Anuradha Sowani

There is not an inch of doubt that Anuradha is one of the finest consultants available in India. I worked with her in R2 of my applications and found that she was fully committed to understanding my aspirations. She went beyond my expectations with her patience to illustrate my goals and my school fit.

Throughout the process, she took the time to discover the unique factors in my profile and gave thoughtful suggestions and comments on my essays. She was always available to talk to, no matter what time of day (or night!). It was a remarkable experience building applications with her, and I’m grateful for her constant help and reassurance when I was preparing for interviews. I got into all the schools I aimed for – Chicago Booth, Dartmouth Tuck, and Darden!

She has been a source of constant support even after I got my decisions. The application journey is long and stressful, Anuradha is a great companion to have with you.

I worked with Anuradha for both US and India b-schools applications. I enjoyed long discussions about my goals and passions in life. Indeed there were few agree to disagree, but overall the experience of the application cycle was terrific. Now, I am at my preferred B-school, and I still call Anuradha back for advice on general B school-related stuff. From brainstorming goals/schools to concise essays to interview preps and beyond, I’ll go ahead with Anuradha.

My experience with Anuradha has been quite wonderful, and filled with so many stories and growth! Here, I’d like to briefly lay out a few key aspects of our engagement, which have been quite pivotal during my journey:

1. Indian Male IT Engineer: I bet many of us can understand this predicament – the competitiveness and labor which follows this tag. For me, this was a constant feeling right from day 1. Here, I feel that Anuradha was the best mentor I could ask for. From being supportive to pushing me towards my best, she helped me realize that each day was an opportunity for growth! Her positivity and trust in my abilities empowered me to achieve both my MBA goals and my professional goals. In fact, I was at my most productive self during this time, thanks to the ambition we both worked towards.

2. Deadlines: Anuradha teamed up with me at a time when I had given up on my initial consultant. This person (who I don’t wish to name) was in fact quite opposite. For them, MBA prep seemed to be more about business and scalability. Coming from a place of restricted communication, my initial expectations were very limited. However, I am happy to share that by working with her, with a sense of open communication and drive, we were able to research, network, and submit applications for 4 colleges, within just one month!

3. School Research and Goals: From a list of over 25 schools, with a variety of positives and negatives, we were able to churn out 4 for round 1 and 6 for round 2. Her experience of having worked with clients from a tech background helped me discover and navigate my personal values. Using my professional experience to date and my sense of an ideal career, we were able to chart out my short-term and long-term goals; by journalling my projects and personal stories, we crafted cohesive essays; and consequently, we could achieve a sense of cohesion throughout my applications. The best part, most enjoyable of this entire process was the consistent feedback. Instead of making me lose hope, her feedback helped me stay focused throughout.

4. Interview Prep: One thing I really liked about our interview prep was how well Anuradha understood the mindset of the interviewer. Thanks to our multiple sessions of preparation, of both behavioral and motivational questions, I was able to constantly challenge myself and gain confidence. Given my habit of over-preparation, these practice sessions helped me remain calm during the actual thing, during scenarios such as when my webcam stopped working mid-interview!

In the end, I’ll just say that you can’t go wrong with Anuradha. Especially if you value communication and relationships, over contracts.

I wholeheartedly recommend Anuradha for your MBA application journey. If you’re like me, you’re interested in attending an elite US MBA program so you’ll need to craft a variety of outstanding applications that spotlight your unique qualities and reflect not just your capability, but your fit. Hence, it’s critical to work with someone who will not only spend the time and effort to understand you, but also has the knowledge and aptitude to guide you through putting together materials that belong at top-tier institutions.

Here are some highlights from my experience with Anuradha:

1. Building a Narrative: This is perhaps one of the most fundamental aspects of your application. I really appreciate that Anuradha helped me find the thread to weave together my past experiences and forge a compelling story with unique, non-traditional goals. There was an easier path available (featuring management consulting), but she gave me the necessary guidance and confidence to pursue the route that felt more authentic and meaningful to me (probably resulting in some of my best offers). I spoke to other, popular/established counselors, but Anuradha stood out to me in her willingness to help me put together a tougher, atypical narrative.

2. Addressing Weaknesses: My application had some glaring issues, which Anuradha helped me address creatively and with a solution-oriented mindset. At the same time, she’s not one to sugarcoat anything – she was very clear about the kind of scores I (as part of a somewhat over-represented demographic group) needed to attain to be able to target the schools I had in mind. I think she understands which aspects of the application can be spun, and which ones can’t. This helps her provide actionable, reliable advice.

3. Flexibility, Diligence & Resourcefulness: I’m a perfectionist, and Anuradha was always ready to brainstorm, review numerous essay drafts, and conduct several mock interviews. She wasn’t at all transactional, which is super important in a process often defined by self-doubt, vulnerability and indecision. She was flexible and positive, sometimes speaking with me on ridiculously short notice or the in middle of the night. She also arranged for me to do a mock-interview with one of her colleagues because I wanted to practice interviewing with a stranger before my interview with one of my top-choice schools. She went above and beyond.

