The I-Know-Me Blog

This article first appeared in the Hindu on March 19, 2022. Turns out that getting into college is the easy part. The studying, the entrance exams, and the interviews were just the beginning. What lies ahead is a whole new journey with opportunities, challenges, and uncertainties. Of course, there is fun too. With college admissions […]

Career Guidance

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Why not to stress about which college you get into

April 25, 2019

The Economic Times 40 Under 40 list for 2018 gives us a look at contemporary leaders from inMobi, Oyo, Puma India, Hindalco, Endemol Shine India, Bira, Lowe Lintas, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Mobikwik, Zomato, Jabong-Myntra and Bain & Co. And the colleges they went to include IITs Kanpur, Kharagpur and Delhi, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University Bihar, Maharishi Dayanand University Rohtak, SIBM Pune, Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Mumbai University, Indian Law Society’s Law College Pune, Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya Bhopal and Presidency College, Kolkata. The list is a testimony to the caliber of these people themselves and not a listing of India’s Top Colleges – barring a spattering of IITs.

What to do after receiving university acceptances

March 20, 2023

What to do after receiving university acceptances – a countrywise guide It’s that time of the year where acceptances are rolling in. Finally the stress of college admissions is over for many students, particularly those applying abroad. But as the dust settles, the simple question of “What Next” looms large. Here is a country-wise next […]

Five ways for students to enhance their profile for college admissions

February 20, 2023

Doing projects that impact the community is a relatively new trend in India. This has come from the U.S. where the idea of individual impact is more the norm and where top colleges look for students with the enthusiasm and initiative to build something new — an idea, a business, a new bit of knowledge […]

General Guidance

5 rewarding careers in the environment sector

December 19, 2022

Somehow, the pandemic managed to make the world recognise environmental crisis in a way that no cyclone, floods or Greta Thunberg could do. As the world woke up to the fact that things can go irreparably wrong, we threw ourselves into making it right with true human optimism. Companies, multilateral agencies and universities threw themselves […]

General Guidance

Careers in Public Policy

November 24, 2022

If you wish to work with the government to promote social good, then consider a career in public policy Public policy is fast becoming a buzzword in liberal arts colleges. This means, working on formulating large-scale policies that promote social good and working closely with the government to analyse, plan and implement relevant policies in […]

College Guidance

COMPARED – 8 undergraduate study destinations for Indian students

July 16, 2022

Choice is a double-edged sword … and like all important questions, the answer to “what is the right destination for undergraduate study” is…. It depends! On your budget, your goals, availability of family and other things. Here is an overview of 8 leading destinations (in alphabetical order), the pros and cons of studying there, cost […]

Career Guidance

11 jobs to prove that Art and Creativity has a new address

June 23, 2022

Musicians, Film makers, animators, art producers and designers – technology companies offer opportunities to participate in creative processes, as well as many jobs, attractive salaries and growth options. Here is a sampling of some creative jobs within technology firms (read art-based jobs because of course, developing software, too, is creative). I have picked a sampling […]

College Guidance

Program Choices

4 Best Summer Enrichment Programs in India

April 2, 2022

Often parents of high school students, mainly grade 10 and 11, come to us with a question, “How can my child build his/her profile outside academics?”. But the answer isn’t always that simple. One shouldn’t blindly enroll into a bunch of activities because they would “look good on the CV”, but need to be driven […]

Career Guidance

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Looking Beyond Student Potential

February 16, 2022

This article was first published in the Hindu on January 15, 2022. Be it the Ivy Leagues in the U.S., Oxbridge in the U.K., the University of Toronto in Canada or Ashoka University in India, top colleges get thousands of applications for their few hundred seats. However, their admission processes look beyond marks and standardised […]

Career Guidance

General Guidance

Program Choices

What Can You Do With An Economics Degree?

January 8, 2022

What is Economics all about? What are the career options in this field?

Career Guidance

College Guidance

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Is Success Getting Into a Top University?

October 27, 2021

This article first appeared in the Hindu on October 18, 2021. Being a career and college counselor means signing up for a lot of anxiety. We deal with anxious parents, students on a roller coaster of exams, grades, pressure and deadlines. Not to mention hormones. And then we have the performance anxiety of making it […]

College Guidance

Program Choices

7 Tips to Help Make Your College List

September 24, 2021

This article first appeared in the Hindu on September 18, 2021. The U.S. alone has 5,300 colleges and universities with varying sizes, specialisations and marketing pitches. Canada and the U.K. both have close to 100 universities and colleges each. India itself has over 400 private universities and colleges. While a lot of information is available […]

Career Guidance

General Guidance

7 Ways to Utilise Your Gap Year

September 9, 2021

This article first appeared in The Hindu on August 15, 2020. “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill during World War II. While entrepreneurs, business leaders, teachers and financial wizards manage to make the crisis work for them, many students are attempting to make the most of their “gap year”. However, […]

Your Guide to Exam Prep for Indian Liberal Arts Universities

College Guidance

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Your Guide to Entrance Tests for Indian Liberal Arts Colleges

August 23, 2021

Many of the universities accept SAT/ACT scores while all of them have their own aptitude tests. In some cases, it is mandatory to take their tests.

Career Guidance

General Guidance

Good Grades v/s Bad Grades: which defines success?

August 16, 2021

This article first appeared in the Hindu on August 14, 2021. As a country, we are obsessed with grades. According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, around 2,500 students commit suicide each year; most due to exam failure. So good and bad grades in Classes 10 and 12 affect mood, self-esteem and future […]

Career Guidance

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Top 10 Emerging Careers in 2021

August 3, 2021

This article first appeared in the Hindu on May 22, 2021. It is now clear that we are hurtling towards a new world. While Engineering and Medicine continue to explode with possibilities, here are some other career options that are becoming important. This list has been put together after exploring job sites, reports from consulting […]

College Guidance

General Guidance

Get. Set. Fly..!

August 3, 2021

Planning to study abroad? Here’s a quick run through of the rules and offerings for international students across the globe. This article first appeared in the Hindu on July 17, 2021. While many students with admissions to foreign universities spent hours dreaming of saying hello to a new world while taking online classes at odd […]

College Guidance

General Guidance

A Trial By Fire

August 3, 2021

This article first appeared in the Hindu on June 19. What does the cancellation of Class 12 board exam mean for students? And what can the CBSE do to ensure a fair assessment of a student’s overall performance? “Hey dude, what is Newton’s Second Law?” “I’m a Science student; not a Law student” “Ah! COVID […]

General Guidance

Program Choices

What Should You Do This Summer?

April 22, 2021

This article first appeared in the online edition of the Hindu on March 27, 2021. The post-pandemic world may not be completely open, but we have to keep things moving. Summer programme providers, travel and camping providers and even companies with internships have built hybrid offerings that will work online and offline. For senior school […]

College Guidance

General Guidance

Tips for Students Applying to International Universities in 2021

April 21, 2021

This article first appeared in the online edition of the Hindu on April 17, 2021. It’s been a tough year for top college admissions. Contrary to expectations, applications around the world grew dramatically and competition intensified. In the U.S., some universities saw a surge in applications and a plummeting of acceptances. In the U.K., UCAS […]

7 Tips to Prepare You for College