The Red Pen provides an end-to-end service for the boarding school application process. Our team will have an initial conversation with the student to better understand their goals and explain the application process to Indian and global boarding schools. Following this initial conversation, we will work on creating a list of boarding schools and walk students through the application processes. This includes timely registration, filling out application forms that often require a personal statement and other essays, testing, interview preparation and organising visits to the boarding schools.

Matching students to schools that provide a strong support network is imperative. Our team members have visited 100+ boarding schools across the UK, US, India, Switzerland and Canada and have a thorough understanding of the unique aspects of each school. Using this knowledge, we suggest the best-fit schools for the students with whom we work.

Each boarding school has their own set of policies regarding testing. Some schools will allow for the testing to take place at our office under strict testing conditions while others will insist on students either give the test on campus or at a recognised testing centre in Mumbai.

The Red Pen team assists with interview preparation. Several of our consultants have interviewed students for admissions interviews in the past and have a strong understanding of the type of questions that are typically asked. Whether the student is invited for a group interview or an individual interview, The Red Pen team will ensure that they are prepared and confident. Once the mock interview is conducted, our team will sit with the student and discuss the strengths and areas of improvement.

Several boarding schools will ask the student to submit a personal statement that outlines their experiences and reasons for applying. Our team helps students brainstorm ideas and suggests unique ways to present their statement. We provide an external perspective and provide constructive feedback.

Yes, if you have been invited to interview with a university or if you are visiting a university campus and are scheduling an interview, we can help you prepare by conducting mock interviews and providing guidelines, tips and feedback to ensure a confident and successful experience.

No. As members of IECA, we do not sign partnership agreements with any universities or colleges. We believe in a ‘best-fit’ model for all of our students and work with them individually to identify colleges that suit their needs and requirements.

We assist with a majority of English-speaking programmes around the world in over 12 countries, including, but not limited to, the UK, US, Singapore, Canada, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia and India.

Yes, our team will understand your goals, your profile and will help decide whether to apply for an MBA or a Master’s degree.

The Red Pen’s End-to-end Postgraduate Service covers a range of services including profile development, resume building, roadmap counselling, university research, college shortlisting, support with recommendation letters and form review.

At The Red Pen, we will work with you to understand your goals, interests and strengths. We will brainstorm options based on these and help you identify an educational degree that fits with your aspirations. This is the first step in analysing and building a roadmap towards finding your best-fit institution.

We do not typically encourage students to defer their application. In extenuating circumstances, we will allow this. Deferment is determined on a case to case basis.

Most Master’s degrees around the globe do not expect students to have prior work experience. Over the years, some programmes have become more selective and therefore one-three years of work experience can make a candidate more competitive.

Assignment of a lead consultant is done based on if the consultant has:

1. Previously worked with a similar profile, which could mean similar company and/or similar industry
2. Graduated from a business school to which the applicant is interested in applying
3. Sent previous applicants to the business school to which the applicant is interested in applying
4. Capacity at the time of signing on

On average, each lead consultant works with an average of five applicants per application round within a given application cycle. The Red Pen believes in a personalised approach and allocates time to each applicant accordingly. We believe in quality over quantity, so that lead consultants are able to give sufficient time to each applicant. We ensure our lead consultants are comfortable with the workload assigned to them.

Of course! It is great that you are planning ahead. We offer a service called the Application Roadmap Meeting, where our team meets with you and evaluates your profile in terms of your academic strength, work experience, post-MBA goals, leadership potential and extracurricular activities. We will also suggest the steps you can take to improve your profile leading up to the time when you will submit your application.

Yes, our team will understand your goals, your profile and will help guide your decision.

Depends! Two years is the bare minimum for many business schools. Although, given the right profile and work experience, this could be taken into consideration. We recommend aspiring applicants come in for the Application Roadmap Meeting with one of our consultants. This allows us to understand your profile, gauge your aspirations and will eventually enable us to provide a customised recommendation.

