JD Deal

With the heart of an activist, JD has only ever pursued work that he felt would be world-changing. With early experience in politics and nonprofits, he advocated for the rights of students in environments which only ever shot him down. Seeing the inclusion of student voices in education as a path to positive social change, JD has spent years inspiring his peers and students to become active participants in their education.

As a proud first-generation low-income student from Iowa, JD graduated from Harvard College with a BA in Classics and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a Secondary in Education. He’s leaned into his passion for education through his many years of mentorship and teaching experience. Whether he was helping college first-years with public service passion projects through the SPARK program, tutoring middle and high school students on life skills through Harvard Ed Portal, or developing and teaching a diverse English curriculum for 8th grade students, JD puts his students first in every endeavor.

His philosophy for teaching reflects his philosophy for consulting: every student has unique personal experiences which are powerful vehicles for self-reflection, transformation, and ultimately, storytelling. With care and empathy, JD not only wants to guide his applicants to create a stellar application, but also to help transform their perceptions of these unique personal experiences. JD pulls passion out of people, making the mundane feel miraculous.