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From Dh1,100 to Dh3,600: UAE student makes Ivy League admissions affordable
Mentra offers peer-to-peer mentorship, lowering the cost of applying to top universities for students based in the UAE, India and UK
- PUBLISHED: Mon 7 Jul 2025, 1:22 PM UPDATED: Tue 8 Jul 2025, 7:25 AM
To address the high cost of international university admissions support, a student born and raised in Abu Dhabi has co-founded a consultancy to make top-tier university access more affordable for students.
Mentra is positioning itself as a game-changer in helping students from the UAE, India, and the UK with admissions.
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The platform emerged from a realisation that while there is growing interest among students in the UAE to pursue education abroad — particularly in Ivy League and Russell Group institutions — the existing consultancy services are often expensive and out of reach for many middle-class families.
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The company, officially registered in the UK, was launched by Advait Arya, currently studying at the University of Warwick, alongside fellow university student Adityawardhan Gaikwad.
Inspired by personal experience
In an interview with Khaleej Times, Advait Arya said, "My journey applying to universities revealed how expensive and exclusionary college counselling can be. I was fortunate to receive the Crimson Education Fellowship, which provided me with $4,000 worth (over Dh14,500) of counselling. That experience opened my eyes to how inaccessible these services are to working-class families."
This insight prompted him to build a solution that not only supports applicants but also creates flexible earning opportunities for current students at top universities.
"I also noticed how students in top universities struggle to find flexible ways to earn money that fit academic workloads. Mentra allows mentors to set their own availability and earn income while helping others — a win-win."
While traditional admissions consultants, especially in regions like the UAE and the US, often charge between $20,000 and $100,000 (approximately Dh73,400 - Dh367,000) for comprehensive support, Mentra offers complete application packages starting from just $800 to $1,000 (approximately Dh3,000 - Dh3,600). For those seeking more targeted help, services can cost as little as $300 (Dh1,101).
"So, it's often 5 to 10 per cent of the cost, with the added benefit of being mentored by people who got into these schools recently," he added.
Peer-led mentorship
Advait believes this peer-led mentorship model is both effective and empowering.
"They've recently gone through the same application processes, so their insights are fresher and more relevant than those of traditional consultants. They can offer insider knowledge about campus life, culture, and academic expectations — the kind of real-world info you can't Google."
"If the student ends up attending the same university, they've already got a senior friend or contact on campus. It builds a community, not just a transaction," added the 20-year-old.
Mentra is currently focusing on markets where the founding team has strong ties — India, the UAE, and the UK — with plans to scale cautiously to maintain quality. Funding from Warwick's Lord Rootes Memorial Fund and private contributors have helped the team invest in AI-based tools, mentor recruitment, and outreach to under-resourced schools.
Services customised to need
The platform offers a wide range of services, including UK personal statement writing, US Common App essays, SAT/ACT preparation, scholarship applications, extracurricular strategy, and more. Students can also opt for individual services tailored to their specific needs.
"So far, we have supported over 100 students through mentors from institutions like the Ivy League, Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, UCL, Warwick, and top Singaporean universities," Advait added.
He admitted that building and running the platform alongside academic and internship commitments has not been easy.
"It's definitely challenging; there have been many sleepless nights. Balancing internships, academic coursework, extracurricular activities, and Mentra requires discipline and a clear purpose. But because we genuinely enjoy the work and believe deeply in the mission, we manage to push through."
Looking ahead, Mentra plans to expand its presence across UAE high schools and eventually enter the US high school space through its growing mentor network.
"Launching AI-based counselling tools to enhance mentor guidance, partnering with high schools across India to offer free support to top students from underserved communities, expanding thoughtfully within the UAE, UK, and India… and in the near future, we plan to expand into US high schools via our mentor network there," he said.
But Mentra's vision extends beyond just school applicants.
"We're not just focused on school students; we're also building opportunities for university students to earn flexibly, build soft skills, and make an impact while studying. Our long-term vision is to create a full ecosystem where top mentors can support the next generation — affordably, accessibly, and authentically."