4. Capability: Anuradha is thoughtful, intelligent, and knowledgeable. I really valued her feedback on my essays (rather unusual for me); she appreciates nuanced ideas, and has the intellectual/emotional breadth/depth to critique essays effectively. She was able to help me find a balance between presenting an authentic, compelling narrative & conveying required information. She understands different schools very well—naturally, your CBS essay has to be different from your Stanford essay; they are extremely different schools. She helped me strategize how to approach each essay, and I think she was spot-on regarding what a particular school is seeking. While she provided clear, unambiguous direction, she did not impinge on my creative freedom, instead, she brainstormed with me to find an essay direction that was both appropriate for the school and natural to me. She’s also creative and bold, not shying away from encouraging me to take intelligent risks. I submitted a rather audacious NYU picture essay – I don’t think I would have had the nerve to go through with it without her endorsement. The risk paid off.

To conclude, I will leave you with this: The application process is a long, deeply introspective period of self-learning. Choose a counselor with whom you want to spend your time, share your personal stories, and navigate finding/landing the right school. I think Anuradha fits the bill. I was admitted to UCB Haas, NYU Stern and UCLA with full scholarships, and Yale SOM with a 60% scholarship. I couldn’t have gotten to this point without her, and definitely not via an enjoyable journey of growth and self-awareness.

I loved working with Anuradha and Gunjan for my MBA applications to the US and the UK.

It’s really important to trust the advice of your MBA consultant which in my case was not easy to earn. I spoke to several consultants, established and emerging, before making my decision to work with Anuradha. I’m extremely happy with my decision. I was admitted to London Business School, Yale SOM, UCLA Anderson ($$), Cornell Johnson ($), and USC Marshall ($$$$). Anuradha and Gunjan played a significant role in these admit decisions.

Anuradha is highly informed and keyed into the MBA programs and admissions process. I’d guess her knowledge stems from up-to-date research, monitoring of applications data, and her work with prior students, rather than assumptions based on rankings and statistics alone.

Anuradha and Gunjan, my counselors, helped me at various stages of the MBA application process, including choosing the right business schools, brainstorming, resume editing, essay feedback and iteration, interview prep, and scholarship negotiations.

Here are some of the top reasons I enjoyed working with Anuradha and Gunjan:

Knowledge, ability, and execution: Anuradha and Gunjan had the expertise and vision required to help me take my applications to the next level. They helped me make my applications more focused and impactful. When I compare my before and after resumes, I’m amazed at the level of difference in impact we were able to achieve with the same experiences and facts. They also helped me present my goals and story with more clarity and focus.

Truly personalized advice and feedback: Anuradha and Gunjan did not give me formulaic, perfunctory feedback. They took the effort to really engage with my goals, essays, and even the short questions in the applications to help me present my best self. They offered constructive feedback on my essays without taking away my voice or the things I wanted to communicate. I appreciated their candor – they did not shy away from highlighting areas of improvement and offering actionable feedback. I was happy with all my essays when I submitted them and I quite enjoyed the whole reflecting, brainstorming, and writing process.

Enthusiasm and support: I did not feel like I was engaged in a transactional exchange at any time in the process. Anuradha and Gunjan did not have a set number of times I could contact them or talk about my essays or anything of that sort. They also took a lot of time out to conduct mock interviews with me which were extremely helpful. I don’t think I would’ve performed as well without their feedback on how to present my case and deliver my responses to have the most impact during the interviews. Lastly, they were encouraging. For instance, I was encouraged to apply to business schools that I was excited about and thought were reasonably good fits even if they seemed out of reach statistically. I was admitted to one such school!

Structure: I liked that Anuradha worked in an organized fashion with clear timelines, deliverables, and a weekly Zoom call.

Overall, it was an excellent experience and I highly recommend Anuradha to anyone working on MBA applications. I felt challenged, supported, and motivated by Anuradha – and I think those are great things to be feeling during the MBA application process. Good luck with applications!

I was already enrolled with an MBA admissions consultant (an already established brand), but I missed originality and true self-reflection in their approach. I decided to move on, and then I found Anuradha, and I was lucky I got in early in her last year’s batch.
Anuradha’s work is defined by her “Consistency and Effort” they may sound like simple words, but that’s the most fundamental quality of a great mentor.

She not only puts effort into making you find your Genuine X-factor and shine it through your essays, but she’s consistent in her approach. She honors her workflow and timelines and makes you not only prepared for MBA admissions but the actual MBA itself.
Be it crafting your resume or brainstorming on essays, Anuradha genuinely brings out life to your stories, making you truly self-reflect on your achievements and shortcomings.

The dedication of Anuradha is remarkable! She never puts a number on her sessions, mock Interviews, or essay drafts. Initially, when I was drafting my essays for a college, I made at least 15 drafts with Anuradha on the same essay, which stretched up to 45 days. She’s highly proactive, never gets tired, and is always ready to work with you till you’re fully satisfied.

