Admissions Gateway | MBA Admissions Consultants

My undergrad was in economics, and my work experience was across early stage consumer tech and fintech startups. I had been through the process once before on my own, so I was skeptical about my chances the second time around. Going through it again, but this time with Mudit, changed everything.

Mudit was the one who helped me see my profile differently. In our conversations, he helped me explain not just what I had done but why I kept choosing small, unstructured teams over safer options. That question ended up becoming the backbone of my whole application, and it was what finally made my story feel different from the one I had told the year before. He was always clear about what was working and what was not.

Turnaround was fast, which mattered a great deal in Round 1. I sent drafts late at night more than once and had detailed comments back well before I expected them. Interview prep was equally structured, with mock sessions that were harder than the real thing.

I applied to Columbia and Kellogg in Round 1 and was admitted to both, with a scholarship. I would not have gotten there on my own, and I would recommend Mudit and the team to anyone with a profile that does not fit the usual mold, or anyone going back in for a second attempt.

I got into Kellogg — the Admissions Gateway team got me there.

From the first conversation, the AG team understood exactly where I was coming from and where I was trying to go. I came in as an auditor trying to make a non-traditional pivot into strategy, and they helped me turn what could have looked like a liability into the most compelling part of my application. They saw the three-act story before I did.

They’re direct in the best way. When something wasn’t working they told me immediately and explained exactly why — which saved me from spending weeks polishing the wrong thing. They kept the process moving with regular check-ins that pushed me through the parts I kept wanting to avoid, and their responsiveness made the whole thing feel collaborative rather than transactional.

Interview prep was where I felt the least confident going in. By the end I felt genuinely ready. They helped me anticipate the hard questions, work through the weaker spots in my profile honestly, and walk into the room with something real to say rather than rehearsed answers.

I also came in with a genuinely strong application narrative — real relationships built inside Kellogg, a meaningful community connection to Chicago, and a career story that held up under scrutiny. The AG team helped me articulate all of it in a way that actually landed.

Deeply grateful for how this turned out. If you’re making a non-traditional pivot and want a team that will tell you the truth and push you through it — Admissions Gateway is the right call.

Kellogg Evening & Weekend MBA
Luke Schutt

Getting this LBS admit means a lot to me personally.
What I appreciated most about Nisha was that she really took the time to understand my story before she started shaping it. Some of the early sessions weren’t even about LBS specifically. They were about me, my motivations, and my background. That foundation is what eventually made the application come together. The interview prep was just as thorough. We did mock rounds where Nisha pushed me on the tougher questions and gave me feedback I could actually use, so by the time I sat for the real thing I felt calm and ready rather than rehearsed. The team was warm and responsive the whole way through. Thank you, Nisha, for all the help with the application, for never letting me feel left out at any point in the process, and for just being there. So grateful!

Rajdeep’s strategy sessions gave me a completely different perspective on how to approach B-school applications. His essay workshops, in particular, helped me dissect my own experiences and understand what a strong essay should actually communicate, not just what I had done, but who I was, what shaped me, and why it mattered. This gave me a much clearer way to tell my story within the tight essay word limits.

His guidance on building a results- and impact-oriented resume and developing a concise networking pitch also helped me become much more intentional about reaching out to current students and alumni. These conversations, combined with Rajdeep’s sessions, helped me understand the culture and value system of my target schools and think more clearly about how my own experiences aligned with them.

Even after submitting my applications, Rajdeep’s interview workshops were incredibly valuable. His frameworks helped me prepare for a wide range of questions while still keeping my responses authentic to my own experiences. More than just preparing answers, the sessions gave me the confidence to walk into my interviews feeling genuinely prepared and clear about the story I wanted to tell.

I came into this process with a rough sense of why I wanted an MBA and very little sense of how to say it. My goals were real, but on paper they read vague, and every early draft I wrote sounded like it could have been written by anyone.
What changed things was how well Rajdeep understood my profile. He took the time to actually get my background, the reasons behind the choices I had made, and what mattered to me before he said a word about applications. The strategic sessions came out of that, and his insights were school specific rather than generic advice recycled across candidates, which made the essays far less of a guessing game.
He then helped me build a story out of all of it and figure out how to put that story onto the page. My goals went from something I was hoping would pass to something I could defend, and the essays finally sounded like me. Every round of feedback was direct and made the drafts better.
Admitted to UCLA Anderson. Truly grateful to Rajdeep and the whole team.

I worked with Rajdeep Chimni during my MBA applications, and I can say without hesitation that this was one of the most decisive investments I have ever made in my life.

With Rajdeep’s guidance, I was admitted to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton School, and Kellogg School of Management. But more importantly, I came out of this journey with clarity, confidence, and a far deeper understanding of my own story than I had when I started.

Rajdeep is not simply an admissions consultant. He is a true thought partner. From the very first conversation, it was clear that he cares deeply about intellectual honesty, self-awareness, and long-term alignment. He pushed me to go far beyond surface-level achievements and resume points, and instead dig into why I made the choices I did, what shaped my values, and what genuinely motivates me.

The essay process with Rajdeep was intense in the best possible way. He has an extraordinary ability to spot what truly matters in a story and what does not. He helped me strip away noise, ego, and unnecessary complexity, and guided me toward narratives that were grounded, reflective, and deeply personal. At several points, he challenged assumptions I had held about myself for years, and that discomfort ultimately led to much stronger and more authentic essays.

Rajdeep’s feedback is always precise and thoughtful. He does not rewrite your essays or impose his voice on you. Instead, he asks incisive questions that force you to think harder and articulate your ideas more clearly. Over time, this makes you a better writer and a sharper thinker. By the end of the process, the essays felt unmistakably mine, but elevated in clarity, depth, and impact.

Another major strength is his strategic understanding of each school. He has a nuanced grasp of what different programs value, not in a generic sense, but at the level of mindset, culture, and intellectual orientation. This helped ensure that my Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg applications were not just customized on the surface, but truly aligned with what each school is looking for in its incoming class.

Beyond essays, Rajdeep was incredibly helpful in shaping my overall positioning. From school selection and sequencing to recommenders, resume framing, and interview preparation, his advice was consistently grounded and pragmatic. He never overpromised or created false reassurance, but he also knew exactly when to push for ambition and when to course correct.

He was really invested and treated my application as if it mattered personally to him, and that level of commitment shows in every interaction. Even during stressful moments, he remained calm, honest, and focused on what would actually move the needle.

Getting into Stanford GSB, Wharton, and Kellogg is obviously an incredible result, but I am equally grateful for the growth that came from the process itself. Working with Rajdeep helped me articulate my goals more clearly, understand my own leadership journey more deeply, and enter business school with a strong sense of purpose.

If you are looking for an admissions consultant who combines rigor, integrity, and genuine care for your long-term trajectory, I cannot recommend Rajdeep Chimni highly enough. This was not just application support. It was mentorship of the highest quality.

I came into the MBA process from consulting, after a few years at a strategy firm and a short secondment in East Africa with an entrepreneurship organization. I had a fairly clear idea of the experiences I wanted to bring into my applications, but wasn’t always sure how to put them together in a way that felt natural.

What I appreciated about working with Nisha and the team was that they never tried to solve that by making my profile sound bigger than it was. We spent time figuring out which experiences actually said something about me, what was worth highlighting, and what I was probably overthinking. Once we got that right, the applications became much more straightforward.

The feedback was also refreshingly direct. If something wasn’t working, Nisha would say so. If an essay was in a good place, we moved on rather than rewriting it endlessly. That made the process feel much less like chasing the perfect draft and much more like actually getting the applications done well.

The interview preparation was just as useful. We worked through mocks, talked through the questions I was likely to face, and had someone to sanity-check things before each deadline. It helped me feel prepared without making my answers sound rehearsed.

I ended up with admits to Columbia and Duke, both with scholarships. I’m very grateful to Nisha and the team for all their help throughout the process.

Rajdeep helped me prepare for both my Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB interviews, and I genuinely don’t think I could have cracked either of them without his guidance.

