Would make the product better:

A standardized template for interview questions prep.

I had a great experience with the Red Pen team. Through the Red Pen team’s guidance, I was admitted to Kenan Flagler with a substantial scholarship and waitlisted at Cornell. I finalized Red Pen after speaking to a number of other consultants and burning my hands in the application cycle in the previous year. The thing that made me finalize the Red Pen was the level of interest that their team showed in the introductory call. While other consultants were trying to sign me up and finish the call as fast as they could, the Red Pen team was genuinely interested in my story. I was a general engineering male candidate with an average GMAT score who was working in a very niche industry in a company that no one would have heard of.

The onboarding process was relatively quick, and I was assigned my lead consultant (Gunjan Jhunjhunwala) and LOR & Resume specialist (Manan Maheshwari). I would like to specially thank Manisha Jaisingh and Prerna who handled the operations and onboarding. After the onboarding, I was asked to fill the Getting to Know You Questionnaire (GTKY questionnaire) which was a good starting point as it covered everything from my past experiences to strengths and weaknesses.

I consider myself to be an introvert, so getting me to open up can be challenging. This is where Gunjan shines. We spent countless hours identifying and fine tuning my STAR stories, an activity that felt futile at first, but I realized its importance later. Gunjan will probe you, question you and counter question you to understand why you did what you did. These STAR stories formed the basis of almost all my essays and interview questions. This approach and level of personal attention is what truly sets Gunjan apart as you are not merely answering the essay questions but introspecting and weaving your life story. The professionalism that Gunjan exhibited was also exemplary as nothing felt rushed and all the essays were finished way before the deadline.

Manan was my LOR and Resume advisor. He helped me refine my resume to the point that the final result was unrecognizable (in a good way) from the resume I had submitted in the previous application cycle. Each and every point in the resume was meticulously crafted with ample information to remove any ambiguity. Coming from a company where no one was familiar with the concept of an LOR, Manan also guided me how to effectively approach and pitch the idea to my recommenders.

Kudos to the Red Pen team for helping me out with my admissions!

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Applying for an MBA was quite stressful, especially while balancing work alongside the application process. However, the Red Pen team really helped to make it a smooth, step-by-step experience. They have a dedicated team, with each member specializing in a specific aspect of the application process. The lead specialist made sure I met all my deadlines and regularly followed up with me, ensuring that I made steady progress throughout the entire process. They are extremely patient throughout the process; I lost count on the number of revisions that were done throughout the process.

I would highly recommend them for the personalized approach they provide.

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Working with The Red Pen has been one of the best rewarding decisions of my MBA admissions journey. From the very beginning, the team demonstrated a remarkable level of professionalism, insight, and most importantly, personalization that truly set them apart.

What stood out the most was how deeply invested the consultants were in understanding me—not just as an applicant, but as a person. They took the time to conduct detailed brainstorming sessions that went far beyond the surface. With their guidance, I was able to uncover powerful, authentic stories from my background that I might never have considered highlighting. These stories ultimately became the backbone of a compelling and cohesive application.

The support I received was prompt, thoughtful, and consistently above and beyond expectations. Whether it was refining my goals, perfecting my essays, or navigating the nuances of school-specific requirements, the team was there every step of the way. Their insights into what top schools are really looking for were incredibly valuable and helped me craft a narrative that was not only strong on paper but also genuinely reflective of who I am.

A special shoutout goes to Gunjan, my lead consultant, whose strategic guidance and unwavering support were instrumental throughout the process. Her clarity of thought, honest feedback, and meticulous attention to detail made a huge difference in shaping my application. I always felt heard and supported, and her commitment to excellence pushed me to bring out my very best.

Another huge thanks to Manan, my LOR consultant, whose sharp eye and thoughtful suggestions helped transform my recommenders’ inputs into polished, impactful letters. He was incredibly responsive and brought a lot of value to a part of the application that is often underestimated.

Thanks to The Red Pen, I not only secured admission to a top-tier MBA program but also walked away with greater self-awareness and confidence in my professional story. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a strategic, insightful, and genuinely supportive admissions partner.

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Working with The Red Pen was truly one of the best decisions I made during my admissions journey. I had the chance to work closely with Shreya Bajaj, Natasha Mankikar, and the rest of the team, and I genuinely couldn’t have asked for better support during such a high-stakes and often overwhelming process.

From the very beginning, they took the time to understand my background, goals, and what I hoped to convey through my applications. Their guidance was structured and thoughtful, and they consistently pushed me to dig deeper and tell my story in a way that felt both strategic and authentic.

What I appreciated most was how involved and responsive the team was throughout — especially when I decided to apply to one of the programs at the last minute. They immediately stepped in to help map out a clear plan and worked with me closely to meet tight deadlines, all while maintaining a very high standard of quality.

Shreya, Natasha, and the rest of the team brought a perfect balance of professionalism, empathy, and honest feedback. It truly felt like they were in my corner every step of the way — and I’m thrilled to say that I got into my top-choice school due to their incredible support. I’m incredibly grateful and would highly recommend The Red Pen to anyone navigating the admissions process.

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Strengths:

Structured approach
Experienced team
Honest, constructive feedback

I worked with Gunjan Jhunjhunwala for essays and Manan Maheshwari for resume and LORs at The Red Pen for my MBA applications. They’re both incredibly experienced, and the entire process was super structured, which made things feel clear from the start.

Gunjan really helped me challenge myself. She encouraged me to think more deeply about my experiences and goals, and made sure every part of my story came across as genuine and well structured. Her input was always constructive, specific, and honest in a way that felt supportive. That process pushed me to reflect more and helped me arrive at essays that felt truly personal.

