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We believe our achievements are an accurate portrayal of who we are, as we stay true to our vision and deliver our students’ finest results.
KUSH AGARWAL
It is never too soon to come to EDUGoals. The earlier you seek our help, the more we can help you. Learning betters with time – building a student profile needs similar effort and dedication. A student is a student 24/7 hours. You can learn at school, you can learn at home, and most importantly you can learn by yourself. <br>
A shy person from Std IX DPS Surat, Kush Agarwal, is the biggest example of the above-expressed sentiments. Kush came to us with big ideas but low confidence, wanting to get admitted into a boarding school for his high school years.
He was brilliant but lacked only faith in himself. His interests revolved around all things technical.
He could do amazing things with code, robotics, and engineering. He just needed a little push. We helped him bring
out his blog. He writes reviews of the books he reads, further going on to author his work.
We asked him to participate in STEM-oriented competitions. Kush shone brightly in these events. He participated in a wide variety and succeeded in them: math and science olympiads, World Robotics Olympiad (WRO 2016: Qualified for nationals, WRO 2021: National rank 7), First Tech Challenge (led 11 member team to semi-finals), BIEA International STEM Youth Innovation Competition (eco-friendly food packaging), and Junior Breakthrough Challenge (YouTube video on solar sails). Kush Agarwal He further got accepted by the Junior Academy of New York Academy of Sciences for a five-member program working on a solution for eutrophication in large water bodies.
Kush’s shyness was not necessarily a weakness. It gave him an introspective bent of mind, seen clearly in the social impact projects he developed by combining his interests and his emotions. During the pandemic, he developed a sensor dustbin for hospital use. He single-handedly developed a piece of technology that could close on its own, inspired by his father’s service as a doctor
He is now collaborating with Bhagat Machines to produce these contactless dustbins. He even went ahead to help children who could ill-afford online school facilities. His project ‘Let’s Learn!’ conducted classes on an online platform to teach English and robotics to such children. He conducted the classes himself and enjoyed interacting with the children.
Our regular engagement sessions helped Kush work with his shyness. Our repeated mock interviews helped him practice
and lose his nervousness for the one-one admission interview. His answers became more technical and sure while remaining true to himself. We were glad to know that Kush got selected for Woodstock School and The International School Bangalore (TISB). He chose TISB.
Kush did not stop trying out new things even after receiving his desired selection. He attended online classes on Python (Udemy), Robotised World (IBA), Arduino Programming (SP Robotics), and Electronics (Omotech). He was enrolled in Stanford and MIT alumni’s Inspirit AI Learning Program, learning the basics of machine learning and robotics.
He further developed a social project called ‘Syahi’ under Harvard Youth Lead the Change.
After his boards, Kush did not sit still for his eleventh grade to start. He applied to different summer schools, hearing back from Brown University, John Hopkins University, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He chose Brown University. He was glad for the exposure and alternative learning methods. His achievements inspired not only us; his classmates and school juniors sought to follow in his footsteps. We are glad to have worked with someone amazing like Kush.
As a student, you’re spoiled for choices. The whole wide world lies in front of you. You can make multiple choices. Of course, it gets confusing at times. There is so much to know and so much to do, so how can one even choose? It is difficult to limit yourself to one single thing, in the form of a college major – no
one wants a stagnant future. Yet, only when you find your passions, do you realize how multifaceted a single subject can be. Rachit Gupta went through a similar journey. Rachit came to us in a dilemma during his school years. He didn’t know whether he wanted to further pursue STEM or business courses. Our consultants talked with him to help him out. He had the time to explore both things, while still studying at DPS Surat. We helped him do so by asking him to take up a variety of internships. His internships helped him figure out his future choices.
He started as an intern at his family business, JB Ecotex. JB Ecotex worked with recycling plastics, helping Rachit
understand the science and business behind sustainability. He was allowed a great deal of flexibility and worked with multiple departments. The R&D department helped him tap into his innovative side. Working with the business department helped Rachit understand the professional requirements of studying business. He even interacted with the floor workers as well. We asked him to consider a social impact project while there, and he did not fail to deliver. He decided to felicitate the rag-pickers who worked closely with JB Ecotex, recognizing their role in the community. He started Project Uplift, collaborating with Nirmal Vasundhara.