The best part was that he didn’t have a one-size-fits-all interview strategy. He helped me understand exactly what each school was looking for and how my approach needed to change based on each school’s interview process.

For HBS, he emphasized being crisp, structured, and direct. Since the interview is fast-paced, he taught me how to answer even complex questions succinctly while still highlighting the most important aspects of my story. This was particularly challenging for me because I work in AI, where explaining technical work often requires a lot of context. Rajdeep coached me on how to simplify complex ideas, provide just enough context, and still deliver a compelling, pithy answer within 30 seconds to a minute. As someone who naturally tends to explain things in detail, this was invaluable.

Beyond the content itself, he paid close attention to the finer aspects of interviewing. He coached me on body language, intonation, where to emphasize key points, how to read an interviewer’s reactions over Zoom, and how to adjust my communication accordingly. These are subtle things that are difficult to learn from books or online resources but can make a significant difference in an interview.

When he felt I still lacked confidence before my HBS interview, he didn’t stop at additional mock interviews with me. He arranged another mock with an HBS alumnus so I could experience a different interview style and receive another layer of feedback. That level of initiative was quite valuable. By the time the actual interview came around, I felt confident and well prepared.

Even for the Stanford interview, Rajdeep’s coaching was equally thoughtful. He helped me consciously shift gears from the concise, rapid-fire style expected at HBS to the far more reflective and conversational style that Stanford values. He asked probing questions about different life situations that pushed me to think more deeply about my experiences and helped me tell authentic, introspective stories. He also shared practical advice for navigating an in-person alumni interview, how to build rapport naturally, keep the conversation engaging, and ask thoughtful questions that made the interaction feel genuine rather than transactional.

I believe Rajdeep’s nuanced insights really helped me in both of my interviews, and I don’t think I could have done it without his guidance. So I’m really grateful to Rajdeep.

Mudit gave me the confidence to stand out as an applicant. That shift happened early and it shaped everything after.

He was clear about specifics. He’d ask questions that made me think past the accomplishment to the decision behind it, past the result to the part where I wasn’t sure and went ahead anyway. Uncomfortable at first, and it’s what made the essays land.

His feedback was easy to act on, which sounds small but wasn’t. Whenever I hit a roadblock he’d tell me what wasn’t working and what to try instead, clearly enough that I could go fix it the same night.

Interview prep was the part I enjoyed most, which I didn’t see coming. Mudit and the team left nothing out. Mocks for each school, notes on pace, delivery, which stories were actually doing work. I got better with every round.

Invites from both CBS and Darden, and I’m headed to Columbia in the fall. Grateful to have had him guiding me through this. Thanks, Mudit

I am a product manager at a tech startup in Bangalore with a non-IIT engineering background. My plan was to use the MBA to move into consulting, building on the product work rather than walking away from it. My worry going in was that this would read as a half switch, close enough to my current path that a school might not see why I needed the degree at all.

Mudit and the team took that question seriously instead of papering over it. We built a case for the MBA that was specific to where I wanted to take my career, from product into consulting, and the essays got sharper with every round of feedback. The feedback itself was fast and direct, so I always knew where a draft stood. Interview prep followed the same pattern: mock rounds, the questions schools actually ask, and a call before every deadline.

I applied to three schools in Round 1 and converted all three, Yale, Ross, and USC, with scholarships at Ross and USC. Grateful to Mudit and the whole team.

My husband and I were both considering applying for an MBA, and we came across Admissions Gateway after reading a few testimonials and decided to trust the process and move forward.

Working with Rajdeep turned out to be a very introspective and structured experience, but without ever feeling restrictive. There was always room for self-expression and for my own voice to come through.

I ended up applying to four schools: Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, and Booth, which meant a lot of essays and very different ways of thinking about my story. Rajdeep has a very refined lens and a sharp eye for detail. He helped me bring out my story and personality in a way that felt honest and true to who I am, while also making sure each application highlighted my strongest aspects.

He also pushed me beyond just essays, especially when it came to the GMAT, constantly encouraging me to aim higher. The process was intense and definitely stressful at times, particularly with four competitive applications running in parallel, but his structure and clarity helped keep things grounded and manageable.

One thing that truly helped was the depth of his database and data points, and how thoughtfully he applied them to my profile. I’m grateful to share that I got into all four schools I applied to, with a hefty scholarship at one of them! Overall, it was a great experience, and one I’d genuinely recommend him to anyone looking for thoughtful and personalized admissions guidance.

I was running my own company while applying, and I applied across both full-time and executive formats because I genuinely wasn’t sure which fit. Mudit took that seriously instead of telling me to pick one and stop overthinking.

The founder problem is that everything sounds either inflated or too small. He had a good ear for which of my numbers actually meant something and which needed context to land. Where the traction was thin, we said what I’d learned instead of dressing it up.

Turnarounds mattered a lot in Round 2 with that many applications live at once. His were fast and the team kept the deadlines straight so I could keep running the business.

Kellogg and Booth all said yes with scholarship money attached, and Wharton EMBA and Haas came through too.

The first thing I really valued about working with Rajdeep was how patient he was throughout the process. I wasn’t sure between two or three different goals, and instead of rushing me into picking one, he helped me think through what made the most sense for my long-term plans while also positioning my candidature strongly. We spent almost two to three weeks just getting the goals right before we even started working on the essays. That patience was incredibly valuable because I genuinely think getting the goals right is one of the most important parts of the MBA application.
The second was how much structure he brought to my thinking. I would come to him with 10–12 possible stories, and we would work through different combinations to figure out the strongest way to communicate my overall application. We aligned on the structure before I started writing, which saved me from spending hours on redundant versions of essays and made the actual writing process much easier.
That thinking extended to my resume, too. Rajdeep helped me identify the right pillars to highlight on my CV and ensured they connected with the themes coming through in my essays. If someone read my resume and application together, there was a clear and cohesive story rather than disconnected achievements.
The interview preparation was equally detailed. I received interviews from Stanford, Wharton, and Kellogg, and the mocks were particularly useful for Wharton’s TBD. I was already comfortable speaking and contributing, but Rajdeep picked up on things I wouldn’t have noticed myself, like micro-expressions, body language, how I reacted when someone said something unexpected, and how I was engaging with others in the room. That level of observation helped me refine how I showed up, not just what I said. We also did multiple one-on-one interview mocks, which helped me prepare across different question types.
I ultimately converted Wharton and Kellogg, while remaining on Stanford’s waitlist. I also received a $140,000 fellowship from Wharton.
What I appreciated most was that Rajdeep didn’t just help me produce better essays. He helped me think through the entire application strategically, and that made the whole process much more cohesive.

The biggest thing I valued about working with Rajdeep was how much he pushed me to think about my own experiences rather than simply telling me what my application should say. He would make me reflect deeply on on my work experience, what my goals really were, and, most importantly, what I wanted the admissions committee to take away from my application.
That came through particularly strongly during the essay process. I would come to him with a few possible stories or directions, and instead of immediately picking one, he would keep pushing me two or three levels deeper, asking me specific pointed questions about what I did, why did it matter, and so on. Those conversations helped me get to insights and stories that I probably wouldn’t have arrived at on my own.
The second thing that stood out was his understanding of the application process. He has a strong sense of what works, what doesn’t, and what each school is actually looking for. That expertise gave me a lot of confidence while making decisions about my application.
He was also incredibly accessible, especially as deadlines approached. I could easily reach out to him with a question or something I wanted to sanity-check, and he was always available to help me think it through.
The interview preparation was another important part of the process. Wharton’s TBD is quite different from a traditional MBA interview, and the mock TBDs Rajdeep conducted helped me understand the format, practice contributing naturally, and get comfortable with the dynamics of the discussion.
I’m very grateful for his support in helping me get to Wharton.

As an international candidate working in consulting, I knew I was applying from a fairly crowded pool. A lot of applicants have strong consulting experience, so my biggest concern was figuring out what would make my application feel distinct without trying too hard to be different.

