Building an Ivy League Dream: How Wealthy Indian Families Are Shaping Their Children's Future

Getting into a top American university is no longer just about scoring good grades. Students are increasingly expected to have research papers, social initiatives, competition achievements and a strong personal profile. And wealthy Indian families are beginning to prepare their children for this journey as early as age 14.

 

In this episode, host Rachel Varghese reads Vishnu Prakash’s article from The Ken’s newsletter, Make India Competitive Again, titled “How to ‘Manufacture’ an Ivy League Applicant”.

 

The episode explores the growing demand for premium college-admission consultancies, some of which charge more than ₹5 lakh a year, even as the number of Indians moving abroad for education declines. It also looks at what parents actually get for their money and who does the work behind the carefully crafted personal profiles that students present in their university applications.