Part 2: Behind the Curtain — Who’s Really Writing Your Application?

Let’s talk about the part no one talks about. The back-end of this industry.

You’d be shocked how many consultancies are run by people who’ve never even studied abroad — or who did a one-semester exchange and turned it into a business. Others? They outsource to content writers who’ve never left their city. And these writers — they’re the ones “editing” your dreams.

Some firms use old SOP drafts, swap out examples, and pass it off as personalised work. Others use AI tools to draft final versions. What they don’t tell you is that admissions committees are smart — they scan for AI-written content. And if flagged, you could be rejected without ever knowing why.

We’ve seen these stories up close. Candidates rejected for no clear reason — only to discover their consultant had used ChatGPT to write their SOP. That’s not just unethical. It’s cruel.

At GradBrew, we don’t fear technology — we just use it responsibly. We allow AI and smart tools at the start — where you brainstorm, outline, and find structure. But once your voice is on paper, the edits are all human. Why? Because this process is supposed to build you. You should walk away more confident, more articulate, more you — not more generic.

This is training. It’s coaching. It’s like sport. Like music. Like building muscle. Boring?

And that brings us to the point no one wants to admit: this isn’t food delivery. It’s not “pay, wait, receive.” This is training. It’s coaching. It’s like sport. Like music. Like building muscle. Boring? Sometimes. Hard? Yes. But transformative? Absolutely — if done the right way.

Because here’s the thing — writing isn’t the enemy. When done right, it becomes a mirror. You discover things about yourself. Things you buried. Things you thought didn’t matter.

You were head of XYZ in your college fest? Big deal for you. But not for adcoms. Everyone’s a core team member. Everyone’s a convenor. What matters is — what did you learn? What did you change? This is a mindset shift. It’s not about sounding good. It’s about sounding real. That’s what we train for. You were head of XYZ in your college fest? Big deal for you. But not for adcoms. Everyone’s a core team member. Everyone’s a convenor. What matters is — what did you learn? What did you change? This is a mindset shift. It’s not about sounding good. It’s about sounding real. That’s what we train for.