Beyond the Score: How Pranith Built Lasting Community Impact Through His Wide Range of Interests

Pranith Surapaneni

58 students read this

8 min

Northwestern, Cornell

acceptances

The story

Pranith’s case study shows how small, peer-led initiatives can grow into wide-reaching community impact, and how the impact of one's interests can be boundless. From perfecting the ACT to leading music foundations, writing books, and scaling service projects, Pranith’s journey is a masterclass in starting local, thinking big, and always taking the next step. When Pranith earned a perfect 36 on the ACT, he could have simply moved on to the next milestone. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to help others. “I started tutoring after I got my score, because a friend asked me for help, you know, and I was just coaching him through it. I felt like the methods that I use to study were pretty helpful for him, and I could use that and reciprocate it for other students as well.” That one tutoring session turned into many. Soon, Pranith was mentoring younger students across his school and community, using social media to reach those looking for support. “From there, they talked to their friends, and obviously it grew. But really it was just using the strategies I had learned and just teaching these kids. It ended up being pretty helpful for them. I think I said it was like a 4 point average increase for all of them from where they started to when they actually took the test, which was pretty crazy to think about." Pranith saw a way to pay forward what he had learned and build a ripple effect that lifted his community, one student at a time.

The essays

Does testing still matter?

Pranith saw standardized testing as a foundation for his application, more of a foot in the door than a guaranteed entry.

"The way I look at it is that standardized testing is more of an entrance than it is a resume booster. It’s the way that you get your foot in the door and get that minimum checklist done. Focus on high GPA, good testing, and then you can kind of brag about your achievements. That can really set you apart."

He believes scores should be used to open doors, and once you’ve secured that baseline objective, you can then focus on enriching the other facets of your application.

"I know that a lot of people have seen that standardized testing has been optional in the past few years, but it’s definitely making a comeback, especially this year. You can have perfect stats, but if you’re not doing something else with it, then there’s really no point."

🎰 Jack-of-All-Trades

Pranith’s journey is the perfect example of how following curiosity across multiple fields can build something extraordinary. His story isn’t about specializing in just one thing—it’s about trying everything, seeing where it leads, and constantly taking the next step.

"Yeah, I feel like the passion was more in the actual disorders, just understanding them. My friends had experience with autoimmune disorders in the past, so that called out to me. I started writing three books on autoimmune disorders, and where it really grew was through a connection my friend had with this place called Global Careforce. From there, they were able to broadcast it out to a bunch of news networks and connect us with a ton of other organizations."

The power of Pranith’s path isn’t that he found one calling, it’s that he explored many and built bridges between them. His leadership wasn’t tied to a single skill set—it spanned test prep, music, writing, sport, service, law, medicine, and entrepreneurship. He followed his interests, grew them, and always asked, what’s next?

"So I'd say the best place to start, as always, is where everything started for me is to find something you enjoy and kind of just get into it like one of the things I think that really separated me was just the amount of random hobbies that I had. and the way that I was able to grow them."

Pranith’s approach makes the Jack-of-All-Trades archetype shine: Start broad. Try everything. Keep what you love. Level it up. His philosophy is simple but powerful:

"Just do something that you find interesting, get started on it, get good at it. Where most people stop is, they get good at it, and then that's all it is right? Then you can get stuck in the same cycle. Consider the next step you can take. Think about somebody you can reach out to and something you can do to grow it beyond yourself. That kind of separates you in the process, because that's the step that not many people are willing to pursue."

Pranith’s story shows that curiosity isn’t a distraction—it’s a launchpad. By exploring widely and building deeply in the fields that excited him most, he created an impact that couldn’t have been achieved by following just one lane.

