Our Story
One community. Many journeys.
Arun Jagannathan started Crackverbal in 2006 out of a simple frustration. GMAT coaching in India at the time was built around one thing: cramming test strategies until something stuck. There was no mentoring. No real conversation about why you wanted an MBA, what school actually fit your goals, or whether the timing made sense at all. Just drills, shortcuts, and a score.
He believed there was a better way. A more honest way. One that started with the person, not the test.
"The problem most applicants have is not effort. It is direction. They work hard on the wrong things because nobody helped them figure out the right ones."
Arun Jagannathan, Co-Founder and CEO
The early years were small. A handful of students, word-of-mouth referrals, and a lot of one-on-one sessions working through not just quant and verbal, but the bigger question: what are you actually trying to do with your career, and is an MBA the right move right now?
That approach worked. Students started getting into schools they did not think were in reach. ISB. Wharton. INSEAD. Not because Crackverbal had a secret formula, but because the preparation was more complete. Better score, yes. But also a clearer story, a stronger application, and a candidate who actually understood why they were applying.
In 2017, Stanford GSB featured Arun in their Insights series as one of the most influential voices in GMAT preparation in India. It was the kind of recognition that confirmed the approach, not changed it. Crackverbal remained a small team. Deliberately so. The moment you scale past the point where every student gets real attention, you have become the thing you set out to replace.
Today, more than 30,000 students later, the belief is exactly the same. We are still a small team. We still start every engagement with the person, not the product. And we still measure our success the same way we always have: not by scores improved, but by admits earned and careers changed.
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