Rajdeep and the team helped me get to that pretty quickly. Our early conversations focused less on the firm I worked at or the projects on my resume, and much more on the choices I had made and why I had made them. That shift made a big difference. The essays stopped reading like a summary of my work and started feeling much more like an actual picture of who I was.

The feedback was direct, and sometimes uncomfortable, but that was exactly what I needed. Every round made the applications sharper and more personal. They were also realistic about school selection and what applying in Round 2 meant, which helped me focus my time where it mattered.

I ended up being admitted to NYU Stern in Round 2. Very grateful to Rajdeep and the whole team for helping me put together an application that felt genuinely like me.

I came into the MBA process with a background that felt a little difficult to package. I’m a lawyer, started out in litigation, moved into corporate advisory and public policy, and now work in government on technology policy and regulation. I knew the experience was strong, but I wasn’t sure how US business schools would read a profile that didn’t fit the usual mould.

Rajdeep and team were probably most helpful in changing how I thought about that. Never tried to make my background look more “MBA-like.” Instead, I was pushed to lean into the parts that made my journey different. He was also very honest about where my story needed more work and which schools genuinely made sense for my profile.

One thing I almost left out of my application was the community work I’ve done alongside my career. Rajdeep kept coming back to it, and it ended up becoming an important part of how I presented myself beyond just my professional experience.

The interview preparation was another highlight. The school-specific material and mock interviews were much more useful than generic interview prep. By the time I got to the actual interviews, I felt like I had already thought through most of the difficult questions.

The result was Haas Round 1 and Ross in Round 2, both with a scholarship.

Really grateful to Rajdeep and the entire team for helping me make sense of a profile I initially thought would be difficult to explain.

Having gone through the MBA application process before, I had a fairly good sense of what an application involved. What I hadn’t appreciated was how much stronger the outcome could be when someone understood how all the pieces fit together.

The biggest difference Rajdeep made was in helping me find clarity in my story. He listens to everything in extraordinary detail, experiences that may seem unrelated at first, and connects them into a narrative that is both coherent and genuinely impactful. I haven’t come across anyone who can extract that level of clarity from a conversation and translate it so effectively onto paper.

The second was his understanding of how the application works as a whole. Every application has multiple components, resume, essays, and more, and Rajdeep knows what each one needs to accomplish. He understands what should go where so that, when an admissions committee reads everything together, the pieces reinforce rather than repeat one another.

Speed was another major advantage. We completed my applications in just 45 days, without compromising the depth of thought or level of detail. Given how quickly we had to move, Rajdeep’s ability to quickly identify what mattered, make decisions, and keep the process moving was invaluable.

The interview preparation was another major differentiator. Getting an interview invite is one thing; performing under pressure is another. Rajdeep’s mocks recreated the intensity and unpredictability of the actual interview room, and his feedback helped me get past the nervousness and perform naturally.

Finally, after receiving admits from both Harvard and Stanford, Rajdeep helped me make what could have been an incredibly subjective decision much more objective. We broke down what each school offered against my goals and priorities, which gave me the confidence to choose Stanford despite the obvious pull of Harvard.

I had applied to Harvard on my own in an earlier cycle, after previously holding deferred admits from Wharton and Kellogg. Working with Rajdeep the following year was a very different experience. My story had evolved significantly, particularly after my move to the Nordics, and Rajdeep helped me understand how that evolution changed my trajectory and bring it together into a much stronger application.

Ultimately, what I valued most was that Rajdeep didn’t just help me write a better application. He helped me understand why each piece needed to be there, what role it played, and how the entire application should come together as one story.

When I began my MBA application journey, I was genuinely unsure whether I even wanted to apply. Coming from the entertainment industry, an unconventional background for an Indian applicant, I was deeply uncertain about how my profile would be perceived and whether I stood a real chance.

Conversations with Rajdeep were a turning point. Through multiple, in-depth discussions, he helped me clearly understand where my true strengths lay and where I needed to put in focused effort, which gave me a clear path moving forward.

With regard to the process, what really stood out for me was how structured and thoughtful his approach was. He did not try at all to fit me into a template of what successful applicants possess. Instead, he helped me build a strategy that was authentic to my background and experiences, which created room for us to build a story that truly reflected me through and through.

His step-by-step advice on how each component of the application should be approached strategically was so helpful that by the end of the process, I wasn’t just “applying”; I knew exactly how to position my profile and leverage my strengths effectively.

Beyond the applications themselves, working with Rajdeep helped me gain clarity on something even more important: why I wanted to pursue an MBA. That clarity became a strong anchor throughout the process and gave me confidence at every step.

The impact was tangible. I received admits from Stanford, Harvard, and Wharton. Looking back, I can confidently say that Rajdeep’s guidance played a critical role not just in the outcome but in shaping my conviction and direction.

I’m truly grateful to Rajdeep for consistently being supportive and for helping me achieve what I set out to do.

I came into the MBA process from an impact consulting background, which meant my story had a lot of moving parts and I was not sure how to pull them together. Mudit was the person who helped me make sense of it.

The first thing that stood out was how quickly he responded. Whether it was an essay draft at an odd hour or a question right before a deadline, I never waited long, and that made a real difference when things got tight.

The bigger contribution was on goals. I came in with a vague sense of what I wanted to do after the MBA, and he kept pushing until it was specific, credible, and actually mine. That clarity carried through every essay and every interview I did.

I ended up with admits from ISB, Ross, and Yale. I am very grateful for this entire experience!

Working with Rajdeep was an extremely positive experience for me. Before getting started, I had an idea of what I wanted my story to be, but he was incredibly patient and walked me through the process and helped me structure my thoughts in such a way that I was able to communicate both my background and my future aspirations in a manner that truly represented me.

Rajdeep was extremely helpful throughout every stage of the application process, whether it was test preparation, essay development, interview preparation, or the many smaller aspects of the application that often go unnoticed. He was always available to answer questions, provide feedback, and help me navigate important decisions along the way.

The support also extended beyond the admit itself. Rajdeep was available even after I received my offer, helping me navigate various logistical requirements and making the transition process significantly smoother.

Overall, I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to apply to top B-school programs in the US and strongly suggest working with Rajdeep.

When I first started working with Rajdeep, I knew I was in good hands. What I didn’t anticipate was just how personally invested he would become in my journey. He took the time to understand not just my experiences and goals, but also the nuances of my story, and helped me see possibilities in my own profile that I hadn’t been able to articulate myself.
The first application cycle was intense. Given my profile and the work we had put into my applications, I was hopeful that I would come away with an admit from Harvard, Wharton, or Stanford. While those three schools didn’t work out that year, I was fortunate to be admitted to MIT. After much thought, I ultimately decided not to attend and instead reapply the following year with an even stronger application.
What I value most is that Rajdeep’s support didn’t end with the original scope of our engagement. When I decided to reapply, he continued to support me through the process and worked closely with me on my applications all over again. We had multiple conversations to rethink my positioning, strengthen my essays, and ensure that my application reflected how I had grown since the previous year. My role had also evolved significantly over that year, and Rajdeep helped me connect that progression meaningfully to my long-term goals, which became a strong part of my reapplication strategy.
He was incredibly hands-on throughout. Whether it was challenging me to think more deeply about an experience, helping me find a sharper way to articulate a goal, or simply being available when I was overwhelmed, I always felt like I had someone in my corner. What stood out was that he continued to bring the same level of energy and attention the second time around, even though this extended well beyond what we had originally set out to do.
The reapplication strategy ultimately made a huge difference. This year, I’m walking away with admits from both Harvard and Stanford, along with $400k in scholarships. To have gone from an MIT admit in my first cycle to Harvard and Stanford admits the following year is an outcome I’m incredibly proud of, and a huge part of that journey was the work Rajdeep and I did together.
Rajdeep was a constant source of support, perspective, and encouragement throughout my journey. His commitment went far beyond helping me submit an application; he genuinely cared about helping me get into my dream schools.
I’m forever grateful to Rajdeep for being there through the uncertainty, setbacks, and second-guessing that came with the journey.

