The Red Pen

The Red Pen has its corporate office in Mumbai. It advises students applying for undergraduate degrees, postgraduate programmes and boarding school places, with destinations that include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the rest of Europe, Singapore and India itself. The company describes itself as an education consultancy of more than a decade's standing. Its CEO and co-founder is Dr Kimberly Dixit.

Counselling at The Red Pen starts well before the application form. Its counsellors help students build a profile through activities outside the classroom, research projects, internships and competitions. After that comes the university shortlist, then essays and personal statements, recommendation letters and interview practice. Students aiming for medicine or veterinary science get help with the extra steps those courses involve, such as practice for multiple mini interviews (MMI).

The Red Pen also works with schools, helping them set up or strengthen their own college counselling departments; its site lists schools it supports in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. For families still comparing options, it runs boarding school fairs and a summer programmes fair. The consultancy says its counsellors are members of professional bodies including IECA, AIGAC, International ACAC and IC3.