We wanted Rachit to gain more STEM-oriented experience and arranged for his internship at the engineering firm Rajdeep Boilers Pvt Ltd. He learned the mechanics of various industrial machinery while in the electronics department. He also worked with the higher-ups to understand the process of project management. Further continuing his interest in sustainability, he tried to understand the pollution controls of the industry. Rachit was still not ready to give up on business as an option. We encouraged him to pursue a business-related venture. He decided to intern at We Founder Circle which helped him gain a deeper insight into STEM industries. He also worked on the projects of a lot of entrepreneurs and angel investors. He got on-hands experience in the entrepreneur ecosystem and recognized industry trends.
Rachit also started a robotics project, while juggling these multiple internships. He worked with DREAMSS (Developing Right to Education And More in STEM for Special people).
He had initially worked as a curriculum developer for blind students – he created audio-visual academic content under the guidance of the founders. He had the light bulb idea of introducing robotics to them as well. He gained organizational and communication skills while arranging for an online workshop with the help of the on-ground teachers of blind students. He rediscovered his passion for robotics through teaching these kids.
While deciding on his future, Rachit had not sat still. He decided to give back to the health industry that had helped him a great deal. His project Smiles and Giggles at the multispeciality SAACHI hospital. He spent time with the child patients there, helping them have fun. He spent time with each child making origami, telling them stories, etc. He continues to have a soft spot for these children. We asked Rachit to utilize his summers properly in a similar manner – he was ready to apply to summer schools abroad. He got offers from many renowned institutions, including Harvard University and the London School of Economics. He chose to pursue a statistics course at the London School of Economics.
Finally, Rachit did have to make a decision. Time was running out and he had to start applying for college. He chose to stick to STEM, engineering to be precise. He applied to many colleges and universities abroad, receiving offers from Michigan State University, Warwick University, University of Manchester, University of Illinois Chicago, University of California Santa Barbara, and PennState. He chose computer engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. We’re glad that Rachit found what he was looking for. He now knows that it is not necessarily a choice – he can do both STEM and business if he wants! His internships helped him a great deal in realizing the interdisciplinary nature of most fields. We know that Rachit will continue to follow his passions wherever he goes.
RACHIT GUPTA
NEHAL DHADDHA
Building up a profile can overwhelm a student. It saps your energy because you’re often clueless about what direction you should take. Maybe you aren’t sure about the extracurricular activities you did do. You didn’t win enough medals. You don’t have certificates to substantiate your claims of being a good leader.
You feel like whatever you have done is not enough. It is too late, and you’ve run out of time. That’s completely false. There is always enough time to brushup on your profile– you just need a little help.
EDUGoals recently helped a student who was short on time. Nehal had big plans for studying business courses at premier foreign institutions. These institutions demand a fleshed-out student resume and she doubted the one she had. She felt she
did not have enough time to build a better one. Nehal was shy and reserved too, and wanted to improve her personality. So she came to us, and we helped her out – all she needed was a little nudge before she built up her profile by herself.
Nehal’s family had their own business – an establishment designing ornaments in Jaipur, Rajasthan. We encouraged her to intern at this family-owned establishment. She agreed and went ahead to do so during her summer vacation. She started a life skills project on her own – Project Unnati.
Two things worked in Nehal’s favor: firstly, she wanted to pursue business courses. Interning in a business-affiliated firm was a suitable choice. Secondly, her family establishment was willing to let her intern with flexible hours. Searching for physically- near short-term opportunities tailored to your future interests is one of the first things you need to do when you start building up your profile.
Nehal did not stop at grunt business work. We encouraged her to come up with ideas of her own. She decided to interact with the workers of the establishment. The idea was to get her to engage with the workers. She wanted to effectively communicate with them about their working situation and solve their problems if any. Yet, we gave Nehal no hint on how to do so – she figured it out herself. She chose not to make boring presentations. She did not hold stuffy,formal interviews. She wanted to make it a fun process for both parties involved. Her sessions involved getting to know the workers, stress management, communication, and time management. Nehal prepared games for the workers with easy-to-understand rules. She succeeded in educating the workers about their situation
and their rights.
