From Setback to Columbia, and Now Sedifly
An earlier version of this article contained inaccuracies regarding Joash Lee’s academic background. We have since verified the information with the company and updated the article to reflect the correct facts. We regret the errors and apologize for any confusion caused.
Joash Lee’s path to Columbia University didn’t start with acceptance. It started with rejection.
After completing his Diploma at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, where he graduated as valedictorian, ranked 1st out of 259 students in his cohort, Lee applied to a number of universities in the United States. He was turned down by all of them except Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
After a year at Indiana, Lee transferred to Columbia University — an experience that would go on to shape the company he later founded.
“I founded Sedifly after recognizing a structural gap in access to high-quality university admissions guidance. More often than not, strong students are constrained not by capability, but by the opacity and cost of the support systems around them. Sedifly was created to bring greater clarity, support, and affordability to this process — so that high-quality, well-informed mentorship is accessible to students based on ambition and potential, rather than privilege,” said Lee.
A different approach to admissions guidance
As AI tools flood the education technology space, Sedifly has taken a more measured stance on where automation belongs in the admissions process.
“There’s a lot of excitement around AI, and many startups are quick to position themselves as AI-powered solutions. At Sedifly, we’re taking a grounded approach. We use technology where it adds value, but are careful not to overpromise its capabilities in something as personal and high-stakes as education. For us, credibility and outcomes matter more than hype,” Lee said.
That philosophy extends to how the firm engages with students.
“Traditional models often feel transactional, where students are treated like customers. At Sedifly, we’re shifting that dynamic into a longer-term mentorship relationship, where the focus is on the student’s growth and outcomes,” he added.
Results across a range of academic backgrounds
Collectively, Sedifly’s team has secured more than 150 offers at US T20 and UK G5 universities, with over 30 percent of these coming from Ivy League and Oxbridge institutions.
Since its founding, Sedifly has maintained a 100 percent acceptance rate, where every student who has worked with the firm has received at least one offer from a Global Top 20 college.
Its students span a wide range of academic backgrounds, from A-Levels and the IB to AP and polytechnic diplomas.
One student, who initially applied on her own to US universities from a Singapore Junior College (JC), was rejected from all schools, but after working with Sedifly on her second attempt, gained acceptances at the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley.
For Lee, stories like these reflect the broader mission behind Sedifly.
“We believe access to quality guidance should not depend on a student’s financial abilities. Our goal is to close that gap by making high-quality mentorship more available to every student,” he said.
