Monthly Archives: August 2026

Aug3

Inside the Mind of AIR 113: Rajdeep Gupta Reveals His Complete NEET 2026 Blueprint

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The Introduction

What separates a NEET score of 600 from a score of 700+? What does the daily life of an AIR 113 holder actually look like—not the myth, but the reality? And what is the one decision that every future NEET topper makes early—often before Class 11 even begins?

I am Devansh Mittal, a Physics educator and mentor. I teach Physics for IIT-JEE Advanced, NEET, Olympiads, and students aspiring for top global universities. Over the years, I have worked closely with hundreds of students on their journey to elite ranks. But some conversations stay with you long after the call ends—and this was one of them.

In this in-depth interview, I sat down with Rajdeep Gupta, who secured All India Rank 113 in NEET UG 2026—a phenomenal result in an exam where over 20 lakh students compete for a handful of seats at India’s top medical colleges. Rajdeep is not just a topper; he is a strategist. Every decision he made—from his daily timetable and resource selection, to his OMR bubbling protocol and error-analysis system—was deliberate, data-driven, and ruthlessly optimized.

In this article, you will find Rajdeep’s complete, unfiltered blueprint: his exact daily schedule, how he read NCERT 25–30 times in Biology, the three-category Error Notebook that pushed him past 700, his approach to conquering Physics without fear, why he completely quit social media for two years, how his family’s sacrifices became the backbone of his success, and the precise exam-day strategy he executed on D-Day.

Whether you are a parent planning your child’s NEET journey, a student stuck at 500 in mock tests dreaming of AIIMS Delhi, or a Class 11 aspirant just starting out—this article was written for you.

The Conversation:

PHASE 1: THE GENESIS & THE “WHY”

Q1.  The Result Moment: Walk us through the exact moment you (and your parents) saw that you secured a top All India Rank in NEET. What was that feeling like?

Rajdeep:  When the result was declared and I saw All India Rank 113 on the screen, I was completely overwhelmed with joy and happiness. At that exact moment, my mother was sitting right next to me. As soon as she saw the rank, she was bursting with pride and joy. My younger brother was also right there, and he started celebrating immediately! After that, I called my father to break the news to him, and he was immensely proud and happy. Seeing the happy faces of my parents and family made me realize that all the intense, unyielding hard work I put in over the last two full years had finally borne fruit. It felt incredibly gratifying.

Q2.  The Catalyst: When did you officially start your NEET preparation? How did you figure out your true academic interest? At what point did you decide to pursue medical over engineering or commerce?

Rajdeep:  My core interest in biological sciences started early back when I was in Class 9. I found Biology fascinating, especially reading about human anatomy, physiology, and how the human body functions. However, my official and structured preparation for NEET UG began when I entered Class 11 and enrolled at Allen Career Institute in Kota. From that point onward, I dedicated the next two full years entirely to systematic NEET preparation.

PHASE 2: ACADEMIC ARCHITECTURE & BLUEPRINT

Q3.  The Daily Routine: What did your daily routine look like? Did you follow a rigid timetable (by the hour) or a flexible, target-based approach?

Rajdeep:  Throughout my preparation in Kota, I maintained a very structured and consistent daily timetable. I used to wake up early at 7:00 AM, freshen up, and finish breakfast by 7:30 AM. My morning self-study session started at 8:00 AM sharp and went on until 12:30 PM. During this 4.5-hour block, I took one or two short 10-minute breaks to stay refreshed. At 12:30 PM, I had lunch and got ready for coaching. My classes at Allen Kota ran from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM every day. After returning home at 8:00 PM, I had dinner, relaxed briefly, and sat down for my night self-study session from 9:00 PM to 11:30 PM. Finally, I went to sleep at 11:30 PM to ensure I got a full 7.5 hours of rest before waking up at 7:00 AM the next morning.

Q4.  Sleep & Cycles: How many hours of sleep did you prioritize? Did you prefer studying late at night or early in the morning?

Rajdeep:  That myth is completely false. Sleep is absolutely vital for brain health, memory consolidation, and mental clarity. I made sure to sleep 7 to 8 hours every single night throughout my preparation. Without proper sleep, your retention capacity drops drastically.

Q5.  Subject Allocation: How did you balance Physics, Chemistry, and Biology? Did you allocate equal time to all, or base it entirely on your weak points?

Rajdeep:  I did not split time equally; instead, I allocated time based on the specific demands of each subject. I assigned the maximum time to Physics—around 2.5 hours daily—because Physics requires extensive numerical problem-solving and deep conceptual application. For Chemistry, I spent about 2 hours daily, balancing Physical, Organic, and Inorganic branches. For Biology, I allocated about 1 to 1.5 hours daily because once you have thoroughly understood a Biology chapter, revising it takes significantly less time compared to solving Physics problems.

My philosophy was that in Physics, the more numerical problems you solve, the stronger and clearer your concepts become. Solving a wide variety of questions exposes you to different problem patterns, which builds speed, accuracy, and confidence for the final exam.

Q6.  The Material Trap: Did you rely strictly on your coaching modules, or did you use multiple reference books? Is it better to solve one book three times or three books once?

Rajdeep:  When I started Class 11, like many students, I began solving external reference books alongside my coaching modules. However, by the end of Class 11 and throughout Class 12, I realized that managing too many reference books was creating unnecessary stress and confusion. So I completely stopped solving external reference books and focused 100% of my energy on Allen’s coaching modules and NCERT textbooks. In my opinion, it is vastly superior to solve one quality module 3 to 4 times than to solve 5 different reference books superficially.

Q7.  Curating the Resource Stack: With hundreds of reference books available, what exact resource stack did you use for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics?

Rajdeep:  NCERT is absolute gold—it is the single most critical resource for NEET. In Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Inorganic Chemistry, almost 95% to 100% of the questions are picked directly from NCERT lines, diagrams, and tables. For Physics and Physical Chemistry, while NCERT provides foundational concepts, coaching modules supply the extra numerical problem-solving needed for competitive speed. Additionally, Allen provided a concise revision book called ‘First Step / Fast-Track Biology’, which summarized chapters into quick tables and flowcharts. Reading that book allowed me to revise entire units in less than 30 minutes.

Q8.  The 2:00 PM – 5:20 PM Bio-Clock Protocol: Since NEET-UG takes place during the afternoon slot, how did you train your brain to reach peak alertness during these exact 3 hours and 20 minutes? Did you actively avoid afternoon sleep?

Rajdeep:  I took three deliberate steps to condition myself. First, I always ate a light, simple lunch so that my body wouldn’t feel heavy or sleepy. Second, I strictly trained myself never to take afternoon naps on study days, breaking any habit of daytime sleepiness. Third, every Sunday our Allen mock tests were held precisely from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Giving weekly tests in that exact slot trained my brain to automatically switch into high-alert exam mode every afternoon.

Q9.  NCERT Revision Count: Top rankers often say they read NCERT Biology 30 to 50 times. How many times did you read NCERT for Biology and Inorganic Chemistry line-by-line?

Rajdeep:  In Biology, I read the NCERT textbook line-by-line at least 25 to 30 times over two years, repeatedly revisiting weak chapters until every line was etched in my memory. For Inorganic Chemistry, I revised NCERT line-by-line about 10 to 15 times. For Organic Chemistry, I focused heavily on named reactions and NCERT tables. In Physics, I read the summary boxes, ‘Points to Ponder’, and key formulas from NCERT, while relying on module numericals for problem practice.

