Testimonials
The people below trusted me with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Most came to me unsure where they stood, and some were applying again after a hard cycle. What they have in common is that they did the work, and they let me help them make their case clearly. I’m proud of each of them, and grateful they were willing to share what the process was like.
Here’s what a few of them had to say, in their own words.
“Reaching out to professors was my biggest worry. I was afraid my emails came across as extractive, and I never knew how to balance talking about their work, sharing my own interests, and asking whether they were taking students next cycle.
Bianca helped me see the professor on the other side as a colleague, and to give them enough to engage with without taking up too much of their time. My emails now have no fluff and strike the right balance. She also keeps me on top of my schedule while I manage what is really a full-time job in itself. On my statement of purpose, she keeps asking whether I’m giving the right mix of information and whether it all fits together.”
— Anonymous PhD Applicant, 2026
"Coming from an industry background, I was struggling to decipher the academic world, especially figuring out faculty outreach and writing a compelling statement of purpose. Bianca helped me understand how to engage with faculty research and strengthen my overall application strategy which I couldn't have done even with many hours of my own research. Her experience in the UC system and working closely with professors and reviewers clearly comes through in the concrete, actionable advice she provides."
—Anonymous 2026 PhD Applicant
"I had a vision for what I wanted readers to take away from my Statement of Purpose, but I couldn't translate that into my writing. I was also struggling to strike the right balance between telling the story of what prepared me for a doctoral degree and simply repeating my CV.
The level of detail in Bianca's feedback was beyond my expectations. She took the time to study the school I'm applying to, the department, the faculty I want to work with, and my CV, and she made sure every part of the prompt was addressed with equal attention. She showed me where I had the right material but needed to present it differently, what my essay was missing, and what information mattered at this stage. None of her feedback told me what to do. It helped me think about the ways I could improve the essay myself, so it still sounds like me.
Her feedback came with the right balance between care and direction. Any second thoughts I had vanished once I saw it."
— Anonymous, Child Development and Education