Akila M.
5.0
Studied at Harvard Medical School
Works at Mass General Brigham
Available tomorrow at 12:00 PM UTC
Usually responds within 17 hours
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
About Akila
Hi, I'm Akila! I am a Harvard College 2023 Summa Cum Laude graduate and current Harvard Medical School student! I received 14 interview invites to medical schools including Johns Hopkins, Pritzker, Vanderbilt, Weill Cornell, Stanford, Columbia, Duke, Baylor; completed 10 interviews; and received all acceptances or waitlists after my interviews, including a few scholarships. I'm passionate about helping others reach and exceed similar goals! I was not born in America, and started my journey as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student. At Harvard College, I studied Biology and English (ask me more!) while writing 70+ news stories as a journalist and editor for various campus, local, and national outlets. I know what it's like to spend hours perfecting a sentence, transition, or theme to make your stories come to life. Outside of my academic interests, I love dancing, theater, and public service. I pursued a postgraduate service fellowship where I worked with students with learning disabilities and am happy to support students with Autism, ADHD, etc. Please reach out to discuss any part of my trajectory, and or how I can support yours!
Why do I coach?
College and medical school applications can be overwhelming, especially for first-generation, low-income, or international students as well as students with disabilities who may need testing accomodations. It is important to begin EARLY, stay organized, and seek knowledgeable mentors to set yourself up for success! There is a lot of fear-mongering and misinformation online. Investing in quality support like a Leland coach can pay HUGE dividends. A low GPA or standardized test score, lack of research publications, difficulty with writing, or fear of public speaking do not have to hold you back. I will bring my writing experiences to line edit your essays, increase your writing efficiency, and help you deliver compelling anecdotes within word count. I share my spreadsheet trackers for secondaries (DM me for the free resource), and example essays. I can also do mock open and closed-file interviews (traditional or MMI). I've worked with dozens of students accepted to T20 schools including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Penn, Miami, Pitt and more! I also tutor for the ACT/SAT (with a focus on Reading/Writing) and the MCAT CARS section! My time teaching and advising students has led to understand I should always ask “How can I help students achieve XYZ?” not “Can they achieve XYZ?” I firmly believe anyone is capable of reaching their goals with the right guidance. I am here to provide you this personalized support at an accessible, negotiable price!
Work Experience
Fellow
Sristi Foundation
September 2023 - Present
Sristi Village is a nonprofit devoted to people with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Supported by the American India Foundation Banyan Impact Fellowship (formerly, William J Clinton Fellowship for Service in India).
Freelance Writer
Mass General Brigham
January 2023 - Present
Authored 30+ press releases, research summaries, Q&As/profiles, newsletters, etc. that have been reprinted by the Harvard Gazette, Boston Globe, CBS News, CNN, and more.
Writer/Editor
Harvard Crimson
August 2020 - February 2023
Authored 20 articles, including longform pieces about the overdose crisis and food insecurity.
Staff Writer
Harvard Political Review
June 2020 - October 2022
Authored six articles on casteism in immigrant America, ending capital punishment, mental health, and more.
Reporter
STAT
June 2022 - August 2022
Authored 14 articles on topics including bench research, biotech, healthcare policy, and public health.
Akila was also given offers to work at
Artisan Healthcare Consulting
Education
Harvard Medical School
MD
2024 - 2028
Harvard University
Bachelor's Degree, Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology, English Secondary, Tamil Citation
2019 - 2023
Grade: Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa Activities and societies: Harvard Undergraduate Patient Support Corp (Co-President 2022-2023), Mark Fishman Research Lab (Senior Thesis 2023), CrimsonEMS (Personnel Officer 2020-2021), Ghungroo (Co-Director 2022)
4 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
5.0
Value
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Supportiveness
5.0