ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
MEETS OPPORTUNITY

आपके सपने, हमारी विशेषज्ञता  ·  Your Dreams, Our Expertise

High School & College Admissions  |  Boston, MA · Halifax, NS

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ABOUT US

About Skill Sync Education

Skill Sync Education helps students of Indian origin and their families navigate the US and Canadian college admissions process — and the high school admissions and transition that lead into it — with clarity, strategy, and cultural understanding.

We know that students hailing from India arrive with exceptional academic foundations — rigorous schooling, competitive exam experience, and a deep work ethic. What we provide is the bridge: helping translate that excellence into compelling applications that resonate with American and Canadian college admission committees.

We work not just on applications, but on long-term academic development. Our approach is rooted in psychology, strategy, and genuine care.

ACADEMIC TRANSLATION

Turning Indian excellence into American applications

HOLISTIC STRATEGY

Going beyond grades to build authentic student profiles

CULTURAL BRIDGE

Understanding Indian family values and US admissions

Global education perspective
FOUNDER

Mohan Karkada, MS, PhD, FAGE

"The path from India to North America's top universities is not just about grades — it's about strategy, story, and understanding two very different systems."

Mohan Karkada is the founder and chief consultant of Skill Sync Education. Born and educated in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, he pursued his MSc in Medical Microbiology & Immunology at Kasturba Medical College (Manipal) and his PhD at the prestigious Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) — one of India's premier education and research institutions. His own journey from India to the top of North America's academic institutions gives him a perspective few education consultants can offer.

After a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University, Mohan spent more than a decade at Dalhousie University engaged in education and research supervision of undergraduate and graduate students, served as a senior member of the University's education and research advisory committee, and played a critical role in integrating academia with the biotech industry. A well-known medical research professional, he has discovered new drugs and vaccines for patients with cancer and other diseases during his tenure as a director in multiple biotech companies. Mohan also spent several years as a Senior Staff Scientist at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering — one of the world's leading research centers. Over the course of his career, he has published 82 peer-reviewed papers and accumulated over 1,600 academic citations. Today, based in Boston, he channels this deep understanding of both Indian academic culture and North American academic excellence into helping the next generation of students of Indian origin achieve their own breakthroughs. With his vast expertise across academic institutions and industry, he is uniquely positioned to advise students on both educational and career fronts.

Areas of Insight

  • US and Canadian university admissions strategy
  • Indian-American student profile development
  • STEM pathway planning
  • Research and academic mentorship
  • Youth development and counseling
  • Addressing cultural expectations in admissions
Harvard University Wyss Institute Senior Staff Scientist, Immunology (2017–2021) · Boston, MA
Dalhousie University Adjunct Professor & Academic Advisory Committee (1999–2016) · Halifax, NS
McGill University Health Centre Post-Doctoral Fellow (1994–1998) · Montreal, Canada
PGIMER, Chandigarh PhD, Infectious Diseases
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal MSc, Medical Microbiology & Immunology
Mohan Karkada, PhD

Mohan Karkada, MS, PhD, FAGE

82 Peer-Reviewed Publications
1,600+ Academic Citations
30+ Years in North American Academia

Harvard Wyss Institute · McGill & Dalhousie University · PGIMER · Kasturba Medical College

Languages: English · Hindi · Kannada · Punjabi

OUR TEAM

Senior Counsel & Specialist Team

Behind every application is a coordinated team — deployed at precisely the right moments under Mohan's direction. We work as one team, for one family at a time.

Allison Lee
Senior Educational Counselor & Case Manager

Allison Lee, MS, MA

BA & MS in Management, Northeastern University · MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling · AA in English Education · 25+ years in bicultural education

Allison brings a rare triple foundation to every Skill Sync engagement: management training for the operational rigor of a long application cycle, clinical mental health counseling for the emotional weight students carry through it, and 25+ years of bicultural education for the cultural nuance Indian-origin families navigate. As Senior Educational Counselor & Case Manager, she owns the operational backbone of each family's engagement — coordinating timelines, deadlines, specialist deployment, and family communication so every detail lands precisely when and how it should — while attending to each student's well-being throughout the 8–10 month season.

Our Specialist Network

A curated network of senior practitioners — deployed at every critical milestone.

Current & Former Admissions Officers

Officers from leading boarding schools, day schools, and universities across the US and Canada — including Ivy League, Top 30 US national universities, and Canada's U15. They contribute file-level review, mock interviews, and insider perspective.

Essay Coaches

Experienced essay coaches who specialize in translating Indian student stories — JEE rigor, CBSE/ICSE depth, regional Olympiads — into compelling US and Canadian admissions narratives that resonate with American and Canadian readers.

Senior Faculty Mentors

Ivy League and top US & Canadian research university professors who have actually sat on PhD admissions decisions — reserved for doctoral applicants. Real 1-on-1 research deep work, not packaging.

Test & Subject Tutors

1-on-1 instruction across SSAT, ISEE, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, GRE, GMAT, AP courses, and subject tutoring — coordinated with each student's application timeline.

BEYOND RESEARCH

Teaching, Mentorship & Student Development

Three decades of shaping students — from medical school lecture halls to admissions interview panels to community youth programs. This is the foundation behind Skill Sync Education.

