Akila M.
5.0
Experienced Writer, Dedicated Coach | Harvard MD
Studied at Harvard Medical School
Works at Mass General Brigham
Available tomorrow at 12:00 PM UTC
Usually responds within 3 hours
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Akila’s Medical School Qualifications
Hi, my name is Akila! I will be entering Harvard Medical School this fall ‘24! I was fortunate to be accepted to multiple Ivy League schools and top medical schools including Johns Hopkins, UChicago Pritzker, Vanderbilt, Weill Cornell, Baylor, and UTSW with four full-ride scholarships. I received 14 interview invites to schools including to Stanford, Columbia, Duke; completed 10 interviews; and received 7 acceptances and 3 waitlists. (1) I can help you craft a strong narrative, and build all elements of your application around this theme. I can provide advice about the timeline, curating a school list, preparing materials for recommenders, and any other nitty-gritty application details. (2) I can help you quickly write, edit, and perfect your primary statement; work and activities; and secondaries under a time crunch as an experienced writer with 70+ publications in popular news media. I have organized Tracking Spreadsheets to help you manage the number and pace of secondary essays, which can add depth and variety to your application; I will provide multiple rounds of edits on all essay drafts within 24 hours. (3) I was either accepted or waitlisted at ALL schools where I interviewed. I will help you brainstorm/edit your written drafts of responses to the most common interview questions. Then, I will conduct mock video interviews with you until you have perfected their delivery and ability to spontaneously engage with interviewers. (4) Finally, I'm happy to strategize and line-edit your update letters, letters of interest, and letters of intent to ensure you can advocate for yourself throughout this process!
Akila can help with:
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Traditional Interview
Personal Statement
School Selection
AMCAS Application Edit
Application Strategy
Activities List Edit
Secondary Essays
TMDSAS Application Edit
Casper Test
About Akila
Hi, my name is Akila! I am a Harvard College 2023 Summa Cum Laude graduate and current Harvard Medical School student! I received 14 interview invites to 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 or 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 its like to spend hours perfecting a sentence, transition, or theme to make your stories come to life. I'm especially happy to chat about breaking into journalism and science writing! 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. 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/standardized test score, lack of research/publications, or difficulty with writing/interviewing do not have to hold you back. I've worked with dozens of students to craft compelling application narratives in the past, and will bring my writing experiences to line edit your essays, increase your writing efficiency, and capture your work through compelling anecdotes delivered in limited word count. I can share my spreadsheet trackers for secondaries (FREE RESOURCE, DM TO RECIEVE), example essays, and any other advice. I am also happy to be a mock interviewer and help you draft, refine, and practice interview responses. I can 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 price! If finances are ever a barrier to your ability to afford/seek this support, please reach out--I am open to negotiating!
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.
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)
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