Why I built The Leap Europe

I paid for guidance, but still had to find my own way

That experience changed how I believe study-abroad guidance should work.

My family spent approximately ₹5 lakhs across two consultancies because we believed personalised support would make an unfamiliar process easier.

Instead, I received generic documents and broad university suggestions. I still had to research programmes, write my own story, understand the visa process, and make the important decisions myself.

A costly lesson in what guidance should be.

I eventually reached SKEMA Business School in Paris and later moved to Germany, but the process showed me how isolating study-abroad planning can feel when the advice is not truly personal.

The Leap Europe is the guidance I wish my family and I had received.

It is founder-led, intentionally small, and built around honest conversations, original applications, and decisions that make sense for the student — not around university commissions.

About the founder

Guidance shaped by first-hand experience

Anushka Sharma, founder of The Leap Europe

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Miranda House

University of Delhi · BSc Economics & Mathematics ↗

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SKEMA Business School

Paris · Master's in Strategic Management & Consulting ↗

Anushka Sharma

Founder, Consultancy Lead and 1:1 Consultant

IN · FR · DE · Saarbrücken, Germany

I grew up in India and completed a BSc in Economics and Mathematics at Miranda House, University of Delhi. I then moved to Paris for a Master's in Strategic Management and Consulting at SKEMA Business School. I am now based in Saarbrücken, Germany, where I work in communications and marketing.

Paris was my first experience of living outside India. The first days were difficult: everything was unfamiliar, and I had to learn quickly how to manage academics, administration, money, and life in a new country.

I had paid for consultancy support before leaving India, but much of the research and decision-making still fell to me. That experience taught me that students need more than a university list. They need context, honest trade-offs, and someone who understands why every decision feels so important.

Since then, I have supported students and families through workshops, mentoring, and individual conversations. I understand the questions Indian families carry about finances, safety, career outcomes, and whether studying abroad is genuinely the right choice.

I do not take commissions from universities, and we keep our client work deliberately manageable. Every application should sound like the person submitting it — never like a template.

View Anushka Sharma's professional background ↗

My background

How I got here

2020–2023

BSc Economics & Mathematics — Miranda House, University of Delhi

Econometrics · Statistics · Research Methodology

2023–2025

Master's in Strategic Management & Consulting — SKEMA Business School, Paris

Strategy · Consulting · M&A · Corporate Valuation · Digital Transformation

2024

Strategy & Analytics Intern — Varahe Analytics, India

Audience segmentation for multi-state election campaigns · Strategy briefings in 48–72 hr cycles

Oct 2025–Apr 2026

Group Communications Working Student — Hager Group, Germany

13,000+ global employee audience · Rebranding across 4 regional markets

May 2026–present

Group Communications Intern — Hager Group, Germany

KPI tracking and reporting · High-level internal communications

2025–present

Founder — The Leap Europe

Independent, founder-led guidance for higher education, student life, and early-career opportunities in Germany. No university commissions.

October 2026

From an Idea to a Milestone We're Proud Of

The Leap Europe started with two international students, their own experiences, and a shared belief that studying abroad deserves better, more honest guidance.

What began with helping other students navigate their academic journeys gradually became something we wanted to build with purpose.

In October 2026, we reached an important milestone.

Our business concept was reviewed by IHK Saarland, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of our journey to formally establish The Leap Europe in Germany.

Following its assessment, the IHK recognised the detailed and transparent preparation behind our business plan and confirmed that there were no trade-law objections to our proposed venture.

For us, this meant a great deal.

An idea born from our personal experiences had now been presented to an established German business institution and received an encouraging assessment.

It gave us further confidence to take the next step: turning years of informal student guidance into a structured, independent consultancy.

We didn't build The Leap Europe simply to help students get into universities. We built it because we believe students deserve advice that puts their future before a sale.

And that belief continues to guide everything we do.

The Leap Europe. Beyond Admission.

Our principles

The Leap Europe Difference

Beyond Admission. Because your future deserves more than a university shortlist.

We started The Leap Europe because we know what it feels like to make important educational decisions with incomplete or unsuitable advice.

We've been there ourselves.

Our experiences taught us that good consultancy isn't about convincing someone to study in a particular country. It's about helping them understand their options and make a decision they can feel confident about.

These are the principles we want every student to experience when working with us.

Your future comes first

We start by understanding what you want to achieve, not by deciding which university to recommend.
Advice without university commissions

We don't receive recruitment commissions from universities. Our recommendations are based on academic suitability and your interests.
Germany isn't always the answer

We love Germany, but we know it isn't the right choice for everyone. If your ambitions are better served by another pathway, we'll say so.
Your transcript tells an important story

Before recommending programmes, we examine your qualifications, relevant modules, credits and academic prerequisites.
Research, not guesswork

We check official university information and distinguish confirmed requirements from questions that still need clarification.
Academic fit over easy admissions

Our priority is a suitable qualification, not simply finding somewhere willing to accept an application.
Public universities first, where suitable

We prioritise appropriate public universities while remaining open to recognised private institutions when there's a sound reason to consider them.
We'll tell you when something isn't realistic

If your preferred programme is unlikely to work, we'll explain the gaps and discuss what you could improve rather than encourage false expectations.
Your career matters from day one