Q10.  Decoding Hidden NCERT Content: How did you study the ‘neglected’ parts of NCERT—such as scientist profiles, summary boxes, diagram captions, footnotes, and tables? Did you annotate your physical NCERT textbooks or build separate summary notebooks?

Rajdeep:  I gave tremendous importance to those hidden sections—scientist bios, diagram captions, footnotes, percentage data, and floral formulas are prime targets for NTA question setters! Instead of making separate bulky notebooks for NCERT, I highlighted key lines and wrote extra notes, mnemonics, and teacher insights directly on the margins of my NCERT textbook. That made revision incredibly fast.

Q11.  Managing Class 11th Backlogs: Almost every student accumulates backlogs in Class 11th (especially in Physics Mechanics or Plant Physiology). How did you systematically resolve your backlogs without delaying Class 12th topics?

Rajdeep:  My first rule was to study Class 11 so diligently in Class 11 itself that backlogs were kept to an absolute minimum. When Class 12 started, my top priority every day was completing Class 12 lectures and homework first so no new backlog accumulated. To revise Class 11, I utilized free self-study hours on weekdays and dedicated full Sundays specifically for Class 11 chapter revisions and tests.

Q12.  CBSE/State Board vs. NEET Prep: How did you balance board practicals, school attendance, and subjective answer writing with objective speed-solving for NEET?

Rajdeep:  Our coaching institute at Allen organized special morning practical classes once or twice a week, which covered all board practical experiments thoroughly. For subjective answer writing, coaching conducted board-pattern subjective mock tests 1 to 2 months prior to the board exams. Because my theoretical concepts were already crystal clear for NEET, writing subjective step-by-step answers for boards required very little extra effort.

Q13.  Active Recall & Memorization: How did you memorize thousands of anatomical terms, taxonomic classifications, floral formulas, and biochemical cycles (Krebs, Calvin, C4)? Did you use flashcards, Anki, or active recall sheets?

Rajdeep:  First, I built strong conceptual understanding from day one so that theoretical topics didn’t require constant rote learning. For memory-heavy topics like Morphology, Anatomy, and Animal Kingdom, I scheduled weekly active recall sessions. Additionally, Allen provided a concise revision book called ‘First Step / Fast-Track Biology’, which summarized chapters into quick tables and flowcharts. Reading that book allowed me to revise entire units in less than 30 minutes.

Q14.  Tackling New Question Formats: Recent NEET papers feature complex Statement I/II, Matching columns, and Assertion-Reasoning questions. How did you train to read these carefully without sacrificing speed?

Rajdeep:  In the beginning, I used to make silly mistakes in statement questions by missing words like ‘INCORRECT’ or ‘NOT TRUE’. To solve this, I developed a habit of reading every question word-for-word and physically circling key words like ‘CORRECT’ or ‘INCORRECT’ with my pen before looking at the options. Practicing hundreds of statement-based questions in mock tests gradually built high speed and 100% accuracy.

Q15.  Botany vs. Zoology Balance: Did you find Botany or Zoology more challenging? How did you master memory-intensive chapters like Plant Kingdom, Morphology, and Genetics?

Rajdeep:  I found Botany more challenging than Zoology. In Zoology, since most topics relate to human body systems, it is natural and easy to visualize. Botany involves abstract plant mechanisms and heavy memory work. For Genetics and Plant Physiology, I drew custom flowcharts, solved pedigree charts repeatedly, and revised NCERT diagrams until I had absolute clarity.

Q16.  Bridging the Mathematical Gap: Many medical aspirants enter Class 11th with hesitation in basic mathematics (Calculus, Trigonometry, Vectors). How did you build rock-solid mathematical fundamentals for Physics?

Rajdeep:  I never feared Physics because right at the start of Class 11, I focused heavily on mastering Basic Mathematics—vectors, calculus (differentiation & integration), and trigonometry. Once your mathematical tools are strong, Physics becomes logical and enjoyable. I maintained a dedicated Formula Notebook for quick formula recall and solved at least 100 to 150 numerical problems per chapter.

Q17.  Physics Speed & Accuracy: Physics in NEET requires solving 45 questions rapidly with zero numerical errors. Did you maintain a ‘Formula & Key Concepts Sheet’? How did you quickly identify which questions required calculations and which could be solved conceptually?

Rajdeep:  I never feared Physics because right at the start of Class 11, I focused heavily on mastering Basic Mathematics—vectors, calculus (differentiation & integration), and trigonometry. Once your mathematical tools are strong, Physics becomes logical and enjoyable. I maintained a dedicated Formula Notebook for quick formula recall and solved at least 100 to 150 numerical problems per chapter. For chapters that had too many formulas, I would write all the formulas on one or two pages so that I could revise them in a short time before any test.

Q18.  High-Yield Physics Chapters: Which chapters in Physics (e.g., Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Modern Physics, Optics) required the highest problem-solving volume?

Rajdeep:  In Class 11, Mechanics was the most important chapter, and in Class 12, Electrodynamics and Optics. I feel that the more questions we practice in these chapters, especially with a wide variety of problem types, the stronger our core becomes. These chapters are very important, and their weightage in the exam is also high. So we should practice as many questions as possible from these chapters.

Q19.  The 620–650 Ceiling: Many hardworking students get stuck in the 620–650 score range in mock tests. What specific analytical shift helped you bridge the gap from 650 to 700+?

Rajdeep:  Post-test analysis is where actual rank improvements happen. After every mock test, I spent 2 hours analyzing every incorrect and unattempted question. I maintained a dedicated ‘Error Notebook’ where I categorized my mistakes into three types: (1) Silly errors (calculation slips or misreading options), (2) Conceptual gaps (topics I forgot or misunderstood), and (3) Time-pressure misses. Before writing the next mock test, I thoroughly reviewed my Error Notebook to ensure I never repeated the same mistake twice.

PHASE 3: PSYCHOLOGY, ADVERSITIES, & THE MINDSET

Q20.  Tackling Failure: What were your best and worst scores in mock tests? How did you mentally recover from a disastrous test score?

Rajdeep:  Yes, everyone experiences score fluctuations. Whenever my score dipped in a mock test, I trained myself to view it as a positive diagnostic tool rather than a failure—a score drop highlights a weak area now so you can fix it before the final NEET exam! I discussed my mistakes openly with mentors like Devansh Sir and my parents, took short 15-minute breaks, and bounced back with renewed focus.

Q21.  The “Silly Mistakes” Protocol: Almost every student loses ranks to silly mistakes. Did you maintain a “mistake notebook,” and how did you actively minimize these errors?

Rajdeep:  I also used to make many silly mistakes in the beginning. Then I made a dedicated notebook in which I noted down all my mistakes—classifying them as either silly mistakes or conceptual errors. I worked on each one specifically so that the same silly mistakes would not be repeated in the next test. Before every subsequent mock test, I used to revise all the silly mistakes from my notebook, and this practice helped me avoid repeating such errors over time.

Q22.  Conquering Fear: Was there a specific topic (like Thermodynamics or Fluids) that terrified you? How did you overcome it?

Rajdeep:  In Physics, there were chapters that had many formulas, so I was afraid of them in the beginning—I would worry about how I would remember all the formulas during the exam. For that, I made a separate formula sheet and revised it before every exam so that all the formulas were fresh and there would be no mistake. In Inorganic Chemistry, whatever I used to revise, I would often forget. So I scheduled weekly revision sessions so that whenever I forgot, I could revise it again and it would stay in my mind during the exam.

Q23.  Digital Distractions: How did you handle smartphones and social media? Did you cut them off completely, or use them in moderation?

