Columbia Business School

As someone who has been brought up in a traditional environment, going to college was a great experience which allowed me to develop an entrepreneurial spirit. After my undergraduate degree, I planned to start an e-commerce platform to sell groceries but had several troubles along the way, including a lack of market research and competitor awareness. This led us to shift to the B2B market, where we provided groceries to restaurants and were relatively successful. However, this experience drove me to pursue a formal business education, since I realised a strong industry network and quality work experience is important for an entrepreneur. Since I come from an unconventional background, several people suggested against applying to top business schools in the US, but I was determined to share my story with the best in the world. The team-based approach, as well as my elder brother’s admission to an M7 business with The Red Pen, was why I chose to work with them. From building an impressive resume and self-reflecting for essays to identifying the right people for recommendations and preparing for interviews, I worked with experts from The Red Pen team and was able to present a strong case to the admission committee. Finally, I got into Columbia Business School, which was my first choice, and received two scholarships from the school that cover over 85% of my tuition fee. I cannot thank the team enough for being extremely supportive and patient and for helping me present my story well.