One of the biggest differentiators for me was Rajdeep’s understanding of the schools I was applying to: Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. His grasp of what each of these colleges is looking for is very nuanced, whether it’s in the essays, the recommendations, or the overall positioning of the application. At multiple points, it felt like he had a very clear sense of what would work and what wouldn’t. Even when I compared notes with others who had worked with different consultants, I felt his understanding of the process was significantly stronger.
A big part of the journey was around identifying and refining stories. Initially, you tend to believe you already know your strongest examples, especially for something like leadership. But Rajdeep really pushes you to go wider first, to look across your entire journey, including areas you may not have considered. And then from that expanded pool, he helps you narrow down to the most optimal stories. For instance, I had a leadership story in mind that I thought was my best, but through our discussions, it became clear that it didn’t have enough depth. That process of expanding your thinking and then critically evaluating what truly fits your narrative is something he pushes you on quite a bit.
Another thing that stood out was the level of ownership Rajdeep and the team take in the quality of your application. There is a clear bar they expect you to meet, and they consistently push you towards it. At times, you might feel that your essays are already in a good place, especially since you don’t fully know what the benchmark is, but Rajdeep will keep pushing you to refine further until it genuinely reaches that level. They are also very prompt in terms of feedback and iterations, so the process keeps moving forward without unnecessary delays.
Since most applicants are managing this alongside work, it’s easy for timelines to slip. What helped was how structured and proactive he was in keeping everything on track. He followed up regularly, ensured that deadlines were met, and kept the overall process moving. I had started a bit later than ideal, so it did get slightly hectic at times, but it was still manageable because of how tightly things were driven.
The interview preparation was also very well handled. Instead of a standard, fixed number of mock interviews, the approach was much more tailored. Rajdeep focuses on identifying specific areas where you need improvement and then structures subsequent mocks around those gaps. It doesn’t feel like a generic, cookie-cutter process. The intent is clearly to get you to a point where you are actually ready to perform in the interview, rather than just having gone through a couple of practice rounds.
Overall, across these aspects, I had a very strong experience working with Rajdeep, and I’m very glad that I’ll be attending HBS this fall.

Gaming is a real industry with real P&L, and it still gets read as a hobby by people outside it. That was the first thing Mudit and I dealt with.

He made me translate. Not water it down, translate. What does shipping a title actually require, how many people, what budget, what happens when it slips. Once that was on the page in plain terms, the seniority spoke for itself.

For the executive format he was clear that the essays needed to sound like someone who had already been leading, not someone auditioning to. That shifted the tone of everything I wrote after.

Applying for an MBA can quickly become overwhelming because there’s so much ambiguity built into the process, not just around execution, but around how to think about your own story. Working with Rajdeep helped remove a lot of that ambiguity for me.

Very early in the process, there was already a clear sense of direction. Because of the number of applicants and schools he has worked with over the years, there were certain frameworks and learnings that immediately gave me a much stronger starting point. Instead of spending weeks figuring out what I should even be doing, I could focus my energy on actually improving the quality of my applications.

What worked especially well for me was the way Rajdeep balanced broad strategic guidance with highly detailed feedback. In the early stages of essay development, he was intentionally patient and directional rather than overly prescriptive. I remember one essay in particular where we had seven or eight separate discussions before we even started writing because he kept pushing me to think more deeply about the underlying idea. At that stage, the focus was entirely on sharpening the thinking. But once the substance was there, the feedback became extremely granular — whether it was around tone, language, phrasing, or how a point was coming across. That transition from conceptual refinement to detailed execution felt very natural and effective.

The process also became far more manageable because of the structure and discipline he brought to it. I was working in private equity throughout, with fairly demanding hours, and without that system in place, the applications could very easily have become chaotic. Rajdeep was consistent about timelines, follow-ups, and ensuring that progress happened steadily despite everything else going on professionally. Because of that, the process felt much more
gradual and controlled rather than stressful or last-minute.

Overall, working with Rajdeep made what is otherwise a fairly intimidating process feel significantly clearer, more structured, and ultimately much more enjoyable. I would strongly recommend him to anyone looking for thoughtful and rigorous guidance through the MBA application journey.

Aparna played a key role in my successful MBA application to Kellogg. I was particularly interested in the MBAi program, which was still relatively new at the time and had a distinct set of application requirements. Aparna took the time to understand what the program and school were looking for in candidates and helped me identify the unique aspects of my background and story that I could bring forward. Her strong understanding of what different business schools look for in applicants was extremely valuable throughout the process.

I was working full-time and planning my wedding while going through the MBA application process, so managing everything at once was challenging. Aparna helped me develop a clear application strategy and work-back plan, and she kept me accountable throughout the entire process. She made sure I stayed on track, pushed me when needed, and helped me balance competing priorities without compromising the quality of my applications.

Aparna was especially helpful in identifying the experiences and themes that could differentiate my candidacy. We brainstormed different aspects of my personal life and career, and she helped me turn those experiences into compelling, well-structured stories. Her attention to detail, quick turnaround on iterations, candid feedback, and consistently high quality bar helped me significantly strengthen my essays and overall application.

Aparna’s ability to truly listen to candidates, collaborate with them to uncover compelling stories, and push them to reach their full potential is what sets her apart. Her guidance played an important role in helping me gain admission to my dream school, Kellogg. I couldn’t have asked for a better advisor and accountability partner throughout this journey, and I would highly recommend her to anyone navigating the MBA application process.

On paper my background looked scattered. Enterprise software on one side, early-stage healthcare ventures on the other, and an engineering degree underneath all of it. I kept trying to pick a lane in my essays because I assumed adcoms wanted a clean line. Mudit and team did the opposite. They kept digging until we found the thread that actually connected the two, and once that clicked, the essays practically wrote themselves. The other thing that stood out was how honest the school strategy was.

Nobody padded my list to make me feel good about it, and Darden was flagged early as a genuine fit rather than a stretch. Getting in with a scholarship confirmed it read the fit right.

When I first heard about Rajdeep, it was almost with this perception that he only worked with a very certain type of applicant, people who fit a particular mold. And honestly, because I didn’t see myself as that kind of “traditional” candidate, I initially had hesitations about working with him.
What changed my mind was speaking with him multiple times over nearly a year before I actually started the application process. The more I spoke to him, the more I realized he was actually the opposite of what I had assumed. Because he and his team have worked with such a wide range of applicants over the years, he has a very strong sense for authenticity, hard work, and a person’s ability to succeed across very different backgrounds. I never felt like he was trying to force me into a predefined narrative or compare me against a standard template.
I had a very short list of schools: Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. So it mattered a lot to me that the person I worked with genuinely believed in my story. Rajdeep had conviction in it from very early on. Even before we formally started working together, he would push me toward new ways of thinking about my journey. He would say things like, “Think more deeply about this aspect of your career growth,” or “There’s probably more to unpack here about what you want long-term.” Over time, those conversations genuinely changed how I understood my own story, and by the time we officially began the process, I came in with much more clarity and direction.
A large part of my narrative was tied to having grown up in India, later moving to the US, and working in healthcare while seeing both systems up close. I felt like Rajdeep understood that duality extremely well. He understood the “India” part of my story because he had worked with so many applicants from similar backgrounds, but he also understood how to contextualize my US experiences and connect both worlds into a coherent narrative.
On another note, there were aspects of his natural working style and mine that initially differed, and when I gave him feedback, he genuinely adjusted his approach to fit what worked best for me. For example, I preferred spending more time discussing the story and brainstorming before drafting, while he typically likes to iterate directly through drafts. He adapted to that. I also wanted very frequent touchpoints, often daily check-ins, and he was willing to accommodate that structure throughout the process. That level of flexibility is rare.
I think the biggest impact he had on my applications was helping me go much deeper into my personal story than I otherwise would have. Most other consultants I spoke to focused primarily on my recent work experience and professional achievements. Rajdeep was the one who kept pushing me further back, toward my childhood, my experiences with the Indian healthcare system growing up, and the emotional context behind my decision to pursue this path in the first place. Without him, I honestly don’t think I would have ever written about experiences from twenty years ago or realized how central they were to who I am as an applicant.
The interview preparation was also extremely valuable. For Wharton, the mock interview process gave me a huge amount of confidence going in because I had already practiced multiple times in a very structured way. For HBS specifically, Rajdeep’s mock interviews ended up being remarkably close to the actual interview experience. But more than predicting questions, what helped was the breadth of perspective he brought: his guidance wasn’t based on one or two interviewer experiences, but on years of seeing patterns across different interviewers, schools, and applicant experiences. Even after the HBS interview, when I had only 24 hours to submit my reflection, he was incredibly responsive and helped me turn around multiple edits within a very short time.
Overall, what stood out most to me throughout the process was that I never felt like I was being packaged into a version of what an MBA applicant is “supposed” to look like. I felt understood as an individual, and that made all the difference.