She told them about modern amenities that made their life easier. All this is important profile building-wise: it shows that Nehal takes initiative and is creative. She adapted to the communication barriers and did not make it awkward for the workers either. She also overcame her shyness and interacted with the workers, leading them to better understand the facilities offered to them.
Her work did not end here. She had to have some record of their activities, and a reason behind her internship. She recorded her interactions with the workers and wrote up a blog on this life skills project. She shared her experience and video testimonials on this blog as well. It helped her discover more about herself and her limitations. The link for Project Unnati is as follows: https://www.facebook.com/Unnati-102432088889273. In the end, all this helped her decide to major in communication and business management college courses.
Nehal has been successfully accepted by many institutions in the USA and the UK: including Michigan State University, Indiana University, and the University of Exeter. She chose Exeter to further her educational interests. All of this is possible because she took the first step forward. She did not shy away from her slacking profile and sought help. So, do not be afraid. Take a leap of faith. We’re here to help as always.
You explore numerous options when you have time on your side. Time is a double-edged sword for students. Often you are too late or too early for something you want. Yet, starting ahead is not at all a bad thing. We are glad that Aagam trusted us to help him on his educational journey at such a young age.
Aagam came to us as an eighth grader of the Fountainhead School, Surat. He had plenty of big ideas and booming thoughts. Fortunately, time favored his explorations as well.
He was interested in exploring technology. We had him sign up for online classes on every facet of this broad discipline. He was tutored in CSS, HTML, illustration, photoshop – anything code/technology that struck his fancy. He now wants to share his thoughts and alternative ideas with a wider audience. We’re helping him create a YouTube channel.
Aagam writes fascinating poetry as well. We have helped him build a daily writing habit. He tries to write three poems per week. Once he has a substantial poem collection, he will progress to working on a self-published poetry anthology. We have also encouraged him to participate in many poetry competitions. His efforts are slowly being recognized, most recently by the Never Such Innocence Competition for his poem “He Equals She?”. He continues to sharpen his skills under our guidance.
Aagam has even added more diverse achievements to his repertoire. He got selected as an active speaker for Harvard University’s Youth Lead the Change Active Citizenship. He is also a part of Harvard’s Youth Lead the Change. He even pursued certain programs in the Model United Nations Institute.
Aagam has achieved much despite his youth, or perhaps, his youth aids him. Whatever it is, we are glad to tag along on this topsy-turvy ride.
AAGAM CHHALANI
ISHAN JAIN
Life takes you on a whirlwind journey. No matter how much you plan and plot, you cannot predict every happening. As a student, you realize this sooner or later. You also have the evergreen quality of overcoming unwanted obstacles. Working with Ishan helped us become aware of a student’s endurance.
Ishan came to us with a single demand – he wanted to go abroad for a bachelor’s degree. He only had six months left in his high school program. We helped him prepare for SAT and other exams. We cultivated a reading habit within him. With further encouragement, he started writing his blog pieces. Yet, time did not stop for Ishan.
He had to do too many things, and we feared he would run out of time. His application would be processed in the upcoming year, making it seem like he had taken a gap year. The universities abroad did not look favorably on an unproductive gap year. We had to convince Ishan to shelve his going abroad plans for a later date. We advised him to pursue his master’s degree abroad, after completing a bachelor’s degree in India.
Ishan was steady in his choice of business management. He applied to Indian educational institutes after plenty of counseling sessions. Ishan got through to Narsee Monjee Institute of Management, Mumbai (NMIMS Mumbai).
He is currently pursuing his bachelor’s in business administration. We helped him get more involved in his college’s social sphere, by asking him to participate in his college clubs. The more he participated and sought leadership positions in these clubs, the more social his college life would become.
He got selected for Harvard University’s Youth Leadership program, Youth Lead the Change. He even got selected for the summer school Strategic Management program the London School of Economics and Political Science offered. Despite his goals being delayed, Ishan still obtained outstanding achievements.
There were a few bumps in Ishan’s journey. Yet he learned to move forward, with our guidance. Education can be sought at any time, anywhere. When one door closes, another one opens up. We were glad to help Ishan along his non-conventional journey, and are sure that he will reach new heights as he grows older.