Shantanu Joshi

Working with Shantanu Joshi and the Admit Beacon team was one of the best decisions I made during my MBA application journey. Their guidance went far beyond essay editing, they helped me build a clear, authentic, and compelling application strategy that ultimately resulted in admits to Chicago Booth and Kellogg, along with scholarship offers.

What stood out most was the amount of time Shantanu invested in understanding my story. He took the effort to learn about my professional journey, my experiences as a Chartered Accountant, my motivations, and my long-term aspirations from every possible angle. Rather than fitting my profile into a generic template, he helped identify the unique aspects of my background and shaped a narrative that genuinely reflected who I am.

I also appreciated that every recommendation came with a clear rationale. Shantanu explained why certain stories were stronger, what admissions committees were looking for, and how to highlight the most impactful moments in my career. The entire Admit Beacon team was incredibly responsive, and their structured process, hands-on support, and easy-to-use tools made a complex application journey much more manageable.

I would highly recommend Admit Beacon and Shantanu to anyone looking for thoughtful, personalized, and results-driven MBA admissions consulting.

Shantanu and Admit Beacon were instrumental in my application journey and helped me land an admit + scholarship at Kellogg. It was a great experience working with them as they were very flexible throughout the process and helped me craft my story really well. They helped me put my best foot forward 🙂

The London Business School MBA was the dream, and Shantanu and the Admit Beacon team helped me turn it into reality!!

I am a Chartered Accountant working in consumer tech public markets investing and I had a lot of conviction about where the space is going but couldn’t figure out how to make that into a compelling MBA story. Shantanu and Niketa changed that. They deeply understood what LBS stands for, the diversity it celebrates, and helped me thread my background into exactly the kind of story LBS wants in the room. When it clicked it really clicked.

Shantanu has this unique way of asking “why” that sounds simple but is anything but. Why this decision, why this goal, why now. Every time I thought I had a solid answer he’d push further and that constant questioning forced a level of clarity I wouldn’t have found on my own. What came out the other side was sharper and more honest than anything I walked in with.

What also stood out was their obsessive attention to detail. The small stuff, the stuff you think doesn’t matter, the 11pm message about one line in an essay. They were there for all of it. That kind of availability means everything when you are in the thick of applications.

The Admit Beacon resources are genuinely phenomenal. The school specific content, candidate experiences, and insider knowledge of what LBS actually looks for made it feel like having a cheat code I kept going back to throughout the process.

The interview prep was where it all came together. Multiple mocks with different interviewers, tough and refined each time, and feedback that was direct and actionable. By the time I walked into the actual LBS interview I felt like I had already done it once before.

I wholeheartedly recommend Shantanu, Niketa and the entire Admit Beacon team to anyone serious about a top MBA. Best call I made in this whole process:)

I applied to 7 schools and got admits to 4 – Kellogg, Darden ($60k), Duke ($40k), and Ross ($60k). As an Indian male, engineering graduate working in IT, I belong to an overrepresented pool. Working with Team AdmitBeacon and Shantanu has been one of the best decisions I made in my MBA applications.

I came in with a bunch of accomplishments, and Shantanu helped me identify which were the strongest, which aligned most with my story, and which were worth exploring more deeply. As someone who works in corporate, my answers used to be very technical, elaborating more on what I did than why it mattered. We worked through the ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘so what’ of my career accomplishments together. It was an introspective process. Not only does it help you approach your essays more effectively, but it also helps you learn more about yourself in the process – eventually helping you define your career vision and goals. Shantanu guided me on how to build a narrative structure around my stories so that they actually land the way I want to.

As long as you put in the effort, Shantanu is willing to go above and beyond to support you. One thing that really stood out was how well-versed he had become with my life and career story. When I blanked, he could point out things from my own background that would best answer a prompt. He gives you just the right nudge to push you in the right direction, rather than simply placing you at the destination.

Lastly, Shantanu is also a great human being. The application process is nerve-wracking. You’re pressed for time and constantly worried whether your stories are good enough. Shantanu brought a sense of calm to it all. Sometimes that meant talking about non-admission stuff to build rapport and ease your nerves; other times it was simply him telling you that what you had was good enough.

I would highly recommend AdmitBeacon and Shantanu if you’re looking to land a top MBA admit.

Shantanu and Team Admit Beacon (Niketa, Shwetha, and others) have been instrumental in my acceptances into the top US B-schools. Having only decided to work with an MBA consultant by the first week of July for Round 1, I was short on time, and many consultants wouldn’t take me on, whether due to their bandwidth or their assessment of my profile.

Niketa and Shantanu, by contrast, put their faith in me from our very first consultation. Where other consultants had steered me toward safer, lower-ranked programs, they encouraged me to aim for the very top, and backed it up with the work to get me there. We spent almost a month refining my resume, which proved incredibly useful. It pushed me to introspect and to surface and structure the stories that would ultimately make a difference.