When I started my MBA application journey, I came in with a lot of preconceived notions. Coming from SRCC, there’s almost a set path that people tend to follow: consulting, then maybe private equity or VC, a certain kind of GMAT score, and then a top B-school. My journey didn’t look like that at all. I had worked at an investment bank, moved into a strategy role, and then into a climate tech startup. While I personally believed in my story, I wasn’t sure if it was something others would see value in.
One of the most important things Rajdeep did early on was help me see that an unconventional path is not a disadvantage; it can actually be a strength. That shift in perspective was quite fundamental for me. It gave me the confidence to not just apply, but also aim for schools I might not have otherwise considered. I think that initial belief and conviction he instilled made a big difference in how I approached the entire process.
As we progressed, a big part of the work was around storytelling. When you’re looking at your own journey, it’s easy to either overlook details or not fully appreciate their significance. Rajdeep really pushed me to go understand why certain experiences mattered, what they meant for me, and how they contributed to my growth. If I compare my initial drafts, whether it was my CV or my goals essay, to what I eventually submitted, it’s the same story, but far more nuanced and evolved. That level of depth and personalization, without forcing me into a template, was something I found extremely valuable.
Another thing that stood out was how he framed the entire application process. It never felt like the goal was just to “get into a B-school.” Instead, he consistently pushed me to think about this as a strategic step in my career, why now, why an MBA, and what I want to do with it. I remember we even spent time evaluating whether I should apply this year or wait another year, looking at what I might gain versus what I already had. That level of honesty and long-term thinking is not something I expected, but it helped me zoom out and approach the process with a lot more clarity.
The interview preparation, especially for Harvard, was also very intensive and thoughtful. We did multiple mock interviews, and he spent a lot of time helping me think through my responses at a much deeper level. HBS interviews are quite incisive: they tend to pick one part of your story and go very deep on it. So being able to anticipate that and prepare with that level of nuance made a big difference. By the time I went into the interview, nothing felt unfamiliar or surprising. I felt prepared and confident in how I was articulating my story. Even post-interview, he helped me think through and structure my reflection, which is another important part of the process.
More broadly, what I valued was the sense that I wasn’t navigating this alone. At multiple points, especially when outcomes were uncertain, it helped to have someone who would consistently remind me that this process is not the end-all, and that there are always ways to move forward. That perspective helped me manage the pressure much better and approach each stage with a clearer head.
Overall, the process was not about fitting into a predefined mold, but about truly understanding and articulating my own journey. Rajdeep helped me see my story more clearly and present it in a way that felt both authentic and compelling, and that’s something I wouldn’t have been able to do on my own.

When I first started working with Aparna, I thought I was looking for someone to help me with essays and applications. Looking back, what I actually found was a mentor who fundamentally changed the way I thought about my own story.

As an Indian applicant, I realized there’s a significant gap between how we’re conditioned to present ourselves and what U.S. business schools are actually looking for. Aparna helped me bridge that gap. She didn’t just edit essays, she challenged my thinking, pushed me to dig deeper, and taught me how to communicate with authenticity. Over time, I also found myself becoming much more attuned to American communication styles and interview expectations, which made a huge difference throughout the process.

What sets Aparna apart is her exceptional judgment. She has an instinctive understanding of what makes an application memorable, how to build a compelling narrative and what pitfalls to avoid. There were countless moments where she would point out something that seemed perfectly fine to me but would have weakened the overall story. That perspective is something you simply can’t get from generic admissions advice.

The interview preparation was another area where she made an enormous impact. She anticipated the kinds of questions each school was likely to ask based on my profile and the school’s culture. I remember my Booth interview being particularly challenging, but because we had anticipated that possibility and prepared extensively for difficult, probing questions, I walked into the interview feeling composed instead of surprised. Looking back, that preparation made all the difference.

I also started my applications much later than I should have. The deadlines were unforgiving, and there were many nights when Aparna was still reviewing essays, brainstorming ideas, and providing thoughtful feedback long after most people would have called it a day. She genuinely burned the midnight oil to help me put my best foot forward, and I will always be grateful for that level of commitment.

I was fortunate to receive admission offers from Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, and Yale. But more than the admits, I value how much I grew during the process. Aparna didn’t just help me get into business school; she taught me how to tell my story with clarity and purpose. I couldn’t recommend her more highly to anyone looking for a mentor who is deeply invested in both the process and the person.

When I started my MBA applications, I had no idea how rigorous it would be. Having the best consultants was instrumental for my journey. Nisha was meticulous and thorough throughout the process, despite being halfway across the world. Whether it was polishing my resumé, refining my story or answering essay-related questions, I always felt like I had someone genuinely invested in my success.

What stood out most was how she had a crystal clear vision from the start. We often had multiple rounds of feedback, every conversation with clear purpose where she pushed me to dig deeper in my expression of my experiences.

The team were also incredibly supportive during the interview stage. We went through many mock interviews and each one made me more confident. By the time the actual interviews arrived, I felt ready because we had already worked through different scenarios and received actionable feedback from both of them.

I’m incredibly grateful to Nisha and team for all their guidance and support throughout the application process. Receiving admits to both Wharton and NYU Stern was a satisfying outcome and I genuinely believe that without their mentorship, I would not be here today.

Partnering with Rajdeep was one of the most enriching and clarifying experiences of my application journey. From our very first exploratory conversation, even before I formally began working with AG, Rajdeep stood out for his incisiveness and clarity. His feedback on my initial profile was sharp, direct, and grounded in what would truly strengthen my application, irrespective of whether I ultimately chose to work with AG. That honesty immediately built trust.

What I valued most was Rajdeep’s ability to balance efficiency with depth. While his feedback was consistently quick and precise, I never once felt rushed or shortchanged in the process. On the contrary, we spent significant time revisiting and reworking my goals and story, sometimes going back to the drawing board entirely. Rather than forcing a narrative, Rajdeep helped me uncover the interlinkages that already existed in my life, and then pushed me to interrogate what genuinely mattered to me through deep introspection.

This process required courage, the courage to discard ideas we were attached to, to admit when something wasn’t working, and to start afresh. Rajdeep created a space where that was not only possible, but encouraged. His willingness to give constructive criticism, combined with his respect for the depth of the story I wanted to tell, made the experience both rigorous and deeply fulfilling.

Balancing work alongside applications is demanding, and Rajdeep’s clarity, decisiveness, and thoughtfulness made that balance possible. In hindsight, it was this combination- direct feedback, structured introspection, and the discipline to pursue quality over comfort that made the journey to my Harvard Business School admit so gratifying.

I’m headed to Tuck, prouder and happier than I would’ve ever been had it not been for Nisha. She gave me the confidence to stand out in my own way and encouraged me to make the most of my strengths.

Beyond framing stories with intentionality and building a narrative that lands with the reader, I learned a lot from her communication style as well. She has a way of conveying feedback that registers immediately and enables one to act on it quickly. It was very smooth to navigate with her instructions because she made them crystal clear and always gave me the right direction.

I had the most enjoyable journey with interview prep thanks to her and the team. They left no stone unturned to ensure I got more than enough practice and put in the effort to polish my delivery in every way possible. I have never seen anyone go into such depth and detail for every single interview. I grew with each mock I did with Nisha, not just for business school but as a person as well.

I am extremely grateful to Nisha for being my guide, adviser and confidante. She was there for me when I doubted myself and celebrated with me when I won. I found in her not just a consultant but a lifelong mentor. Thanks a lot, Nisha!

Once I decided I wanted to apply this year, I immediately connected with folks from my network who were attending top business schools. One name that kept coming up was Rajdeep’s, and it made fair sense to speak with him about my profile. In that conversation, I realized why. He wasn’t preachy or pushy in our chat. In fact, he patiently listened to me and understood my experiences until I was done, then shared his viewpoint on critical aspects of school strategy, my MBA application narrative, and his approach. Within that hour, I knew that I wanted him as my counselor.

Coming from a deeply technical engineering role followed by a technical product role, I wasn’t sure what the unifying thread of my story should be or how my experiences connected to my long-term ambitions. That was one of the first things Rajdeep helped me solve. He distilled two seemingly different roles into a coherent narrative that naturally explained both my journey and where I wanted to go next.

Once we found that, every decision, from school selection to essays to interviews, became far more intentional because the story finally felt coherent and authentic.

Very early in the process, I realized that he wasn’t trying to make my story sound more polished; he was trying to make sure the right story came through. I was skeptical about how I should translate technically rigorous work onto the page in a way that doesn’t lack depth and yet doesn’t read overly simplified. Rajdeep helped me find that delicate balance as we went on. He would quickly cut through certain details, identify where the real leadership was, and help me articulate it in language that anyone could understand without losing the depth of the work. That balance is much harder to achieve than it sounds, and it’s where I think his understanding of technical careers really stands apart.

Because of that, my applications stopped feeling like descriptions of products or projects. Instead, they became stories about decision-making, influence, leadership, and the kind of impact I wanted to create through technology. That shift fundamentally changed how I approached every school.

I also started my applications much closer to the deadlines, so having someone who brought structure and clarity to the process was invaluable. Every conversation was focused on the highest-impact changes, and I never felt like we were working on something simply for the sake of it.

Where Rajdeep’s guidance became even more valuable, though, was during the interview stage. Each school expected something completely different. One interview demanded concise, high-energy responses under constant follow-up questions. Another required collaborating effectively in a team setting, while a third rewarded thoughtful, deeper storytelling. Rajdeep never approached interview preparation as a one-size-fits-all exercise. Every mock interview reflected the style and expectations of that specific school.

One moment that has stayed with me was during my preparation for a team-based discussion. Rajdeep had developed such a structured approach to understanding and navigating different group dynamics and roles that one of the exact roles we had prepared for was the one I naturally stepped into during the actual discussion. Instead of figuring things out in the moment, I felt prepared because we had already thought through how to contribute effectively without dominating the conversation. That preparation made a meaningful difference to my confidence and performance.

The outcome speaks for itself. I was fortunate to receive admits from Harvard Business School, Wharton, and Kellogg, along with a $170,000 scholarship from Kellogg. I genuinely don’t think I would have been able to present my profile with the same level of clarity or confidence without Rajdeep’s guidance.

The strongest endorsement I can give is that I’ve continued recommending Rajdeep to people in my own network. Several friends and colleagues are now working with him because I’ve seen firsthand the difference he makes.

Rajdeep made a very real difference to my application journey, especially given that my profile wasn’t typical.

I come from a background where I’ve been physically challenged since birth, and I had always been unsure about how much of that to bring into my applications. One of the biggest things Rajdeep helped me with was uncovering and shaping that part of my story. He helped me bring out moments of vulnerability from across my life: school, college, and beyond, but in a way that didn’t make the narrative overly centered on it. Instead, it was integrated thoughtfully, with most of the essay still focused on my professional achievements and extracurriculars. That balance, being vulnerable without sounding like you’re seeking sympathy, was something I wouldn’t have been able to get right on my own.

Another thing that I really appreciate was how early and structured the entire process was. While I saw others struggling with last-minute revisions, my essays were fully done, across drafts, revisions, and proofreading, about a week to ten days before the deadline. That meant I was mentally calm going into submissions and didn’t have to deal with last-minute chaos, which was especially important since my recommenders submitted LORs quite late.

The essay work, in general, was where I felt the most value since I believe the biggest transformation was in how my story came together on paper.

On the interview side, Rajdeep pushed me beyond what I would have done myself. For my HBS interview, even after two mocks, he felt I wasn’t ready and made sure I did additional mocks to be fully prepared. That extra push made a big difference to my confidence going in and ultimately to the outcome.

For Wharton specifically, the team-based discussion prep was a game-changer. In my actual TBD, the group was completely unstructured, and most people came in unprepared. Because of the way the mocks were designed and the specific guidance I had received, like stepping up as a timekeeper or summarizing discussions, I was able to take on a leadership role in that moment. Honestly, whatever I had prepared content-wise went out of the window, but this approach helped me navigate the situation and played a key role in securing the admit.

Overall, beyond just the process, what impressed me is the trust he builds. I’ve already had multiple people from my workplace choose to work with him based on my experience. That, to me, says a lot.

I would strongly recommend Rajdeep to anyone going through this process, especially if you want someone who can help you tell your story with the right balance and depth.

One year programs were non negotiable for me. I didn’t want to step away from my career for two years, and I knew that narrowed my options considerably. Mudit was the first person who didn’t try to talk me out of it.

Coming from CPG, I assumed my experience would read as too narrow for schools that see a lot of consultants and bankers. Mudit’s read was the opposite. He pulled out the parts of my work I’d stopped noticing, the ownership and the decisions I’d made without much of a defined playbook, and helped me build the applications around that.

He was also correct about the school fit. When something in a draft wasn’t landing for the program, he would guide me to think deeper and come up with experiences that fit perfectly and brought out the nuances.

Kellogg 1Y and MIT Sloan Fellows both came through. That was the exact list I’d hoped for at the start! Thank you Mudit and Team AG, grateful for all the help

I went into the process thinking I just needed someone to edit my essays. Instead, Mudit spent our first few conversations asking me questions, and I realized pretty quickly that the issue wasn’t really the writing. It was that I hadn’t fully figured out what I wanted to say.

He has this habit of asking the same question in a few different ways until you stop giving the easy answer and actually think about it. It can be a little frustrating in the moment, but looking back, that’s where most of my best essay ideas came from. A lot of what ended up in my final applications came from those conversations, not from the drafts I started with.

He’s also very straightforward. If something wasn’t working, he’d tell me. More importantly, he’d explain why, so I knew how to fix it instead of rewriting blindly. That made the whole process a lot more efficient.

I ended up getting into Kellogg, and I’m really glad I found him when I did.

When I decided to apply for an MBA, I didn’t spend much time comparing consultants. Rajdeep’s name kept coming up in conversations with people I trusted, through my IIT network as well as my VC circles. Several of them had worked with him, earned admits to exceptional schools, and spoke very highly of the experience. That made the decision to work with him a fairly straightforward one, and looking back, it was absolutely the right choice.

What I appreciated most was the depth of his understanding of each school. His knowledge goes far beyond publicly available information or broad admissions advice. He has a very nuanced perspective on what different schools value, how they evaluate candidates, and, more importantly, how an applicant’s story can be positioned in a way that genuinely fits each program.

Those insights shaped almost every aspect of my application. From helping me identify the right schools to target, to refining the way I articulated my experiences, goals, and motivations, Rajdeep brought a level of strategic thinking that I hadn’t encountered elsewhere. He was able to pinpoint which parts of my story deserved emphasis, which angles would resonate with specific schools, and where I needed to push my thinking further. That clarity made writing essays and evaluating school fit significantly easier because every application had a clear rationale behind it instead of feeling like a generic adaptation.

The biggest takeaway for me wasn’t just stronger essays, it was developing a much deeper understanding of how my own profile aligned with different schools and how to communicate that authentically and effectively. That strategic guidance played a significant role in my application outcomes, including an admit to Chicago Booth with a $60,000 scholarship.

Working with Rajdeep fundamentally changed how I approached my MBA applications, and, honestly, whether I felt confident navigating the process at all.
Our engagement was not a transactional, “submit a draft and wait two days” kind of thing. There was a sense of continuous presence throughout the journey, quick follow-ups, thoughtful responses, and a feeling that someone was actively thinking alongside me, not just reacting to my questions. That consistency mattered enormously, especially during moments of uncertainty or self-doubt.
From the very beginning, I entered the process with almost no understanding of how MBA admissions actually work, how to structure a CV for business school, how to articulate goals in an admissions-ready way, or how to position my experiences cohesively. Rajdeep helped me build that foundation step by step. He didn’t just “edit” materials; he taught me how to think about my profile strategically, how admissions committees evaluate candidates, and how to connect disparate experiences into a compelling narrative.
He consistently pushed me to go deeper, questioning assumptions, stress-testing stories, and refining arguments, without ever making the process feel adversarial or discouraging. That balance of rigor and encouragement helped surface a version of my story that was more honest, coherent, and persuasive than what I would have arrived at on my own.
During the interview phase, Rajdeep was exceptionally available, especially as my Harvard interview approached, conducting multiple mock interviews and sharing targeted questions drawn from real candidate experiences. This exposure helped me prepare not just rehearsed answers, but adaptable thinking, so I could respond confidently and authentically in the actual interview.
Beyond skill and strategy, what truly differentiated Rajdeep was his patience and calm presence. The MBA application process can be overwhelming, particularly when balancing a demanding job alongside it. Rajdeep had a way of steadying the process, breaking it down into manageable steps, clarifying what actually mattered, and helping me focus my energy where it would have the greatest impact.
There was also a level of generosity in how he worked with me, whether it was offering to review an additional school outside my original package or continuing to engage deeply even when the scope expanded. These gestures reinforced that this was not just about deliverables, but about genuinely wanting applicants to succeed.

Most people think the hard part ends when you hit submit. It doesn’t, and that’s where Mudit and the team surprised me.

After the Booth admit came through, Mudit stayed involved in a way I didn’t expect. He helped me put together a case for scholarship money, and it worked. Then came the visa paperwork, which I had no idea how to approach, and the financing question, which I’d been quietly avoiding. He walked me through both. Loan options, what to plan for, what actually mattered versus what I was overthinking.

That’s the part I tell people about. Plenty of consultants will get you in. Fewer will still be picking up the phone months later when you’re trying to figure out how to actually pay for it and get there.

Booth, with a scholarship, and a lot less panic than I would have had on my own. Thank you to Mudit and the whole Admissions Gateway team.

Things Mudit asked me that I couldn’t answer on the first try:

“Why now? What did I actually own in that project, versus what did my team own? If I had five more years of experience, what would I be writing about instead? And why isn’t that in here already?

I applied to Columbia with two years of work experience, which everyone around me had opinions about. Mudit didn’t spend time on whether it was a good idea. He spent time making sure the application answered the question a reader would obviously have, which was why I wasn’t waiting. Him and the team were super quick with turnarounds and clear with feedbacks

I don’t think he ever once told me a draft was good when it wasn’t.

Grateful for the entire Admissions Journey.

Working with Aparna Pahwa at Admissions Gateway was, without exaggeration, the single most transformative part of my entire MBA application journey. I came in as a career changer of sorts, five years deep into consulting at PwC, having built out a startup-focused advisory practice there, but with an ambition to eventually pivot into brand and marketing, a shift that on paper looked more like a leap than a natural next step. What Aparna did exceptionally well was help me realise, and eventually articulate, that it wasn’t a leap at all. She uncovered the common thread running through my experiences and helped shape a narrative that felt authentic rather than manufactured.

The resume was where everything began, and it turned out to be far more foundational than I expected. Every bullet was rebuilt using the STAR method, Situation, Task, Action and Result, which sounds almost mechanical until you watch your own experience get reframed through it. Vague descriptions of my consulting engagements became sharp, outcome-oriented narratives, each one quantified and each one telling a small story rather than listing a responsibility. It was humbling to realise how much of my own impact I had been underselling simply by not structuring it properly.

The essays demanded a different kind of rigour altogether, one that was almost uncomfortably introspective. Every draft was interrogated, gently but relentlessly, until the writing stopped sounding like a polished version of my resume and started sounding like an honest account of why I wanted to move from consulting into building brands, and why an MBA, and Cambridge specifically, was the right bridge for that transition. My GMAT score, respectable but not the centrepiece of my profile, was woven into the broader narrative rather than treated as a standalone credential, positioned as one data point among many that supported a coherent, deliberate story of who I was and where I was headed.

Interview preparation was where the process truly earned its reputation. I went through a series of detailed mock interviews, each one structured to mirror the actual format and tone I would eventually face, with granular feedback after every single round on content, pacing and the small verbal tics that crept in under pressure. By the time I sat for my actual Cambridge interview, very little about the experience felt unfamiliar, which allowed me to focus entirely on being present rather than anxious.

That ability to identify the underlying narrative was evident throughout the process. Aparna’s fingerprints were on every stage of the application, from reshaping my resume and refining essays to preparing me for interviews. What sets her apart is not just her editorial precision, but her genuine investment in understanding your story before she ever touches a draft. She has an uncanny ability to spot the through line in a career that looks, on the surface, disjointed, and help you tell it with clarity and conviction rather than defensiveness. My admit to Cambridge Judge Business School, and everything that followed, including my transition into brand and marketing, owes a great deal to the foundation she helped me build.

If you are standing at a similar crossroads, unsure how to frame a career pivot or worried that your profile does not fit a conventional mould, I cannot recommend Admissions Gateway, and Aparna in particular, highly enough.

Rajdeep’s strategy sessions helped me understand application components and essay break-downs on a much deeper level. Things that had felt like a black box at the start started to make real sense, and by the time I was writing, I knew exactly what each piece of the application was supposed to do.

The interview mocks with him were what really tipped the balance for me. He pushed hard on the questions I was least prepared for, and walking into the actual interviews I felt genuinely ready instead of just rehearsed. So grateful to Rajdeep and the team for getting me here!

Rajdeep’s strategy sessions helped me understand application components and essay break-downs on a much deeper level. Things that had felt like a black box at the start started to make real sense, and by the time I was writing, I knew exactly what each piece of the application was supposed to do.

The interview mocks with him were what really tipped the balance for me. He pushed hard on the questions I was least prepared for, and walking into the actual interviews I felt genuinely ready instead of just rehearsed. So grateful to Rajdeep and the team for getting me here!

Mudit asked a lot of questions before we wrote a single line. Some of them annoyed me at the time, mostly because I didn’t have good answers. That turned out to be the point.

He was quick to tell me when something in my draft was flat, and quicker to explain why. No long lectures, just a clear read on what was landing and what wasn’t. I’d send an essay expecting a polish and get back three comments that changed how I thought about the whole thing.

The five schools I was targeting, across four countries and three continents, wanted very different things, and he didn’t try to force one narrative across all of them. He helped me figure out what was actually consistent about me and let the rest flex.

He was also easy to reach, which sounds like a small thing until you’re two days out from a deadline.

Admits from ISB, Kellogg, and INSEAD. Working with Mudit was a good decision.

When I first started exploring MBA admissions consultants, I spoke with several firms in both India and abroad. While most consultants focused on maximizing the number of schools I should apply to in our first chat, Rajdeep took the opposite approach. He was clear about where my profile would be competitive and where I should focus my efforts. That conviction gave me confidence that I would be working with someone who genuinely understood admissions strategy.
As we started working together, I realized that this clarity extended to every aspect of the application. My profile was broad and had many different dimensions, which made it difficult to identify a coherent narrative. Rajdeep was exceptional at helping me separate what was interesting from what was truly impactful. He helped me identify the themes that mattered most, connect seemingly unrelated experiences, and build a compelling story across my resume, essays, and interviews.
We spoke multiple times each week, and every conversation was incredibly productive. I would often leave our calls with pages of notes because there was so much insight packed into each discussion. He consistently pushed my thinking, challenged assumptions, and helped me articulate my experiences at a much deeper level than I could have done on my own.
What impressed me equally was his execution. I was applying to six highly competitive programs with tightly compressed deadlines, and I initially worried whether we would be able to complete everything to the standard required. Despite starting relatively close to the deadlines, we finished every application ahead of schedule without ever compromising on quality. Throughout the process, Rajdeep was organized, responsive, and relentlessly focused on producing the strongest possible outcome.
His support during interviews was just as valuable. We conducted multiple mock interviews, including video-based sessions where he helped me refine not only my answers but also my communication style, body language, and overall presence. For interviews such as Harvard, which can feel particularly intimidating, he ensured I had extensive preparation through both his coaching and mock interviews. By the time I walked into the actual interview, I felt completely prepared.
Looking back, I highly appreciate Rajdeep’s strategic insight, honest advice, and meticulous execution. I do not doubt that his guidance played a significant role in my admits to Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, and Chicago Booth, and I would recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone pursuing top MBA programs.