Each session with Anuradha makes you learn a new thing about yourself. (Considering my modest profile coming from an overrepresented pool of applicants), that’s what enabled me to manoeuver MBA Admissions and get an admit from one of USA’s Top 25 Business School with a $40k Scholarship.

Thank you, Anuradha. You are truly beyond mentorship!

To everyone considering Anuradha as their MBA Admissions coach, You are in the right hands. Go for her services, and see how it transforms you and your application.

Anuradha has a genuine desire and motivation to help her clients get into the colleges they aspire to be in and she is not money/business motivated.

Some attributes of Anuradha that I witnessed while working with her:

1. Great workflow – Anuradha has a comprehensive sheet of questions she needs to have filled when you enroll with her. These questions are based on personal motivations, one’s past experience, and goals/desires. She then seamlessly brings them out in one’s college essays

2. Extensive experience – Have given 5+ interviews and wasn’t ever left unprepared for any question that was asked thanks to the prep beforehand

3. Honest – Will be quite frank about your chances in the colleges one has selected and helps trim/explore other colleges accordingly

4. Reliable – Sticks to the timelines decided at all times

I also referred a friend of mine who has similar experiences with Anuradha. Had a great experience working with her and definitely do recommend her services.

Anuradha and the team at Sowani global take the time and effort to understand *your* strengths and weaknesses as an MBA applicant, and do a great job of laying out what each University MBA adcom is looking for!

I was a nontraditional applicant with a poor undergraduate GPA, but the Sowani Global team did a great job in understanding my goals and ambitions. Now, in the Fall of 2021 (perhaps one of the most competitive admissions cycles), I’m going to a Full-Time, Ivy League, 2 Year MBA program!

Working with Sowani Global has been nothing short of amazing.

I contacted Sowani Global and had a brief preliminary talk over the phone with Anuradha. The first call itself ensured me of the direction in which we would be taking the process.

Anuradha was mindful of the preferences in my non-USA ambition for an MBA, and we stuck to the vision.
She could pull out my strengths according to what she read from my CV and heard from my narrative, and that was a fantastic lesson. I realized how much I was underselling my achievements and capacities.

The best part was how involved Anuradha was with the profile grooming and subsequent prep for the interviews. She helped tune the CV and essays with absolute honesty.

To specify about the helpfulness, there was a situation where I had noticed the deadline was moved from the last time I checked, and it ended up being the next day – Anuradha promptly rose up to the hectic challenge and helped with proofreading and tuning the essays perfectly. I submitted on time and even received an interview call.

It was mind-boggling how Anuradha could remember details of your professional journey, and work with you for your amalgamation.
Also, you are not going to hear sweet nothings about your profile and essays – a spade is a spade, and that is the perfect MBA consultancy one can ask for. To note, her amicability is also particularly helpful when you’re going through the stress of your applications.

With one offer+scholarship in hand, and awaiting interview results of two more schools, I would not change my decision of working with Anuradha. It has been a wonderful experience, and I am grateful.

During my journey to find a consultant, I made 6-7 phone calls, attended information sessions conducted by consultants as a part of promotions activity, and listened to their fees in Lacs of rupees. None of them piqued my interest or seemed reliable. Finally, my journey ended when I came across a profile of Anuradha almost after 3 weeks of searching on the internet.
She is a Yale SOM alumni and has a thorough understanding of the MBA admissions process. I experienced her mastery over this entire process starting from shortlisting the schools, applying to colleges, interview preparations, and negotiating for scholarships. She tries to understand the background holistically in terms of work experience, academics, and extracurricular activities before starting the process of college shortlisting. I had more than 25 sessions with her over 2.5 months during this process. She helps with the utmost dedication and enthusiasm.
Considering the moderate score of 323 in the GRE ( GMAT equivalent of 700), I applied to 3 colleges – Georgetown, W. P. Carey, and Simon Business School. Her ability to convert your draft into a perfect essay helped me to get interview calls for all colleges.
Our continuous mock interview preparation sessions helped me a lot during the actual interview process as I was prepared to answer all questions with ease.
Finally, I got an admit from Georgetown with a ‘Forte Fellowship’ which will cover 65% of my course fees. I also got an admit from W. P. Carey School of Business with a merit scholarship, which will cover 100% of Tuition and mandatory fees plus Teaching Assistantship.
No doubt that applying to MBA courses is daunting for most of the applicants. But, I think finding the right person to help you in this journey will make this journey a joyful learning experience. Thank you Anuradha for being there at every step of this process and helping out to get into my dream schools.

Anuradha is a great person to work with. She is very helpful and approachable and is always available to answer any questions. She spends a lot of time getting to know you and helps you craft essays highlighting your background perfectly. I would highly recommend working with her.

I had a great time working with Anuradha. Got interview invites for 4 out of the 4 colleges I applied to. I started working with her at a time when the deadlines were almost approaching but she was so calm and positive throughout. From understanding my professional journey to discussing my career goals, she did not leave a single leaf unturned. After receiving my interview invites, she gave me really helpful interview tips, conducted mock sessions, and was always available. Couldn’t have asked for a better counselor.