Rajdeep:  I used a basic smartphone strictly as a learning tool—for checking coaching schedules, lecture updates, and clearing doubts on messaging groups. I completely abstained from social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or watching random video shorts. Eliminating digital distractions saved hours of time and kept my mind calm.

Q24.  The “Burnout” Days: What did you do on days when you were completely exhausted and absolutely did not want to study?

Rajdeep:  On days when I did not feel like studying, I would still not waste time. Instead, I used to analyze my mistakes from previous tests, and organize and arrange my books and test papers sequence-wise. So even on exhausting days, I was still doing something productive related to my preparation.

Q25.  Sports: Did you only study during those preparation years or you also spent time in sports, workouts and other recreational activities?

Rajdeep:  I used to go to the gym for about half an hour every day. It kept me physically and mentally fit and helped me feel refreshed from the continuous studying. I would definitely suggest future students to also engage in sports, workouts, and recreational activities alongside their studies.

PHASE 4: THE ECOSYSTEM (FAMILY, MENTORS, & PEERS)

Q26.  The Parental Support Engine: How did your parents support your routine, diet, and emotional well-being throughout the 2-year marathon?

Rajdeep:  My parents helped me from the start to the end. Whenever I felt demotivated, they supported me and never let me feel alone. My mother was always there whenever I needed help. She used to cook healthy food for me so that I wouldn’t have to eat outside and could stay healthy and fit. My mother even relocated and spent the entire preparation period with me so I would always have family support. It was a big sacrifice from my parents to live with me and support me throughout the journey.

Q27.  The Peer Group: How important is a highly competitive friend circle in cracking NEET? Did you do group studies or doubt-solving with friends?

Rajdeep:  I did not actively make a close friend circle during my preparation. For doubt-solving, I mostly went to the teachers directly. Towards the end, after the tests, I would sometimes discuss questions with batchmates and learn from them, but not in the beginning. However, I do believe peer discussions are important because we get to know different ways to solve questions. If our concepts are wrong, peers can point it out—and there is a healthy competition that accelerates learning.

Q28.  The Mentors: Were you ever hesitant to ask doubts in a class full of brilliant students? How did your bond with your teachers help you beyond academics?

Rajdeep:  I did not usually ask questions during class. Instead, I used to go to the teachers at the counter after class and ask my doubts there. The teachers always explained things in a very clear and detailed way. Whenever I had a concept that I couldn’t understand, the teachers would sit and explain it thoroughly. They were always available to clear my doubts.

PHASE 5: THE D-DAY & THE AFTERMATH

Q29.  The Exam Strategy: Did you have a pre-decided sequence for attempting the paper (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, then Physics), or did you adapt based on the paper’s difficulty?

Rajdeep:  My subject order was fixed and tested across dozens of mock tests: I attempted Biology first (completing Botany & Zoology in ~40 to 45 minutes), followed by Chemistry (~40 to 45 minutes), and finally Physics (~60 to 70 minutes). Leaving 70 minutes for Physics gave me ample time to solve complex numericals calmly without rushing.

Q30.  Bubbling Strategy: Did you bubble the OMR sheet question-by-question, subject-by-subject, or all together at the end of the test?

Rajdeep:  I filled OMR bubbles section-wise. As soon as I completed all 90 questions in Biology, I immediately bubbled the Biology section on the OMR sheet. Next, after finishing Chemistry, I bubbled the Chemistry section, and finally Physics. Section-wise bubbling prevented last-minute rush and eliminated any risk of misaligned bubble marking.

Q31.  Round-Based Paper Attempt Strategy: How did you decide which questions to attempt in the first round versus the second round?

Rajdeep:  In Round 1, I went through the paper sequentially and solved all direct, easy, and conceptual questions that took less than a minute. If a question appeared overly calculative or complex, I marked it and skipped it immediately. In Round 2, with majority marks secured, I tackled the lengthy and complex numericals with total confidence.

Q32.  Exam Temperament: Were you nervous on the actual day of the exam, or did giving continuous mock tests eliminate the “exam fear”?

Rajdeep:  I was surprisingly not nervous at all! Because I had given dozens of full-syllabus mock tests in the exact 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM window, stepping into the NEET exam hall felt like just another routine Sunday mock test. The rigorous test practice completely eliminated exam fear.

PHASE 6: UNPLUGGED & RAPID FIRE (HUMANIZING THE SCHOLAR)

Q33.  The Single Golden Rule: If you could share only one piece of advice with millions of NEET aspirants starting their preparation today, what would it be?

Rajdeep:  My golden advice is to maintain unyielding daily consistency. Work hard every single day—regardless of whether it is a holiday, a Sunday, or a festival. If you stay disciplined from day one until exam day, no target is impossible to achieve.

Q34.  Message to Aspirants in Low-Score Phases: What message would you give to a student currently scoring 450–500 in mock tests who dreams of reaching AIIMS New Delhi?Rajdeep:  To students scoring 450-500: Do not lose heart! Every top ranker was once at 500. First, focus on plugging your conceptual gaps in weak chapters. Second, maintain a strict Error Notebook and analyze every mock test diligently. As you fix your weak concepts and stop repeating silly mistakes, your score will systematically rise from 500 to 600, and ultimately break 700+ for AIIMS Delhi!

Devansh Sir’s 10 Key Takeaways from The Conversation with Rajdeep Gupta

1.  Master One Resource Deeply—Don’t Collect Books, Conquer Them.

Rajdeep stopped using external reference books by the end of Class 11 and focused 100% on Allen’s coaching modules and NCERT. His verdict: solving one quality module 3–4 times is vastly superior to solving 5 different books superficially. For future aspirants, the lesson is clear—depth of mastery over one resource beats shallow coverage of many.

2.  NCERT Is Non-Negotiable—Read It 25–30 Times for Biology, 10–15 Times for Inorganic Chemistry.

Rajdeep read NCERT Biology line-by-line at least 25–30 times and Inorganic Chemistry 10–15 times. He also studied the ‘hidden’ sections that most students skip—scientist profiles, diagram captions, footnotes, percentage data, and floral formulas—because these are prime targets for NTA question setters. He highlighted and annotated directly on the NCERT margins instead of making separate notebooks, making revision incredibly fast.

3.  Allocate Time by Subject Demand, Not by Equal Division.

Rajdeep gave Physics 2.5 hours daily (the most), Chemistry 2 hours, and Biology 1–1.5 hours. His logic: Physics needs heavy numerical practice to build conceptual strength, while Biology—once understood thoroughly—can be revised in far less time. Future aspirants should invest more time where the return on practice is highest, not distribute hours equally.

4.  Build the Three-Category Error Notebook—This Is What Breaks the 700 Barrier.

After every mock test, Rajdeep spent 2 hours analyzing every incorrect and unattempted question. He classified each mistake into one of three categories: (1) Silly errors—calculation slips or misreading options, (2) Conceptual gaps—topics forgotten or misunderstood, and (3) Time-pressure misses. Before every subsequent test, he reviewed this notebook religiously. This single habit is what separates students stuck at 620–650 from those who cross 700+.

5.  Sleep 7–8 Hours Every Night—The ‘3-Hour Sleep’ Myth Will Destroy Your Rank.

Rajdeep slept 7–8 hours every single night throughout his two-year preparation. He was emphatic: sleep is absolutely vital for brain health, memory consolidation, and mental clarity. Without proper sleep, retention capacity drops drastically. The myth that toppers survive on 3–4 hours of sleep is completely false.

