Desai was a contestant on the eighth season of American Idol, placing 6th. He is the second Indian American to advance to the final stage of the popular reality show.
Desai graduated from UNC in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Political Science and American Studies. He was awarded the 2008 Peter C. Baxter Memorial Prize in American Studies, as one who exemplified "intellectual excellence, personal warmth and creativity."
