Meet The Team
Ananya
Ananya is a student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cellular Biology, Integrative Biology, and Chemistry. She tutors chemistry and biology, and she loves to bake, sing, swim, and spend time with her friends.
Ariel
Ariel is the Director of College Consulting at Study Smarter, with extensive experience in undergraduate admissions at multiple universities. A UC Berkeley graduate with degrees in Sociology and Spanish Language & Literature, Ariel has guided students and families through the college application process with clarity and care, drawing on her experience tutoring a range of academic subjects and standardized tests. When she’s not supporting students, she enjoys hiking around San Francisco with her husband and daughter.
Booth
After graduating from Wesleyan University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Booth worked as a university professor in China before coming to Study Smarter, where he tutors the SAT and humanities. He enjoys playing chess, sampling Chinese teas, and attending any screening of a silent film in the Bay Area.
Brenden
Brenden is studying Bioengineering and Chemistry at UC Berkeley. He tutors chemistry and biology and enjoys testing out new recipes, hiking (especially to a sunset view), and hitting the gym with friends in his free time.
Daniel
Daniel graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in American Studies. He tutors math, English, and study skills. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking and rock-climbing and also enjoys learning about astronomy and space exploration.
Dre
Dre is a college consultant at Study Smarter currently enrolled in UCLA’s College Counseling Certificate Program. A graduate of UC Berkeley, she supports students across the admissions process, including college essays, standardized test preparation (SAT/ACT, ISEE, HSPT, SSAT), and advanced math through AP Calculus. Originally from Southern California, she now lives in the Sacramento area with her husband and son.
Emily
Emily graduated from UC Berkeley. She started working for Study Smarter as an SAT and ACT tutor but is now our Managing Director. In her free time, she enjoys music, dance and yoga.
Emma
Emma is a student at UC Berkeley studying Bioengineering. She tutors chemistry and biology, and she loves to cook, play the piano, and spend time with her family and friends.
Jake
As a UC San Diego graduate in both Applied Math and Computational Physics, Jake tutors all levels of math and physics for Study Smarter. In his free time, Jake loves to play soccer and surf.
Jamey
Jamey graduated from UC Davis, studying pure mathematics. He tutors academic math as well as the SAT, ACT, ISEE, HSPT, and SSAT. He loves solving puzzles, playing board games with friends, and walking a dog around town.
Joel
Joel has always had a passion for tutoring, coaching, and motivating students to reach their goals. He founded Study Smarter in 1997 after graduating from UCSD with degrees in Economics and Psychology. As a member of the college consulting team, he works closely with parents and students to guide them through strategic decisions surrounding high school and college admissions. He also helps families navigate high school course planning, test preparation, and the college application process. When he is not working with families, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sara, and two boys, Jake and Charlie.
Mel
Mel is a graduate of Wellesley College and a former 9th grade English teacher who serves as a college essay coach on the Study Smarter college consulting team. She enjoys guiding students through the college essay process and supporting them with standardized test preparation (SAT/ACT, ISEE, HSPT, SSAT), executive functioning coaching, study skills, and a range of academic classes. In her free time, she writes songs about dinosaurs and creates stop-motion science videos. You can often find her with a notebook in hand and rocks in her pockets!
Nick
Nick is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a tutor of the SAT, the ACT, the independent school admission tests, physics, and math. He's a board game and trivia lover and occasionally manages to hit some tennis balls over the net. In about ten years he also plans to tour the world as a harmonica virtuoso.
Nisha
Nisha graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychobiology on the pre-med track. She tutors math, biology, humanities and study skills. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, and going to the beach.
Stephen
Stephen graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Philosophy & French and an MSt in Ancient Philosophy and serves as a college essay coach on the Study Smarter college consulting team. In addition to helping students bring their authentic voices to their college essays, Stephen guides students through standardized test preparation (SAT and APs) and a variety of academic classes. A speaker of five languages, they bring a deep love of language to their work. As an artist and poet, they enjoy making music, singing, and exploring the beautiful nature of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Will
Will graduated from UC San Diego, majoring in computational physics. He tutors physics with Study Smarter. In his free time, he enjoys tormenting his twin brother, playing soccer, and making his friends question why they agreed to a friendly game of ping pong.