We look beyond the degree title and consider how your studies connect to your longer-term professional goals.
Your budget deserves careful consideration

We consider tuition, living expenses, location, commuting and other practical costs alongside academic suitability.
Your family deserves clarity too

With your consent, we welcome parents or trusted family members into relevant discussions. Important recommendations should withstand open questions.
You know exactly what you're paying for

We explain the agreed service scope, fees and responsibilities before a paid engagement begins. Third-party expenses remain clearly separate.
Admission is only one milestone

University applications matter, but so do preparing for student life, understanding local systems and making informed practical decisions.
Guidance that continues after arrival

Our comprehensive service includes structured support during the first three months after arrival, within the agreed scope.
Real people, personal involvement

We are a founder-led team. We combine our individual experiences with structured research and a manageable approach to client work, alongside free educational initiatives through The Leap Lab and The Leap Jobs.

Sometimes, the best advice is not to apply.

We won't tell you that every dream is immediately achievable. And we won't tell you that Germany is automatically the best destination simply because that's where our experience began.

Sometimes the right advice is to improve your academic profile, learn a language, gain relevant experience, reconsider a university or take another year to prepare.

Sometimes it's to explore a completely different direction.

We would rather help you make the right decision than sell you the wrong one.

That's what we mean by Beyond Admission.

How I work

What working with me looks like

We start by checking whether the plan is realistic

The first conversation is about your marks, your degree, your money and your timeline, in that order, because those four things decide most of what is possible. I would rather establish in the first hour that your target intake is unrealistic than discover it in March when the deadline has passed. If Germany is not the right country for what you want to study, I will say so.

I read your documents closely and question them

Your statement of purpose comes from your own material and stays in your own words. My job is to ask why you chose this field until the answer is specific enough to be interesting, to point out the paragraph that says nothing, and to check the claim you made that the transcript does not support. You write it. I make it harder to ignore.

The admin steps get done in the right order

Most avoidable failures in Indian applications are sequencing failures, not quality failures — APS started too late, a VPD not requested for the one university that needed it, a language certificate booked after the deadline it was needed for. We work backwards from the earliest binding date and I keep the list.

Your parents get the same information you do

I would rather answer a parent's question about money directly than have it relayed through a nervous nineteen-year-old. Parents are on the calls, and the financial picture is laid out in full before anyone commits to anything.

It carries on past the offer letter

Registration, bank account, insurance, housing, the first weeks. This is the part I remember most sharply from Paris, and it is the part almost nobody prepares students for.

Being clear about limits

What I will tell you — and what I am not

What I will tell you plainly

If your profile is not competitive for the universities you have named. If your timeline no longer works for the intake you want. If the money does not add up, including the part of it your family has not budgeted for yet. If another country would serve your actual career goal better than Germany. And if I think you would do fine on your own and do not need personal guidance at all — that has happened, and I would rather say it.

What I am not

I am not an immigration lawyer or a visa adviser, and I do not give legal or immigration advice. I am not a representative or agent of any university, and I take no commission from any of them. I do not work inside an admissions office and I cannot tell you what a committee will decide. I am not a German language teacher — I can tell you which certificate a programme asks for, not teach you to pass it.

Where a rule can change — proof of funds, visa conditions, work permissions, exam requirements — the authority is the official source, not me. I will point you at it, and where it is ambiguous, I will say so rather than guess.

If you are the parent reading this

The questions you are weighing are the right ones: what it costs in total, what happens if it does not work out, whether your child will be safe, and whether the person guiding them has actually done this. On the last one — I moved to Paris at 22 with no network, and I now live and work in Germany. My education and my employment history are both on LinkedIn and you are welcome to check them.

On the first two: no one can guarantee an outcome, and I will not offer one. What I will give you is the full cost picture, including the parts that are usually left out, before you commit to anything. Start with the free Germany guide — it is written to be read by a parent as much as a student.

Our capacity

A deliberately small client list

We keep our client work deliberately manageable, because personal guidance only works when we know each student well. I would rather know every student by name, have spoken to their parents, and be able to recite their deadlines than take on more than we can do well.

It also means I will decline when the fit is not right, for example when a timeline cannot realistically be met.

Not sure yet?

Meet me before you decide — free open session

I know this is a serious decision. I know your parents need to trust the person guiding their child. I would feel the same way.

Free open session

Every time I have 5 interested students, I host a small free group call. You meet me, hear my story, ask anything. Your parents can join.

1

DM "open session" on Instagram @byanushka25

2

Once 5 students are ready, I schedule the call and share the link

3

We meet — you, me, and your parents if they want to join

4

You decide whether to take the next step

The open session is optional and meant for families who want to meet me first. If you already feel ready, request a profile evaluation directly.

I paid for guidance, but still had to find my own way

Guidance shaped by first-hand experience

How I got here

From an Idea to a Milestone We're Proud Of

The Leap Europe Difference

Your future comes first

Advice without university commissions

Germany isn't always the answer

Your transcript tells an important story

Research, not guesswork

Academic fit over easy admissions

Public universities first, where suitable

We'll tell you when something isn't realistic

Your career matters from day one

Your budget deserves careful consideration

Your family deserves clarity too

You know exactly what you're paying for

Admission is only one milestone

Guidance that continues after arrival

Real people, personal involvement