We’re delighted to share some wonderful news from this year’s Maharashtra State Scholarship Exam.
Four of our students have secured merit list positions at the state level — a genuinely rare achievement. Congratulations to Siya Bartakke, Srivibhavan Kulkarni, Swaraj Patil and Aarav Pujari and their families.
Above the district cutoff — Std. 5
Reyansh Magdum, Shlok Kulkarni, Dnyanada Wankhede, Arjun Agwan, Sarvesh Patake, Manas Wakode, Shaunak Mahajan, Pahel Kariya, Urvi Shinde, Avani Bhadkamkar and Swaraaj Patil (Shivane campus), Swara Ghodke, Riaan Jain and Rudra Sarudkar (Wakad campus) and Anvi Langote (Fursungi campus).
Above the district cutoff — Std. 8
Rajveer Jethva, Mukta Salaskar, Sanket Khadilkar, Parth Kunte, Parth Dravid, Manit Halshikar, Neel Pundle, Naren Karvinkop, Shardul Kulkarni, Aradhy Velapure and Tanushree Navangul (Shivane campus), Asmita More, Aditi Yeola, Amey Pawar, Arnav Kende, Anay Bhale, Manya Chawda, Tanishq Patel, Veer Gangwal and Purv Kshirsagar (Wakad campus) and Shambhavi Kotgire, Anvay Abhyankar, Anvi Thube and Divya Lokhande (Fursungi campus).
This is not an exam that hands out trophies to nearly all its participants like most of the other commercial competitive exams these days. There’s no “Best Attempt” award here, no medal just for turning up. The merit list is small, the competition is state-wide and for CBSE and other non-state-board students the cutoffs are very high. To place among the state’s toppers as a non-state-board student is a real mark of academic strength.
These students have lived up to the Walnut spirit in every sense — tough outside, smart inside — showing the grit to sit through a demanding exam and the sharpness to crack it.
This achievement also reflects the tireless work of our scholarship training team: the R&D team who set mock tests and prelims and the teachers who had coaching sessions running through holidays and weekends to get our students exam-ready. Our heartfelt thanks to them.
Why this exam matters
The scholarship exam tests mathematics, intelligence, Marathi and English, with mathematics and intelligence together making up nearly two-thirds of the paper. Neither is easy. Preparing for this exam sharpens a child’s mathematical fundamentals in a way that benefits their entire academic journey while the intelligence section demands quick, flexible thinking — a genuine form of brain training that most students don’t otherwise get. Our mental ability and strategic thinking sessions build exactly this kind of reasoning from Std. 1 onward.
Beyond the subject matter, preparing for this exam builds something less visible but just as valuable: the consistency, focus and sitting tolerance to prepare seriously over a long stretch of time — the very qualities we try to build in every Walnut student. These are qualities that stay with a child well beyond this one exam, long after they’ve forgotten which formula goes where.
We hope more of our students take up this opportunity. Walnut’s scholarship training is rigorous and runs through the year and we’ve seen firsthand how it builds determination and discipline in the students who commit to it — with, of course, strong support from families at home.
Once again, our congratulations and thanks to our young achievers, their families and all our staff. Tough Outside, Smart Inside.