mentoring

Pro-bono 1:1 mentoring for prospective US graduate-school applicants, with a focus on Latin American and Fulbright-track candidates.

I offer pro-bono 1:1 mentoring for prospective Master’s and Ph.D. applicants to U.S. programs.

I went from Quito, Ecuador to a Fulbright-funded Master’s, a fully funded Ph.D., and the OSU Presidential Fellowship, and I’d like to make that road shorter for the next person. I keep a handful of mentoring slots open each month, with a focus on:

  • Latin American applicants. I know the US graduate-admissions landscape from the LATAM side.
  • Fulbright-track candidates. Essay strategy, interview prep, and what it’s actually like to live the program once you arrive.
  • First-generation and underrepresented STEM applicants, particularly in ECE, robotics, autonomous systems, control, and ML.

What we can work on together

  • Application strategy and program selection (advisor fit, lab fit, funding fit)
  • Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement review
  • CV and academic writing review
  • Fulbright application (essays, interview, post-award navigation)
  • NSF GRFP and other graduate fellowships
  • Mock PhD interviews
  • Navigating life as an international STEM student in the U.S.: visas, funding, advisor relationships, networking

How it works

All mentoring is free, but I ask for a couple of things in return:

  1. Come prepared. When you reach out, please include the document you’d like me to review (draft SOP, CV, research statement) or a one-page summary of what you want to work on, along with the programs you’re targeting and any hard deadlines. I review each request and reply, or, if I’m at capacity, point you to alternatives.
  2. Do the pre-work. Before our call, I’ll send a short note on what I’ll focus on so we use the hour well. Please read it.
  3. Pay it forward (a request, not a condition). If this helps you land a spot, mentor one applicant from a similar background once you’re on the other side. That’s how the community stays alive.

Other places to find mentorship

If my slots are full or I’m not the right fit, these are programs I recommend first. They’re free, excellent, and often a better starting point than going it alone:

  • Científico Latino, Graduate Student Mentorship Initiative (GSMI). The flagship free program for LATAM and underrepresented STEM applicants to US graduate programs. Pairs you with a mentor in your discipline and offers application fee waivers. I mentor through GSMI.
  • Project SHORT. Volunteer PhD, MD, and MD/PhD students providing pro-bono one-on-one admissions consulting, including two rounds of personal-statement feedback and mock interviews. Focused on underrepresented applicants.
  • Project Access, Graduate Program. Free mentorship for students applying to Master’s programs at top universities in the US, UK, and Europe. Mentors are current students at your target university.
  • National GEM Consortium. Fellowships, paid summer internships, and mentoring for underrepresented students in STEM graduate programs, and a funding pathway in its own right.

Get in touch

Send me a note via the contact page.