6.  Condition Your Body Clock for the 2:00 PM–5:00 PM Exam Window.

Since NEET is held in the afternoon, Rajdeep deliberately trained his brain for peak performance during those exact hours. He ate light lunches, avoided afternoon naps completely, and took weekly mock tests from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM every Sunday. By exam day, his brain automatically switched into high-alert mode at 2:00 PM.

7.  Eliminate Social Media Completely—No Exceptions, No Moderation.

For the entire two years of his NEET preparation, Rajdeep completely abstained from Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and random video shorts. He used his phone strictly as a learning tool—for checking coaching schedules and test results. This is not about moderation; the students who crack the top 100 treat digital distractions as a non-negotiable elimination.

8.  Build an Unshakable Mathematical Foundation in the First Month of Class 11.

Rajdeep never feared Physics because he invested heavily in mastering vectors, calculus, and trigonometry right at the start of Class 11. He knew these mathematical tools would be used in every subsequent chapter. He maintained a dedicated Formula Notebook and solved 100–150 numerical problems per chapter. For medical aspirants who dread Physics, the fix is simple: make your mathematical tools rock-solid before mechanics begins.

9.  On Exam Day, Follow a Fixed Subject Order and Round-Based Attempt Strategy.

Rajdeep’s exam-day sequence was fixed and battle-tested across dozens of mock tests: Biology first (~40–45 min), then Chemistry (~40–45 min), then Physics (~60–70 min). Within each subject, he executed a two-round strategy—solving all easy and direct questions in Round 1, then returning to calculative and complex ones in Round 2 with majority marks already secured. He filled OMR bubbles section-wise after completing each subject, preventing any last-minute bubbling errors.

10.  Consistency Is the Only Superpower—Work Hard Every Single Day, Without Exception.

When asked for his single golden piece of advice, Rajdeep’s answer was unequivocal: maintain unyielding daily consistency. Work hard every single day—holidays, Sundays, festivals. No day off. No excuses. If you stay disciplined from day one until exam day, no target is impossible to achieve. This is not motivational fluff—it is the operating system of every AIR under 200.

Aug2

From 3 Olympiad Golds to MIT: Rudra Pethani Reveals the Complete Blueprint for Global Success

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Introduction:

Every year, millions of students across India sit for JEE and NEET — two of the most competitive examinations on the planet. Separately, a handful of the nation’s brightest young minds compete at the International Science Olympiads, where representing India itself is an extraordinary achievement, and winning a gold medal places you among the finest scientific talents in the world. And then there are the global university admissions at institutions like MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Imperial College London — universities whose acceptance rates hover between 3% and 6%, where even students with perfect scores and impeccable profiles are routinely rejected.

Now imagine a single student who conquered all of these — simultaneously.

Rudra Pethani did not just clear one of these milestones. He swept through every single one of them, in parallel, while studying Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology (PCMB) concurrently — a dual-stream combination that most students and mentors would consider reckless. The result? A track record that defies belief:

▸ Accepted at all four: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London — a quad-sweep that is almost unheard of for any student in the world.

▸ 99.98 percentile in JEE Main 2026, alongside top-tier qualifying scores in both JEE Advanced 2026 and NEET 2026.

▸ Three International Gold Medals in three consecutive years at three different International Science Olympiads — a hat-trick that earned him a place in the India Book of Records:

– Gold Medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2025, Philippines — World Rank 10, India Rank 1.

– Gold Medal at the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2024, China.

– Gold Medal at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2023, Thailand.

To put these achievements into perspective: MIT admits roughly 4% of its applicants globally. Stanford hovers near 3.5%. Oxford’s offer rate for international students in the sciences is under 10%. Imperial’s admission in biological sciences is similarly selective. Being accepted at any one of these institutions is a life-defining achievement. Being accepted at all four — while simultaneously scoring in the top 0.02% of over a million JEE Main candidates and winning three international gold medals — places Rudra Pethani in a category that is virtually unprecedented among Indian students.

Rudra has been a student of Devansh Mittal during his IJSO preparation, which has been a foundational building block in his entire journey. In this exclusive, in-depth interview conducted by Devansh Mittal, Rudra opens up about every dimension of his extraordinary journey — from his foundational years as a regular school student and city volleyball captain, to the pivotal moment at an IJSO training camp that redirected his ambition from medicine to fundamental science, to the intense final year where he juggled board exams, JEE, NEET, and foreign university applications simultaneously.

This article presents the complete, unfiltered conversation — structured across 34 questions, 7 thematic blocks, and 10 Key Insights from the entire conversation — covering:

• The vision and mindset behind pursuing PCMB (dual-stream) against conventional wisdom.

• A year-by-year chronological roadmap from Grade 8 through Grade 12.

• Exam-specific strategies for IJSO, IBO, JEE Main (99.98%ile), JEE Advanced, and NEET — including exact resources, textbooks, and study methods.

• Building a world-class profile for MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Imperial — essays, LORs, SAT/APs, and the critical distinction between UK and US application systems.

• Inside the interview rooms at Oxford (Magdalen College, St Hilda’s College), MIT, and Stanford — what was asked, how Rudra responded, and how to handle unfamiliar questions.

• The psychology of sustained high performance — handling low mock scores, maintaining a mistake notebook, managing burnout, digital discipline, and the role of family.

• Financial aid and full-ride scholarships — busting the myth that studying abroad is unaffordable.

Whether you are a Grade 8 student just beginning to explore Olympiads, a Grade 11 aspirant deep in JEE or NEET preparation, a student dreaming of studying at MIT or Oxford, or a parent seeking clarity on what it truly takes to reach the pinnacle of academic achievement — this conversation holds something profoundly valuable for you.

This is not motivational fluff. This is a verified, first-person operational blueprint from someone who has actually done it — every exam, every medal, every acceptance letter.

Read on. Take notes. And begin.

The Conversation:

BLOCK 1: THE VISION, THE DECISIONS & THE MULTI-TRACK MINDSET

Q1. Walk us through the exact moments when you received acceptance notifications from MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Imperial. How did you feel and how did your family react to these milestones?

The moment I opened these results, it didn’t really feel real. I couldn’t comprehend that I actually got into MIT. And this feeling was the strongest for MIT because it had been my dream for three years at that point. Seeing the acceptance, I just couldn’t believe it was real. And my parents were a lot more happier than me.

The feeling slowly kicks in after a while — after a week or so, you realize that, okay, I’m actually going to MIT, especially now. I’m really happy with myself and my parents are very proud of me. And that’s the most important thing for me.

Q2. Why did you decide to pursue both Mathematics and Biology in high school, rather than choosing one stream? Didn’t your mentors or parents advise against it, and how did you stay confident in this choice?

This began in ninth grade when I was really interested in biology, because both my parents are doctors. So it’s in my blood. And I was looking at the past papers for the International Biology Olympiad. And what I noticed was that every single question had some form of maths in them. There were equations, formulas, graphs — everything in every single question. And I was surprised.

At that point, I realized that it’s not just biology that you need for these Olympiads or for research at the highest level. And so that’s when I decided to also pursue maths, because a deeper understanding in maths will allow you to be more holistic in your approach towards science and develop that quantitative reasoning that you will need for all fields, be it biology or physics or chemistry.

And my parents supported me because they trusted me and trusted that I knew what I was doing. And my mentors also, because at that point, I had just qualified for the Junior Science Olympiad. So they knew that I was capable of taking both of them. So I received nothing but support and encouragement. And that was really nice to hear and see.

Q3. Did you always plan to apply abroad, or did that goal develop alongside your JEE/NEET and Olympiad preparation? At what point did these separate paths converge into a unified strategy?

