a lot of freshers focus almost entirely on the mocks, percentile, sectional scores which obviously makes sense because getting the score is the first hurdle.

But what happens after the exam? When interview season starts for B schools, many freshers suddenly realize something uncomfortable. Panels often ask things like:

• What have you been doing apart from academics?
• Why MBA right now?
• What interests or initiatives have you pursued?

And sometimes the honest answer becomes… “mostly CAT prep.”

That’s not necessarily wrong preparing for CAT itself is hard but it can make interviews feel a bit empty if there’s nothing else to talk about.

So I was wondering what small but meaningful things freshers could do during CAT prep year that actually help them stand out later. Not huge achievements, but things that show curiosity or initiative.

A few ideas I’ve seen people try:

• Build some real-world exposure – internships, freelance projects, helping with a small business, even volunteering.
• Follow industries you’re curious about – tech, marketing, finance, startups so when interviews happen you can talk about trends or ideas you’ve been thinking about.
• Start something small – a blog, a campus initiative, a community project, even running a niche Instagram page or newsletter around a topic you care about.
• Develop a hobby you can genuinely discuss – sports, chess, writing, fitness, anything where you’ve actually invested time.
• Reflect on your story – why MBA, why now, and what direction you want to explore.

None of this needs to be huge or perfect. The idea is just that when the interview happens, you’re not sitting there feeling like you have nothing to talk about except exam prep.

Freshers often worry that they’re at a disadvantage compared to people with work experience, but I’ve also seen interviews where panels really appreciate initiative, curiosity, and self-awareness, even if someone hasn’t worked full-time yet.

For people who are appearing for interviews this season what has your experience been like so far?

• What actually helped you during the interview that you’re glad you prepared for?