KOCHI: Universities like Oxford and Harvard have always been able to elicit awe and veneration from people of our country. We have many illustrious freedom fighters, social reformers, politicians, academics and technocrats whose talents were honed and sharpened at these universities. Nevertheless, for many talented people a seat at one of these universities have not grown beyond that of a dream as they think it is unattainable. Enter Kochi boy Sujith Raphael, an alumni from Oxford, who wants to dispel the myth and attract more students to make a claim for the prestigious seat at the university. Sujith also remains one of the few Malayali students to be elected to the students council of Oxford.
Sujith has completed his MBA from Oxford University’s Said Business School and thinks many students in the state have the capability to follow in his footsteps. He was also the president of the Student Advisory Board for the Business School, a rare distinction for an Indian and a proud moment for Keralites.
After Oxford, he was placed as a senior manager in a leading technology consulting firm in USA. He was then selected for the leadership development course at another prestigious institution - The Harvard University. Born to HMT official late A K Raphael and retired FACT High School teacher P C Reetha, Sujith did his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology. Before that he was a student at Sacred Heart College, Thevara and he matriculated from FACT High School, Ambalamedu.
Sujith says the doors of prestigious universities like Oxford is open to those who have a good academic track record and are motivated. “This Business School has many competitive procedures that an applicant has to go through to obtain admission. These are based on merit, knowledge, high scores in academics, work experience, reasoning ability etc. The first step is to appear for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) and score as high as you can. Then, Indian students need to appear for TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and score high marks to prove proficiency in English,” he explains the procedure.
He also adds that the statement of purpose (SOP) should be focused and strong. For those who make to the interview stage he has a tip to offer, “Knowledge, communication skills, language, competitiveness etc. are judged at the interview. This may include questions regarding the business world, economies of countries, growth of large corporations, the new age company models, emerging economies etc. to name a few.”