Meet student who secured AIR 99 in JEE Advanced, still did not join IIT, dropped out of counselling for..., he is now..

For anyone who wishes to become an engineer, the prestigious IIT is a dream college to grow and study in, not only with the expectation of one day landing a reputable job but also for ample growth. Students have to work extremely hard if they want to get admission into IIT, but despite this, some candidates decide against joining it even after clearing the entrance exam. Today, we will tell you about one such student from Kolkata who dreamed of joining IIT for further studies. He was so passionate about getting admission that he began preparing for the IIT JEE exam after class 10. But, somewhere along the way, his dreams changed, and this student suddenly dropped out of IIT counselling and joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) instead. 

We are talking about none other than Mohammad Sahil Akhtar, who secured AIR 99 in the All-India merit list for the JEE-Advanced 2023. Despite his high rankings, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar dropped out of the IIT counselling. For better opportunities, he then decided to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Speaking about his decision to join MIT instead of IIT, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar said, "MIT has more research opportunities and a flexible curriculum. Generally, the most sought-after route is to join an IIT in Computer Science Engineering (CSE). My parents would have suggested considering IIT Bombay."

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar, who was always brought up to believe that IIT was the best route to acheive his dreams, soon realised that the world has much more to offer. He came to this realisation after he participated in the IOAA Olympiad in Georgia, where he also received a gold medal. 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar, elaborating on his thought process, further said, "There was no dependency on any entrance test or a rank for admission. I appeared for the Standard Admission Test (SAT). But more than the SAT score, admission to MIT was based on the institute’s admission committee’s assessment of my application, which included my overall academic records, achievements in academics as well as in extra-curricular activities, essays, and recommendation letters from my school teachers." 

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar is currently studying at MIT. As per his LinkedIn, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar also worked as a Quantitative Researcher at Graviton Research Capital LLP for three months, starting June 2024, and previously as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Differential Equations at MIT, in the same year. 

Apart from his academic interests, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar also runs a YouTube channel where he shares all his experiences through daily vlogs. Mohammad Sahil Akhtar hopes to explore his curiosities in linguistics and philosophy during his time at MIT. 

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