Academics: curiosity & deeper learning
Respect diverse academic interests and encourage thoughtful inquiry, independent judgment and creative expression, helping students develop their own ways of learning and asking questions.
EDUCATION / EXPLORATION / GROWTH
Hilbert Zhang.
Explore ideas. Find your direction.
AI technology professional with Silicon Valley startup experience spanning funding and acquisition. Bringing research and practice in fintech, quantitative finance and AI to an education focused on long-term growth.
11 years in advising150+ students admitted9 years of teaching & academic guidance
EDUCATION / A LONG VIEW
Prepare for the future. Grow as a person.
Connect academic growth, career exploration and character development.
Careers: explore the possibilities
Start with individual interests and strengths, explore work across different fields, and discover a personal direction through practical experience.
Character: long-term personal growth
Respect individual interests and personality while developing self-awareness, responsibility and lifelong learning. Admission is one step in a longer journey.
ABOUT / HILBERT ZHANG
Background & experience.
Educational advising & teaching
Founder of Demian Education. Eleven years of experience in educational advising and nine years of teaching across disciplines.
Academic background & research
Studied at Northwestern University with a substantial scholarship, completing a triple major in mathematical statistics, economics and philosophy, with a minor in computer science. Graduated summa cum laude, the highest academic distinction.
Holds a master’s degree in economics and a PhD in finance. Research focuses on quantitative finance and fintech, particularly the impact and applications of AI in financial markets.
AI & Technology
Founded a Silicon Valley AI company that secured funding and was acquired.
Previously worked as a data engineer at Google and Stripe, contributing to AI research, development and applications.
GUIDANCE / YOUR NEXT STEP
Find your next step, at every stage.
From exploring interests to choosing an offer, focus on what matters to the individual.
Exploring your direction
Discover interests, strengths and a personal direction.
Course planning · Subject exploration · Activities · Creativity and leadership
Preparing for college
Turn your experiences into a clear, authentic application.
College selection · Essays and writing · Applications · Interviews and offer decisions
Planning graduate study
Connect your academic experience, research interests and career goals.
Program fit · Research and internship planning · Recommendations · Writing and interviews
SELECTED PATHWAYS
Admissions pathways & selected cases.
Selected outcomes, with the services behind them.
Undergraduate admissions
Explore interests and find universities and fields that fit.
Master’s admissions
Explore technology, quantitative finance, economics and social sciences.
SELECTED OUTCOMES
Different interests. Individual pathways.
Stanford University
Symbolic Systems: connecting interests in AI and the humanities.
View cases →MIT · Princeton · UC Berkeley
One applicant received offers from the MFin, MFinance and MFE programs.
View cases →Yale University
MA in International and Development Economics (IDEC).
View cases →Selected from the anonymized cases on this site. Individual outcomes do not guarantee future admission.
BEYOND ADMISSIONS
Beyond the university.
Students have gone on to work at these firms.
Anthropic · Google · Apple · Meta · Jane Street · Optiver · Citadel Securities · Goldman Sachs · J.P. Morgan
THE PROCESS
A clear focus at every step.
A path from understanding yourself to making informed choices.
- 01
Understand yourself
Review academic experiences, interests, strengths and goals to identify priorities.
- 02
Build a plan
Align coursework, research, activities or internships with your goals.
- 03
Shape the application
Bring school selection, essays, recommendations and interviews together into an authentic application.
- 04
Choose your next step
Compare offers with personal priorities and prepare for enrollment and the next stage of growth.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions you may have.
Can I start without a clear major in mind?
Start by exploring interests and strengths. Coursework, reading, introductory research and practical experience can help a direction emerge without committing to a major immediately.
Is the guidance limited to technology or finance?
Guidance spans different disciplines and interests, including sciences, business, social sciences, humanities, art and music. Planning starts with the student and their goals.
How does long-term planning differ from application support?
Long-term planning develops interests, skills and experiences. Application support focuses on school selection, written materials, interviews and timelines. The undergraduate and graduate service pages explain each stage.