identified a significant gap in how underserved girls in India were inspired and motivated toward financial independence.
Determined to change this, Kanika founded her non-profit organization. Starting with a small team, she scaled the initiative to 40 volunteers, reaching 25 schools across India. Through skill development and storytelling sessions, Kanika’s organization has impacted the lives of over 25,000 girls, empowering them to dream bigger and achieve financial independence.
Kanika had long envisioned an MBA as the next step in her career. After years of doing out-of-the-box stuff, she felt confident about her profile and targeted top M7 schools, with MIT Sloan and Stanford being at the top of her list. She knew the odds were steep, especially for someone from a non-elite undergraduate background, but she remained focused on crafting a well-rounded application.
When Kanika received the call from MIT Sloan, she was speechless. The dream she had nurtured for over a decade had finally come true. Moreover, she was awarded a 100% scholarship—an outcome that provided her the freedom to pursue her entrepreneurial goals without hesitation.
At MIT Sloan, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the culture of risk-taking have inspired her to think bigger. Surrounded by mentors and industry leaders, she aspires to build her own venture someday. Kanika has now become a part of the AG family and aspires to mentor people applying to ambitious schools like her.
To read more such stories of folks who got into their dream business schools to pursue their lifelong passion, check out our success stories.
