About Us

City Montessori School (CMS) is the world's largest city-school with 17 campuses in the city of Lucknow. The school that began with 5 children in 1959 on a borrowed capital of Rupees 300, today has over 56,000 students from Montessori to Class XII in the current session.

Career Counseling Cell

CMS Career Counseling Cell is located at CMS Head Office. It aims to inform students about various career options available after 10+2 and also about study abroad opportunities. It also organises Annual Careers Days and meaningful career advisory session/s for students from time to time with the aim of exposing students to a wide variety of possible career options at this crucial juncture of student life. These sessions help students to interact personally with a large number of career specialists and leaders in different fields on a common platform, to enable students to make informed career decisions.

CMS Gomti Nagar Campus I is a SAT, AP, PSAT, ACT and Cambridge Assessment Admission Testing Admission Testing Exam centre and CMS Gomti Nagar Campus II is TOEFL Test Center. All senior campuses are also a YES Centre to run the Duke of Edinburgh Program which helpsthe students to build their extracurricular profile.

Dr Jagdish Gandhi & Dr Bharti Gandhi
Founder-Manager & Founder-Director

Prof Geeta Gandhi Kingdon
President & Chief Operating Officer

Roshan Gandhi
Director of Strategy

Ms Susmita Basu
Head, Quality Assurance and Innovations Department & Superior Principal

Advisory Committee

Ms Manjit Batra
Senior Principal, CMS Gomti Nagar

Dr (Mrs) Vineeta Kamran
Senior Principal, CMS Kanpur Road Campus

Mrs Jyoti Kashyap
Senior Principal, CMS Aliganj Campus I

Dr Kalpana Tripathi
Principal, CMS Mahanagar Campus

Mrs Veera Hajela
Principal, CMS Station Road Campus

Mrs Nisha Pandey
Senior Principal, CMS Rajajipuram Campus I

Mrs Jayashree Krishnan
Senior Principal, CMS Rajendra Nagar Campus I

Mrs Jyotsana Atul
Principal, CMS RDSO Campus

Mrs Abha Anant
Principal, CMS Gomti Nagar Campus I

Mrs Shipra Upadhyay
Principal, CMS Jopling Road Campus

Mrs Ruchi Bhuwan Joshi
Principal, CMS Indira Nagar Campus

Mrs Sangeeta Banerjee
Principal, CMS Gomti Nagar Campus II

Mrs Trapti Dwivedi
Principal, CMS Asharfabad Campus

Ms Reena Soti
Principal, CMS Anand Nagar Campus

Mrs Shivani Singh
Principal, CMS Aliganj Campus I

Mrs Aditi Sharma
Principal, CMS Chowk Campus

Mrs Samvida Adhikari
Principal, CMS Aliganj Campus II

Mrs Poonam Arora
Principal, CMS Rajajipuram Campus II

Mrs Deepali Gautam
Principal, CMS Rajendra Nagar Campus II

CMS Head Office

Mr Shashank Srivastava
Coordinator, Carrer Counseling Cell

Campus Career Counseling Coordinators

S. No. Campus Name Name of the Career Counseling Coordinator
1.Aliganj IMrs Lipika Kala (Vice-principal) &
Mrs Sajeela Khan
2.Station RoadMs Padma Dheer (Vice-Principal) &
Mrs Reshma Khanna
3.Rajajipuram IMs Ishani Mehrotra
4.Kanpur RoadMrs Anshoo Mishra
5.RDSOMr Farhat Ali
6.Gomti Nagar IMrs Smriti Singh
7.MahanagarMrs Aparna Saxena
8.Rajendra Nagar IMrs Reeta Fleming (Vice-Principal)
9.Indira NagarMr Sanjiv Singh
10.Gomti Nagar IIMs Tulika Chatterjee
11.Chowk CampusMs Nava Motallebi
12.Asharfabad CampusMs Garima Chaurasia
13.Anand Nagar CampusMrs Lovey Khan

