About

I specialize in admissions to American universities in addition to offering tutoring and communication services. After graduating from college, I worked in finance and management consulting in the US, UK, and UAE before turning to new interests. I approach every project with passion and seriousness, and I encourage you to reach out if we can work together. I hold a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Harvard University, and an MA in English from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where I served as a Graduate Assistant tutoring undergraduate students on college writing.

Admissions

I work with high school students, college students, and working professionals who wish to attend American colleges and graduate schools. My approach is grounded in partnership and helping each applicant represent their full range of skills and accomplishments. Sessions are personalized to individual working styles and circumstances. Above all, I look for applicants who are excited about higher education, work hard, and play by the rules.

Over the years, my approach has yielded excellent results with an emphasis on procedure and authentic essay responses. This means ensuring that students' applications are complete, error-free, and submitted on-time, as well as coaching students in the writing process, from idea generation to choices around tone and style.

My clients have received offers from a range of institutions appropriate to their situation, from Ivy League universities to liberal arts colleges and public universities. In addition, I have helped applicants secure competitive scholarships and fellowships, including full-tuition packages for undergraduate and graduate programs.

I support aplications for every degree type: bachelor's, master's, and doctoral. My full list of services includes: high school planning; summer experiences; program selection; university selection: time management; essay brainstorming: essay critique: recommender selection: interview preparation; extracurriculars; waitlist/deferral strategies: resumes and CVs; standardized test preparation; scholarships; and decision counseling.

My track record is summarized as follows:

• 90% of applicants receive an offer from a top three choice
• 4-5x the national acceptance rate for highly selective universities
• 100% sibling return rate

Note that partnering with a consultant isn’t for everyone. I always recommend that applicants first try working alone relying on their own ingenuity and support network of teachers, mentors, and family. However, if the process still feels overwhelming or the applicant isn't happy with his or her work, partnering with a consultant can be beneficial.

Communications

I offer copywriting, editing, and visual design services. My work includes producing short- and long-form content; developmental editing (comprehensive content evaluation and structural suggestions); line editing (diction, syntax, and readability); proofreading (consistency of style and proper grammar); and professional design using Adobe Creative Cloud. I have helped clients with research proposals, grant applications, journal articles, academic essays, resumes, presentations, web content, and marketing materials.

I helped the filmmakers of Strangers to Peace, a feature-length documentary about the reintegration of the FARC guerrillas in Colombia, with their online presence, fundraising, and film festival applications—including designing and co-authoring the press kit. The film screened at 20 festivals, won awards including the Vaclav Havel Jury Award for Best Film at the One World Film Festival, and is available on streaming platforms.

Writing

Fiction: I published a short story titled “Journey to Nā Mokulua” in Hawaii Pacific Review. Some of my influences are Herman Melville, Charlotte Brontë, Oscar Wilde, Raymond Carver, Flannery O’Connor, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Karin Lin-Greenberg.

Nonfiction: I published an opinion piece titled “Nature's Tricksters: What the Animal World Teaches Us About Disinformation” in Medium. I have also published informational articles for Zacks Investment Research (1, 2, 3, 4) and The Nest (1, 2, 3, 4) covering topics for an investor audience, such as the liquidity premium theory of interest rates, duration risk in bonds, and calculating hedge fund returns.

Contact

To get a quote for a project or chat, message me on LinkedIn or send an email to roccaconsultant [at] gmail [dot] com.