DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Over the last half-decade we have helped clients realize their most ambitious higher education dreams with our invested counselling approach, personalized attention and expert advice to through most application challenges. Hear it from our alumni
INSEAD
As a reapplicant, I knew how tedious the application process could be and wanted to work with someone who already understood my profile and knew how to align my existing story with my goals. Niketa turned out to be the ideal person for this. What really stood out about her was her approachability throughout the process and how she accommodated my requests to switch schools on our list even on tight timelines. I learned so much about myself while working with her and couldn't have made it to INSEAD without Niketa's guidance and mentorship.
WHARTON,MIT,BOOTH
I was struggling to find the right thread to weave together all my experiences and Niketa was the perfect guide to help me do so. For the HBS essay specifically, she did not shy away from doing 12 rounds of reveiws. For the Wharton essays, she really made my contributions essay shine. Her inputs for the essay were not only instrumental in getting them to the excellent place that helped me secure admissions, but they will also help me use my time at Wharton in a way that helps me contribute to the school. Niketa helped me outline and detail out my experiences in a way that formed the basis for me to narrate my story not only via the essays but also in conversations that I now have with people. Her guidance is a crucial pillar to the success of my application cycle.
HBS
Throughout the process what stood out most about engaging with Niketa is that nothing is high level or just scratching the surface - we had deep conversations getting into the most minute details of my work and life - as a result, be it my resume or the essays that I had written, Niketa helped me provide a colourful picture of my personality and work, and helped me refine and articulate my thoughts in ways I could not have imagined! (This is where the real value add of working with a great consultant lies!)
WHARTON
Over the course of multiple brain storming sessions, Niketa helped me weave all my experiences into a solid story. She is patient and considerate and always went the extra mile till I was happy with my final essays - even if it took numerous edits and drafts. Niketa is a true mentor and genuinely helps brings clarity on ones strengths and best suited post-MBA career paths.
CBS, BOOTH, TUCK
Niketa from the first day was very structured - which helped create a clear roadmap and helped demystify the process. She knew exactly what the Adcom looks for at the each school and helped me write the perfect story without it losing my voice. Post the applications she conducted numerous mock interviews to ensure I could best present my case during my interviews. I would highly recommend working with Niketa.
LBS, DUKE FUQUA
She stood out from my first conversation just because of how much she believed in my profile. She did not hesitate even once when I said I wanted to apply to the top schools in the world. In fact, she was the one who pushed me to apply to Wharton, knowing how big of a risk that was with my profile. I still remember what she said to me - “You should never have any regrets in your life”. Throughout the process, she was not just a consultant, she was a companion, a guide and a mentor, who was as invested in my applications as I was.
WHARTON, KELLOGG
She was a friend, who knows who I am better than most people. And she used that information to craft my story for each application. It didn't feel like the cookie-cutter approach admissions committee complain about. On the contrary, it felt like speaking with an elder sibling who herself has gone through the process, advising on crafting my life's story.
10/10 recommend to everyone who wants 'their' story to shine.
YALE SOM, NYU STERN, CORNELL, ROSS
MBA applications are a highly unstructured process - from the application to engaging with school and alumni, it is time consuming and overwhelming. Niketa's structure and support through each and evert step of the process was outstanding. From school research to essays and interviews, working with AB gives you confidence and makes the whole process look easy.
I was placed on the waitlist for a few MBA schools. Niketa patiently continued to provide great support over the next few months which helped me convert the waitlist to an offer.
STANFORD GSB, HBS, WHARTON, CBS
What stood out the most for me is Niketa's expertise in tying together everything on my profile into a very solid story. Niketa and I spent a lot of time brainstorming each essay and she could very easily come up with the perfect way to craft a story. Niketa goes above and beyond just providing comments; she is the best thought partner one can get.
I have always felt that Niketa was personally invested in my applications and that made a lot of difference. Most times Niketa would be more concerned about my essays and their quality than me myself. Her personal touch and her drive to help the candidate put forward his/her best self is what truly makes her different. Niketa doesn't just leave things at a surface level, she really digs deep into each experience. I am headed to Stanford GSB this fall, a school that I would never have applied to if not for Niketa. Niketa showed a lot of confidence in my profile right from the beginning and that really encouraged me to challenge my own expectations. Throughout the application process, she made me believe that I deserved only the best and she encouraged me a lot to apply to HBS, GSB, and Wharton. If not for Niketa, I would have always assumed that I would be rejected by GSB and never applied to the school.
HBS, WHARTON, MIT
I was mainly looking for someone to soundcheck my narrative and provide an insight into how to mould and craft it into a way that helps standout and works for the B-schools and Niketa was a great resource for this.I went with the hourly service as I knew for the most part what my story was however I was not clear on how to execute it. How to link my background, personal experiences, work, goals , reason to go for an MBA etc. all into a cohesive narrative. I was also really surprised by the insights for each school and in-depth knowledge Niketa had for my target schools, as someone with very little access to these schools-it was very reassuring. Her edits/ suggestions always allowed for my own voice and perspective to shine through so by the end of it everything still sounded like me but was carefully guided in the background.
