Find firsthand accounts from students who have experienced the impact of our educational services and advocacy work.
Melanie Llaneras
“As a First Gen student, I felt unprepared and overwhelmed upon entering college application season. I was the first in my family to pursue the uncharted course of higher level education and had no one beside me to guide me and provide me with application information. I aspired to attend a T25 university, but I lacked knowledge and confidence when tackling the application on my own. I searched around for advisors, but most were charging me five figures for their services. I lacked resources to afford these costly programs but the financial burdens quickly vanished when I stumbled across Pour a Little Brain. Their services and personalized help matched my needs perfectly as a low-income and first-generation student. I now had an individual reading my essays daily, being with me from the first sentence to the last sentence on the document. I had unlimited texting services where I had someone to address all of my concerns that nobody prior was able to answer for me. I was able to schedule zoom calls weekly to catch up on progress and review everything that I had so far. Pour a Little Brain consists of organized, flexible, inexpensive, personalized, and high-quality services that surpassed my expectations of a college advising program.
As we worked on more schools, I began to grow more confident in my own writing and my overall application in general. Throughout the application process, I was being encouraged and reminded that the sky’s the limit, as they saw something in my application that I hadn’t seen in myself. Through their services and aid, I attained acceptances from top universities such as Duke, Notre Dame, Boston College, Wake Forest, and the University of Florida. I’m unconditionally grateful for Pour a Little Brain as I have accomplished a lifelong dream of mine and my family’s by being accepted into and enrolling at Duke University on a full ride, where I will be spending the next 4 years. I highly suggest others to likewise consider and utilize the services offered by Pour a Little Brain, as they’ve left me with great outcomes and walking confidently toward a new and exciting chapter of my life.”
Duke University, Class of 2028
Ignacio Gamero
“As a tour guide for Middlebury College, I often joke that the college application process is one of the scariest things I have ever done and don’t wish to ever do it again. That said, if I had to, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Natalia. I truly don’t know where I would be without her and her unwavering dedication and help! I always knew I wanted to leave Florida for college and go someplace that challenged me both academically and socially, but other than that I didn’t have a clue about where to even start my college search. Natalia helped me refine my college list based on my profile and what I was looking for in a school. The entire process was long and daunting, but I felt very well supported.
We made a shared calendar with deadlines, we read over every sentence of every essay together, she answered my caffeine-fueled late-night texts, and helped me find scholarships. It was very reassuring to know that not only did I have a college application expert helping me throughout the entire six-month process, but also a friend. Natalia helped me grow in confidence as a person, writer, and college applicant. She helped me gain acceptance to Middlebury College, a Top-10 Liberal Arts school with a strong pre-law program, and helped me secure a 90% scholarship! I truly am forever grateful for Natalia’s help, professionalism, expertise, and calming hand throughout the entire process.”
Middlebury College, Class of 2026
Master in Science (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Luca Chierotti
“Natalia played a pivotal role in my electrical and computer engineering graduate program applications. Before going through this process I had only written applications for my undergraduate college applications. I had never gone through an application of this complexity and length. I knew I could not go through this alone and realized I needed expert assistance. After extensive searching, I was fortunate enough to find Natalia. From our initial interactions, Natalia exuded a sense of competence and understanding that immediately put me at ease. I knew this process was going to require dedication and hard work on my end. However, having someone who had gone through graduate applications herself and had a proven track record of helping others, was reassuring. In the end I am very glad I chose her. Beyond just offering guidance on my writing, she took the time to establish a personal connection with me, delving into my background and aspirations. This personalized approach of hers not only improved my application but also fostered a sense of trust and camaraderie. I am immensely grateful for Natalia's support and expertise.”
Fabiana Paolini
“Nati and I worked on college applications all throughout my senior year. I was pretty nervous when starting the process, and mostly wanted assistance with my essays. Nati always made sure to go out of her way, even when she was tackling the MCAT, and was always extremely helpful. She made sure that I was confident in myself and did not doubt my abilities, which is one of her many awesome attributes. Thanks to her and her support, I was admitted into American University, one of the top college we were aiming for throughout the process!!!
What made Nati so awesome and different from the rest is that she was extremely careful with all of the details and her style of writing is just one you will not see with anyone. She cares for your application as if it were hers. Some advice that I would share with others is to really concentrate on the essay, it can make all of the difference in your application and really make you stand out with the rest of the applicant pool.”
American University, Class of 2027