Career Options After 10 + 2

Academic Courses Professional Courses
  • B.Sc.(PCM)
  • B.A
  • B.COM
  • Architecture
  • Biotechnology (PCM/PCB)
  • Chartered Accountancy (any stream)
  • Computer Applications (any stream with Maths)
  • Design (any stream)
  • Engineering (PCM)
  • Fine Arts (any stream)
  • Hotel Management (any stream)
  • Information Technology (PCM)
  • Law (any stream)
  • Management (any stream)
  • Medical (PCB)
  • Mass Communication (any stream)
  • Travel & Tourism (any stream)

Stream-wise Classifcation of various career options (After 10 + 2)













Careers Day

Brief Report on Online Career Guidance Session

organized by

CMS Career Counseling Cell for CMS students in 2020

Group photo Career Experts at the Careers Day organised by CMS Career Counseling Cell on Sunday, 21 April 2019 WUCC Auditorium, CMS Kanpur Road Campus

Career Counseling Cell of City Montessori School (CMS) has been organizing online career guidance sessions on a regular basis for CMS students. Students are provided the opportunity to interact live with renowned career experts (through online sessions) for guidance about various career options available to them in different fields.

During these sessions, students are informed not only about the various opportunities and careers available to them but also given step by step instructions on how to apply and pursue their chosen fields of interest. Parents and students are deriving the maximum advantage from these online career guidance sessions. Some of the career guidance sessions conducted recently are as follows:


1) Careers in IT Sector

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2020

No. of students participated: 56

The session was organized with the collaboration of HCL Technologies. Mr Prabhat Ranjan, AGM, HCL guided the students about the scope and careers in the IT sector and how the technology sector will evolve after the pandemic issue. He also informed the students about the jobs opportunities available at HCL for which students can appear for the entrance exam directly after Class XII, and thereafter they will be trained and given employment in HCL. All queries of the students were resolved by the expert.


2) Careers in Chartered Accountancy

Date: Friday, 5 June 2020

No. of students participated: 97

This session was organized for students looking for Careers in Chartered Accountancy. The session was conducted by CA Mr Devesh Agarwal who is also an alumnus of CMS Station Road Campus. He informed the students about the changes in CA exam procedures and also guided them on how to crack this tough exam.

He explained the topics required to be prepared in order of priority for the CA Exam and also guided them on how to clear the exam even if they did not have mathematics in Class XI. He also provided some useful links to students for preparation of CA Exam. He addressed the queries of students and gave them his contact details for further guidance and support.


3) Study Abroad Session conducted by College Board

Date: Friday, 5 June 2020

No. of students participated: 38

College Board conducted an online workshop on SAT, AP (Advanced placement) program exclusively for CMS students and parents. The topic was 'Role of SAT, AP Program in admissions globally and in India.' Students were explained the importance of SAT Exams for admission to undergraduate programs in foreign universities as well as in India, and were also briefed about the structure of the SAT Exam, how to register and prepare for it.

The students were also updated on SAT in the light of COVID -19 scenario and about the India Scholars Program – 100% scholarship opportunities in universities across India. Later, they were apprised about the Advanced Placement program – Introduction to AP program and advantages of taking AP courses, especially for those wanting to study abroad.

The session was very useful for students who wanted to study abroad or even in Indian universities as now there are universities in India which accept the SAT score.


4) Study Abroad Session by CMS Alumni

Date: Thursday, 11 June 2020

No. of students participated: 104

A session on study abroad was conducted by the prestigious CMS Alumni who are currently studying at the universities abroad. Following CMS Alumni participated and guided the students about the application procedure and shared their experiences at the university.