Their flexible working style suited me well, and the team would often arrange our discussions around my schedule. The mock interviews were thoroughly structured and prepared me for every scenario.

Overall, I would be a happy promoter of Shantanu and Admit Beacon, especially for anyone looking for a bespoke, non-templated service rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. I’m headed to Harvard Business School, after also receiving offers from Wharton ($80k scholarship) and Kellogg.

Shantanu Joshi and Admit Beacon were tremendous partners throughout my MBA application journey. When I began the process, I had real doubts about whether my profile was competitive enough for top schools. AB helped me bring clarity, structure, and confidence to every part of the application, and played a key role in helping me present my story in the strongest possible way.

What I appreciated most was how involved and accessible Shantanu was. Even during the most stressful parts of the process, I was always able to reach him, sometimes even at 3 AM when deadlines were approaching. He was consistently encouraging and supportive, but he also knew when to push me. Even very close to deadlines, he insisted on multiple iterations to make sure the essays were as strong as they could be.

He was also extremely accommodating. I added an additional school to my Round 1 applications just 10 days before the deadline, and he handled it with patience, trust, and full commitment.

I ended up receiving interview invites from every school I applied to in Round 1, and ultimately an admit to Wharton. I would strongly recommend Shantanu to anyone seeking thoughtful, rigorous, and reliable MBA admissions guidance.

Having not found success during deferred MBA admissions, I was quite confused in April 2025 when I decided to apply to top MBA programs. That’s when I connected with Admit Beacon. From the very first few calls, I felt my background was being understood in depth, not just at a surface level. The genuine and honest approach made it an easy decision to work with them. We went through 3/4 iterations for just my CV. Initially, I focused too much on technical details, but I was pushed to think beyond that and make it more outcome-oriented, this shift was extremely valuable. The most impactful part of the process was the career narrative brainstorming. Through multiple iterations, Shantanu helped me arrive at a compelling “Why MBA” story that aligned perfectly with my background and goals. I believe this played a key role in securing interview invites at all the schools we applied. For essays, my early drafts often lacked depth. Shantanu consistently pushed me to go deeper, stay aligned with the theme, and articulate my thoughts clearly. This iterative process significantly improved my storytelling. Admit Beacon’s knowledge base is another strong asset, it covers everything from school-specific insights to application strategy. The sessions with current students and alumni also helped me refine my school selection. Overall, the process while working with Shantanu was structured, transparent, and genuinely supportive from start to finish. In the end, I received interview invites from all the schools I applied to with Admit Beacon, and admits to Columbia, Kellogg, and Ross (with a $60K scholarship). For anyone looking to build a strong, authentic application that highlights their strengths, I would highly recommend Shantanu & Admit Beacon.

Working with Shantanu and the Admit Beacon team was, without a doubt, the best decision I made during my MBA application journey. Shantanu’s coaching was truly transformative, not only in helping me secure multiple admits, but in helping me understand and articulate my own story on a deeper, more personal level. As a first-time applicant from a software engineering background, I was completely new to the process, and my initial resume and essay drafts were overly technical and lacked a compelling narrative.

Shantanu’s approach was a masterclass in helping me craft a compelling story. He immediately helped me see that what truly mattered was articulating the ‘why’ behind every decision and experience. He patiently guided me through a process of deep introspection, meticulously questioning every detail to unearth the impactful moments and motivations that would resonate with schools. He pushed me for specific details and data to support every claim, ensuring there was no ambiguity. This was not a one-size-fits-all solution; he empowered me to discover my authentic narrative. He also taught me to present my stories in a clear, STAR-format that was easy for anyone to understand regardless of their background. My initial drafts were completely transformed, and the final applications were authentic, coherent, and something I was truly proud of.

Shantanu’s support was holistic, covering every aspect of the application journey. His meticulous planning and adherence to timelines motivated me to stay on track, and his constant availability for calls and queries kept the process running smoothly. Drawing from his deep expertise and the comprehensive Admit Beacon knowledge base, he provided invaluable, school-specific insights that were critical for tailoring each application. Shantanu was also a firm but fair coach during our mock interviews. He would challenge me with tough cross-questioning, pushing me to articulate my thoughts with precision and confidence. While daunting at the time, this rigorous preparation was the perfect training ground, making the actual interviews feel much more manageable. I went into each one feeling confident and well-prepared.

What truly sets Shantanu apart is his genuine investment in his clients’ success. He is not just a consultant; he is a mentor fully dedicated to your growth. His professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to bring out the best in you are unparalleled. He believed in my potential even when I was uncertain, and his guidance was the pillar of support that saw me through this arduous process. If you are a prospective MBA applicant, especially one navigating the complexities of an over-represented profile, I wholeheartedly recommend Shantanu and the Admit Beacon team. You’d be lucky to have them in your corner. Thanks to their relentless support, I am heading to my dream school, Chicago Booth, after also receiving offers from Berkeley Haas ($40,000 scholarship), Michigan Ross ($80,000 scholarship), and Texas McCombs ($60,000 scholarship).