ABOUT US

MEET THE EXPERTS

Ryan Y. Choi

Founder & Lead Consultant

Hello!

I am the founder and lead consultant at Sapient Academy.

I have degrees in creative writing, education, and business from Columbia University, Teachers College at Columbia, and Haas School of Business at Berkeley. I am also a doctoral candidate in education at Johns Hopkins University.

I work mainly in two areas: preparing students for standardized tests and helping them apply to colleges and graduate schools. Many of my students have successfully gained admission to world-renowned universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, MIT, CalTech, INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge, and many others.

If you are interested in any of the services we provide, please feel free to contact us. We would be more than happy to guide you through the process and help you succeed.

Aaron Blumenthal

Chief Strategy Officer | Literature & Writing Specialist

I graduated from Harvard with a BA in English and the New England Conservatory with a MM in Jazz Performance. I have over ten years of teaching experience and six years of application counseling experience, helping students into schools like Oxford, Princeton, Columbia, Berkeley, UPenn, and Brown.

My 1:1s focus on literature, creative writing (fiction and poetry), essay mechanics, and grammar.

If you're reading this, there's a chance you already know me from 1:1s or counseling. I also do everything on this website, including the blog. You can find out more about me if you click my face.

Brian B. Kim

Senior Academic & Admissions Consultant

I have fifteen years of experience working with students of all ages and backgrounds. I am passionate about helping students become better writers and readers. I encourage all students to write and create, including books that reflect students' hunger for learning and public service.

I graduated from Harvard Law School, where I was a Post-Graduate Research Fellow, and the University of California at Berkeley, where I was one of five finalists for the University Medal.

I emphasize approachability and empathy above all.

Steve Chang

Senior Academic & Admissions Consultant

I hold a BA in English from UCLA and an MFA in Fiction from Cornell University, where I developed and taught courses in Asian American Literature, Cultural Studies, and Creative Writing. However, my career as an educator has also taken me far beyond the college classroom.

For over 20 years, I’ve specialized in literature, composition, and test prep—including the SAT, AP Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, and TOEFL—working with students of all ages: even young EFL/ESL learners.

I’ve also served over 10 years as a college-admissions consultant helping applicants craft compelling narratives linking past experience, present passions, and future goals to present the best versions of themselves and stand out from a crowded field.

And, as an editor and writing coach, I’ve guided writers both emerging and established toward publication in renowned literary journals, queries from agents, and recognition from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the New York Times Summer Reading Contest, the Wigleaf Top 50, and the Best Small Fictions anthologies.

In my teaching philosophy, I center approachability, adaptability, and a sense of play and discovery. Learning and achieving should be fun. Are they always? No. But they can be.

Christine Truong

Academic & Admissions Consultant

As a UCLA alum with a degree in engineering and a passion for teaching, I have experience tutoring people of all ages and education levels, from kids in underserved communities to high schoolers trying to get into a good university.

I have tutored elementary school subjects like fractions, baking science, art, algebra, calculus, essay writing, grammar, chemistry, and test prep.I have a strong commitment personally to STEM subjects and empowering the younger generation. My tutoring style involves lots of patience and using multiple techniques and explanations, especially for more difficult concepts. I believe that every student can excel in any subject with the right learning methods—and I am dedicated to finding them for my students.

Jai Ashar

Academic & Admissions Consultant

I am Jai Ashar, a proud graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where I completed the prestigious Jerome Fisher Program of Management and Technology. This unique program allowed me to earn dual degrees from the esteemed Wharton School and the School of Engineering, focusing on Finance/Management and Computer Science.

I am a software engineer at Amazon Web Services, contributing to developing innovative Sagemaker products. This platform enables major clients like Facebook and Apple to access real-time predictions for their machine-learning models.

My expertise is rooted in a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, computer science, and economics. Additionally, I thoroughly understand the college admissions process, making me a valuable resource for students and educators.

Yash Lahoti

Academic & Admissions Consultant

I am Yash Lahoti, pursuing my MD at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, I hold a Master's in Artificial Intelligence and an undergraduate in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering.

During my undergraduate years, I gained experience as a machine learning research scientist in the Department of Neurosurgery, an on-campus EMT for the Penn Medical Emergency Response Team, and an AI course instructor. My gap year was spent working at a machine-learning startup, where I developed novel deep-learning models for real-time analysis of sensor data on wearable health devices.

In medical school, I continue to merge my passion for technological innovation and healthcare. I am currently building my own AI-driven digital health startup and leading an AI-enabled scoliosis analysis research project in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Additionally, I collaborate closely with school faculty, assisting in redesigning the curriculum and instructing a groundbreaking course on Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

With over ten years of tutoring experience, I am always eager to provide mentorship. As a first-generation medical student and a non-traditional applicant, I understand the challenges of navigating the education system. I take great pleasure in working closely with students to comprehend their journeys and emphasize the unique aspects of their narratives in the application process.