How TrueArq HelpsHow It WorksAboutBook a free call

For students, parents and professionals navigating important education and career decisions

Make your next education and career decisionwith clarity.

Watch: Hear how TrueArq helps you reach your academic goals from our founder, Deepak Punwani.

Develop direction. Aim for the top 10%.

We help parents and students agree on a path early, so effort goes into the right subjects, projects and applications, in the student's own voice, with the aim of standing in the top 10% of their chosen field.

Three phases in the journey

  1. CompassDiscover your strengths and shape a long-term direction.

  2. AcceleratorPlan your next milestone and applications with a coach.

  3. NetworkLearn from coaches, alumni and professionals who’ve walked the path.

Answer 4 quick questions and get your free Decision Snapshot, a personalised starting plan, in 2 minutes.

Then talk it through with a TrueArq advisor if you'd like.

Get your free Decision Snapshot

First, who is this for?

Step 1 of 4
For my childI'm a parent or guardianFor myselfI'm 18 or over

Free · 2 minutes · No payment or contact details needed. Or book a call directly

15 years of guidance behind TrueArq

TrueArq builds on a guidance methodology refined over 15 years of helping students, applicants and professionals make confident education and career decisions. Today, we bring that experience together with technology and personal coaching to help more people find a path that fits.

  • 500+

    Students admitted into top global programs

  • 300+

    Young professionals connected through the team’s network

  • 90%

    Success rate at top programs

    Admitted to at least one of their top 4 program choices

Figures reflect work led by founder Deepak Punwani and his coaching team at MBAExchange and MBA4India over the past 15 years.

  • “Offers from almost every Ivy League college we applied to, plus Oxford and Toronto.”
    IB school parent, Mumbai
  • “Berkeley Haas MBA with a scholarship. I wouldn’t be here without their support.”
    Tech professional, Berlin
  • “Helped us narrow down majors and cultures our son will thrive in.”
    Serial entrepreneur, Nairobi

How TrueArq helps

Clarity for Important Education and Career Decisions

Understand what fits. Build a plan. Get perspective from people with relevant experience.

  • Start here

    CompassUnderstand What Fits

    Explore strengths, interests and motivations through a personalised, coach-reviewed Compass Alignment Report. For families, it brings together parent and student perspectives to help them discuss choices with greater clarity.

    Best for

    • Subject choices
    • Career exploration
    • University and major direction
    • Master’s or career decisions
    See how Compass works
  • Step 2

    AcceleratorBuild Your Path

    Work with a coach to turn clarity into action, from choosing programs and building relevant experiences to planning internships and preparing applications.

    Best for

    • University planning
    • Profile building
    • Internship strategy
    • Applications and admissions
    See how Accelerator works
  • Step 3

    NetworkLearn From Experience

    When an outside perspective would help, your coach can connect you with relevant mentors, alumni or professionals who have firsthand experience of a path you’re considering.

    Best for

    • Mentorship
    • Program perspectives
    • Career exploration
    • Industry insight
    See how Network works

How it works

Find your direction. Build the path. Get the right support along the way.

  1. 01

    Clarity

    Compass

    Find your direction.

    A natural conversation with Scout uncovers your strengths, interests and motivations, with coach-reviewed insights.

    ScoutCoach-reviewed
  2. 02

    Action

    Accelerator

    Build the path. Get there faster.

    Turn direction into action through the right opportunities, profile building, internships and applications.

    ShortlistApplications
  3. 03

    Support

    Network

    Learn from people who’ve walked the path.

    Get perspective from relevant coaches, mentors, peers, alumni and professionals throughout your journey.

    MentorsCommunity

Compass

Find the direction that fits you.

Compass helps you understand your strengths, interests and motivations — and find the right direction for your education or career.

How Compass works

From a first question to a clearer plan

  1. Step 1: Find your starting point

    Free

    Answer four questions and see a free Decision Snapshot immediately.

    Get your free Snapshot

  2. Step 2: Talk with us

    Free · no obligation

    Book a free discovery call to discuss your situation and whether Compass would help.

    Book a free call

  3. Step 3: Share your perspectives

    Paid · only if you choose

    Your discovery call doesn’t commit you to anything.

    If you choose the paid Compass experience, we’ll send you a link after your call. Scout then guides the conversations. For a child under 18, the parent and student take part separately.

  4. Step 4: Review and discuss

    A coach reviews your Compass Alignment Report and shares it before your consultation. After you discuss the findings and next steps, you receive an updated final report.

Hear Scout in action

15-minute voice conversation · after your discovery call

Scout listens to you, then helps turn interests, personality & strengths into a clearer path

This demo is based on a real Scout conversation. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.

Compass can help with

  • Subject choices
  • Courses and fields of study
  • Career direction
  • Job vs postgraduate study
  • Career change
“The Alignment report triggered positive and productive dinner-table conversations with our daughters.”
Senior APAC professional, Singapore & Mumbai
Book a free call

Accelerator

Turn a clearer direction into a plan you can act on.