I applied to five schools and was fortunate to receive an admit from Tuck with a $70,000 scholarship. Looking back, a big part of getting there was how structured and personal the process felt while working with Rajdeep.
In our initial conversations, he went far beyond surface-level questions, really trying to connect the dots between where I grew up, my experiences at IIT, and my work at P&G. There were themes in my own journey that I hadn’t fully articulated myself, and he was able to bring those together in a way that made my narrative feel cohesive and authentic. It never felt templated or reusable; everything was extremely specific to me.
I tend to procrastinate, and without that external push, it’s easy to lose momentum. Rajdeep was always a step ahead: if we aligned on a timeline, he had already mapped out the next steps, checkpoints, and dependencies. Especially in the final few weeks, we were speaking multiple times a week, closing loops quickly, and keeping things moving. That level of structure made what is otherwise a very overwhelming process feel manageable and efficient.
There were also key moments where his judgment really helped reduce anxiety. For instance, when I was initially targeting Round 1 but hadn’t yet reached my desired GMAT score, he helped me think through the decision objectively. Instead of rushing into an application, we created clear decision gates around whether to proceed or hold off. That clarity, knowing what was a “go” vs a “no-go” helped me stay focused and make better choices. Through multiple GMAT attempts, he remained consistently supportive and also connected me with the right resources, which ultimately helped me reach my target score.
His support also extended to high-stakes, time-sensitive moments. I remember reaching out very close to a scholarship deadline, and despite an extremely busy period, he stepped in to help me structure the essay and refine the flow. That intervention played a direct role in how I was able to present my case. Similarly, he was involved in reviewing my application forms, conducting mock interviews, and helping me sharpen my responses, all of which made me feel far more confident going into the process.
Overall, I believe Rajdeep doesn’t just guide you through the process, he helps you make better decisions at each stage, especially when it matters most. So, don’t think twice, just bring him on board!

I applied to five schools and was fortunate to receive an admit from Tuck with a $70,000 scholarship. Looking back, a big part of getting there was how structured and personal the process felt while working with Rajdeep.
In our initial conversations, he went far beyond surface-level questions, really trying to connect the dots between where I grew up, my experiences at IIT, and my work at P&G. There were themes in my own journey that I hadn’t fully articulated myself, and he was able to bring those together in a way that made my narrative feel cohesive and authentic. It never felt templated or reusable; everything was extremely specific to me.
I tend to procrastinate, and without that external push, it’s easy to lose momentum. Rajdeep was always a step ahead: if we aligned on a timeline, he had already mapped out the next steps, checkpoints, and dependencies. Especially in the final few weeks, we were speaking multiple times a week, closing loops quickly, and keeping things moving. That level of structure made what is otherwise a very overwhelming process feel manageable and efficient.
There were also key moments where his judgment really helped reduce anxiety. For instance, when I was initially targeting Round 1 but hadn’t yet reached my desired GMAT score, he helped me think through the decision objectively. Instead of rushing into an application, we created clear decision gates around whether to proceed or hold off. That clarity, knowing what was a “go” vs a “no-go” helped me stay focused and make better choices. Through multiple GMAT attempts, he remained consistently supportive and also connected me with the right resources, which ultimately helped me reach my target score.
His support also extended to high-stakes, time-sensitive moments. I remember reaching out very close to a scholarship deadline, and despite an extremely busy period, he stepped in to help me structure the essay and refine the flow. That intervention played a direct role in how I was able to present my case. Similarly, he was involved in reviewing my application forms, conducting mock interviews, and helping me sharpen my responses, all of which made me feel far more confident going into the process.
Overall, I believe Rajdeep doesn’t just guide you through the process, he helps you make better decisions at each stage, especially when it matters most. So, don’t think twice, just bring him on board!

What made working with Aparna different was how personal it got. As a SWE with 5+ years at a F500 company, I had plenty of real achievements but struggled to articulate what made them compelling to a business school.

Aparna helped me see that the most important parts of my story weren’t the technical wins but what sat behind them: building alignment across teams in Europe and Asia, pushing back on leadership with contrarian ideas, and connecting all of it to career goals that actually made sense given my background. We spent real time figuring out which stories to prioritize for each prompt and how to reframe technical achievements around the attributes business schools actually care about: collaboration, managing diverse stakeholders, leadership, business impact etc. The feedback volume was intense, easily 100+ rounds across my CV, essays, and application forms, and every pass made things sharper.

As an introvert, the mock interview prep was particularly valuable. It was thorough while being completely judgment free, which gave me the space to actually find my voice before the real thing. Ended up with multiple M7 admits (Booth, Kellogg) and scholarships (Booth, Kellogg, Yale, Ross, Rotman).

Before I started, my biggest concern wasn’t my profile. It was finding someone who actually understood INSEAD. It’s a very different program from most US MBAs, and I didn’t want advice that treated it like just another M7 application.

That concern disappeared after my first conversation with Mudit. He had a clear understanding of what INSEAD values, what the essays are really trying to assess, and how a one-year MBA changes the way you need to present your goals. That completely changed how I approached my application.

Working together was straightforward and efficient. Feedback was always quick, specific, and focused on making the application stronger. Whenever I got stuck on an essay or wasn’t sure a draft was working, Mudit and the team helped me think through it without overcomplicating the process.

Looking back, having someone who genuinely understood the school made a huge difference. I’m grateful to Mudit and the team for helping me put together an application I was confident in, and I’m thrilled to be joining INSEAD.

I cannot express how grateful I am to Nisha and her team for this.

When I started, I wasn’t even sure I belonged in this process. I had a reason ready for why each school would pass on me. Nisha spent the next few months quietly proving me wrong, and what got me early was how seriously she took those doubts. I’d show up to calls with a running list of worries, and rather than reassure me with something generic, she’d actually sit in them with me. She’d walk me through why a particular angle made sense, or why a story I’d written off as unimportant was worth building around. There was always a reason behind her suggestions, and once I understood the logic, I stopped second-guessing and started trusting where we were headed.

None of that came at the cost of rigor. Nisha knows this process cold, and she’d nudge me toward small choices I’d never have arrived at on my own. The kind of details that, in hindsight, probably made my application land differently in the room than it otherwise would have.

I’m especially grateful for how she approached my essays. A few core ideas about who I am ran through all my applications, but she made sure I never told the same story twice. Each school got its own version, shaped around what that specific program actually valued, so nothing ever read as copied and pasted.

The interview prep was its own turning point. I walked in feeling underprepared, and Nisha ran me through enough mock rounds that the nerves had mostly worn off by the time the real ones came around. She didn’t hand me scripted answers. Instead she’d push on my responses, ask the follow-ups an interviewer might actually throw at me, and help me figure out how to talk about my experiences in a way that sounded like me rather than a rehearsed pitch. By interview day I felt steady, and that calm made all the difference.

And she was remarkably accommodating. I was travelling a lot during this stretch and my working hours got genuinely hectic, but Nisha helped me balance all of it. She’d schedule around the chaos and hop on calls at frankly ungodly hours just to make things work. No question was ever too small or too repetitive. She’d patiently answer it, talk a story through with me again, and somehow keep a genuinely stressful stretch from feeling heavier than it needed to.