Shivam Pathak - From Indore To Frankfurt
Yana Immis
Brief introduction of myself
I am Shivam from Indore, India. I have completed a Bachelor's in Business Administration with Finance as my major. During my undergrad, I did several internships in the domains of Finance, Marketing, HR, and Logistics. At the moment I am enrolled in MSc Finance program at ISM in Frankfurt campus.
Why did I choose Germany out of so many options to study abroad?
Germany is one of the most powerful economies in the world, as well as in Europe. There is no doubt that Germany is known for its excellent education standards. German degrees are highly respected by employers. Another factor that played a significant role in motivating me to choose Germany for my master’s, was the quality of education that I was getting at such a low cost. The level of international exposure one can gain through this program is incredible. Also, after finishing my master's degree, I have the option of staying back for another 18 months to explore various career opportunities.
What was I looking for?
a - Quality education without breaking my bank account
b - International and diverse study environment
c - Effective career support
d - A course that covers a broad range of topics.
What did I bring with me from India to Germany?
A suitcase full of spices and some of my favorite Indian recipes. But the most meaningful thing I carried with me was my values and traditions. Last week I took some of my classmates to a Diwali festival where they got to experience my culture and the traditions that are followed back in India
Why did I choose ISM for my Master's?
After browsing through various universities in Germany, I ended up choosing ISM because I felt the Finance program at ISM was a perfect fit for me to gain financial knowledge in a more in-depth and systematic way. I was particularly interested in this program because they cover a broad range of topics like Statistics & Financial Modelling, Investment Banking, and Business Planning & Venture Capital. I knew these topics were essential for me as I wish to pursue a career in Financial Consulting or Investment Banking in the future.
ISM also has a campus in Frankfurt, known as the financial capital of Germany. So what could be a better place to study finance? Apart from this, the class size at ISM is relatively small compared to other universities, and trust me you get a better understanding while studying in a small group. Plus during your Master’s there is an integrated semester abroad in the 3rd semester, where you can choose from more than 100 partner universities. Students can even opt for a double degree in various subjects and earn 2 degrees while doing a single master's program. The amount of international exposure you get from studying at ISM is crazy! I have classmates from different nationalities like Greece, Romania, China, the Middle East, Vietnam, and more.
As if all this was not enough, ISM students get a special scholarship for the CFA examination as ISM is CFA affiliated.
How was my experience with Yana Immis?
While I was still in the last semester of my bachelor's program, I began researching master's programs in Germany. I somehow ended up reading a post on Quora. I commented on the post as I had some questions and within a day I got a reply from Yana. While I briefly glanced at her website, I didn't pay much attention to it because I thought who could provide consultations for free and handle all the formalities. In 2 months, I was still stuck in my application process and university shortlisting so I thought I should reach out to Yana. I quickly landed on her website and filled out the contact form and a day later I got a mail to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss things. We had a short meeting of 40 minutes where we discussed my choices for master programs and other related stuff.
After 3 days I got a mail from Yana with a list of 20 universities to choose from. Having selected the top 4 universities, we began to arrange all the documents and started applying to universities. She was the contact person on my behalf and arranged an interview with ISM.
She reviewed all my documents and made some corrections. The coolest part was she even helped me with the research paper and presentation for my interview. 3 days after my interview I got a mail from ISM that I had been offered a place to study in their Finance program.
She was always there to help me no matter what the issue was. From filling out the visa application form to finding accommodation she helped me at every stage. Even today if I have some silly questions and doubts regarding something basic or any official task she is the first person I reach out to.
In the end, everything turned out pretty well and Yana became my savior in such hard times.
I feel grateful to write this review from my apartment in Frankfurt. I would like to thank her from the bottom of my heart and wish her the highest success in the future.
