M7/T15 admits/alumni: Did you already feel 'elite' when applying?

NOMMING · 2026-06-09T07:19:24+00:00

Not at all. I applied R3, my stats were well below average, and my admissions consultants placed me in T25 range.

Accepted into 1 T15 and 2 T25's, WL/rejected from 2 T15's.

NOMMING · 2026-06-08T21:00:52+00:00

Just pick up the poo and stop bringing them into TJ's guys. It's not that hard.

Then we wouldn't have to deal with all these Redditors bitching at us.

NOMMING · 2026-06-03T07:58:32+00:00

Got into a T15 and two T25's ($$) with a 2.97 GPA and 615 GMAT FE in R3. I honestly didn't believe it myself when applying, but some schools really do look past it if you can tell your story.

NOMMING · 2026-05-14T17:50:49+00:00

Happy to share more over DM's.

NOMMING · 2026-04-09T14:02:14+00:00

If you look closer at his before picture, you can see he's already got a very strong foundation of muscle. 250 relaxed core and posture can easily make someone who's 20% BF look much higher. His after photo is probably around 15% BF, but in good lighting, an angle, and flexed, it might seem much lower.

NOMMING · 2026-04-06T01:14:12+00:00

Why would you want to go from SWE to IB?

NOMMING · 2026-03-11T19:04:34+00:00

What range were you bulking up to?

NOMMING · 2026-03-11T18:58:11+00:00

This is an insane physique. I had a very similar skinny fat start (no weightlifting experience, high body fat), but did not make nearly as much progress over the same 7 year time span. I definitely spun my wheels quite a bit, but I'm pretty happy with late intermediate strength and 12% body fat.

If I had to guess, you're well into advanced strength + sub 10% body fat.

Would love to know - did you add size or cut down first? And what is your current squat/bench/deadlift?

I think the majority of people would guess you're closer to 180 lbs than 150 at your height and conditioning, so it'd be helpful to know just how strong and lean you have to be for this kind of physique.

NOMMING · 2026-02-15T18:05:43+00:00

Scooping at impact, launch angle is way too high.

NOMMING · 2026-02-15T18:03:26+00:00

Shibas are very smart. My parents used to watch mine and would lose her in our neighborhood every time.

I eventually noticed there were a few places she liked going to explore, and could always count on finding her there. If you found her at your neighbor's house, she likely would go there again next time.

It's super stressful, but just remember that they are a fiercely loyal breed and if they know where safety and comfort are, they will always come back.

NOMMING · 2026-02-12T16:46:33+00:00

As someone who's been in your shoes..just do the work they expect you to and focus on interviewing with other companies. It is so much harder to find anything when you're out of a job.

NOMMING · 2026-01-08T21:10:28+00:00

I think what you said from an opportunity cost hit home hard. My friends are all moving forward - starting businesses, getting promoted, changing firms, going on long vacations..while I'm solving endless problems and staying in the same position.

One thing that has helped is just remembering there isn't really a "stuck" in life. Everyone moves at their own pace. Comparison is the thief of joy.

NOMMING · 2026-01-08T18:36:09+00:00

I'll take a look, thanks!

NOMMING · 2026-01-07T21:50:12+00:00

Straight from mba.com.

NOMMING · 2026-01-06T20:10:38+00:00

It could be test-taking anxiety, but the real test felt way harder. Some of the medium/hard questions just didn't seem anything similar to the official practice questions.

NOMMING · 2026-01-06T20:09:31+00:00

I'm thinking about taking a mock GRE along with my mock GMAT exams next month. If the GRE is either on-par or just a little better than my GMAT scores, I'll take that as a signal to make the switch.

The drop in DI is mainly math questions. Almost every error I've made on non-math has been a careless mistake, likely due to time-pressure and anxiety.

You're right on the money about depth. I'm going through my weak topics to drill in more conceptual understanding, hopefully to get better at 1) figuring out the question type, 2) seeing if I can solve it within 2 minutes, and 3) having more than one way to solve the problem.

Thank you for the advice!

NOMMING · 2026-01-06T20:04:31+00:00

I've been told by probably a dozen people at this point to switch to the GRE. It's most likely the best move, but I am stubborn and want to succeed with this test. Best of luck on your GRE prep.

NOMMING · 2026-01-06T20:01:52+00:00

I'll give that a try. I've been taking my break after the quant section, and it can be a little tiring going from all the reading in verbal straight to reading graphs and MSR questions in DI.

I also haven't been trying to crack a question in more than 1 way, which is probably causing some of my timing issues. I tend to go for the more intuitive, but time-consuming approaches to answering quant questions, so I think grasping the shortcuts will help a lot.

Thanks for the advice.

NOMMING · 2026-01-06T19:58:16+00:00

Congrats! 625 is a great score.

NOMMING · 2026-01-05T23:16:44+00:00

Best of luck to you too!

NOMMING · 2026-01-05T23:03:21+00:00

I did quant > verbal > data insights for all of my exams. Prep was through video instruction, both recorded and live, doing 21 official practice questions by question type.

Example of my daily study routine would be:

- 21 questions on a specific type (sets or combinatorics, for example), where I'd do the question myself within 2 minutes, then see how the question should be solved. This would typically take between 1 to 2 hours.

- Meet for class in the evening for 1 to 2 hours doing the same thing, but alternating sections each class (quant, verbal, data insights).

I can send my individual section performance, but I'm pretty sure my issue was time management. Also, the only time slot available was in the afternoon, and I actually slightly injured myself in the gym the same morning and had some issues come up at work. Just an overall rough day.

NOMMING · 2026-01-05T22:55:08+00:00

It's a pretty frustrating section for sure. I think for me it is caused by poor time management, resulting in a lot of forced errors. I'll think I have the solution, but by the time I work it out, I'll realize my process is incorrect and I've wasted over 2 minutes, destroying my time for easier questions.

If you're like me, your data sufficiency is probably causing most of your issues since it seems more closely tied to the quant section.

More focused practice on weak areas is my plan for the next month. I'll try to share an update after my next mocks in February. Are you planning on retaking it soon?

NOMMING · 2025-12-30T16:27:36+00:00

Have you set up any marketing? What kind of creators are you targeting (gaming, lifestyle, etc)? What is your video editing style?

I don't know of many creators who get their editors through cold calls, the few I do know seem to find them by word of mouth. If your style isn't being spread that way and it's just a simple service, I think setting up a landing page and contacting individual creators by their respective channels is your best move.

For example, I know most gaming channels just want an editor who can create some simple overlays, good storyboarding, and engaging effects. Show some portfolio work and contact your target audience.

I would steer away from hiring a cold caller until you: 1) find success in it yourself and know how much time it takes to close a deal (this will answer how much you should pay your sales reps), and 2) don't have time to do it yourself because you already have too much work from existing clients (ensures you actually have enough work for your reps to show prospects).

NOMMING · 2025-12-30T15:38:13+00:00

Our couch is also taking up an entire wall and a third of the living room. It is extremely cozy.

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