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Pawan's profile and background
Pawan Bahirvani is a mechanical engineer with six years of work experience at Bharat Petroleum in supply chain and operations. He was admitted to the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University for their MBA program, specialising in operations management. His program was fully funded — 100% scholarship for both years — based on his profile and GMAT score. His original visa interview dates in May 2020 were cancelled because of COVID, and then his university deferred his admission. After a lot of waiting and rescheduling, he finally got his interview date: 28th June at the Chennai embassy. He was interviewed for Fall 2021.
The OFC appointment (biometrics) — what to expect on day one
Pawan's OFC was on 27th June, the day before his visa interview. The process is very straightforward. You only need to carry three documents: your DS-160 confirmation, your passport, and your appointment confirmation letter. They take your photo and your biometrics. There are no questions asked — it is purely a formality. One important thing to know: at the OFC, they paste a barcode on the back of your passport. This barcode is what the visa officer scans at the interview to pull up your DS-160 details. Pawan had submitted his DS-160 on 25th June — just three days before his interview on 28th — and because of that, the officer's system was not able to read the barcode at first. He was directed to a nearby counter, where a staff member fixed it in the system within three to four minutes. It was not a major issue, but it is a good reminder: submit your DS-160 well in advance of your interview date.
The visa interview day — what actually happens inside the Chennai embassy
Arriving and getting through security
Pawan's interview was scheduled for 10 am. He arrived at 9 am but was not allowed to enter before his appointment time. At 10 o'clock, his group was allowed in. From the moment you enter the building to the moment you reach the interview counter, expect to spend about one hour standing in line and going through the process. There is an airport-style security scan at the entrance. Phones are not allowed inside — there are lockers outside where you can store them. If you are visiting the Chennai embassy, Pawan's advice is clear: do not bring your phone, and if you wear a metallic watch, leave that at home too. Just bring your documents.
Inside the interview room
The interview room at Chennai is soundproofed. There are two heavy doors you pull to enter, and once you are inside, it is quiet — you cannot hear anything from outside. Because of social distancing, the number of people inside at any one time is limited to around nine or ten. There were four counters open when Pawan went in. While he was waiting in line, he observed that the majority of applicants were F1 students, and a good proportion of them were receiving green slips — the slip you get when your visa is approved. Of the 40 to 50 students he saw walking past him, almost everyone was holding a green slip.
The interview itself — only four questions, under 30 seconds
Pawan's actual interview was extremely brief. At Chennai, interviews have been very short — he says the maximum for most people was one to one and a half minutes. His own interview lasted about 30 seconds. The visa officer was an American man. Here are the questions Pawan was asked, in order:
1. Which year did you graduate?
2. Is your program fully funded?
3. What does your father do? (The officer then cancelled this question himself before Pawan could answer — possibly because the funding was already clear.)
4. What are your plans after your MBA?
For question four, Pawan answered that he planned to return to India and work for specific companies in his field. The officer said: "Your visa is approved. Follow the quarantine rules."
That was it.
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Book a Mock InterviewHow Pawan prepared — and what made the difference
Be specific about your post-MBA plans
One of the most important things Pawan did was prepare a very specific answer for the "what will you do after your MBA?" question. He did not just say "I will return to India and work in supply chain." He researched specific companies, specific roles, and even called friends who were already working at those companies to understand the positions and how those organisations work. His reasoning was smart: if your answer is specific enough, it will resonate with the officer — and if they choose to look anything up, your story holds together. Vague answers about returning to India are easy to brush off. A precise answer with real company names and real roles is harder to question.
Keep your answers short — visa interviews are not MBA interviews
Pawan made an important observation that I want you to hear clearly. When you prepare for an MBA admissions interview, you are trained to give elaborative, detailed answers — you build context, you tell your story, you add what Pawan calls "the masala." That approach does not work in a visa interview. The visa officer is not trying to understand your career journey. They are checking a handful of things quickly. Pawan said the first question — which year did you graduate — was really just about seeing his confidence and getting a single, precise fact. He answered with the year only. Not the college name, not the degree, just the year. Be to the point. If you are fully funded, say "I am fully funded for both years." Full stop. Do not elaborate unless asked.
Do a mock interview with someone who will give you honest, neutral feedback
Pawan worked with me through a consultation session and also did a mock interview before his visa appointment. He made a point I think is worth repeating: reading interview questions on Telegram groups or forums tells you what people were asked, but it does not tell you how your answers actually sound. You will not know how you come across — how confident you sound, whether your answers are too long, whether you are hedging — until someone who does not know you personally listens and gives you neutral feedback. If you practise with a close friend, you will naturally try to impress them and they will naturally try to be encouraging. A proper mock interview puts you under real pressure so you can actually test yourself before the day that counts.
Make sure your LinkedIn matches your DS-160
The day before his interview, Pawan messaged me asking whether he should update his LinkedIn profile. My answer, and his takeaway: yes, make sure it is current, and make sure everything on it matches what you submitted in your DS-160. Visa officers can and do check LinkedIn profiles and other public profiles. Whatever you say in your interview should match what is on your DS-160, and both should match what is publicly visible about you. Inconsistencies raise questions you do not want to answer under pressure.
Pawan's advice on getting a fully funded MBA — for anyone still at that stage
Pawan shared some thoughts on how he secured full funding, which I know many of you will find useful if you are still in the application process. His main points:
First, your GMAT score matters more than most people want to admit. Universities need to protect and improve their rankings, and average GMAT score is a direct ranking factor. A strong GMAT score helps the school as much as it helps you — which is exactly why they will offer you a scholarship to get you to enrol. Pawan's advice: do not skip the GMAT or rely on test-optional routes if you are from a competitive pool.
Second, if you are an Indian male engineer from an IT or operations background, you are in one of the most over-represented applicant pools. Working for an NGO, volunteering with a well-known organisation, or having an interesting side project will not be enough on its own to stand out from that pool. Pawan himself was a volunteer with the United Nations and ran a theatre company, and he is honest that those experiences helped less than his GMAT score when it came to the scholarship decision.
Third, your career goal clarity matters. The school wants to know that if they admit you, you will get a job — because their placement rates are also a ranking factor. Be very clear about what role you want after the MBA, why that role requires an MBA, and why this specific program gets you there. Ohio State's Fisher College of Business ranks highly for supply chain and operations management — and that alignment with Pawan's background was central to his application.
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