Leap Scholar Review: Walking Away From a Job Offer for a Masters in the US

I actually had a job waiting for me straight out of campus placement. I turned it down anyway. Here's my Leap Scholar review, in my own words, on why I chose a masters in mechanical engineering in the US instead, and how a mock interview or two got me through my visa on the very first attempt.

Q1. Tell me a bit about yourself.

Hi, I'm Shantan. I'm from Satpalli, in Telangana, and I completed my bachelor's in mechanical engineering from MIT. I'm moving to the US now for my masters.

Q2. When did you first start thinking about studying abroad?

It was after my graduation, actually. I'd already been placed in my campus placement, but I genuinely wasn't satisfied with it. When I spoke to my lecturers about it, they told me straight up that the job wasn't really up to my level. That's what got me thinking seriously about further studies, whether to stay in India or go abroad. I researched both paths, and I realized going abroad would give me a lot more exposure and deeper technical expertise. That's when I decided abroad was the right call.

Q3. Was this always the plan, or did it come up later?

No, not at all, it wasn't part of my original plan. I'd genuinely intended to continue with the job I got through campus placement. It was only after really sitting with the decision that I understood what higher studies abroad could actually offer me. That's when I redirected toward the US for my further studies.

Q4. How did you choose the US, and how did you land on Cleveland State University specifically?

I gave it real thought and decided the US would be the best fit for me. I applied to a lot of universities, but I chose Cleveland State University because I felt the location and everything about it suited me well.

Q5. How did your parents react when you told them?

They were incredibly supportive, right from the start and all the way through. They were happy about my job initially, sure, but once I told them about my decision to go abroad instead, they were just as supportive of that too. They trusted me completely, and they had real faith that I could pull this off. That support meant a lot.

Q6. How much research went into choosing your specific course?

A lot, honestly. I even reached out to my professors about it, because choosing the right degree felt like the single decision that would shape my whole career. Get it wrong, and everything downstream could collapse. I looked into a few things on various websites and leaned heavily on my professors for guidance. In the end, I stuck with mechanical engineering for my master's too, since that's the path my bachelor's had already built for me.

Q7. How did you first hear about Leap Scholar?

Through my mom, actually. I was completely occupied with my job at the time, so she was the one going through different consultancies on my behalf. Leap Scholar came up, and she suggested I speak with one of their counselors. The way that counselor explained the whole journey to me, step by step, genuinely impressed me, and that's what convinced me to continue with them.

Q8. Walk me through how Leap Scholar actually supported your process.

I was genuinely thankful for them through this whole thing. Once I'd made the decision to go abroad, I had no idea where to even begin. Talking to them felt really reassuring, because they handed me a structured plan with clear checkpoints to work through. It started with IELTS prep, and from there they kept helping me through every stage, university applications, then visa preparation. Every single step, they were there.

Q9. How was your university shortlisting process?

Genuinely easy, thanks to them. Leap Scholar suggested a set of good universities to me, I did my own research on those options, and together we built out my final shortlist. They helped me apply too. The whole process felt manageable because of that support.

Q10. Did you get a scholarship, and how did you manage the finances overall?

No scholarship for me. I took an education loan, and my father supported the rest of my education financially. Between the loan and his support, we managed it.

Q11. What were the biggest doubts or challenges you had, and how did Leap Scholar help?

Like I said, they helped me from day one, since I genuinely didn't know where to start. My counselors, Kishwer ma'am and Saheli ma'am, guided me on IELTS prep, university applications, building my SOPs, and my letters of recommendation. They also played a really crucial role in getting my I-20 sorted. When it came to the visa process, Sonali ma'am and Kushvir ma'am gave me mock interviews that helped enormously, and I cleared my actual visa interview on the very first try because of that preparation. Honestly, Leap Scholar played a crucial part in every single step of this journey.

Q12. What was the most difficult part of the whole process for you?

The SOP and letters of recommendation actually came together pretty easily with Leap Scholar's help. Where I genuinely felt stressed was the visa interview itself. But after going through a few mock interviews with them, I felt noticeably lighter and more prepared going in. By the time I actually sat for the real interview, it felt easier than I expected, since I'd already rehearsed it. It was hard, but I aced it.

Q13. Looking back, what would you say was the strongest part of your application?

When I really think about it, it comes down to my SOPs, my letters of recommendation, and the projects I did during my bachelor's. I worked on some genuinely strong projects with my HODs in college, and their recommendation letters ended up carrying real weight in my applications.

Q14. Would you recommend Leap Scholar to others?

Without a doubt. The way they supported me played a direct role in the success I've had in this whole journey. I've already recommended them to a friend who was just about to start his own abroad process. When I shared my experience with him, he got genuinely excited too, because of how much they helped me through every part of it.

From turning down a placement job to clearing a US visa interview on the first attempt, this journey is a reminder that the "safe" option isn't always the right one, especially with the right support behind a harder call. For anyone weighing a stable job against studying abroad, this Leap Scholar review is worth sitting with.