A Milestone Partnership in the World of Education & Admissions Counselling

The Red Pen announces a strategic investment from U.S. News & World Report, a globally recognised authority in education rankings and insights. This partnership enhances our ability to guide students through personalised mentorship and data-driven decision-making, ensuring they make informed choices about their future.

What the Partnership Means for Students & Families

This partnership enhances our ability at The Red Pen to provide families with more informed counselling supported through globally recognised education data. With access to deeper insights, students can craft application strategies rooted in experience and research.

Consistent, high-quality guidance

As we integrate U.S. News & World Report’s research, our counsellors will have access to data-driven insights and a vast network of admissions experts. This access will allow us to better guide students and families.

Comprehensive university selection support

Our counselling process now includes the most recent and detailed information on universities worldwide, giving students an edge when choosing their right-fit institution.

A deeper understanding of admissions trends

With access to the latest data on shifting trends, we will gain clarity on what universities prioritise—whether it’s a stronger emphasis on research, leadership, or interdisciplinary skills—helping students make strategic academic and extracurricular choices early in their journey.

Strategic application planning for higher success rates

Leveraging detailed data on university selection criteria and historical admissions patterns, we can help students optimise their applications—fine-tuning their essays, recommendation letters, and overall narrative—to maximise their chances of acceptance.

How Will the Partnership Set The Red Pen Apart

The partnership with U.S. News & World Report brings new opportunities to enhance our expertise, expand our reach, and elevate the standards of guidance we provide to students and families.

What Remains Unchanged

While this partnership brings new opportunities, our core values and approach remain the same:

Ongoing operations

Despite the exciting changes, our daily operations will proceed as usual, ensuring that our core services and client interactions remain seamless and uninterrupted.

Standard of work

We remain focused on delivering the high-quality, personalised counselling that has always been our hallmark.

Our approach

The Red Pen will continue to help students find universities that match their academic interests, career goals, learning preferences, and aspirations. Our guidance will not be solely rankings-based.

Continued leadership

Dr. Kim Dixit and Namita Mehta will remain at the helm, guiding The Red Pen with the same dedication and leadership you’ve always experienced. Neil Maheshwari, CFO & COO of U.S. News, has been added to The Red Pen’s Board of Directors, subject to regulatory approvals.

Editorial independence

As an independent journalistic organisation for more than 90 years, U.S. News & World Report is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education for students worldwide. This investment will not affect U.S. News’s independent evaluations and rankings of colleges and universities.

Frequently Asked Questions | FAQs

Does U.S. News now own The Red Pen?
U.S. News has acquired a stake, but The Red Pen remains independent, guided by the existing mission, values and leadership under Dr. Kim Dixit, CEO and Co-founder, and Namita Mehta, President.
While our partnership with U.S. News & World Report enables us to integrate deeper insights from their proprietary global university data, our core counselling approach remains unchanged. We will continue to prioritise a personalised, student-centric process that is both collaborative and context-driven. Our commitment to understanding each applicant’s background, aspirations, and goals will remain at the heart of our work.

The Red Pen will continue offering expert guidance on global admissions, including the US, UK, Canada, Europe, Asia, and India, while integrating valuable global insights from U.S. News.

While rankings can be a starting point for university research, no single ranking can capture what makes a university the right fit for each individual. We will always be committed to a ‘best-fit’ approach, focusing on each student’s unique profile and aspirations rather than rankings alone. The Red Pen will remain independent with a student-centric approach.
This partnership does not affect our pricing. Any future changes to our pricing structure will continue to reflect market trends and the value we provide.
This partnership will enable us to provide students with enhanced analytics on admission trends and university selection criteria.
Existing and new students will receive the same high-quality guidance, enriched by additional insights from the partnership.
While we leverage data insights, our core focus remains on providing personalised, human-centric counselling tailored to each student’s unique needs.