Meet Mohammad Sahil Akhtar, got AIR 99 in JEE Advanced, dropped out of IIT counselling to...

Getting admission to and studying at IIT is a dream that many candidates and students have. Kolkata's Mohammad Sahil Akhtar had been prepping for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) since class 10 but he dreamt a new dream instead and went for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar, since class 10, put in a lot of effort to get admission to the IIT. He fulfilled his dream when he got the 99th rank in the All-India merit list for the JEE-Advanced 2023. However, 17-year-old Mohammad Sahil Akhtar decided to then drop out of the JEE admission process and head to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Speaking about his reasons for doing so, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar said MIT had "more research opportunities and a flexible curriculum". 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar was quoted as saying, "Research appeals to me more than a tech job. In India, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was an option. But MIT offers more flexibility. Unlike in the Indian higher education system, I do not have to decide on my final major in the first year itself. There is yet so much that I have not seen." 

For the unversed, Mohammad Sahil Akhtar wants to pursue a double major in computer sciences and physics. He is also interested in astronomy, astrophysics, and data science.

"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 said, but revealed that it was at IOAA Olympiad, in Georgia, that he realised other options that were available to him. 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar 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, essay, and recommendation letters from my school teachers." 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar has studied at the Delhi Public School (DPS) in Kolkata’s Ruby Park and appeared for JEE in April. Mohammad Sahil Akhtar also recently started a YouTube channel to inspire and help other aspirants like him to explore varied interests. 

Mohammad Sahil Akhtar says that at MIT he hopes to dig through his interests in linguistics and philosophy. Mohammad Sahil Akhtar has got a scholarship which has also "brought the cost to how much we would spend at IIT".