CEO
Harpal Kochar
Harpal is the president and founder of Success Koach. He is an Independent Education Consultant with a certificate in college admissions counseling from UC San Diego and Stanford. He is also a professional member of the IECA governing body of education counselors.
Harpal structures tailored guidance plans for his students, distributing the load over four years. The milestones are finite, with clear KPIs, implemented with periodic check-ins.
With a software architecture background, Harpal enjoys breaking down the admissions challenge into smaller, tangible projects to educate students and families on how well-prepared they are for college.
Essay and Mentoring Coach
Tosca Langbert
My name is Tosca Langbert, and I love being an essay and mentoring coach for Success Koach! I’m originally from Dallas, TX, but now I live in Cambridge, MA. I’m in my final year at Harvard, where I’ve been studying government and art. In my spare time I read, do graphic design, travel, and draw. This past summer, I’ve been working as a development intern at a film and TV production company in LA.
A fun fact about me: I did both a semester away during high school and a gap year (I joined AmeriCorps) during the COVID school year!
Admissions Counselor
Nikki Bruno
Nikki is an internationally competitive sailor and when her athletic career started taking off and required more travel flexibility, she quit her job as a science teacher and became an independent educator, helping students and families remotely as an Academic Performance Coach and SAT/ACT Coach. Beyond admissions counseling, Nikki specializes in topics such as time management, study habits, organization, goal planning, presentation skills, motivation, leadership development, and more.
Nikki trained to become a College Admissions Consultant through the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), is an active member of National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and has presented many seminars on topics such as college admissions, study skills, and career preparation. Her speciality is working with athletes as well as students with ADHD.
Student Mentor
Tessa Conrardy
Tessa is a student at Harvard currently pursuing an MA thesis fieldwork interviewing Russian independent journalists about their work and role in Russian politics. While at Harvard College, Tessa was the director for Harvard Model UN, vice-president of the Harvard College Russian-Speaking Students Association, and the Lowell House Society of Russian Bell Ringers president.
Here is a quick introduction in Tessa’s own words https://youtu.be/tV9SI6oZ-5E?si=NNpgxQdoQFzuU60m
College Admission Essay Coach
Anu Villapakkam
Hi, My name is Anu, and I have a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Tufts Medical School and a post-doctoral degree from Stanford University. I have been in the educational field for many years and have a strong background in academic writing and presentations. I have 7+ years of experience as a college admissions essay coach, helping students write compelling essays showcasing their core values, vulnerability, strengths, experiences, and perspectives. At Success Koach, in addition to being an essay coach and brainstorming expert, I take on multiple roles as a mentor and counselor, helping students in their academic journey.
Fun facts: In addition to exploring creativity as a Bollywood dancer, choreographer, dance director, stage actress, and acting coach, I have been a Radio Jockey for a popular Bay area radio station for the past 13+ years! My strong scientific training and artistic background help me bring interesting and unique perspectives to guide my students in their essay writing and application journey.
Field Operations Manager
Geetika Kochar
Geetika manages the field operations for Success Koach, including billing and sales. She onboards all new students and identifies the best-fitting counselor on the team to work with your student. She has earned a certificate in College admissions counseling from UC San Diego and UC Irvine.
Geetika has ten years of experience in technology, specifically Healthcare IT and retail. Before that, Geetika was a preschool teacher at Stratford Schools in the SF bay area. Geetika has raised two wonderful girls and learned the art of college admissions counseling through her experience. The older one went to Wellesley College and is now pursuing her Master's in CS at Columbia University. Her younger daughter goes to Santa Clara University.
Student Mentor
Sammy Guerrero
Sammy is a senior at Harvard College studying integrative biology and government. Originally from the Boston area, Sammy enjoys spending his time running, rowing, and going on long walks with his dog (a Golden Retriever named Summer).
While in College, Sammy gained experience doing various policy analysis research projects. Most of these focus on the relationship between democratic and authoritarian states. Next fall, Sammy will be moving to Washington, D.C., to attend law school at Georgetown.
Sammy is knowledgeable about research, the pre-med path, and the pre-law path at undergraduate institutions.
Here’s a video of Sammy sharing his excitement and how he can help all our students. https://youtu.be/OoKVgQ31YW8