Up until ninth grade, I really wanted to be a surgeon like my father. So I was always focused on just one goal, and that was AIIMS Delhi. But then as I qualified for the International Junior Science Olympiad, I went to Mumbai to the OCSC, and there I met all these wonderful people — the scientists, researchers, all the professors and other students, some of the most brilliant minds across India.

And I realized this entire world of science and academia. And I realized that I could have a much bigger impact on the world by being a scientist and discovering something rather than just being a surgeon and treating patients one at a time. So that’s when I decided to step away from this doctor’s dream of mine and go into pure science.

Q4. In what ways did your deep understanding of Mathematics help you in advanced Biology (e.g., computational biology, quantitative genetics), and how did your analytical biology training benefit your approach to Physics and Chemistry?

After a certain point, biology does not remain biology at all. It just becomes a combination of maths, physics and chemistry. Once you go into the protein structures or population ecology, it’s just numbers and formulas and equations and graphs. So to really analyze and understand all of that, you need to have some baseline experience in dealing with numbers and that sort of stuff, which luckily for me, I got from my JEE preparation for maths.

So there it was very important because I went to the International Biology Olympiad and in the first attempt itself, I managed to get a gold, which is really, really difficult. And I think the main reason for that was my mathematical background, paradoxically.

BLOCK 2: CHRONOLOGICAL ROADMAP & GRADE-WISE PROGRESSION

Q5. Could you share your entire journey with me? I would love to understand everything you did — from the time you first dreamed of getting into MIT until the day you were admitted. (Exams, activities, high-impact decisions, non-impactful efforts, lessons learned, and chronological progression).

Up until eighth grade, I was a regular school-going student. There was nothing special. I was the captain of my volleyball team, of the city volleyball team. And then in ninth grade, I enrolled into ALLEN. And there was an entrance exam. I passed that and I got into the special IJSO batch. There was a batch of like seven or eight students where the only target was the International Junior Science Olympiad and the first stage, which is the NSEJS. Up until that point, I had no idea what Olympiads even meant. And that was my introduction into this entire realm of Olympiads and JEE, NEET, everything.

I worked really hard at that time because everything was so new to me. And I loved the entire process. Every day I was learning new things, which were both challenging and exciting. After that point, I qualified through the stages of the IJSO. And when I reached 10th grade, there was the national training camp for the IJSO, and I qualified that, which meant that I was going to go international in the Junior Science Olympiad in Thailand.

After that point, in 10th grade, I began learning mathematics because I had a lot of backlog because in 9th, I was only doing PCB. So I had to transition to PCMB. I took extra classes in maths and stuff. And then I started preparing for other Olympiads. The first one I targeted was the Astronomy Olympiad, which I loved because I always had a telescope at home and I loved stars and everything. I made it to the national camp. And then I also got the opportunity to participate in the Earth Science Olympiad, which I also passed and I got to the international level in China. And I won a gold there.

And the next step for me was the International Biology Olympiad, because I was at a point where I could actually focus on that and give it my all. At that point, I was in 11th grade and I started preparing for the International Biology Olympiad. Again I got through all of the stages and I made it to the international level in July 2025.

After that, it was the last stretch for me and I had all this knowledge because of my Olympiads. So I decided that it would be better to give it my all for this last bit of time and prepare for JEE and NEET. So then I started preparing for JEE and at the same time I had to do my international admissions because I was pretty set on going to MIT. I was concurrently doing JEE along with working on my foreign applications.

After that, slowly I got through the first round, the early decision applications, then JEE Mains. Then there were the board exams and the regular decision applications. And after finishing all of that, I started preparing for JEE Advanced and NEET. So then I gave JEE Advanced, then NEET, and then unfortunately I had to give the re-NEET this year.

I got my MIT acceptance in March right in the middle of my board exams. And after that, I was pretty confident and I could relax finally — okay, I know where I’m going. So this last bit of studying I was doing was just to challenge myself and see how far I can go in these competitive exams.

Q6. What role did IJSO play in your entire journey?

I would say IJSO was the most important part of my journey, because it introduced me to the world of Olympiads and it connected me with students from all across India — the toppers, all the rankers — because IJSO is where teachers can really filter out and get to meet some of the strongest academic minds in India. That was how I got to know about all these other Olympiads and how I really learned how to study again. Developing the habits that got me to this point — the formative period was this IJSO experience.

Q7. Winning a gold medal at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) requires extreme conceptual depth and advanced laboratory skills. How did you prepare for the practical exam? How did you balance this intense preparation with your ongoing JEE Physics/Math studies?

I have always had a strong practical hand and I spent a lot of time in our hospital learning about all the different techniques and instruments. And I also did a small internship at another hospital where I learned skills in hematology, biochemistry, microbiology — stuff like that — all of which really helped me throughout the International Biology Olympiad. And that’s what really got me into the Indian team. So the practical part for me was rather easy.

And the theoretical part — well, I had to read lots and lots of books because biology is the subject where you get more and more knowledge and you become better at it by reading rather than solving problems. So there are lots and lots of international books that I read, textbooks and stuff. So that’s what got me to the gold.

Q8. How did you manage board exams, the JEE Mains sprint, the NEET exam, and the massive workload of writing college essays and filling applications for MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Imperial? Walk us through a week in your life during this peak period.

That part of my life was very chaotic. But what I used to do was block out certain periods of time or some days. For example, if I have the SAT coming up, then two days before that, I’ll stop my Olympiad stuff or JEE stuff. I’ll just attend the classes and focus solely on the exam at hand. I’ll give one or two days for that, and that would be enough for me.

That’s basically what I did. For example, before JEE Mains, I had 15 days to just focus on JEE Mains. That’s it. By that time, my early decision applications had been finished. So I could only focus on JEE Mains. And after that, I had my board exams where again, I took 15 days or so to just prepare for board exams. So this blocking and chopping up my time and my focus really helped me.

And there are also times where I had to do two or more things at once, like the Biology Olympiad and my JEE classes. So there I used to clearly divide my time throughout the day. For example, in the morning, I’ll study biology and in the afternoon and evenings, I’ll do JEE. And again, late night, I’ll study a bit of biology. So that’s basically according to my own body and when I can focus the most and how my circadian rhythm works. That’s how I planned my daily schedule.

Q9. If students preparing for JEE or NEET wish to aspire for global universities, then what extra effort, exams, and profile-building work will they need to do in order to achieve this milestone?

The biggest bottleneck for JEE or NEET aspirants is that they are too narrowly focused on just one exam, which is thus known for the Indian education system, whereas they require what we call a holistic application. You need to be well-developed in all aspects — be it how you contribute to society or your community, how good you are at academics, how good you are at social aspects, or what you are doing for your own passion, whether it be some sports or maybe some art form or whatever it is.

I think the most important thing that students need to cultivate alongside JEE and NEET preparation is focusing on what makes you unique in the world and developing that part of yourself to show it to all these colleges.

BLOCK 3: EXAM-SPECIFIC STRATEGY & RESOURCE BLUEPRINTS

Q10. What were your primary textbooks, online resources, and past paper sources for IJSO and IBO? How did you bridge the gap between Indian school textbooks and the international standards of IBO?

For the IJSO, because at that point, I wasn’t very knowledgeable on resources and stuff, I just did as my teachers told me to do. I listened to whatever they had to say. And I used their resources, their material, whatever they were giving me.

But for the IBO, at that point, I was quite experienced with this Olympiad stuff. And I knew what resources to take in biology. One book that comes to mind is Campbell, which is sort of the Bible for the Biology Olympiad. That is definitely one resource. And I also focused on more specialized books. For example, for each part of the syllabus of IBO, I would take one book and read it. So if there is the ecology part, then I’ll have a textbook for ecology. For genetics, a different book. That really helped me.

