In this episode, you will discover how Shikhaj managed to get financed so he could study for his masters in the USA. 

Shikhaj is an Indian engineering student from Mumbai, and graduated during the pandemic. 

He had been accepted by Duke University, to do a master’s in Engineering Management but due to the embassies being closed he had to postpone his masters. 

How Leap helped Shikhaj finance his Masters

During his interview with Duke, the admissions officer was relieved when he said he was funded via Leap. 

Shikhaj mentioned that by using a modern fintech startup it was all much less bureaucratic and far more streamlined. 

To get into Duke he needed the help of Leap, he said they: 

* reduced all the bureaucracy (especially the financial side!)

* advised him on improving his CV, Linkedin profile, and lots of other uni application support. 

He borrowed money from Leap and because he is a stem student he can stay in the US for up to three years and pay off the loan. 

His parents cosigned the loan but Shikhaj was not worried, he said it felt like Leap were betting on his success. 

Another reason he chose Leap was that one of the lead investors is Kunal Shah, with him on the team he felt it was definitely not a fly-by-night operation.   

And finally, Shikhaj took action and reached out to the people leaving testimonials. He found them on Linkedin and soon realised they were all telling the truth. 

He even suggested that fans of IELTSPodcast add him on Linkedin (find his profile here) and ask him any questions they might have regarding Leap. 

Life at Duke University for Shikhaj

At Duke University, Shikhaj is having an absolute blast! 

He said he’s making the most of it by swimming regularly at the campus pool, joining as many clubs as possible, and he even got Duke to purchase some cricket kits! Genius! 

If you are looking to study abroad and need help with your IELTS preparation then check out our online IELTS courses here.  Or perhaps you’d like an estimated band score for your writing, you can get that for free here, just copy-paste your essay and get a score within 2 seconds!

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