Amrit's 25 Random Things

(Answered chronologically) 

1. I have lived in 8 countries for more than 6 months consecutively, spanning four continents  - You could say I have been “geographically confused” my whole life, but now I have found my home in India.

2. Ran a business with a 1600% profit - I would bring noodles, which I had bought for 6 pence, from Nigeria to boarding school and sell them for 1 pound after 9 pm when we could not leave the boarding house to get food. 

3. Played an old English sport called Eton-Fives (invented in 1877) and reached the semi-finals for the under-18 national championships

4. Was made fun of in school by being called Has-a-sheep instead of Hass-a-ram. Have finally recovered from the trauma :) 

5. Got an unconditional offer to go to Oxford University but was not allowed to go because of National Service requirements for Singapore (even after writing letters to several Government officials). 

6. I chose Cornell University over Columbia and UPenn without visiting the campus - I knew I was going to be a city boy for the rest of my life, so I wanted to experience campus life - and boy, I did when a deer ran through our classroom. 

7. Once, I went with friends to an intersection in Malaysia with four highways, spun a bottle, and decided to drive in the direction it pointed until we found something interesting — that was a long ride. 

8. I faked my way through singing the Singapore (where I had not lived for 17 years) National Anthem (in Malay) during my first day of National service by bellowing the names of  MRT (subway) stations, which had Malay-sounding names.

9. I started a company during my national service in Singapore, and the office we rented had a mattress in it so I could take a break from coding to get sleep before heading back to my camp. 

10. Spent the majority of Mondays for seven years feeding the homeless in Red Lion Square, a small park in London, as a dedication to my parents, who helped many people. It put a smile on my face to spend a few hours every Monday remembering them. 

11. Performed stand-up comedy in 4 countries in comedy clubs, weddings, and at a Follies performance (variety show) at business school.  You could say my characters were severely misunderstood :(

12. My last words to my father were “Don't worry Pops, I got the contract (for a job) and I can look after you and Mom.”, he died that night, knowing his wife would be looked after. 

13. Set up a charity and threw 5 “Charity Karaoke” fundraisers and raised $50K to rebuild schools in Galle, Sri Lanka, after the 2004 tsunami.

14. I spent a week doing a ‘stage’ at Gordon Ramsay’s The Savoy in London because I was trying to find a new career direction. 

15. I had massive anxiety over money for 15 years, which I have mostly overcome through a combination of support from family and friends, therapy, and not giving up whenever I had a setback.

16. I struggled for two years to write my MBA applications because I was unsure what the school wanted to hear. When i was struggling, my sister told me to “write from the heart”, which prompted me to write a 12-page autobiography and then turning into essays. 

17. Take pride in the fact that practically everyone I know knows practically everyone I know.

18. Took a 7 week solo backpacking trip around S America to prove to myself I could travel alone

19. Drove a pickup truck for 5000km around Malaysia for 8 months trying to buy iron ore from Mom and Pop Mining operation

20. I had to go to jail to visit a Billionaire and present a three-year business plan to secure $1.2M in funding during Ramadan to pay bonuses to factory workers; union members were waiting there, ready to strike if that didn't happen. 

21. Gave an extremely embarrassing interview on TV about a sports brand I was running - most of my family play that clip to brighten themselves up when they have had a bad day

22. Moved to India after falling in love with Mumbai during a career break without being sure of what I was going to do.  I took on some MBA admissions consulting to cover expenses, which eventually turned into my business. 

23. I have helped over 400 people determine their next step in terms of career and education, and I plan to continue doing so for the remainder of my life. 

24. Helped raise $2000+ for migrant workers in India during COVID by offering discounted career sessions and donating the proceeds to food banks. 

25. I’ve lost a lot of close friends over the years and always saw myself as the victim, but I’ve come to realize that most people don’t hurt others on purpose; they’re just reacting to their unresolved baggage.

The Order I Work In - And Why It Works (Aka “How I Turn Chaos Into MBAs”)

An MBA isn’t just about career transformation—it’s about personal growth. And for me, that growth came at a cost: pain, anxiety, loss, and eventually, healing.

Over the years (read: a decade of caffeine-fuelled essay drafts and deadline anxiety), I’ve developed a very specific order in which I work with clients. It’s not just a process - it’s practically a ritual. And trust me, there’s a method to my madness.

Step 1: The Resume – Our Greatest Hits Album

We kick things off with the resume. Why? Because it’s the one-pager that packs in your career, achievements, and secret superpowers. It’s also the most viewed document in your application - admissions committees glance at it 40 to 50 times throughout the process. Think of it as the table of contents for your entire story.

By going bullet by bullet, I get to know exactly what you’ve done and start mentally tagging those juicy, high-impact stories we’ll use everywhere else. It’s like building a personal Wikipedia - but with way more action verbs and a “helluva” lot of impact.

Step 2: Goals – The ‘Why the Hell Are We Doing This?’ Chat

In parallel, we dive into goals. Not the vague “I want to make an impact” kind - but the specific, personal, passion-fuelled kind. We explore different career paths, brainstorm opportunities in the industries that get you excited, and shape them into something concrete.

We do this early because once you know your goals cold, it becomes way easier to choose stories for your essays and recommendations that actually support them.

And how do we get clarity? With a little 3-paragraph writing exercise that sneaks into almost every application.

Step 3: School Selection + Recommendations - Matchmaking & Memory Mining

Once we know what you’ve done and where you’re headed, it’s time to pick the right schools and start working on recos.

This part takes some grunt work — we’re doing serious research here, from website deep-dives to stalking club officers (nicely, of course). At the same time, we’re briefing your recommenders so the heavy lifting is done well before essay season starts. Pro tip: nothing’s more satisfying than ticking off recommendation questions before the panic hits.

Step 4: Essays – Save the Drama for When You Know Me Better

I know - it feels weird to start essays so “late.” But here’s the thing: by the time we get to them, we’ve been working together for 4-6 weeks.

You’re more comfortable, I know what makes you tick, and we’re both better at asking the right questions. That trust helps you open up and bring your most authentic, compelling self to the page.

We usually begin with the ‘goals essay’ for the earliest school as that requires extensive research and takes time, then roll into the rest. This stage is fully customized based on your writing skills, content complexity, and the amount of time we’ve. Sometimes, we strategically juggle schools based on deadlines and where content overlaps.

Bonus Round: Video Essays – Because Life Isn’t Stressful Enough

If there’s time, we’ll prep a few of the key answers for video essays too - trust me, you do not want to be scripting your “Tell us about yourself” video 2 hours before it’s due.

Every step in this process is intentional - built to reduce stress, create clarity, and leave room for real reflection. Because this isn’t just about getting in. It’s about figuring out who you are, what you want, and how to tell the world in a way that makes them believe it too.