Yes. The lead consultant assigned to the applicant will review their academic strength (GMAT and undergraduate performance), work experience, post-MBA goals and leadership potential to suggest best-fit programmes. With a global team across three continents that have graduated from top business schools across the world and have helped applicants to secure admits to the top 25 MBA programmes globally, their experience and advice play a vital role in this process.

We certainly do! We, in fact, believe that reapplicants have a certain competitive advantage. More often than not, it is a matter of identifying the right-fit programmes, realigning the direction of their story to get them that coveted interview. That is why, we begin the reapplication process with a Ding Analysis, which is an analysis of their previously rejected applications to understand what worked and what needs to be improved before starting the application process again.

While the time varies with each applicant, we have seen that a typical application takes around four weeks. This time is required as each application involves goal setting, compiling a strong story and finally essay writing and editing. The time per application decreases with subsequent schools to two weeks per business school as stories, resume and letters of recommendation are already in place.

Based on your child’s goals, psychometric evaluation, academic and non-academic interests, our Mentorship Programme is designed to guide your child to achieve their full potential by ensuring that they make the most of their time in high school.

From advice on board and subject selection to suggesting research opportunities, passion projects, internship options and extracurricular activities, including community service, creative arts and skill-building workshops, our counsellors will ensure that your child has a robust profile.

The Red Pen’s Mentorship Programme is a holistic programme that involves complete guidance through middle and high school years. We provide comprehensive guidance, such as:

• Summer planning
• Summer school and other programme applications
• Academic advice (board options and subject selection)
• College exploration and research
• Developing a unique extracurricular profile using the I-4 framework and S.M.A.R.T goal setting
• Introduction to and follow-up with relevant mentors
• Customised interview preparation and personalised feedback
• Psychometric testing, evaluation and identification of career pathways
• Resume building
• In-depth internal workshops (for example, STEM, community service and more)
• Access to enrichment opportunities, including external workshops and webinars
• Standardised testing planning and timeline
• Tracking academic progress
• Exploring academic pathways through supplementary courses
• Bi-monthly catch up sessions

We have a vast network of vetted partners. Our experts vet each of them based on their programme curriculum and rigour, value for money, and relevance to the student.We believe in a ‘best-fit’ model for all of our applicants and work with them individually to identify opportunities that suit their needs and requirements.

Yes. For those invited to interview with a high school or summer programme, we offer a standalone Interview Prep service that conducts mock interviews and provides guidelines, tips, potential questions and feedback to build confidence.

Yes. If you are interested in applying to a specific programme, our Summer School Planning and Application service offers end-to-end support, including reviewing your application form, brainstorming essay/personal statement topics, interview prep and resume development. We do not help with any visa services.

There is no specified “right time” to enrol your child in a mentorship programme. However, we have seen children who work on their profiles sooner develop more robust ones. We offer packages for children from grade 8 onwards and can address your questions in a General Counselling Session.

Of course. After understanding your goals, interests and strengths, we will brainstorm career options and help you identify an educational degree that fits your aspirations. The Postgraduate Career Counselling Session will be the first step in analysing and building a roadmap towards finding your best-fit institution.

While we do not provide test preparation services, we help you decide which test to take based on your profile, goals and programme requirements. We can also help you identify the right time to take these tests and introduce you to some tutors if needed.  

Yes, we can! Based on your existing profile, we can suggest ways to improve it with various academic enrichment and professional development options, along with extracurricular activities.

The Red Pen does not help with internship placements. We will, however, recommend experts and professional organisations with which you can engage to build your profile. These engagements range from academic and community work to building research skills and even working on application-based projects.

Yes. Based on your interests and professional goals, you can consider a master’s programme that is different from your undergraduate study. At The Red Pen, once we understand your requirements, we share information on higher education options and suggest steps to help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject area and build your profile. However, it is beneficial to start doing the groundwork for this career stream during your undergraduate studies.

While some countries require 16 years, other countries do not. During our Pre-application Counselling Session, we can help you identify which countries will be the best fit for you.

Yes. Based on your interests and future goals, we suggest activities, both academic and non-academic, to help you showcase your intent to study a certain specialisation in graduate school while standing out in the competitive application process.