Quotes from parents
Pulkit left Doon in 2015. Peeyush Agarwal father of Pulkit Agarwal said:

‘The Careers Department was very helpful to us and Pulkit through his journey to getting admitted in Harvard. They helped him choose his subjects and identified his interests from A-form itself, and helped him build on them. Pulkit chose the IB.

The selection of colleges and universities was a joint effort. We made a list that was revised on many occasions through the year, through constant consultation with the Department. We made this list based on our research through the Fiske Guide and through first-hand account of previous students. Since the department knew Pulkit so well, they also helped us choose places where he could blossom.

Through his journey, they supported him in building a strong application, writing good essays, ensuring that he stuck to the deadlines. They even played a critical role in his success with SAT examinations, for which he got lessons from school itself. We recommend to all parents to be in constant touch with the Department and to trust them to know what you and your child wants best.’

Siddarth left Doon in 2015. Chand Sarin, parent of Siddarth Sarin said:

‘As Siddarth was shaping up brilliantly at Doon school by participating and winning several accolades and awards in various co-curricular activities and sports, we wanted to choose a college which encouraged the student’s quest to exploit his inherent talents and skills just the way The Doon School could do, both academically and vocationally. With the Careers Department’s immense guidance and help we could select a college where Siddarth could continue to excel in all fields including the crucial academics without sacrificing his flair for sports and adventure.

Without an iota of doubt, the Careers Department played a pivotal role in guiding Siddarth as well as us as parents in selecting a tailor- made university to pursue excellence. Siddarth’s success in getting admission in several universities of repute would not have been possible without the unstinted efforts and enormous time given by the Careers Department and in particular the valuable guidance of Ms Pandey and Ms Negi who had from day one guided us through the processes and finally handpicked what was best for Siddarth and his future. We will eternally grateful to the school and the Careers Department who helped Siddarth shape his career and gain admission to University of Toronto and the several other colleges.’

Preetham left Doon in 2015. Mohan Bhatt, father of Preetham Mohan said:

‘Preetham aimed only for international Universities and Colleges maintaining his CV with his best academic records and was able to get the following offers:

1. HKU with offer of renewable full tuition fees
2. HKUST with one time full tuition fees
3. Drexel with offer of renewable full tuition fees
4. U of T with $2000 Entrance Scholarship (one-time)
5. York with $12000 Entrance Scholarship (one-time)

Preetham studied the IB and could have got many more offers but the financial constraint was a major hurdle. The high SAT score of 2300 plus instead of 2140 may have helped with acquiring more reputed offers from the USA. Thanks to The Doon School’s high academic standard, development of importance on co-curricular activities and the worldwide reputation of the school are all major contributors in building excellent boys with better offers from across the globe. The role played by the Careers Department, headed by NPY, is commendable. The counselling and follow up by NPY and the team is tremendous. The support and close monitoring with good guidance for Preetham played a big role in him getting good offers.
As parents we put our best efforts and all the supports to Preetham. However, The Doon School team – HM and the teachers and, in particular, the Careers Department played a big role in getting the reputed global offers which shall build him a beautiful career with high values. Of course, Preetham’s effort is equally appreciable!’

Ritvik Kar left Doon in 2015. Sumit Kar, father of Ritvik Kar said:

‘The college application process, we’ve come to learn, is a tricky one. The numerous considerations that need to be made, ranging from selectivity to finances, before deciding where to apply were unheard of to us as first time parents dealing with this process. As parents who live abroad, we could not arrange as many in-person appointments as we would have liked to but that never became a problem because even over the phone, members of the department were able to communicate information to us smoothly and conveniently. Our son’s college list was compiled after numerous meetings between him and the career counsellors, who were able to guide him and advise him at every stage. Because of the constant interaction between the department and Ritvik, he was able to have a very clear idea of what and where he wanted to study. The additional help that came from Mr Stephen Magee and Mrs Preeta Priyamvada on the college essays front was an extremely helpful resource. The individual attention and concern that the Careers Department pays to every boy, re-assures us as parents through every step of this process.’

Anant Singh Mann left in 2015. Govind Mann, father of Anant said:

‘Anant choose to study humanities at ISC and the subject he liked most was history. His first choice was Delhi University but we realized that the north campus was long shot. As we didn’t want send him anywhere else in the country, getting admission abroad was a necessity. Our elder son Gopal was already doing an Economics degree at Warwick so the U.K. seemed a natural choice. In Gopal’s case he had got an offer from UC San Diego but we felt that it was too far so hence the U.K. After we examined the university ranking, both for the university and for courses Anant applied accordingly. He has now selected St. Andrews as his first choice as the subject offered is International Relations with Modern History. He also received offers from Durham, King’s College, London and Warwick ’.