KELLOGG,CBS
Admit Beacon was absolutely integral to my success in cracking the MBA admissions process and getting into Kellogg. I received personalised assistance at every step of the process, starting from big picture thinking about storyboard elements and my career goals to the finer nuances of drafting my essays and preparing for interviews. Niketa's collaborative approach was also invaluable, helping me structure and communicate my thoughts in my applications. As an experienced consultant she helped me truly convey my story in the best way. A big thank you to Admit Beacon for all the guidance!
HBS, WHARTON, MIT SLOAN
I went with the hourly service as I knew for the most part what my story was however I was not clear on how to execute it. How to link my background, personal experiences, work, goals , reason to go for an MBA etc. all into a cohesive narrative. I was also really surprised by the insights for each school and in-depth knowledge Niketa had for my target schools, as someone with very little access to these schools-it was very reassuring. Her edits/ suggestions always allowed for my own voice and perspective to shine through so by the end of it everything still sounded like me but was carefully guided in the background.
DUKE FUQUA
My coach Niketa really believed in me and pushed me to aim higher- be it my GMAT score or my choice of schools. Niketa took the effort to get to know my story fully and then helped me highlight the aspects that were unique to me. Her extensive knowledge of what each school looks for in applicants translated into thorough interview preparation brainstorming sessions, which helped me get admitted. Super encouraging approach to MBA admissions.
WHARTON
The best part about her is that she focuses on the basics and believes in the candidate. As a reapplicant, I needed candid advice on how to best position myself for success. She strived to bring my best story in the essays, was genuinely interested to hear my views and pushed me to think deeper. Her suggestions on TBD preparation and the group reflections and individual advice she provided were beyond the mark.
HBS
What stood out for me was the way she was honest while giving the feedback but at the same time she was quite encouraging to help work on it. She was really resourceful in organising the preparation in a short period of time. Overall, her approach grew my confidence with time, which I believe was key. I can proudly say that the learnings from the interview preparation process go beyond the preparation process.
WHARTON, KELLOGG
Her in-depth understanding of school-specific tonality was also extremely helpful. She would push for multiple iterations till both of us were happy with the final output. Her patience and empathy in an already stressful process are much needed - and I am so glad we could work together on my application journey. She does a fantastic job at helping candidates play to their strengths. Given I was waitlisted at one of my top-choice schools, Niketa proactively supported with my waitlist updates - and I ultimately got accepted off the waitlist.
WHARTON
Applying as a reapplicant in a limited time frame was a challenge. The help I got in showing my candidacy was much more evolved and talking about very different things from my previous essay was amazing.
Two main things - Ideating and crystallising the key themes to be covered in the essay and the feedback / brainstorming on the LORs
HBS, Class of 2023
Niketa's advice covered aspects beyond just the application, and helped me envision my post-MBA career in greater detail. She helped me bring out the best aspects of my candidature and patiently went through multiple iterations until we were both satisfied with its quality. The recommendation and essay writing process worked in tandem, where Niketa helped me prioritize the best stories that either worked from my perspective or my recommenders'. She has a unique way of bringing out the most differentiating aspects of a story that help build a stronger application, which she used to add finishing touches to everything we wrote.
HBS, Class of 2022
What I admire about Niketa is that she doesn’t have a cookie-cutter approach – she would never push down any pre-conceived notions on what works in an application; rather she respected my thoughts and opinions (even if they differed from her) and made sure that I was able to bring out my true authentic self in my application. She brings in a lot of positive energy into the process – in my moments of uncertainty about applying to one of the top b-schools, she encouraged me to apply despite the overwhelming odds and helped me secure an admit.
WHARTON, Class of 2023
I was a first-time applicant in a competitive cohort of Indian male IIT grad. with IB / PE work experience. Going in, I was worried about the lack of extra-curricular section in my profile along with a consistent individual contributor role (without leadership experience).What stood out and added significant value during the process were: 1. Niketa has the perspective and ability to help create a strong story customized for the candidate. She understands the nuances/cultures of different schools and what creates more impact at each of these schools. 2. She is patient and persistent.
CHICAGO BOOTH, Class of 2022
What made Niketa standout was her ability to establish a connection with me straight away and make me feel comfortable sharing my life stories.Sometimes we had different ideas about how a story needs to be told, but she was always up for a discussion to figure out whose idea would work better. She also reviewed nearly every single word that I submitted in my application, and I truly felt I had another pair of eyes working with me throughout the entire process. This showed me that she genuinely loves her job and excels at it and that she cares about the applicants she takes on.
WHARTON, Class of 2021
She is very frank and encourages meaningful introspection, and I think these two factors largely drew me to her coaching style. I also struggle personally with being vocal about experiences and achievements- in the sense, I tend to shy away from exploring how I ‘feel’ about an experience. Talking to Niketa about my stories before writing my initial drafts opened up my mind to the idea of a simple, to-the-point writing exercise that focuses on what schools are trying to look for in candidates. I learned a lot from each and every exercise. Most importantly, I feel like I’m a much more confident and self-aware person today than I was at the start of the process.
