Our students have been successfully admitted to top universities and colleges in the U.S. and beyond.
From Ivy league, public research universities to liberal arts colleges, Thinktown will help you find your best fit.
Meet the Team!
Zhenli Yan
M.A. in Public Administration, New York University
Zhenli received her Master of Public Administration from New York and Bachelor of Sociology from Renmin University of China. Prior to joining Thinktown, she served as a consultant for NYC municipal projects and acquired extensive experience in solving business problems and conducting data analysis. At Thinktown, Zhenli harnesses her mastery of business, data, and social sciences to guide and inspire students who are interested in Business and STEM majors. Meanwhile, as a senior private education advisor, Zhenli has already helped many students successfully admit into top universities like Columbia University, Cornell University, UC Berkeley, New York University, Rochester University, and more. Driven by her professionalism and passion, Zhenli strives to make global educational resources available to Chinese families, help her students explore and develop their key competencies, and safeguard the whole family throughout their journey to achieve the international education dream.
Alex Li
M.S. in Operational Research, Columbia University
Alex graduated from Columbia University with a Master's degree in Operations Research. He spent his undergraduate years at UCLA and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and a minor in Statistics. He had various quantitative work experience at investment funds in the U.S. and China. Unlike a typical tech guy, Alex has found his deep interest in the Education Industry as time goes by, and started to embrace his career as an educational consultant. Alex enjoys building friendship with his students and advising them on applications to top U.S. universities, and he is certain that his passion and skills will guide him further into his adventure.
Cory Liang
M.A. in Humanities, University of Chicago
Cory graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree of Master of Arts in the Humanities, where they studied creative nonfiction writing. They also received their BA degree from Smith College, double-majoring in English Literature and Government. As a first-generation college student, Cory is passionate about expanding educational opportunities for underserved communities and helping students develop the mindset and skills to realize their full potential. At Thinktown, they hopes to share their love for personal narratives and uses their knowledge and experience of writing to support more aspiring young writers.
Erin Hunt
M.S. in Professional Writing, New York University
Erin graduated from New York University with a Master of Science in Professional Writing after earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. Erin has worked for a Chicago-based EdTech startup, The Graide Network, where she partnered with over 50 veteran teachers and 1,600 students at schools across the U.S. After working as an Editing Specialist since July 2019, Erin is excited to begin a new chapter as an Educational Consultant, helping students achieve their academic and professional goals.
Estelle Zhang
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M.A. in Humanities, University of Chicago
Estelle Zhang graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree of Master of Arts in the Humanities, where she researched the dynamics between fiction and moral philosophy. At UChicago, she studied how narratives reflect and mold the human psyche while developing a deep interest in art and realist novels. A lover of letters, Estelle is passionate about exploring how literature resonates with students and helps them to find their own voice. A seasoned writer, test- taker, and tutor, she leverages her experience and knowledge to teach efficient thinking tools and writing skills to turn exams into stepping stones.
Jack Dwyer
B.A. in World Politics, Hamilton College
Jack graduated from Hamilton College with a bachelor's degree in World Politics and a specialization in International Development. Jack has experience in the film and television industry, where he evaluated creative material such as screenplays, television pilots, novels, and stageplays, worked with writers and producers on narrative development for original material, and workshopped projects of his own. Jack is passionate about each step in the storytelling process and loves collaborating with writers to help them develop their voice. He views it as a special privilege to help young writers craft stories that vividly and entertainingly express their unique view of the world.
Lisa Qiu
M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communication, Northwestern University
Zhongyi earned her bachelor's degree in Finance from the College of William and Mary and received her master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. During the programs, she focused on the branding strategy sequence which prepared her with a solid understanding in a wide scope of marketing concepts, and acquired proficiency in market research and data analytics to support data-driven strategies. She developed strong critical thinking skills and a business mindset through plenty of collaborative projects as well as previous experience working in e-Commerce marketing and customer engagement.
Luke Potter
M.S. in Language and Literacy, Harvard University
M.S. in Language and Literacy, Harvard University
Luke graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a master's degree in Language and Literacy. He received his bachelor’s from Duke University with a major in Political Science. He has had experiences working in both education and the government, including tutoring and interning at the White House under President Obama. Luke believes that higher education can change the destiny and tap the best potential of each student.
