Dreaming to study abroad? Meet your expert companion.

From shortlisting universities and writing essays to getting scholarships, loans, and visasβ€”it’s all here. Written by an Ivy League graduate from India, this is the proven guide for students worldwide looking to pursue undergraduate or graduate study abroad in the U.S., Canada, or Europe.

  • 260-page online book
  • Complete book including future updates
  • SOP and resume samples of Ivy League graduates
  • Membership in the Admitted Slack community (1,200+ students)
  • A curated list of 30+ scholarships to apply to
  • 6 hours of webinars on shortlisting universities, crafting resumes, and obtaining visas
  • The Dream Tracker: The Ultimate Tracking Spreadsheet to manage your applications
  • One-month premium membership with ResumePuppy
  • Access to all future live webinars and community events!
Because it is deeply insightful and written from a student’s perspective, this guide provides key lessons for anyone embarking on the journey to pursue their higher education abroad.Mindi Levinson(Director of Career Placement, MS&E, Columbia University)

Admitted

The Proven Guide to Get Into Your Dream University and Study Abroad

by Soundarya Balasubramani

From growing up in a suburb in Southern India to graduating with a master’s from Columbia University and then working in Silicon Valley, Soundarya Balasubramani knows the daunting challenges of applying and getting in to graduate school abroad.

In January 2020, she began working on what was supposed to be a short, 10-page guide, with Saikishore Raju, one of the contributors to the book. That project ended up expanding as Soundarya and a small team put in over 2000 hours to create the guide, first published in August 2020 in India. It has been used by over 1500 students around the world.

Admitted is for students in any country looking to enter graduate or undergraduate programs in the U.S., Canada, or Europe. It offers a unique combination of practical advice, mental frameworks to make better decisions, personal anecdotes, a philosophical touch, and illustrations to support and encourage you along the way. A few sections include special advice for Indian students.

The Holloway Edition is a revised and expanded version of the edition originally published in India and includes lifetime access to all resources and future updates.

Unlike typical guides of this genre that overwhelm and overburden the mind, Admitted is an engaging and pleasurable read full of helpful advice and entertaining vignettes.Dr. Aseem Z. Ansari(Founder of S.N.Bose and Khorana Scholarships)
About the Author
Soundarya Balasubramani
Soundarya Balasubramani is a product manager, writer, and course creator. She graduated in 2019 with a master’s in Management Science and Engineering from Columbia University. Prior to that, she graduated as a Gold Medalist from NIT Trichy, India in 2017. She has been the recipient of more than a dozen scholarships and awards including from S.N.Bose, DAAD, MITACS, J.N.Tata Endowment, K.C. Mahindra Education Trust, and Cargill Global. She has written more than 100 articles, including popular guides on internships, scholarships, and graduate school admissions. Her YouTube videos on life as a graduate student have over a million views. Soundarya is also the founder of AIESEC at NIT Trichy, has served as the Chief Editor of The NIT Trichy Chronicle, and as Vice President of the Consulting Club at Columbia University.

Written, edited, and designed by experts.

Author
Soundarya Balasubramani
Contributors
Karthikeyan Eswaran β€” Editor
Nidhish Rajan β€” Digital Marketer
Saikishore Raju β€” Collaborator
Rishabh Singh β€” Collaborator & Designer
Komal Telagavi β€” Designer & Illustrator
Joshua Levy β€” Publisher (Holloway Edition)
Nathaniel Hemminger β€” Production (Holloway Edition)
Carolyn Turgeon β€” Editor (Holloway Edition)