Manan was amazing with the resume and LORs. His suggestions were clear and thoughtful. He helped me refine things without overcomplicating anything, and his approach was always calm and clear throughout.

Overall, the process can definitely feel challenging at times, but TRP really helps you stay focused, brings out your best, and pushes you in a way that makes your story stronger and more authentic. Would absolutely recommend them.

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Strengths:

The one on one sessions, feedback sessions, brainstorming and the promptness of their response.
Additionally, the consultants cater to your availability and will provide you good advise provided you do your due diligence.

Would make the product better:

The free interview session was helpful but not enough. Although they gave personalized feedback on the interview, having a second session helps to know one's improvement. I feel it's upto the candidate to do what he wants without a check on him. This was totally unlike the normal application process where they help with everything.

Overall, i would rate their service a good 4.5/5. Having a personal lead consultant and a resume expert helps a lot and they always made sure to be available for me. They didn't rush me unnecessarily, and it was a good process overall. I have learned significantly and working with them was a good experience. They were candid in helping me set clear expectations based on my profile and I couldn't think of any reason why i wouldn't recommend them.
If money is tight, it can be a problem as their services don't come cheap but I thought of them as an investment and that landed me a full time position at HEC Paris with a scholarship.

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Strengths:

The services provided are customised and highly flexible. They go above and beyond their responsibilities to ensure maximum output by engaging and resolving issues proactively

Would make the product better:

Pricing is little on higher scale

The Red Pen team has been my one stop solution in my Bschool application journey. They have team of highly skilled professionals for resume building, essays and mock interviews. They take time to assign you a lead consultant with matching background. I was assisted by Shreya throughout the process. She had been proactive and extemely understanding throughout the journey. Her advice helped me not only with essays but also with my interviews. Always available to assist and hop on a call to resolve any blockers. The attention to detail was cherry on top. Her assistance with frameworks helped me in going through interviews very smoothly. A huge shout out to entire TRP team for keeping process extremely organized yet flexible. I have admit to CMU tepper, UNC KF and Darden with scholarships.

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Strengths:

They talk about access to their metis platform - 0 utility apart from tracking docs

Would make the product better:

-> Be invested in the candidate, improve work ethic. They currently treat it like a job.
-> At one point, when I asked followup questions on the WA group - I felt like I was being bullied by their resume consultant. They need some soft skills/empathy building workshops.
-> Resume consultant - hygiene tips, no recommendation of improving content. If my current role had much more impact then my precious role, they still made me have 3 points for each so it would *seem* both roles had similar impact. This is a wrong tactic, more impact should have more importance than optics of resume.
->Lead consultant was not good as well, it did seem that she lacked subject depth. She gave 0 inputs on optional essays, only covered the 2/3 compulsory essays. She also kept on pushing for selecting schools which had easier essays.
-> Their STAR stories format for experiences was also not followed, the essay writing process was fully unstructured.

Would not recommend. At this price point (2L for 1 school) - I expect much better quality. Their promises in the ad-copy were not followed. There are much better consultants out there. Like i said before, it did seem that my lead consultant lacked subject depth. She gave 0 inputs on optional essays, only covered the 2/3 compulsory essays. She also kept on pushing for selecting schools which had easier essays. I believe experiences depend upon the consultant one gets from the team, so you might hear conflicting reviews about this consultant-company. At one point, when I asked followup questions on the WA group - I felt like I was being bullied by their resume consultant. They need some soft skills/empathy building workshops.

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Strengths:

- Highly responsive team
- Quick turnaround times with edits
- Supportive and clear communication

Would make the product better:

- Include more than one mock interview in the 1-school package.

I had a great experience with TRP who played a crucial role in my acceptance into my first-choice MBA program.

Initially, I spoke with Natasha, whose guidance immediately stood out. Unlike other consulting firms that insisted I needed a higher GRE score, Natasha reassured me and provided actionable insights on strengthening my profile in other impactful ways. This approach convinced me to choose TRP.

I worked closely with Shyam, my lead consultant and Manan, my Letter of Recommendation consultant, both of whom were excellent. Shyam was incredibly skilled at brainstorming compelling stories from my background and provided me with a clear framework to structure my essays effectively. He was always available to chat which I found impressive, especially given the significant time difference.

Manan assisted me greatly with my letters of recommendation. His guidance on selecting and shaping stories aligned perfectly with what admissions committees seek. Notably, when one of my recommenders unexpectedly dropped out just days before the deadline, Manan quickly helped me secure and develop a strong third recommendation. I really appreciated his patience and kindness throughout this process.

Finally, Anju conducted my mock interview, offering valuable feedback that highlighted areas where my responses could improve and helped me convey my enthusiasm for the school more effectively.

I opted for a single-school package, but the comprehensive support I received from TRP significantly eased the process for my other MBA applications as well. Overall, my experience with TRP was exceptional, and I wholeheartedly recommend their services. I really enjoyed working with the entire team who was assigned to me.

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I worked with The Red Pen for my applications to 6 schools and got into Kellogg, Stern, and UCLA, and was waitlisted at Haas and Cornell. I’m really happy with the outcome and would attribute a large part of this to Shreya Bajaj, my lead consultant, Kshitij Malhotra, content specialist, and Anju Goela, my LoR specialist. For every question I had, they provided great advice promptly, and the service was personalized from start to finish. Their methodical approach, combined with strong domain knowledge, made the application process much simpler for me. Shreya’s honest feedback on my interview prep helped me convert all the interviews I was called for. Her background in tech also made the brainstorming process much more relatable and easier. Since I applied to several schools, I had less time to prepare quality applications, but the team worked hard to ensure everything was submitted on time without compromising much on quality, helping me get into great schools.

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