Our Team

Abdullah Al Asousi

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Capstone Learning
Harvard Kennedy School, Master of Public Administration
Wharton School, Master of Business Administration
University of Pennsylvania, bachelor’s in finance
Leonard N. Stern School of Business - NYU, Accounting
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Graduate Coursework

Abdullah is the CEO of Capstone Learning, a leading provider of test preparation and university admissions consulting in Saudi Arabia. With over 10 years of experience in education services, Abdullah has helped thousands of students achieve top scores on standardized tests and gain acceptance into prestigious universities worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, and leading institutions across USA, GCC and Europe. Under Abdullah’s leadership, Capstone Learning has become known for its innovative programs, expert coaching, and commitment to student success. In addition to his professional achievements, Abdulla is deeply committed to educational empowerment in the region. He frequently speaks at conferences, collaborates with schools, and advises on initiatives aimed at raising academic standards and expanding global opportunities for Saudi students. He previously served as a Senior Advisor at the Office of Tony Blair and worked as a Strategy Consultant at Monitor Group.

Richard Guest

Richard is an experienced and highly respected test preparation instructor, known for his outstanding results and dedication to student success. An American national, Richard has built an impressive career at Kaplan’s New York office, where he is recognized as one of their top-ranked instructors.

Throughout his career, Richard has taught nearly 200 pre-college and postgraduate students, helping them achieve their academic dreams and gain admission to some of the world’s most prestigious universities. His students have been accepted into top-tier institutions including MIT, Harvard, Cornell, Yale, Dartmouth, Duke, Northwestern, Oxford, and many others.

Richard’s expertise spans a wide range of standardized tests. He has successfully prepared students for exams such as the GMAT, GRE, SAT, IELTS, TOEFL and English Language Courses, among others. His teaching approach combines deep subject knowledge, proven test-taking strategies, and personalized coaching, enabling students to significantly boost their scores and strengthen their university applications.

With a passion for education and a commitment to excellence, Richard continues to inspire and mentor students from diverse backgrounds, empowering them to achieve their highest potential and succeed in an increasingly competitive academic environment.

Rob Annis

Admissions Expert and Founder, The Art of Admissions
Harvard Admissions Interviewer (former)
Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts, with honors
Cornell Law School, Juris Doctorate, with honors
Columbia Business School, coursework

Rob is a seasoned admissions expert who has helped thousands of students turn their academic dreams into reality. His students are successful because he offers customized advice and treats each student holistically. Rob has an uncanny ability in finding that unique quality or talent in each applicant which often makes the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Rob has designed and manages a comprehensive admissions advising program for 400 international students. He regularly conducts webinars and in-person seminars on “Pursuing Your Passion,” “Glowing Letters of Recommendation,” “Effective Application Essays” and more. Rob loves writing and is a published author. Before founding The Art of Admissions, Rob practiced law with a prestigious global law firm headquartered in New York City. Prior to that, Rob founded a test prep company for domestic university applicants.

Rob is an avid traveller and has lived in Washington, D.C., Cambridge, MA, Greenwich, CT, London and New York City, where he currently resides.

Rob leads an all-star team of trusted and experienced admissions advisers, who graduated from top U.S. and UK universities, many of whom were Admissions Officers and maintain close relationships with their former colleagues. Together, Rob and his team deliver the most effective admissions advice available.

Anne

Anne has more than 20 years of experience as an admissions adviser and as an Admissions Interviewer for Princeton (20+ years) and INSEAD (15+ years). Anne was recently the Princeton Alumni Schools Committee Regional Chair for the past 7 years.

Anne specializes in admissions strategies, athlete recruitment and scholarships. As a former varsity swimmer at Princeton, Anne enjoys writing articles for a national collegiate athletic news organization. Before working in education consulting, Anne spent 20 years as an international corporate finance executive. She is bilingual in English and French and speaks Spanish proficiently.

Anne has four daughters and lives in the Los Angeles, California area, where she enjoys photography and running outdoors.

Cristina

Cristina is an experienced admissions adviser with an expertise in application essays. As an accomplished journalist and writer herself, Cristina guides students on finding and effectively articulating their personal stories in polished, memorable essays. Cristina’s writings and articles have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek Japan, Harvardwood Highlights, Words Without Borders, Roads & Kingdoms, and many other publications. Prior to journalism, Cristina was an English teacher in New York City, Barcelona, Spain and at an international school in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cristina founded an eBook company and recently completed an educational novel. She enjoys running, playing squash and tennis, dining out, and visiting art museums.

Chi

With 10 years of experience in admissions advising and a master’s degree in Education, Chi has seen it all. She counsels international students applying to top-tier universities in the U.S., UK and Europe. Chi’s counseling approach focuses on the whole person to understand each student’s unique academic interests and career goals and to assist them in crafting their personal message. Chi has lived and worked in the UK, United Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam. Having spent time living, studying, and working in multiple countries outside of the U.S., Chi has a unique perspective on the role of international experiences and studying abroad on a student’s personal development. Chi has an unparalleled ability to develop a strong rapport with students which is one key to her success as an admissions adviser. Chi resides in Boston, Massachusetts with her family.