Professor & Research Advisor

Dalhousie University · Harvard University · Science & Medical Education

  • Ten years on the Research and Teaching Advisory Committee, shaping teaching policies and technology training
  • Supervised undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and summer students in research
  • Planned departmental teaching programs and academic seminars
  • Judged student presentations at Dalhousie Research Days
  • Interviewer for Dalhousie University Medical School admissions
  • Guidance counselor for high school students navigating college admissions and careers

Lecturer in Medical Microbiology

Undergraduate Medical & Dental Education

  • Full-time teaching of medical and dental school students across theory and laboratory
  • Covered medical microbiology and immunology curricula in depth
  • Designed teaching courses, lab assignments, and student evaluation frameworks
  • Shaped how future physicians understood infectious disease and immunity

Youth Development Leader

Community Programs · Summer Camps · Mentorship

  • Organized community events emphasizing physical and mental health as pillars of academic success
  • Planned and led youth summer camps and academic tutoring programs
  • Provided one-on-one counseling for students navigating academic challenges
  • Volunteered with multiple community organizations supporting youth development
WHY SKILL SYNC

Why Indian Families Choose Us

We Speak Your Language

Not just that our founder speaks multiple languages — he knows the fluent language of Indian academic ambition first hand. We understand JEE, NEET, CBSE, ICSE — and we know how to translate that rigor into compelling US and Canadian applications.

Harvard-Connected Expertise

Our founder's 4 years at Harvard University and 30+ years in North American academia means we understand exactly what top universities look for — from the inside.

Long-Term Thinking

Great US and Canadian college applications are built over years, not months. We work with families from 9th grade onwards to build authentic profiles that genuinely stand out — and we provide a safe, comfortable study environment that brings the warmth of Indian culture in a home-away-from-home setting.

OUR APPROACH

Strategy, Story, and Genuine Care

The Indian academic system produces some of the world's most disciplined and capable students. Yet the US admissions process rewards something different: authentic narrative, intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated unique perspective. We bridge that gap.

01

DISCOVER YOUR NARRATIVE

Identify the unique story only you can tell, beyond your grades and scores.

02

BUILD YOUR PROFILE

Develop meaningful activities, projects, and experiences that reflect genuine interests and create a compelling application arc.

03

PRESENT WITH CLARITY

Craft essays and materials that authentically communicate who you are to admissions committees.

OUR SERVICES

Comprehensive Admissions Support

Secondary School Admissions

Secondary School Admissions

Boarding Schools · Day Schools · US & Canada

Placement for boarding and day schools across the US and Canada, including SSAT / ISEE preparation, campus visits, and application strategy. Limited to ten students per cohort.

View details →
Undergraduate Admissions

Undergraduate Admissions

Ivy League · Top 30 US · Canada's U15

Strategic guidance for undergraduate admissions to top US universities (Ivy League, STEM, liberal arts) and Canada's leading research universities (U of T, UBC, McGill, Queen's, Waterloo, Dalhousie).

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Graduate Admissions

Graduate Admissions

Master's · Research Universities · Professional Schools

Master's-level admissions support for US and Canadian research universities and professional schools — SOP deep work, recommendation strategy, interview prep, and end-to-end season management.

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Doctoral Admissions

Doctoral Admissions

PhD · Ivy League & Top US / Canadian Research Universities

1-on-1 mentorship from senior faculty at top US and Canadian research universities — research direction, SOP, faculty outreach, interview prep. Limited to six families per year.

View details →
SELECTED RESULTS

Where Our Students Have Been Admitted

Universities

MIT
Harvard University
Stanford University
Columbia University
Cornell University
University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
Carnegie Mellon University
Georgia Tech
Purdue University
University of Michigan
UCLA
UC Berkeley
Boston University
Northeastern University

Canadian Universities (launching next academic year)

University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
Dalhousie University
Queen's University
University of Waterloo
University of Calgary
Acadia University

Private Schools

Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Andover Academy
Deerfield Academy
Choate Rosemary Hall
The Hotchkiss School
Worcester Academy
Groton School

Plus multiple reputed private schools across Canada that feed into world-class universities.

HOW WE WORK

Our Collaboration Process

Family consultation
01

Initial Consultation

We understand your child's academic background, goals, and family expectations. We assess the current profile and discuss what's possible.

02

Strategy & Planning

We create a personalized roadmap — school list, timeline, and action plan — grounded in a realistic assessment of strengths and growth areas.

03

Profile Development

We work with students over months and years to build genuine academic depth, meaningful activities, and intellectual curiosity.

04

Application Preparation

When the application season begins, we coordinate essays, school research, recommendations, and submission strategy.

05

Decision Support

After offers arrive, we help families make thoughtful decisions based on fit, future goals, and long-term success — not just rankings.

06

Settling In With Care

We help families choose accommodation and a safe environment that's culturally friendly for students arriving from India and abroad — including dietary considerations and a home-away-from-home feel so students never miss the comforts of home.

GET IN TOUCH

Start Your Journey

Whether your child is in 9th grade or ready to apply, we'd love to have a conversation about their goals and how we can help.

We reply within 24 hours on weekdays. Your information is used only to follow up about your inquiry.

mkarkada@gmail.com +1 (617) 412-1398
Boston, MA · Halifax, NS