🌱 Healer Subtype

At the heart of Pranith’s story is a clear throughline: he is a healer. Whether through science, service, law, or the arts, his work consistently revolves around restoring, protecting, and uplifting the well-being of others. He co-founded a 100+ member foundation, Melodies for Memory, dedicated to bringing students and the elderly together through music. His teams played live performances at eight memory care facilities, helping to create joyful, restorative spaces where connection and compassion could thrive. His leadership didn’t stop with one chapter—he helped coordinate five additional branches, extending this mission to even more communities. Pranith’s passion for healing also manifested in his work as a student attorney, where he spent over 250 hours on 80+ cases, focusing on rehabilitation, restorative justice, and preventing repeat offenses. His impact wasn’t about punishment—it was about healing individuals and repairing community trust. He pursued medical research on pancreatic cancer, shadowed physicians in cardiac electrophysiology, orthopaedics, emergency medicine, and more. His volunteer work spanned 150+ hours of direct patient care, and he earned certifications as a CPR/AED responder and certified nursing aide—not for résumé polish, but to meaningfully support those in need. Even his creative projects advanced his mission: His children’s books about autoimmune disorders, distributed in 50+ hospitals and 15+ libraries, were written to boost the self-esteem of young patients navigating chronic illness. Across all his work, Pranith’s intention is consistent: He heals—through art, through advocacy, through medicine, and through mentorship.

📣 Advocate (Bonus Archetype)

Pranith’s impact didn’t stay local—it scaled through advocacy. His children’s books weren’t just written for the patients he knew. They were published, widely distributed, and featured in numerous news outlets—making self-acceptance and education accessible to children across the country. His efforts didn’t stop with individual care. When war in Ukraine broke out, Pranith quickly mobilized to donate over $5,000 worth of supplies to refugee camps, using profits from his books and sponsorships to provide relief. He partnered with Global Care Force to sponsor an international aid mission, turning his entrepreneurial success into life-saving contributions. Even in his legal work, Pranith’s mission was clear: he wasn’t there to win cases—he was there to advocate for student rehabilitation, prevent harm, and guide peers toward second chances. As an Advocate, Pranith consistently stands up for those who are often overlooked: Children with chronic illness The elderly in memory care Students facing disciplinary action Refugees in crisis He doesn’t just build programs—he fights for dignity, connection, and opportunity. His story is about stepping up for others. And stepping out into the world to make that impact last.

Engagement

Pranith consistently sought out creative ways to combine his interests with service: Built a 100+ member foundation, Melodies for Memory, performing live music in 8 memory care facilities and launching 5+ new chapters. Authored 3 children’s books on autoimmune disorders, distributed in 50+ hospitals and 15+ libraries, with books available on Amazon and Kindle. Donated $7,500+ in supplies to Ukrainian refugees across 6 cities, in partnership with Global Care Force. Helped raise $150,000+ for local charities through Bollywood dance shows, securing $70,000+ in sponsorships and marketing events with 1,000+ attendees each. Tutored 20+ students with an average ACT score improvement of 4 points. His leadership spanned across entrepreneurship, performance, and direct service. Starting off as a freshman he juggled a wide range of pursuits, and continuously narrowed down his commitments.

"I'd say I've been pretty good at time management but really it's just clearing out the stuff that you don't enjoy and focusing on what you do enjoy. Freshman year, I was involved in a lot of clubs at school, 7 to 9 clubs I think and that was taking up a lot of time. But by the time sophomore year rolled around, I realized there's only 2 of these clubs that I'm actually interested in. So I dropped the other 7 and invested myself in the one’s I cared about. That opened up more time for me to explore different things."

If your college application is a mountain, you should start at the base with all your possible interests and leave some behind on your way up to the peak. As you climb, invest in the pursuits that you choose to keep with you and find opportunities in your community to expand on them further.

"It's kind of not saying no to anything before you really understand what it is. And having that willingness to step out of your comfort zone because if you don't want to try anything new, then you're not going to grow. Everybody has something unique that they do. And so if you're ever in a conversation, and they say like, ‘Hey, I'm doing this. Do you want to join in?’ Don't feel pressured to say no. Because even just going one time you can check it out and you can maybe find a new hobby for yourself."

Key Themes

Peer-Led Community Engagement Pranith’s leadership opportunities all began by supporting his immediate peers before growing into wide-reaching community initiatives. Expansion Through Creativity He consistently sought out ‘the next step’ in his pursuits. His work flourished because he actively pursued ways to scale his passions beyond their initial scope. Curiosity and Openness to New Experiences Pranith’s willingness to step out of his comfort zone consistently led to unexpected growth. Throughout his journey, he remained open to new opportunities but only committed to what genuinely interested him.

Be bold, be Scholarly... like Pranith