Erik

Born in Norway and based in Washington, D.C., Erik has been in the education industry for almost 20 years, including as a test prep instructor and teacher trainer for a nationally-recognized test prep company. Erik has worked with thousands of students and has deep knowledge of the undergraduate and graduate admissions processes. Although he can be demanding, Erik is very personable and and passionate about his work. Erik is also a published author who has written academic history articles and content questions for test prep publications. Erik can read or speak 10 different languages. In his spare time, Erik loves to eat adventurously and travel internationally (he’s been to 77 countries!).

Jason

Jason has more than 15 years of experience in college advising with an expertise in essay writing. In his parallel career as a writer and editor, he has published 16 books under a pseudonym, one of which reached #1 in the Amazon Free Kindle store for a day and a half. In the last decade, he’s completed or contributed to over 70 different pieces of long-form writing–international travel books, opioid crisis nonfiction, aviation terrorism thrillers, toxic workplace memoirs, comedic screenplays, you name it.

Before entering the field of education, Jason worked in the Hollywood feature film industry as a script analyst and in journalism at The Washington Post. He was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to The Catholic University of America, where, in a little over four years, he earned both a B.A. in literature and an M.A. in rhetoric and composition. Jason graduated magna cum laude and was designated a University Scholar for his excellence in the honors program.

Marcelline

Marcelline is an internationally recognized scholar and higher education specialist. She has extensive college-level teaching experience and has won numerous academic and literary awards including a Research Grant from the Gunzburg Center for European Studies, a Publication Grant from Columbia University for a scholarly book, a Dean’s Scholarly Travel Grant from Princeton University to participate in academic conferences, and a Dean’s Summer Thesis Research Award issued by Harvard University. Marcelline is also a recipient of the John Harvard Scholarship and a Hadar Foundation Scholar.

A native New Yorker, Marcelline is a member of a range of local and national artistic and literary organizations and societies such as the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG)/AFTRA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Marcelline is fluent in French and is incredibly intelligent, kind and generous.

Pam

Pam has more than a decade of experience in admissions consulting both as an independent consultant and as a member of the Stanford University Admissions Committee. Given her diverse academic expertise and interests, Pam works with students pursuing a range of academic fields from STEM (Computer Science, Machine Learning and Neuroscience) to the Humanities (History, Literature, Sociology and Anthropology). Prior to working as an admissions consultant, Pam was the Assistant Director of the Stanford Program in Clinical Psychology where she was also a member of the faculty teaching courses on Cognitive Behavior and Bioscience. Pam was also an instructor for Stanford Pre-College Studies courses designed for high-achieving high school students. Pam has supervised several dozen student research projects which have won Science awards and research papers which have been published in academic journals. Pam resides in the Bay Area, California.

Mark

Mark has dedicated his career to education, specifically international education, with 15 years of experience as a teaching assistant and resident advisor. He lived in China for 9 years, where he helped international Chinese students navigate the U.S. university application process and prepare to study abroad. Mark’s interest in education and mentorship began at Purdue where he was a Resident Advisor and led the New Student Orientation and Student Advising Programs. More recently, Mark was the Executive Director of a student development program in China.

Students rave about Mark’s upbeat, positive and easy going nature. He loves to stay informed and active by enjoys reading books, swimming, and surfing on the beautiful coast of Hawaii where he is pursuing his PhD in International Education.

Soliana

Soliana is an accomplished artist and experienced admissions consultant. She works primarily with students interested in the Arts, Design, Film, and Architecture. Soliana has advanced degrees and certificates in Film, Photography and the Performing Arts. Given Soliana’s experience and formal training as an artist, Soliana also advises students on their art or architecture portfolios. Soliana has been invited to perform throughout the world in London, Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles. She has been commissioned to design art and film projects for New York Fashion Week and at the Simon House in Los Angeles. Soliana’s art work has been exhibited at galleries in London and New York City. Soliana was selected to serve as an artist-in-residence in Ibiza, Spain and Los Angeles, where she currently resides.

Zoe

Zoe studied Chemical Engineering, Food Science, and Materials Science & Engineering which led to a career in food packaging R&D at a top food company. She then pivoted to Education working as an Educational Consultant and Manager. For the past 15 years Zoe has served Cornell University as an Admissions Ambassador, advising applicants and prospective students. She has extensive experience in academic research as well as technical writing, editing, and proofreading.

Zoe resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her family, where she supports the Minneapolis Institute of Art and mentors collegiate women. Zoe is also certified as an official by USA Swimming. She participates in two monthly book clubs, and enjoys genealogy, paleo cooking and yoga.