HYDERABADSo it’s that time of the year again when parents and children across the country start their search for that ‘perfect’ college in India and abroad after the board exams. It is common practice to follow the crowd, taking advice from friends and family before coming to a decision about which college their child will attend. More often than not, the final verdict doesn’t quite turn out to be the ideal choice.
As a person whose job led him to be in touch with people in the education field, former investment banker, Jaideep Gupta, realised there was an inherent need for a platform which can help students make an informed decision when it comes to higher studies.
Armed with the idea that “every student should be able to tune out their best options from the jumble”, Jaideep along with his Delhi University batchmate, Varun Agarwal, decided to start Univariety, which puts students in touch with colleges and universities best suited to their capabilities.
“We wanted to create something that would help students sift through the enormous information with customised tools in a personalised manner. Through our research, we have seen people spend more time doing research when buying a TV than for higher education,” reflects Jaideep, adding, “The initial phase required us to go to different countries for research and understanding the requirements and needs of students. It took us two years to assimilate the enormous data we got,” explains Jaideep, who has previously worked with EY (formerly Ernst and Young).
Having pursued his higher education in US high schools, Jaideep had a pretty good inkling as to the missing element in Indian schools. “We saw that unlike US high schools which have a dedicated placement counsellor, Indian schools had a lacunae in this area. Sure, we had a counsellor but not for college placement. There was no guidance for those in class 11 and 12,” admits Jaideep. The duo hired 15 employees and set up an office in Hyderabad while they toured countries.
With the overwhelming information available on different courses, which can boggle the mind of even a level-headed person, Univariety with it’s user-friendly tools that matches the student’s academic score, preference and financial capability to the relevant university is the perfect platform for confused souls. “Our psychometric test that students take, helps us understand them in a 360 degree manner concerning their areas of interest, their likes and dislikes etc,” stresses Jaideep, who now employs 60 people for operations in technology, counselling with students, and to work with universities. Currently, they have tie-ups with universities in US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada and Switzerland.
Once a student signs up, they are shown a list of universities which match the input they entered in their profile. The service goes a step ahead and lists out the colleges according to the students academic score showing their probability of getting admitted in that college. The dashboard helps them see which universities they have shortlisted, which one is offering a scholarship, and which college has reviewed them. A calendar also reminds them about important dates for necessary admission tests and the coaching institutes offering training. “They may also be approached by college admission officers,” says the 36-year old.
With a focused approach towards giving the best options and counselling to students, Univariety offers three-four webinars per week for students on various topics. “These webinars are conducted by educational experts for specific students where they can get their queries answered.”
Though their tie-ups are with over 250 International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in India and South East Asia catering to 40,000 students at present, plans are on to reach out to CBSE and ICSE schools in six to eight months time.
“We are currently present in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad, now we are planning to expand to tier-2 cities as well,” adds Jaideep.