I recently had a frustrating experience during my job search that left me questioning the hiring practices in India. I had initially listed IIM Bangalore on my CV instead of the actual IIM I graduated from, which was a mistake I fully acknowledge. After struggling to get shortlisted for top consulting roles with my real college name, I decided to change it to IIM Bangalore. This change led to an interview opportunity with one of India's leading consulting firms, where I was offered a senior consulting position at approximately ₹33 LPA after successfully clearing all interview rounds. However, during the document verification stage, the discrepancy was discovered, and they questioned me about it. Unfortunately, this led to the opportunity falling apart. I completely understand their stance; falsifying information on a CV is a serious issue, and I take full responsibility for my mistake. What continues to baffle me is the stark difference in my application outcomes based solely on the college name. My work experience, knowledge, communication skills, and interview performance remained unchanged. It raises an important question: Are capable candidates being overlooked simply because of the college name on their CVs? While a prestigious institution is an achievement, should it define a candidate's professional potential throughout their career? This experience taught me that while a prestigious college name can open doors, it was ultimately my skills that got me through the interviews, but the truth about my education closed the door again.