S.No Name Campus University Country
1. Mallica Saxena Kanpur Road Univ. of Cincinnati USA
2. Yashvi Srivastava Kanpur Road Univ. of Cincinnati USA
3. Jaitavie Badhwar Kanpur Road Kingston University UK
4. Oshi Garg Mahanagar Hong Kong University Hong Kong
5. Astha Raghvendram Gomti Nagar II Asia Pacific University Japan
6. Vaibhav Singh Gomti Nagar I Univ. of Rochester USA
7. Sai Prabhat RJPM -1 Univ. of Windsor Canada
8. Ajmal Hussain RJPM -1 Univ. of Windsor Canada
9. Amanpreet Kaur RJPM -1 Bow Valley College Canada

They also briefed the students about the current situation at the university and how the universities are conducting online classes with the students. The students were also briefed about the scholarship opportunities at the university and how the students can manage his finances for study abroad.

The session was interactive and all the queries of the students were answered by the CMS Alumni, CMS Career Counselors and Mr Gaurav Chicker, Director, Manya Abroad. For more information, click on the recording:


5) Careers in Design

Date: Saturday, 13 June 2020

No. of students participated: 35

The session was conducted by Mrs Shipra Anand, Founder Director, Academy for Fashion Careers. She has completed her post graduate in design from NIFT, New Delhi and has more than 18 years of experience behind her. During the session, the students were apprised about the various career opportunities available in the field of Design like Fashion Designing, Web Designing, Graphic Designing, Photography, Interior Designing etc.

The students were also guided about the process for getting admission into the various institute of design. All the queries were briefly answered by the speaker. For more information, click on the recording:


6) Empowering Students to Ace the SAT/ACT with the Power of Data Analytics

Date: Friday, 19 June 2020

No. of students participated: 42

CMS in collaboration with Collegify organised the session for CMS students to empower them to Ace the SAT/ACT. The students were informed about the benefits of taking these exams and how universities consider these scores for the admission purpose.

The session was conducted by Dr. Andreas Stradis, Profession Tutor with 14+ years experience, MA Oxford, MSc LSE Collegify. For more information, click on the recording:


7) Careers in Engineering, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Date: Saturday, 20 June 2020

No. of students participated: 48

CMS in collaboration with University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) conducted session for Careers in Engineering, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. The session was conducted by the experienced faculty members from UPES.

They students were apprised about the career opportunities in the field and how Artificial Intelligence will be huge factor in coming time in terms of making the work easier for humans. For more information, click on the recording:


8) Session for Careers in Entrepreneurship

Date: Tuesday, 30 June 2020

No. of students participated: 60

CMS in collaboration with IncubateINDX conducted a session for senior CMS students for Careers in Entrepreneurship. The session was conducted by Prof. Ramachandan who is an accomplished hands-on senior executive with over thirty-five year's track record of building and leading global consulting practices and high-growth.

They students were apprised about the career opportunities in the field and how Artificial Intelligence will be huge factor in coming time in terms of making the work easier for humans.


9) Interactive Session for Careers in Media and Journalism

Date: Saturday, 4 July 2020

No. of students participated: 70

CMS in collaboration with IncubateINDX conducted a session for senior CMS students for Careers in Media and Journalism. The session was conducted by Prof. Uttaran Das who has more than a decade of experience in newsrooms of The Times of India, The Telegraph, and Business Standard as well as Deutsche Welle (Berlin) and The Financial Times (London).

The students were informed about the careers in Media and Journalism and how fake news concept is currently trending. At the session the speaker also share his life experiences and the idea that made him choose the field of journalism. He also explained that how to conduct the interview with a person whom you dislike.

The session was very fruitful and all the queries were answered accordingly.


10) Faculty Workshop for Careers in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Date: Tuesday, 28 July 2020

No. of students participated: 70

CMS in collaboration with State University of New York Plattsburgh, USA organised a session for Careers in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. The session was conducted by the experienced faculty members Dr Michael Walters, Chairperson and Associate Professor of Physics and Mr Peter C. Rodenberg, International Admission Assistant, State University of New York Plattsburgh, USA.

They students were apprised about the career opportunities in the field and were also briefed about the teaching methods at the university through the use of machines and robots. There were a lot of queries posted by the students which were briefly addressed by ht faculty members. For more information, click on the recording:


More sessions are planned to be organized in the coming week.

