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Varna received a Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology and English from the University of Michigan. After her undergraduate degree, she pursued a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Analysis at Columbia University.

Varna was a member of the admissions team at Columbia University, conducting admissions interviews for prospective students. She has coached many students through medical school applications helping with resume and CV development, personal statement writing, and interviews. As a member of the admissions team at Columbia, Varna conducted over 200 interviews, working closely with the department to field questions from prospective applicants throughout the admissions process.

Throughout her career, Varna has applied to undergraduate and top graduate school institutions–receiving acceptances from Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Dartmouth. Over the course of 3 distinct application cycles, she has learned what makes a strong personal statement, what admissions officers look for, and what makes someone stand out as an applicant. As a coach, she has helped students gain admission into the country’s top schools, such as Yale, Dartmouth, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Georgetown, and the University of Michigan, among others.

Varna’s favorite part of coaching college applicants is learning about each student’s spark. She is passionate about helping her students identify their “why” and helping them articulate that. To Varna, coaching is a unique opportunity to provide applicants with the tools to identify their passions, likes, dislikes, and what they want to accomplish in the short and longer term. She excels in helping candidates communicate their strengths meaningfully and effectively–employing her skills as an English major and writer to extract the most essential pieces of information to develop an authentic and impactful narrative.  

When Varna is not coaching, she teaches yoga and enjoys writing about public health and medicine. She also loves cooking, exploring new restaurants, and going outdoors on long runs and hikes.  

Varna’s Pro Tip?

There’s more than one way to achieve your goals. Having spoken to applicants from all over the world, you realize that every applicant shared a unique story. As a prospective student, it’s essential to understand that colleges look for more than a “perfect” applicant; they look for mission-driven individuals with experiences that demonstrate resilience, leadership skills, and a willingness to grow and learn.

Isobel has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, graduating with high honors in Biology from the University of Maryland, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California San Francisco. 

Isobel gives credence to logical reasoning as a cornerstone of all academic pursuits. She believes anyone can develop the skills to think scientifically and produce high-quality work given the right guidance and mentorship. Isobel aims to encourage students to drive the process of their research paper and give them the tools to form life-long skill sets that will serve them no matter what career they choose. 

Isobel was an adjunct professor in the Department of Biology at the University of San Francisco for five years. She taught courses in scientific writing, human anatomy, and human physiology. For over a decade, she has worked as a scientist and has mentored many undergraduate and high school students in lab settings through summer internship programs. 

She has provided students with the tools to conduct and present high-quality, independent research projects. With her expertise and guidance, students have gone on to publish several publications in peer-reviewed journals, gain acceptance to top-five biology PhD programs, and secure highly sought-after positions at prestigious biotechnology firms. 

Throughout her career, she has benefited greatly from engaging in research experiences at the National Institute of Health at the age of 16. She strongly believes in passing on the expertise and tools she was given access to at a young age to help students nurture their passion for science.

As a coach, Isobel applies a student-led approach to mentorship. She gives students the tools to drive the research process successfully. She believes that when students are empowered to select a research topic they’re passionate about, they tend to be more engaged throughout the process and produce a higher-quality final result. Isobel guides students closely, sharing her expert knowledge freely while allowing them to shape their research projects.

Aaron is a PhD candidate at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, pursuing research projects in cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology. He graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and has worked as a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. Aaron discovered his passion for mentorship at SBU when he ran and supervised a college admissions mentorship program for high school students in New York City.

While at Stony Brook, Aaron served as a writing mentor and was elected President of the university’s undergraduate research journal. In this position, he supervised and trained incoming editors and writers. Aaron’s writing has led to publications in high-impact journals and a research grant from the American Heart Association as a principal investigator. As a coach, Aaron excels at helping QRI students develop strong writing, interviewing, research planning, and management skills to help them successfully execute their research projects. Aaron encourages his mentees to pave their paths, creating their own opportunities through research.