Other than that, I would say there are lots of resources available online. For example, MIT has their own website known as OCW, where they publish all of their lectures for every single course that they teach, completely free online. That really helped me out a lot. And along with that, you can find past year papers for all of these Olympiads online. And you can also find regional Olympiads. I used to solve lots of papers of the USA Biology Olympiad, the Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad, Russian Olympiad. And all of those also really helped me.

Q11. How did you prepare for JEE Main? What was your balance between coaching modules and standard reference books? How did you maintain high-speed mathematical problem-solving skills?

To be honest, I did not really use any reference books at all. I just took my notes. I revised and reviewed all my notes thoroughly. And I was also given past year papers that are organized by topic from my coaching. So that really helped. I had subject-wise and topic-wise past year papers, and I also had the solutions. So that’s how I developed my exam-taking skills, my analytical ability, and also timing myself as per the exam.

Q12. NEET requires rapid recall and deep familiarity with NCERT. How did your strategy for NEET differ from your analytical, problem-solving approach to JEE Main and the research-focused IBO?

For NEET, I had to completely switch off that research part or analytical part of my mind, and all I had to do was focus on NCERT and learn every single bit. At the end of every sentence that I read, I would question myself — if this part was to be asked in the exam, then how would they frame a question? That sort of thinking, although it was a bit slow for reading, really emphasised every single line in my mind and it really helped me memorise stuff quicker.

Q13. Which specific resources did you use during your JEE and NEET preparation?

For JEE, I only used modules and my notes, because the teachers also give us questions and homework and that sort of stuff. So those notes and modules and the other assignments or whatever we are given — that’s it for JEE.

And for NEET, I did nothing but NCERT, that’s it. You have the textbooks and also the lab manuals that NCERT publishes — those, along with past year papers and just mock tests — that’s it for NEET.

Q14. Students often collect too many books and finish none. What is your advice on resource selection? Is it better to solve a single resource multiple times or scan through multiple books?

Students often have huge stacks of books. And I think that’s because they are afraid of missing out. If they hear some other student who is doing Irodov in 10th grade, then they also feel that they are left out. So they buy these books and try to attempt them. But that’s of no use because every student is different and everyone has their own speed and their own way of preparing. And you can’t change that based on what others say or what others believe. So it’s really important to just focus on yourself and where you are weak and where you fall short rather than what other people do.

And I would say that it’s definitely better to pick one book that your teachers recommend or that you feel is good for you and stick to it. Because if you go through it multiple times, that’s the only way you will discover your own mistakes and actually correct those mistakes, rather than just going through a book and saying, okay, that’s enough. If you go through each and every mistake of yours thoroughly, that’s how you ensure that in the final exam, you won’t make those mistakes again.

BLOCK 4: BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS PROFILE FOR GLOBAL ADMISSIONS

Q15. How did your IJSO and IBO Gold Medals impact your applications to MIT, Stanford, Imperial, and Oxford? How did you highlight these achievements in your application portals?

Honestly, I believe that my Olympiad performance was the single greatest factor that got me into these universities, especially MIT, because for international admissions, MIT really values Olympiad performance and medals. So that I feel was the biggest part of it.

And I also did not just list them out in the application. I used them as part of my story, as part of who I am — as someone who has always been passionate in science and to take that passion to the highest level, I participated in the Olympiads. And I also connected it with my history, my roots, with my parents’ background of medicine, as well as my village, my native village, where I’ve grown up around using science in agriculture and how we can make our farms and the yield more efficient and better. That’s how I connected my Olympiads with my own background, which I think is the most important thing.

Q16. What was your strategy for the SAT, AP exams (if any), and maintaining school GPA alongside your JEE/NEET preparation?

I think the most important thing for all these exams is that you really learn what the exam is about. You strategize and plan effectively. You get what the exam is and what the examiner is trying to achieve with the problems that he or she gives. Focusing a lot of your time on past year papers or their official websites helps a lot.

Along with that, a bit of targeted practice just to convert your already existing knowledge into a language that the specific exam accepts is all you need. And so for the SAT or the APs, I hardly took a couple of days to prepare. Same for the TOEFL exam. I think a few days of targeted practice that converts your experience or your base into a form that can fetch you marks in the final exam is what’s important.

Q17. How did you write your personal statement/essays? What story did you tell? How did you convey a unified scientific interest despite preparing for exams as diverse as JEE and NEET?

I talked about my village — how I’ve grown up in our farms, learning about all the different practices that are performed there, that have been going on for decades, and how I, as someone with an education in science, have tried to help improve them or change them and do something that benefits all the people around me. That was the base of my profile.

And that’s how I connected it with the Olympiads, because through the Olympiads, like the Biology Olympiad and the Earth Science Olympiad, I learned a lot of things that I could take back to my village and apply on my own farm to improve my yields, to make our practice more sustainable and be better towards the environment. That was basically my main spike, as we call it. Every student has one spike or something that makes them stand out to the admissions officer. For me, my spike was this connection between my village and my performance in the International Olympiads.

Q18. Who did you ask for LORs (school teachers, coaching mentors, research advisors)? How did you ensure your letters reflected your deep academic capability?

I asked my school teachers and I also asked a mentor of mine that I met in these Olympiad training camps. I think his letter especially stood out because he’s a renowned professor who has done lots of research and his words obviously carry a lot of weight. I think that was the most beneficial letter of recommendation for me.

But otherwise, it’s really important to maintain good relationships with your school teachers because you will need them to write strong letters for you. And for that, they actually need to know who you are. They need to remember you and understand — yeah, this student was like this and he does this. And while you approach them to ask for these letters, it’s really good to have a sort of list of pointers about you, your achievements or what you are or how the teacher might remember you, so that it’s easier for the teacher to not just write a generic letter and instead write something that’s tailored specifically to you and something that is unique and will make you stand out amidst all the other general standard letters that teachers write.

Q19. The UK process (Oxford, Imperial) is highly academic and focused on your specific major, whereas the US process (MIT, Stanford) is holistic. How did your preparation differ for these two systems?

The process for the UK is a lot more straightforward. You focus mostly on your academics, much like India, and there is a single personal statement that you have to write along with listing out all of your achievements and your stats basically. So there it was fairly straightforward. For me it was just my performance in the exams and my boards and whatnot along with my Olympiads.

The US is more difficult because it’s holistic — you need to give them a 360 perspective on who you are and it’s not just a single exam or a good rank or a gold medal that will get you into any of these universities. You need to show them a variety of things and show them every aspect of yourself, and each of them must be unique enough that the admissions committee remembers your application, remembers who you are, and recommends you for admission.

BLOCK 5: ACADEMIC & HOLISTIC INTERVIEWS

Q20. Oxford and Imperial interviews are famous for live problem-solving. Can you walk us through what your interviews were like? What kinds of questions did they ask, and how did you explain your thinking process under pressure?

My UK interviews were very fast-paced. All of them were less than 15 minutes long and it was just question after question after question, rapid fire. They were pertaining to biology, so they would ask me a question or show me a certain diagram and we would go through the problem together by parts. They would begin by asking me a question and then we would build off of that to move on to the next part of the problem, and slowly they introduce higher and higher levels of complexity.

I didn’t have any interviews for Imperial. I had three total interviews and all of them were for Oxford, because Oxford has a lot of different colleges within itself. I had two of the colleges ask me for interviews — I had two interviews from Magdalen College and one from St Hilda’s College. So that was a total of three interviews and all of them were like hardly eight to ten minutes long.