Sara Wu
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M.A. in Educational Theatre, New York University
Sara completed her Undergraduate and Master's degree at NYU Steinhardt, majoring in Educational Theatre. During her time at NYU, she devoted herself to theatre performances and production, taking the role of an actor, director and choreographer in NYU theatre performances. She developed an interest in performing arts administration and business, and minored in Dramatic Literature and Business in Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Prior to joining Thinktown, Sara focused on producing recent work: Gaggle: Voices and Stories of Chinese International Students in the U.S., which had been streamed on online platforms and performed in New York high schools, and has received great audience reflections.
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Sherry Mao
M.A. in Global Thought, Columbia University
With a Columbia Master's degree, educational research expertise and financial reporting experience under her belt, Sherry is dedicated to fostering global collaboration of different institutions at Thinktown and helping students become well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. At Thinktown New York, Sherry is the lead developer and maintainer of external resources, in addition to planning and executing events to increase our brand awareness.
Brit Merrick
B.A. in East Asian Studies, New York University
Brit graduated from NYU with a degree in East Asian Studies and minors in Chinese, Writing, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. During her time at NYU, she was heavily involved in cross-cultural university activities, placing top three in several language competitions, and being recommended by NYU for multiple prestigious scholarships. Brit completed a Critical Language Scholarship in Taiwan with the US Department of State, where she focused on creating diplomatic relations between countries on a one-on-one basis. She has been published amongst several established literary journals and presented her award-nominated debut short story at New York University's writing conference. Prior to graduating, she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the United States’ oldest and most prestigious honors society. After recognizing her interest in education, she began to work as a tutor for underrepresented students across America, teaching writing and Mandarin. In addition to her work as an Academic Advisor at Thinktown, Brit is currently the editor of a literary journal and assistant to a literary agent in New York City. She is passionate about the intersection of language and storytelling and hopes to continue to instill in young learners her love for finding new ways to represent one's individuality.
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Vanessa Ruales
B.A. in Social Studies, Harvard University
Vanessa has a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies with a focus in Food Policy & Law from Harvard University. She graduated with high honors and achieved distinctions for her thesis research, including a fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Vanessa believes in interdisciplinary growth, using knowledge from a variety of disciplines to spur personal development, particularly during the college admissions journey. She has practiced this herself, working in a variety of fields such as education, politics, and business. Her experiences include working in the Massachusetts Senate, Harvard Medical School, the 2020 Biden Campaign, and starting her own real estate development business. She is excited to help students find meaning through the inner exploration of writing.
Zeqing Shao
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M.A. in International Education Policy, Harvard University
Zeqing graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Education with a master's degree in International Education Policy. She received her bachelor's degree from University of Connecticut with a double major in Psychology and Communication, along with a minor in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is actively involved in work that promotes educational equity, diversity and inclusion. As a self-taught amateur video editor, she is also passionate about facilitating learning through creative thinking and innovative techniques.
As a Senior Educational Consultant at Thinktown, Zeqing is always excited to offer her knowledge and expertise to inspire her students to grow, to rise, to bravely share their stories and explore their unique talents.
Paul Wu
B.A. in Trombone Performance, University of California, Santa Barbara
Paul received a Bachelor of Music in trombone performance from University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studied with the legendary studio musician Bill Booth, and a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music, where he studied with the bass trombonist of the LA opera, Terry Cravens. During his study in Southern California, he had many different freelance experiences, ranging from teaching students of all ages, playing classical, jazz, contemporary, and church music with different orchestras and bands. His teaching philosophy is to teach the student to become a teacher for themselves. By helping students develop critical thinking skills, students would teach themselves everyday, in the practice room, in the classroom, and in life. He values composition and improvisation in early musical training for all genres.
Sara Ryan Polly McCartney
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B.A. in English, Yale University
Sara graduated from Yale University in 2019 with a bachelor's in English with a concentration in creative writing. During her time at Yale, she worked for the college radio station, founded a poetry group, and was a founding editor for a literary magazine. In 2021, she earned a master's degree in English at Lehigh University, where she studied literature, public humanities, film theory, and pedagogy. As a freelance tutor, she has taught classes in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, as well as assisting students with coursework and college and high school applications. Sara believes that the teaching of writing in all its forms can empower students to see themselves as participants in an ongoing intellectual conversation.