Mohnish Prasanna, CMU (IS)

I was skeptical about online counseling for my MS Application but now I am happy that I took a leap of faith by using ScholarStrategy.

Nistha doesn’t spoon-feed you with SOPs and that’s not a bad thing because it is your story and who can tell it better than you. She makes suggestions and edits until your essay conveys exactly what you want to. When I started my essay I was clueless, but when I completed it, I was happy that I am presenting myself in the best possible way to the admissions committee. Also, I was happy with the response time. I got around 20 rounds of edits and completed my essay in little over a week’s time.

I chose Cybersecurity because that is going to be the biggest threat, to corporations and nations, in the coming years with the internet becoming ubiquitous, and cloud storage growing at a rapid pace. What better place to study Cybersecurity than Carnegie Mellon – the birthplace of Computer Science. Their admission process is highly essay-centric since they require you to write 6 different essays as a part of the application.

Nistha is very professional and always available on WhatsApp and for a quick call. She has strict rules and guidelines ;). You follow them and you’ll be on your way to your dream college. Don’t think twice, just go for ScholarStrategy.

Akash Gandotra, CMU (MIS)

The one thing common at all the top schools is a diverse student body. This is mainly because these schools dont just consider a GRE/GMAT score but look at the complete profile of the student before offering admission. You might be good and have a great score too, but unless you can sell that to the admissions committee, they won’t let you in.

This is where I think students need to seek help if required. And Nistha is amazingly good at that. Having been a part of the committee, she knows what are the things that really transform a good application into a really strong one.

Especially when you are totally new to the application process, as was my case, you might as well seek help from someone who has “BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT” . Nistha will keep pushing you for as long as it takes for you to build the perfect application – all those SOPs , essays and the LORs. You might get tired of “adding more meat” to your application but that’s what you need to do to get in. : -)

P.S. Apparently, no other Indian in my MISM 16 month track received a scholarship. A lot of credit for that goes to Scholar Strategy. So, thanks a lot.

See the full case study here

Surya Sumukh, Cornell (MS-CS)

I was pretty sure that I stand no chance of getting into a good university when I walked out of the GRE centre with a low score. But Nistha has proved me wrong!!. Nistha’s guidance has been more than valuable in writing SOP, LORs and listing Universities. She takes great care in reviewing documents and provides a candid evaluation. Her tailored counseling is what makes her successful. Thanks to Nistha, I find myself preparing to attend UIUC this Fall.

See the full case study here

Supreeth Rao, WPI (Robotics)

Data analysis is more important than just having the statistics. Consultancies have the data – the statistics about what range of scores maps on to admits in which school. But more often than not, the mapping gets highly nonlinear !.. ;(
You could never quite guess where a student might end up by just looking at his or her scores because the student might have a great research profile or publications too (which count a lot, in addition to having good marks). Now this profile requires a smart analysis because the mapping tables would fail in such cases. The SOP will have to be drafted aptly, the letters to professors will have to be crafted smartly, research labs at the potential universities will have to be scrutinized thoroughly and what not!
Students are actually lucky that a person of her qualification – an MS in CS (from UIUC!) and an MBA from NYU Stern is willing to guide them hand in hand, through their admission process! I guess this ‘just’ explains everything I got from Nistha. There’s so much more you can get with Scholar Strategy than you think.

Read his success story here.

Krish Prasad, UT Dallas (MS)

I am working with Scholar Strategy (Nistha) on my MS applications for last 2 months. It was a pleasure to work with Nistha. She is quick in responding to my queries and have provided comprehensive guidance in writing SOP, resume and other necessary documents. She is always available on phone and emails and her tips have been beneficial.

Kanchana Karthikeyan, Duke (MEM)

I decided to join Scholar Strategy based on Nistha’s credentials and I am very happy with the services provided so far. She had a one on one telephonic conversation with me which helped me put to perspective what I really wanted from my Masters. In the process she meticulously has analyzed the type of person I am and whether my choice of Courses and Institutions are actually relevant to my future career goals. After a thorough analysis she helped me pick the right mix of Universities keeping in mind my academic and extracurricular credentials. Nothing can replace the dint of experience, and Nistha has clearly incorporated hers’ in her counseling. Her valuable advice has helped me explore different dimensions of my “Statement of Purpose” and “Resume” and she personally reviews and re-reviews the same to perfection. It is unbelievable that Nistha is able to deliver quality service and what I exactly want, though we are miles away from each other. She is very prompt to any queries I have had regarding application procedures and I must say, so far, I am impressed and happy with how palatable she has made the application process for me. She gives the right amount of push and constantly keeps me on my toes as to what I must deliver and by when.

Statutory Warning: She is very strict with deadlines. :)!!!! Thank You Nistha for the professional guidance with a personal touch. I am definitely confident that at this rate I will be definitely able to achieve my goals.