Compass helps you understand what may fit. Accelerator turns that into a personalized shortlist of programs, universities and scholarships matched to your profile, and a coach helps you decide what to do next.

Shaped around your stage

  • School students: Explore subjects and build relevant experiences.
  • University applicants: Choose programs and prepare applications.
  • Adult learners: Explore and evaluate internships, master's or MBA programs and strengthen applications.

Your Accelerator roadmap

  1. Explore your optionsGet a personalized shortlist of subjects, universities or postgraduate programs, with scholarship potential, and identify the choices worth pursuing.
  2. Build your readinessPlan the skills, projects and experiences that will strengthen your next step, from school activities and internships to a stronger university or postgraduate profile.
  3. Move forwardWork through shortlists, timelines and applications with guidance from a coach.
Sample matchIllustrative

Example program, example university

Fit:
Strong
Scholarship potential:
Good

Shaped by your Compass insights Coach-guided

Recommendations guide your decisions with a coach. They're not admission guarantees.

What shapes your recommendations

  • 15 years of guidance behind TrueArqHelping students like you get into top programs, and get funded.
  • Up-to-date program dataUniversities, courses, deadlines and scholarships.
  • Your Compass profileYour strengths, values and goals.
“A committed guide who will truly invest in your story, not retrofit you into standard essay formats. This team rocks!”
Indian origin couple from Texas, admitted to Kellogg's MBA
Book a free call

Network

Learn from someone who has walked the path.

A program or career can look different from the outside. When firsthand experience would help you make a decision, your coach can connect you with a relevant mentor, alumnus or professional.

A mentor talking with a student over coffee

Questions they can help you answer

  • What is it really like to study this subject or program?
  • What does work in this field look like day to day?
  • What should I consider before choosing this path?

Who you might talk to

  • Peers
  • Parents
  • Coaches
  • Alumni
  • Industry professionals

Introductions are made by your coach when they'll help your decision.

“I couldn't have gotten into Goldman Sachs and McKinsey post-Booth MBA without the doors they opened.”
Oil and gas professional, Beijing, China
Book a free call

About TrueArq

Guidance shaped by experience, made more accessible

Important education decisions need thoughtful questions and sound judgment. TrueArq brings together Deepak Punwani's experience in education and admissions guidance, a team of coaches, and technology that helps each conversation begin with a fuller picture of the person behind the decision.

Deepak Punwani

Meet the founder

Deepak Punwani

Founder and Head Coach

For 15 years, Deepak and his coaching teams have helped students and professionals navigate academic, admissions and career decisions.

Meet the TrueArq team

  • Harit Shukla

    Harit Shukla

    Founding Product Lead

    AI and product leader with 20+ years building AI-powered products. Harvard Business School alumnus.

  • Ashwani Baweja

    Ashwani Baweja

    Strategic Advisor

    Senior business leader with 25+ years in leadership and mentoring. Harvard Business School alumnus.

Frequently asked questions

TrueArq helps school students in Grades 8–12 and their parents, university graduates exploring master's programs, and working professionals considering an MBA or executive program.

School counsellors often support hundreds of students with the same framework. TrueArq starts with you: a conversation about your strengths, values and goals, reviewed by an experienced coach. We don't take commissions from universities, so our recommendations are based only on fit.

Yes. The 30-minute discovery call is free, with no obligation to continue.

You can start today. Book a free 30-minute discovery call. There's no commitment, and you decide afterwards whether Compass is right for you.

Your voice conversation with Scout takes under 15 minutes. A coach then reviews your Compass Alignment Report and shares it with you before your consultation.

Yes. Your Compass report covers Indian and international programs based on fit: your strengths, goals and scholarship potential. In Accelerator, a coach helps you shortlist, prepare and apply.

No. No one can honestly guarantee admissions, internships or scholarships. We help you make better-fit choices and build stronger applications.

Your conversation with Scout is seen only by you, your TrueArq coach (and your parent or guardian, for students under 18), and the trusted providers who help us run TrueArq, such as our voice, AI and hosting services. It's stored securely, and we never sell your data. You can ask us to delete it at any time by emailing support@truearq.com.

Yes, with a parent or guardian. For students under 18, a parent or guardian books the call and gives consent before the student talks with Scout, and they receive the Compass report together.

Book your free consultation call

Tell us a little about where you are, then pick a time or ask us to call you back. A TrueArq advisor will use your answers to prepare for a free 30-minute chat. No commitment.

Call backs usually happen within one business day.

Step 1 of 2About you

Who is the call for?

Step 1 of 2 · Helps your advisor prepare for the call.

Need help? Start here.

Choose what best matches your message and your email app will open with the right address and subject.

Technical support

Trouble with the website or joining the waitlist? We’ll help you get unstuck.

support@truearq.com

Feedback & general questions

Share feedback, suggest an improvement, or ask us anything about TrueArq.

team@truearq.com

We typically respond within 1–2 business days.