Study Abroad

City Montessori School provides excellent overseas university counseling

CMS students are compelling applicants and successfully matriculate to universities worldwide. Each senior CMS campus has a career Counselor, so students receive personal attention inadvisor groups as well as on individual basis. Students have weekly meetings and receive personal attention in advisor groups and in individual appointments with the Study Abroad Counselor. Workshops, college fairs, and visits from universities are all arranged, preparing students intensively in Grades 11 and 12, with topics ranging from college research, comparison and financial aid, and information about higher-education admissions. CMS is also the centre to conduct AP, SAT, PSAT, ACT, Cambridge Assessment Admission Testing Admission Testing and TOEFL Exam exams which are a very important aspect of Study Abroad. Now the students are not required to travel anywhere to take these exams.

Key Guidance Areas:

  1. Working towards developing clarity of purpose in the student's mind about their academic goals and professional choices.
  2. Facilitating and motivating the student to shortlist good - fit colleges, universities and institutions for higher studies in countries like USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland etc.
  3. Providing an update and latest information on changes in International Application process, SAT, AP, PSAT, ACT, Cambridge Assessment Admission Testing Admission Testing and TOEFL exams, application deadlines, all dos and don'ts of college applications are provided.
  4. Guiding students with the nuances of writing effective College Essays, Personal Statements and also coordinates with the teachers and students for the letter of teacher recommendations as per the desired criteria.
  5. School is also a YES Centre to run the Duke of Edinburgh Program which helps the students to build their extracurricular profile.
  6. Organizing Student Development Workshops, University Fairs, University Visits and talks by eminent persons so as to expand the horizon of the student mind.
  7. Reviewing all college applications and personal resume and achieve the strongest possible application

Examinations for Study Abroad: Click here


Admission Requirements: Click here


The CMS students have gained admissions to leading colleges, which include:

  1. Cornell University (An Ivy League US University)
  2. University of Pennsylvania (An Ivy League US University)
  3. University of Massachusetts, USA
  4. Florida Institute of Technology, USA
  5. University of Colorado Boulder, USA
  6. University of Cincinnati, USA
  7. Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
  8. Seton Hall, USA
  9. University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
  10. Xavier’s University, Ohio, USA
  11. New School of Drama, New York, USA
  12. New York University, New York Campus, USA
  13. Drexel University, USA
  14. State University of New York, Albany, USA
  15. Ohio Wesleyn University, Ohio, USA
  16. Hofstra University, USA
  17. Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
  18. Michigan State University, USA
  19. Pace University, USA
  20. Oxford University, UK
  21. University College London, UK
  22. University of Leeds and Lancaster University, UK
  23. Tudias, University in Dresden, Germany
  24. Bochum University, Germany
  25. Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  26. University College Dublin, Ireland
  27. University of British Columbia, Canada
  28. University of Waterloo, Canada
  29. University of Melbourne, Australia
  30. Australia National University, Australia
  31. Hong Kong University, Hong Kong
  32. Ritsumeiken Asia Pacific University, Japan
  33. Yale-NUS College, Singapore
  34. Texas A&M University, USA
  35. Columbia University, USA
  36. University of South Carolina, USA
  37. London School of Economics, Thailand
  38. University of Vancouver, Canada
  39. University of Hartford, USA
  40. Kettering University, USA
  41. Marquette University, USA
  42. University of Edinburgh, UK
  43. New York University, Shanghai, China
  44. Monash University, Australia
  45. Deakin University, Australia
  46. University of Queensland, Australia
  47. University of Delaware, USA
  48. University of Warwick, UK
  49. University of Warwick, UK
  50. The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Eighty-Eight CMS students got admission offers in top ranking universities in USA, UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Canada in 2020

Click to see list


Contact Us

Mr Shashank Srivastava
Coordinator, Career Counseling Cell


Address: 12 Station Road, CMS Head Office
Phones: +91–522–2638925, 2638930, Ext: 163

Head Office Number: +91–522–2638483, 2638606

Email: counselling@cmseducation.org