Three alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) have launched Ambitio, India's first AI-powered platform aimed at simplifying the postgraduate admissions process for students seeking placements at top global universities.
Since its establishment in 2022, Ambitio has already helped over 175 students gain admission to prestigious institutions such as New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, Imperial College London, and the University of California – Berkeley.
Founded by Dirghanyu Kaushik, Vikrant Shivalik, and Vaibhav Tyagi, Ambitio utilizes proprietary AI technology to guide students through the often complex and expensive admissions process. The platform offers personalized assistance in identifying suitable universities, completing applications, and writing effective personal statements. Kaushik highlighted that many students face difficulties in selecting the right university and understanding their chances of acceptance. While professional counseling is available, it is often prohibitively expensive.
Ambitio stands out due to its proprietary technology, which incorporates advanced AI models such as Meta's Llama 3 and OpenAI's DaVinci. By aggregating data from various study-abroad resources and university websites, Ambitio's AI recommendation engine, trained on over 15 million data points, provides tailored university and program suggestions. Additionally, the platform assists students in writing their personal essays using a model trained on 5,000 accepted essays, ensuring quality and relevance.
The service is designed to be accessible, offering its core features for free while charging a small subscription fee for personalized essay and application management. This model aims to democratize access to high-quality admissions guidance typically reserved for those who can afford costly services.
Ambitio has received positive feedback from users, including Shubhangi Sengar, who is now studying business analytics at Columbia University. Another student praised Ambitio for boosting his confidence and improving his application essays.
With a current user base of about 200 students, Ambitio plans to expand to 2,500 students in the next financial year and extend its services to undergraduate admissions. This expansion comes as the Indian Student Mobility Report 2023 projects that Indian students' spending on overseas education could reach $70 billion by 2025, highlighting the growing demand for effective admissions support.