CAT 2014 Topper Neha Manglik wants to explore her creative side

A chemical engineering student of BITS (Birla Institute of Technology and Science) Pilani, Delhi-based Neha Manglik is the only girl amongst the 16 toppers who scored 100 percentile in CAT (Common Admission Test) 2014. CAT 2014 results got declared on December 27, 2014.

Aspiring to get into IIM (Indian Institute of Management) Ahmedabad, Neha – who also was one of the toppers of CMAT 2014 -  strongly believes in the phrase – “The one who wins is the one who thinks he/she can!”. Speaking to shiksha.com, she said, “"I am quite happy about the results. I had worked hard for this but 100 percentile is something one can never be sure of”.

Talking about her aim, she shared, “Right now, my aim is to go to a good college with a good peer group and faculty from whom I can learn management principles and several other practical things which will help me in any sphere I choose to pursue in my life. Of course, there are a lot of thoughts about my future and I definitely want a creative angle in whatever I choose to do, but what exactly I will do is not fixed. One thing that I'm certain of is that I want to balance my work life with family life. I will not compromise on family just to run after money or fame. Having said that, I always have and will continue to give my best to everything I do”.

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Read this exclusive interview to know more about her success story.

Yes, this was my first attempt as I am still in my final year of college.

I have got scaled score of 130.37 (Percentile 99.84) in Quantitative ability and Data Interpretation (Section 1) and 134.92 (percentile 100) in Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (Section 2).

CAT is not a technical paper that you need to prepare for separately, actually. People who are good at Maths and English can finish their preparation in less time. Those whose concepts are weak or those who have trouble with English should start early accordingly. I had been solving logical and mathematical puzzles since I was a kid. I also read a lot and write English poetry. So effectively, my CAT preparation started since childhood! For the last six months, I focused on giving mocks and analysing areas in which I could improve.

I was comparatively weaker at Data Interpretation, especially speed maths based questions. For that, I did Vedic Maths. I searched for videos online and completely changed my way of calculation, including basic things like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

Yes, I joined TIME Classroom Programme in Pilani. I studied from their modules, and solved AIMCATs and analyzed them, which really helped me. I also joined online shortcut workshops of CETking, a Maharashtra based institute. Their approach to questions was quite similar to what comes to me intuitively, so I felt that the workshops really helped me. Towards the end, I also gave Career Launcher online mocks, as their difficulty level is quite close to the real CAT and it prepared me for a surprisingly easy CAT paper.

No, it's not necessary to join an institute. If you want to prepare by yourself, you can take the support of any group of people, even friends or parents, who can give a sense of direction to your preparation and ensure that you don't lose your focus. But you should definitely give as many mocks as possible and analyse them thoroughly to find your weak spots and work on them.

My mother is a teacher in a school in Delhi. My father is working in a private company. My younger brother, Rahul, is currently studying in Class 11th. We are a very close-knit family and they always support and motivate me in all my endeavours.

The result has just come, so it's too early to receive calls yet.

My dream institute is IIM Ahmedabad.

Yes, I have been placed in Axtria, an analytics company. I had also got a Pre-Placement Offer from Phyzok Learning Solutions LLP during my internship in the summer of 2013.

My suggestion to all CAT aspirants would be to believe in themselves and focus completely on their preparation. Don't let yourself get discouraged midway and I'm sure you'll do great! Remember - The one who wins is the one who thinks he/she can!

My hobbies include writing Poetry, watching anime (Japanese animated series), and doing arts and crafts. I also like public speaking. In BITS Pilani, I headed the Poetry Club, a 30-member group of poetry enthusiasts from all over India. My experiences with them have shaped me and made me who I am. We all are really close to each other and share all our problems and joys through poetry and we learn and grow together. I'm really proud to have been a part of Poetry Club.

Take a look at CAT 2014 scorecard here. Also, check out CAT 2014 topper profiles. This year, as many as 16 candidates have scored 100 percentile in CAT 2014.

Shiksha.com is trying to get in touch with the other toppers. Stay tuned to Shiksha.com for more topper interviews.