Q21. How did your interviews for MIT and Stanford differ? What non-academic or personality aspects did the interviewers focus on?

The MIT and Stanford interviews were completely different. I don’t think there was a single academic thing discussed throughout. And I think for the US, the interviews depend very much on who your interviewer is specifically. I can’t generalize the MIT interview experience off of my specific interview because your interviewer would probably differ. So the conversation would go in a completely different direction.

But basically the theme of these interviews is to get to know you more and to see who you actually are — not just off of your words or essays or some pieces of paper, but rather by talking to you, they can get an idea of who you are and whether you are fit for their culture or the college’s specific traits or not. And that sort of analysis of your character happens through certain questions they may ask or certain experiences that they will ask you to share about yourself.

For example, my Stanford interview — my interviewer was a businesswoman who had been working on her startup and had done an MBA from Stanford. So our conversation focused a lot on the business side of the farming in my village that I do on the side. Whereas for my MIT interview, that was more of a general test of my personality. He would ask me a lot of questions about myself and my extracurriculars and how I prepare for those and how those affected me and stuff like that.

Q22. What did you do when an interviewer asked you a question or presented a scientific scenario you had absolutely no prior knowledge about?

That happened a lot more than I expected in these interviews, and I think the most important thing is not freezing up or giving them a big pause. Rather, just speak out loud whatever’s going on in your mind. Walk them through your own thinking process, so that way they know that you are not just completely blank and you can actually take them through your own process. And they’ll instead help you and guide you to get to the answer, instead of just sitting there and hesitating to talk.

BLOCK 6: MINDSET, PSYCHOLOGY, DISTRACTIONS & OVERCOMING SETBACKS

Q23. What were your lowest scores in mock exams (JEE/NEET) or practice Olympiad tests? How did you handle the disappointment, analyze your mistakes, and bounce back?

I have always had pretty atrocious scores in all these exams. I remember my first ever mock test I gave for the IJSO when I just got into the batch — I got, I think, two marks in physics out of 50 or something. I only scored two marks because it was the first time I had been exposed to such a high level of academics at such a young age. I remember I didn’t even know what a vector was at the time. I just couldn’t understand that stuff.

But the main thing was I had enough mental resilience in me to take that as a challenge and work on it rather than just being discouraged by it. I always saw lower marks — rather than a discouragement, I took it as a collection of things that I still wasn’t an expert of. So it was a guide for me to know what I need to focus on next. And that sort of mindset is very healthy and it will take you further, rather than just focusing on scoring higher and higher marks.

Q24. Did you maintain a system to track your silly mistakes and conceptual gaps? How did you actively review and eliminate these errors before the actual exams?

Absolutely. It is very important to deeply analyze all of your exams or tests that you give and maintain a list — however way you like, be it a notebook or some sort of annotation in the exam paper — of where you are going wrong, where you are making silly mistakes, where you are spending more time than you need to, or where you feel like you are not confident in your problem solving.

And what I used to do was I took that collection or that analysis of mine and before every major exam, I used to review it completely — like the night before — and instead of studying or cramming for the syllabus, I think reading through your own mistakes is much more beneficial.

Q25. High-level prep across multiple exams is exhausting. Did you experience burnout? What were your stress-busters, and how did you integrate sports, hobbies, or social activities to maintain mental health?

Burnout is very real. I especially experienced it at the end of this because I had exam after exam after exam — the JEE and NEET stuff. But it is really important to have some things that completely detach you from this stressful academic life and where you can be free and just reset your brain. For me, that was my parents, my friends, my village, and the volleyball, like I mentioned. All these sports and these activities that I used to do — they really clear your mind and reset all of your stress and struggles and they ensure that you start again fresh and completely ready for any challenge.

I feel like instead of studying seven days a week continuously, it would be better to take one day off where you don’t study anything — maybe a Sunday or something — and you just do the things that you love and what you enjoy. I think that would be, over the long run, more beneficial because in the six remaining days of studies, you’d be much more focused and much more enthusiastic towards your studies.

Q26. What was your relationship with your smartphone, social media, and online distractions during these preparation years? What boundaries did you establish?

I never really used social media. And I think the main reason for that was because I was enrolled in this special IJSO batch in the beginning. All of my friends were also very high achieving and purely focused on their studies. So since none of my friends used any social media, I never used social media.

I think that was a really big thing for me because having peers around you who are focusing on the right thing will also ensure that you yourself are doing the right thing in the long run. And it stops these social media and all these distractions from your life, which is incredibly beneficial. And I realized how lucky I was now when I actually started using social media after all my exams were over.

Q27. How were your relations during all these preparation years with your teachers and your peer groups? And what kind of relations would you suggest future aspirants to have with their teachers and peer group to achieve these milestones?

I was always quite social and outgoing. I always made lots of friends in my classes and my peer groups and stuff. But I think teachers, for students, are a greatly underutilized resource. I feel like we do not talk to teachers nearly as much as we should because interacting with them, learning from them is, I think, the single greatest way to study or improve yourself because they have so many years of experience and thousands of people just like you who they have taught and who they have taken across this barrier that you are currently facing.

I think maintaining very strong relationships with your teachers, being frank with them, talking to them, learning from them is crucial for any student.

Q28. What has been the role of your parents, family members, and extended family members in the milestones you have achieved thus far?

My parents, I think, played the single biggest contributing factor to my success throughout. They have always supported me and encouraged me no matter what I go through. And I think that’s really important in times where you feel like you are really struggling. Even though I have all these achievements on paper, there have been lots and lots of times where I feel depressed or where I feel like I’m not achieving enough or where I’m not performing. Everyone has those periods and it’s those times that really define who you are as a person. And it’s necessary to have people around you that care for you and who can take you above this and elevate you. For me, that was my parents.

And among my parents, I feel like my father was sort of a coach for me. He helped me strategize and plan for all these exams and my approach. Whereas my mom was more like a manager because I was giving all of these exams and stuff — she used to manage my time, help me know which exams I have to give, what I have to do at specific periods of my time.

Involving your parents or your relatives or your friends is really important because this is such a massive journey that you alone cannot go through it. You need people around you who can help you.

BLOCK 7: LEGACY, FINANCIAL AID & RAPID-FIRE INSIGHTS

Q29. What is the one core habit that every serious academic aspirant must develop?

Reflection and analysis. Every day, at the end of the day, analyzing whether you learned something new today, whether you improved yourself in some way or the other, and whether you used your time effectively or not. I feel like that little practice at the end of every single day can take you very far.

Q30. What is the single biggest mistake students make when preparing for Olympiads or national competitive exams?

I feel like lots of students prepare for the syllabus rather than preparing for the exam. And what I mean by that is they’ll look at the syllabus, they’ll study everything, learn for it, but then not focus enough on the actual exam — like what kind of questions are going to be asked on the paper, how you will attempt those questions, in what order, in what way, at what point in the exam, how you will manage your time, all the different scenarios that you can imagine. Like if I solve the paper too quickly, or if I can’t solve any of the questions, if it’s too hard or too easy — that sort of planning and strategizing is really, really important.

I feel like that is the most important thing, rather than studying for a single topic or cramming the entire syllabus. Planning and knowing yourself is much, much more important.

Q31. What is an early opportunity (in Grade 8 or 9) that students should actively look out for?

I can only say the International Junior Science Olympiad, because that really changed my life. And I’m sure that any student preparing for it will feel the same way.

Q32. What is the biggest myth about Ivy League or MIT admissions that Indian students believe?