Featured Reviews

There is a gap in the knowledge needed to make important decisions in your academic career. Admitted bridges this gap by providing the complete picture of the before and after of getting an admit. I enjoyed reading the book both for the content as well as the interesting narrative of personal anecdotes.
Dr. Srinivasan Sundarrajan (former Director of NIT Trichy, retired Outstanding Scientist at DRDO, Government of India)
What a wonderful read! Admitted will play as a guide for you by saving a great amount of money and time. The depth of research that Soundarya has gone through to write it is clearly visible and helps students β€˜anticipate difficulty and prepare early’ in their journey to study abroad!
Ramya Bhaskar (Founder of GiveMeFive.ai, Ex-Product Manager at Byju’s)
Admitted is an engaging and insightful must-read for students aspiring to study abroad. Soundarya does a phenomenal job of helping the readers time-travel through the journey they are about to takeβ€”from rationalizing if one should study abroad to getting the essentials in order before boarding the flight.
Vidya Srinivasan (Product Manager at Facebook, General Chair at Grace Hopper Conference)
Through Admitted, Soundarya hit the nail in its head on the topic of studying abroad. When I was on this journey, the resources were very sparse and it took months to search for every topic on my own. I love how Soundarya brought it all together in the book, giving you a good idea of what to expect and where to look for quality resources, thus converting Admitted into a handy mentor.
Saiman Shetty (Einstein Visa Recipient, Founder at ResumePuppy, Graduate from Arizona State University)
Soundarya’s passion to learn, her immense curiosity, and her craft of writing has resulted in this beautiful book. Admitted will be the go-to resource for study abroad aspirants for many years to come. Rather than wasting your money on college counseling services, please invest your time reading and applying this incredible resource!
Robert Adams (Founder at Chai & Coaching)
Soundarya’s book has changed the way I used to think about studying abroad. From every minute detail since her initial struggle in New York to a well-to-do personality, I can relate my entire study abroad journey to this book. I have tried making a few videos on studying abroad on my journey, but could never imagine or think about the idea of studying abroad to such a comprehensive level. Her book is not just a journey, but a lesson that teaches why, how, and what perspective one should have before taking off.
Harnoor Singh (YouTuber β€˜Singh in USA,’ Graduate from Georgia State University)
I am personally not a reader of books, especially ones that are informational in nature. But Admitted stands out because of the engaging and informative way in which Soundarya has written it. I love the storytelling which adds a lot of flavor and relevance to the topic. I can relate 100% to what is written as I’ve gone through similar experiences myself.
Pritesh Jagani (YouTuber β€˜Yudi J,’ Graduate from California State University)
Admitted goes beyond just stitching together several pieces in the studying abroad puzzle; it is interwoven with the author’s personal anecdotes, tips, and recommendations that make this book an interesting read and a very valuable guide. It is simple, relatable, and has a refreshing tone, with the author sounding more like a mentor than an instructor.
Lakshmi Manoharan (Machine Learning Engineer at LinkedIn, Graduate from Stanford University)
My favorite part of Admitted is the way it is loaded with the latest information and infographics, which empowers the reader with quick tools to make informed career choices. Had I come across a book like this when I was planning to come to here, it would have given me a great sense of safety in the uncertainty that is presented by a new country. Not to mention the money I would have saved with consultancies!
Roshni Chellani (RF Engineer at Qualcomm, LinkedIn Influencer, Graduate from The University of Texas at Dallas)
Admitted forges the perfect path to a successful and competitive graduate school application. Soundarya has brilliantly used her personal experiences and vast knowledge in this field to put together a step-by-step, well-designed, dynamic guide that demystifies the daunting task of submitting your graduate school application.
Siddharth Chamarthy (Research Engineer at Quadrus Medical, Graduate from Columbia University)
Soundarya and team have covered the end-to-end aspect of a student’s journey to get admitted. I never knew graduate life would be as challenging, demanding, and rewarding. Going back in time, I wish I had access to a book like Admitted to be mentally prepared for my journey. This book will guide you in overcoming and being more prepared for those challenges.
Srivatsan Ramesh (Machine Learning Engineer at Tellus, Graduate from Columbia University)

What Readers Say

Messages From Students Who’ve Used the Guide

Hi Soundarya! I hope you are doing well. I still recall the day back in 2020 when I had asked you about the SN Bose Scholars Program. I was super impressed after reading your blogs and watching a video or two on your YouTube channel. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you. When I came to know about β€˜Admitted’, I had to buy it. The online webinars and the book was totally worth it. It made me feel more confident about my SoP and my motivation to pursue a PhD. Thank you so much! I have finally accepted the offer to join MIT ChemE PhD! 😁
Shakul
Admitted to MIT (Fall 2021)
Hey Soundarya, I personally wanted to thank you. I have received admits for MEM Fall 2021 from Duke and Northwestern. Both were my ambitious universities.πŸ˜‡πŸ˜ Thanks for your constant guidance and creating the Admitted community. The only resource I used was Admitted and your YouTube/webinars for the whole process. I am indebted to you for mentoring me on this journey of self-discovery πŸ’“
Yashraj
Admitted to Duke University (Fall 2021)
Let me tell you my story. I have 6.6 cgpa, 6 backlogs, 1 month internship, 0 work experience, did not write GRE, 6.5 IELTS. And I received an admit for MS in Engineering Management program at University of Massachusetts Amherst which needs all of those and I didn't have any of them. What I have is hardwork, persistence and my vision to make the world a better place. I will give 50% credit to the book admitted to help me write strong CV, SOP and LOR and 50% credit to my consultancy (careerlabs) for correcting my grammer/vocabulary and rephrasing all these documents. This is just the beginning, thank you so much, Soundarya. I wouldn't have made it if I haven't read the book.
Sumanth
Admitted to UMass Armherst (Fall 2022)
Hey Soundarya, I received my book today 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍. First let me take a moment to say that this book is not just a book but a journey to me. I am fortunate to have witnessed the tenacity of your team and YOU. Yes, I have read a lot of books but the manner in which this book is personalized to connect to the reader is not comparable to any of them. I love the illustrations, choice of words and the organization of all the content in a cogent structure. I was so happy to read the book (that I preordered) that I decided to buy another one from Amazon to gift it to my friend. I will share the book details with as many as I can and continue to support your success in every way possible.
Ketaki
Applying for Fall 2022
Hi Soundarya, Hope everything is going great! Cannot be more thankful for this jewel πŸ’ŽAdmittedπŸ“˜, as it has become a part of my daily routine now and begin my day by reading. πŸ˜ƒ Presently in Chapter 6 (i am going slow πŸ˜… because I want to enjoy every page of it), hopefully will be ending the book by this month. πŸ˜ƒ Congratulations to you and your team for Admitted is one of the best selling books πŸ₯³πŸŽ‰ Take care πŸ€— & Thank you again. πŸ’™
Ayantika
Applying for Fall 2023
Hey Soundarya, Just wanted to thank you again for the book. After I started the application process, I realized it is such an exhaustive and overwhelming process. The Dream Tracker is such a saviour and I say this without any exaggeration. And the chapter on loans and financial aid. Can't thank you enough for the effort you put in to make our lives easier. I have recommended this book to all my juniors who intend to pursue Masters abroad and I am confident they will derive the same value and enjoyment from this book that I have. Keep up the good work. πŸ˜πŸ˜€
Srishti
Admitted to Dartmouth College (Fall 2021)