DUKE FUQUA, Class of 2022
I am a doctor with less-than-average work experience. I never thought that any consultant would be able to grasp my profile in the first go. On the contrary, Niketa not only understood my profile in the first call but also knew much more about the industry than even I did. During the entire process, Niketa was always available. Niketa’s advice was simple, free of jargons and realistic I was heartbroken when I was waitlisted by the 2 schools I interviewed with. She believed in my candidacy, encouraged me to submit regular updates to the schools, and to continue talking with the alums. The efforts paid off when I was taken off the waitlist by Fuqua school of business with $.
CORNELL JOHNSON, Class of 2020
Armed with a CA and several years of investment banking experience, I wished to remain in the same industry and sector. My biggest challenge, therefore, was clearly communicating ‘Why MBA?’. Niketa encouraged me not to restrict my goals to certain professional silos and helped me realize why a career vision is paramount! She helped me think of the post-MBA goal as what I want to achieve ( drive growth transactions in the Emerging Markets for small and medium players) vs. Who I wanted to be. Niketa’s exceptional workflow, ingenuity, and robustness allowed me to customize my strategy focusing on school and goal-specific research, creativity in building application collaterals and developing an informed network with Alumni and current students.
KELLOGG, Class of 2022
"She understands you as a person, individual (not as an “applicant”), and does her best to bring out your real, best side to the schools. Her ability to join dots, see patterns in your journey is shocking – and makes her an amazing storyteller! For someone like me, who has had 4 different career stints in the past (without any major brand names on my CV), this helped create some of the most interesting, personal and differentiated stories that brought out my real candidacy to the schools – something EACH of my 5 interviewers mentioned to me. Way beyond anything I could have crafted.
HBS, Class of 2023
My experience of working with Niketa has been great. I think what stood out for me was the way she was honest while giving the feedback but at the same time she was quite encouraging to help work on it. Overall, her approach grew my confidence with time, which I believe was key. I can proudly say that the learnings from the interview preparation process go beyond the preparation process.
WHARTON, Class of 2023
Armed with a strong vocabulary and a penchant for storytelling, she not only helped brainstorm ideas from scratch but also gave my application the finishing touch. But what makes her stand out the most is that she strikes the perfect emotional balance. She is warm and friendly but is also frank and upfront. When time is of the essence and there are 100 different things to do during your application process, these are the ideal qualities you want someone working with you to have. She is also extremely driven and passionately dedicated to a fault. She would make it a point to talk if needed, irrespective of the day or time.
KELLOGG Class of 2022
Niketa was the only unyielding pillar of motivation and support during my entire application journey. She was more of a friend/mentor than a consultant. The MBA application journey is an overwhelming process for everyone. What made it even more difficult for me was my super hectic work schedule, I did not have the luxury of going back and forth multiple times on my essays and my resume. With all this, she helped me present the best version of myself with the lowest number of iterations and I was able to apply to 5 schools in R2 and received an Interview invite from HBS, Kellogg, Ross & Darden. She completely invests herself in her clients’ success. I completely credit my Kellogg Admit to her
MICHIGAN ROSS Class of 2022
Right from our first call, I knew I could trust Niketa to support my candidacy and provide clear, honest critiques. She was extremely approachable, supportive, and highly invested in my success. She made sure I sent my best application. She never forced-fit her style of writing but worked with me to bring my story to words in an impactful and articulate manner. Whenever I faced any issue or needed clarification in the process, she was just a quick call or a Whatsapp message away.
WHARTON, Class of 2021
She has invaluable knowledge about each of the top schools and will ensure you write what’s important to each school so that your essays come out as thoroughly researched. What stood out for me was Niketa’s continuous push for me to talk to alums and current students and write better along with her unwillingness to settle for anything but a perfect essay.
DARDEN, Class of 2021
Before quickly covering the hygiene factors, let me highlight that my candidacy is as far from the business world as can be. I am one of those people with very oddball career (a seafarer) for an application to B school and therefore communicating the strengths of my profile, thinking about post-MBA goals, strengthening them and finally showing the AdCom that I ‘belong and fit’ were all challenges. She brought out experiences and achievements that I’d forgotten I even had. I’ve always found making my resume a painful process as I would never feel like I’d really done anything worthwhile to put on a page but my conversations with her really brought out so much that I had previously undervalued and brushed aside all along. At the end of making my resume, I felt such a difference that I immediately started viewing my experiences in a newer, more confident light.
WHARTON, Class of 2023
I was a first-time applicant in a competitive cohort of Indian male IIT grad. with IB / PE work experience. Going in, I was worried about the lack of extra-curricular section in my profile along with a consistent individual contributor role (without leadership experience).What stood out and added significant value during the process were: 1. Niketa has the perspective and ability to help create a strong story customized for the candidate. She understands the nuances/cultures of different schools and what creates more impact at each of these schools. 2. She is patient and persistent.
