BackThis startup is empowering students to pursue global education and careers
Leap, which was formed in 2019 and now runs LeapScholar and LeapFinance, is South Asia's largest online study abroad platform. The company’s offerings include study abroad counselling, IELTS online coaching, visa application, and financing.
PremiumFollowing the pandemic-induced disruption, the international education market has entered an exciting new phase. Global travel has largely resumed, with the most sought-after universities welcoming students back on-campus. While things slowly move towards new normalcy, students looking forward to studying abroad are confident about boarding the flight to study in their dream universities and destinations.
According to the latest Cambridge International Student Destinations Survey, the UK, the U.S., Australia, and Canada are the top four global destinations students prefer for overseas education. According to the survey, greater awareness of international education and the choice of courses, and broader career opportunities drive students' decision to study abroad.
Studying in a foreign country is appealing, promising and a unique experience. Nevertheless, the process of securing that coveted spot demands tenacity and careful planning on the part of the candidate - starting with shortlisting a course and university. A two-year-old overseas education company has sought to simplify this process by creating a one-stop digital platform that provides end-to-end services to study abroad aspirants.
A one-stop-shop for studying abroad
Leap, which was formed in 2019 and now runs LeapScholar and LeapFinance, is South Asia's largest online study abroad platform. The company’s offerings include study abroad counselling, IELTS online coaching, visa application, and financing.
For the founders, Vaibhav Singh and Arnav Kumar, the objective was to build a student-centric and customer-obsessed company that can enable young and ambitious students to access quality global education. Singh and Kumar, both IIT-Kharagpur alumni, through a community-led approach combined with a full suite of products for every need of a study abroad aspirant, have created a unique platform to ensure student success.
The Series C startup is backed by key investors such as Sequoia Capital India, Owl Ventures, Jungle Ventures, and Harvard Management Company among others.
Enabling access to quality education
With nearly 1.5 million members, the Leap community is one of the largest platforms of study abroad aspirants globally. IELTS test preparation is one of the vital offerings of Leap's product suite. The country's leading educators help students ace the exam through LeapScholar's IELTS Prep platform. One of India's largest online IELTS learning platforms, it has helped almost a million students score in high bands. LeapScholar's IELTS Prep app has over a million downloads and is one of the most popular apps globally in the IELTS prep space. The app comes with many innovative features, including one of a kind' Speaking Rooms', a forum where IELTS aspirants can practise their English speaking with each other for free.
Counselling service for college admissions is also among LeapScholar's key offerings. Its 3,000+ counsellors across the country help students make the right, informed choices about their study abroad plans. Leap Advantage by LeapScholar helps students access quality global education through innovative offerings like the College Credit Program (CCP) and twinning program. With the CCP, students can get a head-start by earning credits through courses featuring top instructors from Yale, Cornell and MIT, among others, at half the cost. The twinning program enables students to start their academic journey with a U.S. university from India and then graduate in the U.S. with a master's degree. It gives a one-year campus study experience and a work visa, again leading to substantial savings.
The company's financial arm, LeapFinance, provides education loans to aspirants based on their merit and future potential. Up to 100% financing of education loans is available through LeapFinance, with the interest rates being much lower than the prevailing rates in India. LeapFinance also offers students a U.S. bank account along with a credit card, helping students become part of the destination country’s financial ecosystem from Day 1. Additionally, if one is looking for internships or jobs post-study, LevelUp by LeapFinance through its host of mentors will help land the most suitable ones for a truly global career.
The study abroad market has witnessed a massive growth in 2021 and this trend is here to continue. With more and more students aspiring for global education and careers, Leap continues to empower and enable them with its existing and upcoming slate of innovative offerings.
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