Over the past two years the Careers Department has been extremely proactive regarding Anant’s university selection and future. Right from the start to finish the Careers Department gave a very personalized experience. Initially Anant was floundering and unsure what he wanted to do. However, after a couple of talks with Stephen Magee he started to find some direction. In the sessions with Stephen he finally determined the subject he should study as well the best universities to study it in. After which he was helped in his application process including the essays and other requirements. Without the department to hold his hand through this difficult period none of this could have happened.
My advice to parents is to keep abreast of new developments and be in touch with the Careers Department. Ask the kids to be more proactive and in touch with the department.’

Ishan Sandhu left Doon in 2015 and was School Captain. Sandeep Sandhu, father of Ishan Sandhu said:
‘It was during the admission process of our elder son Sumaer Sandhu that through the Careers Department at Doon, I learnt about the concept of ‘The Right Fit’. Before that all we thought was that according to the rankings we would short list colleges and universities in the broad spectrum where the boys can realistically expect to be admitted depending on his scores. It was this concept of the FIT that made us decide on the choice of colleges and universities and to come to a right fit for Ishan. The help and assessment of the Careers Department was most important in getting to this right fit.

It was through the personal counselling that we were made aware of the strengths of our son and his inclination towards his field of interest that he would like to pursue in college. This advice was extremely helpful as it came from the counsellors, who were able to interact with the boys from a different perspective and this gave us better insight which helped us make a informed choice.

Career Counselling is one of the most important aspects in preparing your child for the future and to help him make the right subject and career choice. The Careers Department at Doon is doing a great job, the boys need to take it more seriously specially in the A form and the parents encouragement & involvement in this process is most imperative.’

Ashutosh Goyal left Doon in 2015. Shipra Goyal, mother of Ashutosh Goyal said:

‘My interaction with the Careers Department has been quite a lot in the last three years and it has been quite fruitful. The presentations that the careers department gave before each PTM were very informative. The first hand information that we got cleared all our doubts.
Specifically, the last two years saw us discovering Ashutosh’s interests and he himself discovering himself, with the help from the Careers Department.
Initially, we were looking at liberal art studies in the USA and Canada, Business Studies in India and Management in Singapore. Ashutosh has made decisions and the careers helped us know the pros and cons of these decisions. Eventually, we were eliminating universities and colleges as per Ashu’s interests. Ashutosh was sure during this time, that he wanted to study Economics, Business and Art and a combination like this could only be done in the USA.
The refining of his essays by Mr. Magee and Ashutosh’s summer school in UCLA, under the guidance of Ms. Nagalia were also of immense help.
I always wanted Ashutosh to go to an Ivy League college, but the school also counseled me too. Furthermore the Headmaster’s recommendation to read the David and Goliath story, made me realize that for every child there is a college that was meant for him which may not necessarily be an Ivy League College.
Thank you Namrata, and the entire team in the Careers Department who guided Ashutosh in making the right decision. My husband and I are very happy for him to be studying Economics at Indiana. He will be able to pursue Business Studies there and also develop his creativity.
Our experience at The Doon School was amazing and we look forward to an equally enriching experience at The Indiana University Bloomington.

Aditya Bhattacharya left Doon in 2015. His parents said:
‘My son’s subject choice was the main influence, because it narrowed his options down and allowed him to choose colleges that catered to his interests and ambitions. Aditya chose to study the ISC. The financial cost of attending these colleges was also a major factor, as it would have been difficult to support my son’s undergraduate education without a scholarship while also supporting his sister’s postgraduate degree. The careers talks had a positive influence on my son as he was able to get information on colleges that were both affordable and had a good reputation for the courses he wanted to study.
The Careers Department provided various publications such as the annual ‘How to Future-Proof Your Career’ guide and the guides on Summer Schools and MOOCS, as well as allowing my son to sign up to receive information from the various colleges and universities that visited school. His college choices were almost completely made by the advice given to him by the department and the SAT classes and mock tests also helped him improve his scores. His essays were also supported by the advice and guidance from Mr Magee and Ms Priyamvada which ultimately helped him impress the colleges that accepted his application.
I would advise all parents to do a bit of homework on their own beforehand about the prospects and risks of the careers their child wants to pursue, and also look at the opportunities that could be available to him. I would also recommend being honest about your financial situation and let your child know what you can and cannot afford. Finally, patience is the most important aspect of the applications process, because sometimes your son may not decide where he wants to go till the very end, but you must give him the time and space he needs. He will be the one studying at the college at the end of the day.’