I think it’s the feeling that there is a specific formula for getting into MIT or any of these colleges. You show some research or you do some superficial community work, you get good academics, you do some project, and that should be enough to get into these colleges. But the truth is, there is no single template that you can follow to get into these universities.

What they look for is you trying to be the best version of yourself. And no other person can teach you how to do that. I think rather than doing these things that they are expecting and that you think the admissions office will like, you should focus more on what you like, what you are passionate about, and developing those hobbies and those parts of yourself.

Q33. Many students believe that studying abroad is extremely expensive and beyond their financial scope. Can anyone aspiring for global universities get scholarships? What are the scholarship criteria and opportunities for full-ride financial aid?

There are lots and lots of opportunities for scholarship, especially for those who are struggling financially or they feel like they can’t financially cope up with foreign colleges. There are so many different resources that the colleges themselves provide, or there are other organizations, even the government, who can give scholarships — huge amounts of scholarship, like up to 90% or even 100%, a full ride. If you qualify for it financially, like if you can show to them that you do not have the funds to send your kid abroad, then they will give you these scholarships generously.

Even MIT has a huge — I think it’s more than 70% of students who get some form of scholarship or the other — because they know that it’s very rare for such high-achieving students to be able to pay for such exorbitant fees on their own. So they like to help students out because they know that these are going to be the leaders of the next generation. So they invest heavily into students like us.

And I don’t think that should be a factor that scares students away from going abroad, because there are so many such scholarships, even merit-based scholarships that you can apply based on your success in, say, the Olympiads or something, which can give you full-ride scholarships to such amazing colleges all around the world.

Q34. What is your final message to students sitting in classrooms today, dreaming of cracking JEE/NEET, winning Olympiads, or studying at the world’s finest universities?

I would like to say that it is all in your head. If you truly believe that you can achieve these things, then you will. There are so many distractions or things that deter you from achieving your full potential. And the only way you can get to that level is by believing in yourself and going ahead with all these decisions, no matter how radical or how stupid others may think of them.

Nobody had ever imagined that I could get three international medals when I got into ALLEN first, but I made that happen solely because I was delusional enough to think that I could get three medals. So believing in yourself and going ahead with what you believe is right is really, really important and necessary to build strength in yourself.

Devansh Sir’s 10 Key Takeaways from The Conversation with Rudra Pethani for Future Aspirants:

1. Start Early with the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) Rudra credits IJSO as the single most important milestone of his entire journey. It introduced him to competitive science in Grade 9, connected him with top academic minds across India, and fundamentally changed how he studied. For students in Grades 8 and 9, qualifying for the NSEJS and entering the Olympiad pipeline is the highest-leverage opportunity available — it builds analytical rigour, opens doors to senior Olympiads (IBO, IESO, IAO), and creates the foundational habits that compound over years.
2. Dare to Take PCMB — Cross-Disciplinary Mastery Is a Superpower At a time when every mentor advises choosing either PCM or PCB, Rudra chose both. His reasoning was grounded in evidence: every advanced IBO question contained mathematical equations, graphs, and data analysis. His JEE-level mathematical training became the primary reason he won a gold medal at the International Biology Olympiad on his very first attempt (World Rank 10). The lesson is clear — at the highest levels of science, disciplinary boundaries dissolve. Students willing to embrace the difficulty of dual streams gain a decisive competitive edge.
3. Master One Resource Deeply, Rather Than Collecting Many Rudra’s resource list is strikingly minimal. For JEE: coaching modules, class notes, and topic-wise past year papers — that’s it. For NEET: NCERT textbooks, NCERT lab manuals, past year papers, and mock tests — nothing more. For IBO: Campbell Biology as the core, supplemented by one specialized textbook per syllabus domain, MIT OCW lectures, and past papers from international Olympiads (USA, Sri Lanka, Russia). His explicit advice: pick one trusted resource and go through it multiple times. Repeatedly solving the same material is the only way to discover and eliminate your personal error patterns. Stacking books out of FOMO leads nowhere.
4. Prepare for the Exam, Not Just the Syllabus Rudra identifies this as the single biggest mistake students make. Many aspirants study every topic thoroughly but never practise actual exam execution — question selection strategy, time management under pressure, how to handle a paper that is too hard or too easy, and planning your attempt order. His NEET strategy is a vivid example: after reading every sentence in NCERT, he would pause and ask himself, ‘If an examiner were to frame a question from this exact line, how would it look?’ Preparing for the exam means understanding how the examiner thinks, not just what the syllabus covers.
5. Use Time-Blocking and Strategic Isolation to Manage Multiple Exams During his peak period in Grade 12, Rudra simultaneously handled JEE Main, JEE Advanced, NEET, board exams, and foreign university applications for MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Imperial. His method was strict time-blocking: 15 dedicated days before JEE Main with all other work paused, 15 dedicated days before board exams, and 2–3 focused days before each SAT or TOEFL exam. During dual-preparation phases (e.g., IBO and JEE classes running concurrently), he divided his day according to his circadian rhythm — biology in the early morning and late night, JEE problem-solving in the afternoon and evening. This discipline of isolating focus made parallel preparation manageable.
6. Build an Authentic Personal ‘Spike’ for Global Admissions For US holistic admissions (MIT, Stanford), a high test score alone is not enough. Rudra’s ‘spike’ was the authentic connection between his native agricultural village, his scientific education, and his international Olympiad achievements. His personal statement described growing up on his family’s farm, observing traditional practices, and applying insights from the Biology Olympiad and Earth Science Olympiad to improve yields and sustainability. Every student needs one unique, genuine narrative that connects their background, their passion, and their achievements into a story that no other applicant can tell.
7. Understand That UK and US Admissions Are Fundamentally Different Systems The UK process (Oxford, Imperial) is straightforward and purely academic — your transcripts, Olympiad credentials, entrance test performance, and a focused academic personal statement determine your outcome. The US process (MIT, Stanford) is holistic and multidimensional — admissions committees evaluate your personal values, essays, leadership, extracurricular depth, community contribution, and institutional fit alongside academic excellence. Rudra prepared for both by treating them as separate systems with different requirements, not by trying to use a single template.
8. In Interviews, Think Out Loud — Never Freeze Rudra faced rapid-fire live problem-solving sessions at Oxford (three interviews across Magdalen College and St Hilda’s College, each 8–10 minutes long) and conversational personality assessments at MIT and Stanford. His most important advice for handling unfamiliar questions: never freeze or go silent. Instead, speak your thinking process out loud, walk the interviewer through your reasoning step by step, and let them guide you. Top university interviewers are not testing whether you know the answer — they are evaluating how you think, adapt, and reason when pushed beyond your existing knowledge.
9. Maintain a Mistake Log and Review It Before Every Major Exam After every mock test, Rudra catalogued his errors — categorizing them into silly calculation slips, conceptual gaps, time-management misjudgements, and areas of low confidence. The night before every major exam, instead of studying new material or cramming the syllabus, he would review his mistake log thoroughly. This single practice ensured that the specific error patterns he had identified would not reappear in the actual exam. He calls it the most beneficial pre-exam preparation strategy he ever used.
10. Financial Constraints Should Never Stop You from Applying Abroad Rudra directly addresses the widespread belief among Indian families that studying abroad is financially impossible. The reality: top US universities like MIT practise need-blind or full-need-met admissions for international students — if you are admitted, they cover up to 100% of your demonstrated financial need, including tuition, housing, and living expenses. Over 70% of MIT undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. Additionally, merit-based external scholarships exist for international Olympiad medalists that can provide full-ride funding. The financial barrier is far lower than most families believe, and it should never deter a talented student from applying.