Make Your
Reach
a Reality
Meet Marcella
I started my career working in the admissions office at the University of Chicago, my alma mater. Later, I joined UC Berkeley's Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology program—where we accepted only 2% of applicants. I founded HelpWithApps.com to help students maximize their chances of admission to the nation's most selective universities. In 2023, 20 of my students were admitted to a "top 10"—an 80% acceptance rate amongst all my students who applied. And with each student, I look beyond universities' rankings to ensure the best possible academic, extracurricular, and cultural fit. I hope I can be part of your success story, too.
Contact Marcella
Testimonials
Marcella's support for our daughter Jenna has been truly transformative. Marcella helped Jenna shape a strategic personal brand that tied her interests and activities together. Marcella's guidance on course selection struck a perfect balance, addressing the need for greater academic rigor while ensuring that she wasn't overstretched. The development of Jenna's school list greatly benefited from Marcella's rich experience, extensive network, detailed stats, and a genuine understanding of Jenna's preferences. The tools Marcella provided for tracking deadlines and requirements brought such a meticulous and organized approach to the process. We are immensely grateful for Marcella's expertise and dedication, which have undoubtedly played a crucial role in Jenna's college admission.
- Tao, whose daughter was admitted to Johns Hopkins
“
We didn't have any experience with the college admissions process. From what we heard from friends, it is daunting and very stressful—a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Without Marcella, we would have been lost. She made it all happen!! She spelled it all out for our son and kept the schedule for the entire process. She handled the essay writing process and gave our son tools to create the essays in a timely manner. We are all so grateful for her patience, kindness and how she only wants the best for her students. I truly felt zero stress having her on board. I would tell another parent who is on the fence about working with Marcella that it's the best investment they can make for their child. It will make a very overwhelming process feel manageable and help give their child the best chance at getting into their dream schools.
- Carla, whose son was admitted to Brown
“
My husband and I started grad school in the US. For undergraduate study, we knew grades are not the only important thing to colleges, but the college admissions process was daunting: how to build a holistic profile to make our daughter stand out from the crowd, and how to find the hook for each school. Marcella’s knowledge for extracurricular activities is amazing. You need to work with her early on so that she can help your child build a unique extracurricular profile that makes your kid stand out. Without Marcella, Stanford wouldn’t be in the picture for our daughter. Her work is worth every penny of your money, and she works super efficiently. She always responds in a super timely fashion, and she gets to the point quickly. Her work ethic is something I really admire.
- Junli, whose daughter was admitted to Stanford, Princeton, Yale and Columbia
“
Welcome
I love sharing my knowledge and experience with students and their families. Above all, I love discovering a student's strengths, helping to overcome their weaknesses, and seeing the joy on their faces when they see their dreams realized with an acceptance to their favorite university. I hope I can share that with you and your family as well.
