Prashant Monga, spokesperson Alchemist, tells SHAlINI SAKSENA that a student who is willing to be guided can ace any competitive exam
There are so many coaching institutes in the country. Where does Alchemist standIJ
Alchemist is a Delhi-based coaching institute and is one of the leading players in the city. We have the best record in terms of conversion ratio of sending students to prestigious B-schools of the country.
Can you ensure that every student will clear the competitive examsIJ
If a child is willing to be guided and is clear about what he wants to achieve, I can say with supreme confidence that we will leave no stone unturned to help you reach that place.
Tell us about the faculty.
Every teacher, or like we address them — mentors — go through the rigors of competitive exams themselves and know what it is like to prepare and ace these tests. We have been careful as to who we select in the faculty group because our style of teaching is based on an ideology that not many will buy into instantly but ultimately that is our USP and that is the reason we have been doing so well.
I have learnt that many new institutes coming up now have imbibed our way of teaching.
What does the motto —Enabling thought — signifyIJ
People who are preparing for these competitive exams do not put too much thought into what is being tested through the papers. That is the reason why you will find students who do very well in colleges and schools need not necessarily do very well in CAT while the converse is also true. What they are looking for is logical thinking ability in students and that is what we try to impart to them. Our class structures are such that we do not teach formulae but instead tell the student how a formula came into being. Our belief is that a student who can think on his feet will definitely perform better. And the results that are in front of us suggests that we have caught the pulse of our students.
What is the main focus of the instituteIJ
The main emphasis is on ensuring that a child begins to think logically. It would not only serve him well in these exams but also in life. We try to make sure our students are ready to face and solve a question logically. That way we give him freedom of expressions and speech.
What is the eligibility criteria, fee, and class timingIJ
The only eligibility is that a student should be willing to learn. The fee ranges from Rs 4,000 to Rs 50,000 depending upon what programme one takes. As for the class timing, it is decided by the students themselves.
What is the teaching methodologyIJ
It revolves around making sure that a student understands a question and then goes about solving it logically. We discourage rote learning because that is not learning at all. We use presentations and exercises to show practical applications of concepts taught so that visualisation of a problem becomes easy and a student uses logic to solve a question.
Is it possible for a student to have a tailor-made programmeIJ
Our structure is such that each student can design the speed and content of his learning as it suits him the best. Hence we have come up with something called unit learning where a student can pay attention to specific topics he identifies as key areas and works to improve upon them. This ensures you get to work and improve yourself as you see fit rather than being shepherded along with scores of others.
What are some long and short term courses on offerIJ
We have identified key areas that a student needs to master in order to crack these competitive tests and we have bracketed them into individual packets of information. A student may choose any range of packets out of those on offer as per his requirement.
What’s the advantage for students being coached at the AlchemistIJ
The biggest advantage is that we care how our student performs. The level of interaction is very high and also the accessibility of teachers is immense. Add to that, our pedagogy and flexibility and you have the perfect mix required for cracking various entrance exams.