Anish Merchant (seated) born and raised in Texas was living in Buenos Aires, playing music in a bluegrass band, and basking in the city’s world renowned nightlife.

With a degree in physics and a high GMAT score, Anish offered to tutor “a friend of a friend” who was struggling with the exam. What began as informal hourly courses would change the course of both of their lives. 

During their sessions, Anish learned his student’s motivations for taking the GMAT. She was a very high performer in a multinational corporation who was consistently getting passed over for promotions due to her gender. Frustrated by the machismo she was facing in the workplace, she wanted to look for more opportunities abroad. But she wasn’t getting the GMAT scores she needed, even after a few sessions with Anish.

Empathetic to her plight, Anish set about refining his lesson plans. He knew this student had what it took to ace the GMAT. She was intelligent and hungry for a more fulfilling career; she just needed a better approach to the exam. Finally, after a year of picking the exam apart and putting it back together, Anish developed the Merchant methodology. With it, this first student was able to score a 700 and follow her dreams abroad. She recommended him to some friends.

Word in Buenos Aires quickly got out that Anish was the GMAT wizard. People who studied with him got results. Before long, many of the top young professionals in the nation were seeking his services. He was overwhelmed with requests. He needed help, and he found it, in all places, from his bluegrass bandmate Joe Mashek (standing).

Joe led the Merchant expansion into Admissions Consultant services, transforming Merchant from a GMAT prep business to a turn-key graduate school solution for Latin America's top young professionals. 

Over the years, Anish and Joe have been able to help hundreds of students tackle the GMAT and grow their careers abroad. 

And yes, they still find time to jam blue grass together.