What Stencil does

Stencil (legally "Stencil & Co.") is a privately held, Bangalore-headquartered overseas education consulting firm founded by Kunal Shah and operating for over 15 years. The firm serves Indian students seeking admission to undergraduate, MBA, and master's programs at international universities, with stated reach into the USA, UK, France, Canada, and Australia. Its service portfolio comprises four core product lines: the trademarked Dream Project™ (a 4-year holistic preparation program from Grade 9 through admission), Undergraduate (UG) Admissions guidance, MBA Admissions consulting, and MS Admissions consulting, supplemented by a Coaching Services line covering standardized test preparation (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) and academic tutoring for IB DP/AS/A-Level, IB MYP, and IGCSE curricula. Stencil claims 25,000+ cumulative student success stories, 1,000+ Ivy League admissions offers, and $23M+ in scholarship aid facilitated for students.

The firm operates a sales-led, high-touch service model with no proprietary technology platform. Service delivery is conducted through phone and email consultations, in-person and virtual workshops, scheduled one-on-one counseling sessions booked via Calendly, and a Discord community for peer engagement and alumni referrals. Revenue is generated through quote-based professional services fees tied to program segment (UG, MBA, MS) and scope, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the stencil.in website, supported by phone, email, content marketing, webinars, and community-driven referrals. The firm's competitive positioning is heavily anchored in founder Kunal Shah's personal brand — a US MBA holder with 20+ years of experience who has personally mentored 8,000+ students, delivered 1,000+ workshops, and secured $25M+ in scholarships.

Stencil is founder-owned with no disclosed external institutional investment, acquisition activity, or expanded operating footprint beyond its single Bangalore headquarters. The firm reports a headcount of 11–50 employees and lists one strategic institutional partnership — with the Government of Karnataka on the Prabuddha program, supporting overseas education access for economically disadvantaged Indian students. No publicly listed financials, funding rounds, or revenue figures have been disclosed.

Name

Stencil

Legal name

Stencil & Co.

Website

https://stencil.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stencil is a Bangalore-based overseas education consulting firm serving Indian students applying to international undergraduate, MBA, and master's programs through personalized admissions guidance, standardized test preparation coaching, and academic tutoring led by founder Kunal Shah.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Overseas Education Consulting

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Overseas Secondary School Admissions Consulting & Application Support (EDAIAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH), Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) (EDAGADAC), International & Cross-Border Exam Prep (Cambridge/A-Levels/GAOKAO/JEE/NEET, etc.) (EDAGADAF)

Keywords

• Study abroad consulting
• Education advisory
• Admissions guidance
• Test preparation
• Overseas education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Education Consulting Services: Stencil generates revenue through professional consulting services for overseas education advisory, including university application guidance, test preparation coaching, essay review, visa assistance, and scholarship support. Services are offered across undergraduate, MBA, and MS program segments, with pricing likely quote-based given the personalized nature of the offerings.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stencil is an overseas education consulting firm that guides Indian students through the process of applying to international undergraduate, MBA, and MS programs. The firm offers personalized admissions counseling, standardized test preparation (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS), academic tutoring for IB/IGCSE curricula, essay and interview coaching, visa assistance, and scholarship support. Its flagship Dream Project™ program provides a structured 4-year preparation journey for students from Grade 9 through university admission.

Product overview

Stencil is an overseas education consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of services for students seeking study abroad opportunities. The core offerings include the Dream Project™ program (a holistic 4-year preparation program from Grade 9 to university admission), undergraduate admissions (UG), MBA program guidance, MS program guidance, along with coaching services for standardized test preparation (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS) and academic support (IB DP, AS & A Level, IB MYP, IGCSE). The company operates through a community model with interactive sessions, focus groups, and student networking, all led by founder Kunal Shah with 20+ years of experience in international admissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dream Project™ A comprehensive 4-year holistic program from Grade 9 to university admission for study abroad, offering personalized guidance, engaging activities, and stress-free preparation for global universities. Targeted at high school students and their families planning long-term overseas education journeys.
• UG (Undergraduate Admissions) Consulting International undergraduate admissions guidance with early engagement starting from 9th grade, including course selection, extracurricular development, and standardized test preparation. Targeted at Indian high school students seeking admission to top global universities.
• MBA Program Admissions Consulting Step-by-step MBA admissions guidance covering self-reflection, research, test preparation (GMAT/GRE), resume building, essay writing, interview preparation, and scholarship assistance. Targeted at Indian professionals seeking MBA admissions at top global business schools.
• MS (Master of Science) Program Admissions Consulting Comprehensive Master of Science admissions guidance including goal setting, program research, test preparation (GRE), academic profile enhancement, recommendation letters, and interview coaching. Targeted at Indian students seeking master's degrees in science and technology disciplines at top international universities.
• Coaching Services Test preparation for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, and academic support for IB DP, AS & A Level, IB MYP, and IGCSE programs in subjects including Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Biology, Business, English, and Computers. Targeted at students preparing for standardized tests and international curricula.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ students admitted to global universities
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Government of Karnataka (Prabuddha Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStencil's founder Kunal Shah partners with the Government of Karnataka on the Prabuddha program, an initiative aimed at supporting economically disadvantaged students in pursuing overseas education. This initiative provides life-transforming opportunities to underprivileged students by helping them access world-class education through scholarship support and guidance.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Leverage Edu: India-based overseas education consulting firm covering undergraduate, MBA, and MS admissions with personalized counseling — the closest direct competitor to Stencil's offerings and target market.
• Yocket: Tech-enabled study-abroad platform for Indian students targeting US, Canada, and UK admissions. Competes with Stencil for the same Indian undergrad/MS applicant pool, with a stronger software layer.
• Jamboree Education: India-headquartered test prep and overseas admissions consultancy covering GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and applications — directly comparable services, customers, and geography to Stencil.
• Manya – The Princeton Review India: Indian franchise of The Princeton Review offering SAT/ACT/GMAT/GRE prep alongside admissions counseling — overlaps Stencil's test-prep plus admissions bundle for Indian outbound students.
• Manhattan Review: Test prep and admissions consulting firm focused on GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, and TOEFL/IELTS — directly comparable content and consulting services to Stencil's coaching and admissions bundle.

Broad incumbents

• Career Launcher: Large established Indian education company with broad test prep, admissions, and study-abroad services. A larger incumbent serving similar Indian student audiences, with overlapping MBA/test-prep offerings.
• IDP Education: Global education services firm with significant India presence, helping students apply to overseas universities (notably Australia/UK/Canada). Competes at the higher level of the same overseas-admissions category Stencil serves.
• The Princeton Review: Global test prep and admissions brand for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL. Comparable through its standardized test prep and admissions guidance, even though its primary geographic footprint is in the US.

Emerging players

• CollegeDekho: Online education portal connecting Indian students with domestic and overseas colleges. Emerging player overlapping Stencil's UG and study-abroad discovery and counseling workflow.
• Edvoy: International student recruitment platform focused on UK/Canada/Ireland admissions. Emerging competitor with partial overlap in the Indian study-abroad admissions funnel Stencil targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stencil.education
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stencilconsulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stencil