Welcome to my profile! With over a decade of experience in graduate admissions, including senior roles at Stanford University, I have a deep understanding of what top programs are looking for in applicants. As a former Director of Graduate Admissions at Stanford, I reviewed thousands of applications and helped shape the admissions process for various departments. Since founding WISE Graduate Admissions Consulting, I've successfully guided 100+ clients into prestigious master's programs at institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia. My personalized approach ensures that each client receives tailored advice to enhance their application strategy. Let's work together to make your graduate school dreams a reality!

I am an alumnus of the 7th cohort of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, where I earned a Master's of Management Science in Global Affairs between 2022-23 and was selected from competitive pool of 3,000+ applicants (<5% acceptance rate). I bring firsthand experience and deep insights into what makes a successful master's application and I've previously helped advise candidates who have gone on to be accepted to prestigious graduate programs across China, Europe, and the United States. Throughout my educational journey, I've learned how to strategically frame and present one's leadership, academic, and professional accomplishments to highlight their unique strengths and successfully stand out.

Hello and welcome! I hold dual Master’s degrees from the University of Oxford—a Master’s in Public Policy and an MBA—as well as a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Cape Town. My academic and professional experiences, including working with organisations like McKinsey & Company and KPMG, have equipped me to guide students through the rigorous admissions processes for competitive graduate programmes. Having personally navigated these challenges and co-founded a student chapter of Effective Altruism, I understand how to craft compelling applications that reflect your unique strengths and aspirations. Whether you’re refining your statement of purpose or building a targeted admissions strategy, I’m here to provide personalised guidance to help you achieve your academic and professional ambitions.

I have written roughly ten applications for graduate fellowship programs and was fortunate to be awarded the Rhodes, Truman, and Knight-Hennessy Scholarships to fund the entirety of my graduate education. I've also worked with dozens of applicants with these programs and love helping others find programs that align with their goals, present themselves authentically, and ultimately have fulfilling experiences in graduate school. I have deep expertise in the entire process, from selecting recommenders to writing essays to ultimately interviewing. My students have applied to programs ranging from law school to MBAs to masters and doctorate program in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences, so if you're interested in a graduate fellowship please reach out!

Top-rated graduate-school admissions coach with experience at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Admissions Office, elite Ivy Advisors consultancy, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Career program. I am a good fit for dual / concurrent degree, underrepresented / BIPOC, and international applicants. In my 10 years of coaching, some big wins include helping an individual from Malaysia secure admission to HKS and assisting another candidate with a 3.2 GPA and 145 (Quant) / 158 (Verbal) secure admission to a top 5 MBA with 60% funding. My coaching approach is guided by extensive admissions committee work and the fact that I went through this process myself. I was personally accepted to 5 top MBA programs and the Harvard Kennedy School with over $1 million in scholarship offers. During my time at HKS, I collaborated extensively with the head of the Admissions Office on revamping the AdCom process. I also hosted a 3-part admissions series attended by over 500 applicants on topics such as "The Classroom Experience in a Tri-Sector (private, public, and nonprofit) Environment" and "Navigating HKS as an Underrepresented Minority." Perhaps my biggest achievement in the Admissions Office is founding the Essay Buddy Review Program, pairing 100 current students with prospective applicants and *doubling* the number of Black and Latinx admits after 10 yrs. of stagnation. I am especially helpful to: ◉ candidates who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of essays in applications and want to strategically use each one to showcase a different strength ◉ international applicants looking for guidance on the U.S. program nuances ◉ joint / concurrent degree applicants ◉ candidates seeking scholarship funding ◉ applicants from the private sector who want to demonstrate seriousness for a public policy degree ◉ waitlisted or rejected applicants who want to make a compelling case for their candidacy through informal channels

A Stanford GSB joint degree alum who has been through the arduous process of applying to top business schools from abroad, I find it especially rewarding to help international students stand out to gain admission in competitive MBA and scholarship programs. Four of my international coachees with unconventional backgrounds in the last couple years have gained admission to top programs (Duke, Yale, Ross, UCLA, Columbia), including two fully funded Fulbright awards for graduate study after years of rejections. My second specialty is helping climate change- & environment-focused applicants. From spending my entire academic and professional career in the climate space to being the first cohort to earn an MS from Stanford's new Doerr School of Sustainability alongside my MBA studies, I'm especially well-suited to help you uncover and showcase your strengths for dual degree environment-focused programs. Whether you need help on big-picture essay framing or nitty-gritty details, I'm excited to work with you!

As a medical student, I saw the value in pursuing multiple complementary degree programs to help bolster my training and perspectives on the world. As a coach, I help prospective students navigate the difficult hurdles often faced when preparing to apply, enroll, and thrive in these programs.

I turned my own skill with graduate-school applications--including admission to the US's top clinical psychology Master's/PhD program--into a way to help other applicants succeed. I do that by helping them find the right stories to tell and put their best foot forward, using my experience/success not only with applications but with writing fiction, narrative non-fiction, screenplays, and other story-driven work. Story is the best way to show admissions committees the "person behind the profile." That's what I help my clients do.

Over the last four years, I have coached hundreds of students at a large R1 institution, guiding them as they prepare for graduate and medical school applications. I work with applicants from personal statement ideation all the way through decision making and I can't wait to do the same with you. Whether you're applying for the first time or reapplying and need a fresh take on your application, I'm confident that my coaching experience will be an asset to you. My approach centers around making meaning of your experiences, helping you to find the connections to your future goals, and translating those in a way that will resonate with the admissions committee. Let's work together to help you achieve your goals!

I've coached students through the entire end-to-end application process for masters programs- including school selection and program/student purpose fit, essay writing, and interview prep. Applicants I've worked with have been admitted to schools including Columbia, UPenn, NYU Stern, Cornell, UChicago, Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Emory, Berkeley Haas, and many more. Let's tell your best story together!