Table of Contents

Part I
Setting Your Goal
Choosing the Major
Choosing the Universities
Building a Big Picture
Part II
Submitting the Application
Crafting Your Resume
Writing Your Statement of Purpose
Getting Your Letters of Recommendation
Going the Extra Mile
Hitting That Button
Part III
Reaching Your Goal
Preparing for Interviews
Picking Your Dream University
Passing On the Gratitude
Part IV
Getting Ready to Study Abroad
Getting Your Visa
LinkedIn, Networking, and E-learning
Part V
Reflections
All That Matters
Life at Grad School
Memorable Moments
Acknowledgments
Help Me Spread the Joy

Why pay for an online book?

At Holloway, we imagine a place on the web where depth, quality, and high-value writing are the norm. A place where experts’ ideas are accessible to anyone. Where thoughtful, inclusive, and well-written resources win over quick takes, self-promoting blog posts, and content marketing.

We believe you, the reader, know the difference. It’s the 2020s. You recognize sites riddled with ads and clickbait headlines. Deep and comprehensive resources take expertise, time, and money to build. By buying access to this title, you’re supporting a place online that makes longform reading a pleasureβ€”and allowing us to pay authors, contributors, engineers, and editors who build and improve them. Holloway is a new and powerful way to publish. We hope you’ll join us on the journey.

Learn more.

Enter your email for more details, updates from the authors, and free samples from the book.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What do I get with purchase?

    By purchasing a title on Holloway.com, you get full digital access to the book and all other resources that come with it, for unlimited use by you. That means you get lifetime access online for that title on the web, using the Holloway Reader. In contrast with Kindle and other ebooks, this also includes future updates from the author or editors. Finally, depending on the title, you get additional digital resources like PDF downloads, documents, spreadsheets, or audio clips!

  • When is a good time to purchase the book?

    Ideally, we recommend you buy it 3 months before the general application deadline for most universities. However, since the book also covers topics on scholarships, interviews, loans, visas, and more, it will come in handy even if you purchase it after you’re done submitting your applications!

  • Will this book help me in my GRE/TOEFL/IELTS preparations?

    Yes and no. The chapter on competitive exams talks about the various exams you need to take, what they entail, the official and unofficial resources required to ace them, and the best practices to follow. We have not prescribed a 30- or 60-day plan since it does not apply to everyone. However, you can use the book along with other sites, like Prepscholar and Magoosh.

  • How do I access the additional resources and the Slack community?

    You’ll get an email with full details after purchase. Once you join the community, you will also be invited to exclusive webinar sessions in the future!

  • What is the Holloway Reader?

    The Holloway Reader lets you read and engage with books bought on Holloway. Many of our readers call it the best reading experience for books on the webβ€”you use it right in your browser, on desktop or mobile. In contrast to ebooks and paper books, online content in the Holloway Reader is always up to date, including updates when changes to the content are made, like responses to reader questions, new data, or new developments. It includes expert commentary in the margins and offers bookmarks and highlights, instant definitions of technical terms from a glossary, instant previews of links and footnotes, and a powerful search capability only available on Holloway titlesβ€”and we have a lot more on the way.

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    Don’t we all. Check the full FAQ. And we’d love to hear from you at hello@holloway.com.

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