Samir focuses on personalized guidance for ambitious high school students to craft a compelling and cohesive application portfolio_including essays, activities, and interviews-that showcases their authentic voice and positions them for admission to top-tier colleges, universities, and BA/MD programs.

Location:
Durham, North Carolina

Education:
PhD, Demography, Princeton University
MA, Statistics, Columbia University
BS, Mathematics, University of Chicago

Bio:
As a counselor at Moon Prep, Samir brings a wealth of experience and passion for helping high school students navigate the admissions process with confidence. He empowers students to express their unique stories with authenticity and clarity, ensuring their voices shine through in every application essay. Through thoughtful conversations and personalized feedback, he helps them capture their unique perspectives, experiences, and aspirations in a way that resonates with admissions committees.

Samir emphasizes the importance of holistic development, encouraging students to explore their interests and passions fully. He works with them to create a balanced portfolio that highlights not only academic achievements but also personal growth, leadership skills, and community involvement. By guiding students in selecting extracurricular activities that genuinely resonate with them, he helps them cultivate a sense of purpose and direction, which can be immensely beneficial during the application process and beyond.

Central to Samir’s philosophy is empowering students to engage in self-discovery. He facilitates reflective conversations that encourage students to think critically about their values, aspirations, and the impact they wish to have on the world. This introspection is crucial as it allows them to articulate their goals more clearly in their applications, making their essays more compelling and relatable to admissions committees.

Samir is committed to continuous professional development. He keeps abreast of the latest trends in college admissions, including changes in standardized testing policies, shifts in application requirements, and emerging best practices in counseling. By staying informed, he can offer the most current and relevant advice to his students, ensuring they are well-prepared for the ever evolving landscape of college admissions.

Prior to Moon Prep, Samir served on the faculty for over 12 years at Dartmouth College and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill as an associate professor. He was a member of numerous admission committees and developed a keen understanding of what makes an application stand out. Samir was also an admissions interviewer for Princeton University.

Student Placements:
At Moon Prep, we pride ourselves on our students’ impressive acceptances and are proud to be a part of their journey. Below are a few of Samir’s recent acceptances.

BS/MD Programs: 

1. University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) 
2. Saint Louis University
3.  Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School
4. The University of Illinois at Chicago – GPPA Medical Scholars Program 

Undergraduate Schools:

1. Columbia University
2. University of Pennsylvania
3. Cornell University
4. Princeton University
5. University of Chicago
6. Northwestern University
7. Emory University
8. John Hopkins University
9. UNC – Chapel Hill
10. Dartmouth College
11. Barnard College
12. NYU
13. UC Berkeley
14. UCLA
15. Duke Univeristy
16. University of Southern California
17.  University of Michigan
18. Washington University
19. UT Austin
20. University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign