About Real Coach
About Us
Real Coach College Advising is a student-led college consulting business founded by two college freshmen—one attending Columbia University and the other Stanford University. We provide personalized, relatable guidance to high school students applying to college, using our own recent success to help others craft compelling applications and get into top schools.
Our Services
Essay Editing & Brainstorming
From idea generation to final polish, we help students craft essays that genuinely reflect who they are. Whether you're working on your Common App personal statement, UC PIQs, or dozens of supplements, we’ll guide you through the writing process, providing clear, constructive feedback while preserving your authentic voice. You can work with us at an hourly rate or select a package that fits your needs—including UC-only, Common App only, or Common App plus 5, 10, 15, etc. supplemental essays.
College List Building & Strategy
Not sure where to apply or how to balance your reach, match, and safety schools? We’ll work with you to build a personalized college list based on your interests, goals, and academic background. In addition to school selection, we provide expert advice on whether to apply test-optional, how to interpret acceptance rates, and how to plan your early decision or early action strategy. This service is available at an hourly rate and is ideal for students looking to approach applications more strategically.
Extracurricular Framing & Resume Review
Your activities tell a story—and we help you tell it in the most compelling way possible. In this service, we guide students on how to describe their extracurriculars for the Common App and other applications, helping you highlight leadership, initiative, and impact. We also offer feedback on resumes for both college and scholarship applications, ensuring your experiences stand out clearly and professionally. Sessions are available by the hour.
Mock Interviews
If you’re preparing for alumni or admissions interviews, we’ll help you practice responding to common questions, build confidence, and refine your storytelling. We also teach students how to ask thoughtful questions that demonstrate genuine interest in each college. For students nearing the finish line, we offer full application reviews to ensure everything—from your essays to your activities list—tells a cohesive, authentic story. This service is offered on an hourly basis or as part of a larger application support package.
Passion Projects, Extracurricular Growth & Scholarship Coaching
For students looking to deepen their extracurriculars or stand out with unique initiatives, we offer coaching to help you discover or develop passion projects that reflect your interests and goals. We can help you identify clubs to join or lead, locate internships or research opportunities, and build meaningful experiences that set your application apart. We also provide support in finding and applying to scholarships, especially those aligned with your academic strengths, background, or passions. This service is great for students in grades 9–11 and is offered as hourly coaching with the option of goal tracking.
Meet Your Coaches
Sophia Rothman
Sophia Rothman is a freshman at Stanford University majoring in International Relations, with a strong interest in human rights, public policy, and civic engagement. Despite having dyslexia, Sophia has won 23 Scholastic Art and Writing Regional Awards and three National Medals, including the 2025 National Portfolio Scholarship, the country’s most prestigious teen writing honor. She also received an Honorable Mention in the 2023 Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate competition. Sophia is an editor for the social justice-themed literary journal Between the Lines. Recently, she was named a 2025 National Honor Society Scholarship winner, Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award Winner, Brawerman Fellow, and Cameron Impact Scholarship finalist.
In seventh grade, she founded the Let Girls Learn Club at her middle/high school, partnering with nonprofits like RefuSHE and Refugee Can Be to raise awareness and funds for girls’ education worldwide. Last fall, she launched an online tutoring program for refugee girls in Uganda, connecting students with girls in the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement to support their English literacy via Zoom. Additionally, Sophia founded the Heal Hate Initiative, a writing-based program that fosters dialogue and solidarity among students from diverse backgrounds by sharing personal experiences related to race and identity. Furthermore, Sophia has served on the Holocaust Museum LA Teen Advisory Board, which helps fight antisemitism through Holocaust education, and was a Memory to Action Fellow at the museum.
Sophia knows how to help students write essays that resonate and develop extracurricular profiles that truly stand out. With a background in writing, public service, and global advocacy, she brings warmth, insight, and practical guidance to every student she supports.
Cyrus Pirnia
Cyrus Pirnia is a freshman at Columbia University majoring in Economics, with a strong interest in international business and public policy. Though raised in Los Angeles, he brings a global outlook shaped by years of language study, including Japanese, Mandarin, and Farsi, and study abroad experiences in both Taiwan and Iran.
In high school, Cyrus founded and led his school’s World Affairs Council for three years, creating opportunities for students to engage directly with global leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and international diplomats. As Vice President of the school’s Model UN team, he helped organize and prepare students for conferences, where the team consistently earned top honors and awards. While serving on the LAUSD Magnet Student Advisory Council, he helped launch a districtwide AP mentorship program. Outside the classroom, he worked as a multilingual poll clerk for LA County during the primary elections, translating voting instructions in Chinese, Japanese, and Farsi. Cyrus also serves as a research assistant for UNC-Chapel Hill, where he conducts mental health research aimed at improving teen mental health in the United States. Lastly, Cyrus has run the 2025, 2024, and 2023 Los Angeles Marathons in partnership with the student running group Students Run LA (SRLA).
Cyrus also has firsthand experience navigating international college admissions. He successfully applied to universities in the United States, Canada, and China, giving him a broad perspective on global application strategies. He now uses that knowledge to help students explore international options and approach the admissions process with confidence and clarity.
Our Acceptances
And many more...
Why Choose Real Coach College Advising
Our Unique Advantages
Unlike traditional consultants, we’re current students at Columbia and Stanford who just went through the college admissions process ourselves. Our advice is fresh, relevant, and based on what actually worked for us.
Since we’re now in college, we can also help students find research opportunities, connect with professors, and get involved in clubs or internships that strengthen their applications.
Unlike large agencies where students are often assigned to a single consultant, we work as a team. With both Sophia and Cyrus collaborating on each student’s application, you benefit from two distinct perspectives, experiences, and strengths, ensuring well-rounded, thoughtful, and personalized support every step of the way.
Our Packages
1
Hourly Package
$40 per hour
Perfect for students who want targeted help with specific parts of the process: essay feedback, college list building, extracurricular review, mock interviews, or application strategy. Pay as you go, no commitment required.
2
UC Package
$300
Includes full support for the 4 UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) and application strategy for the University of California system. We’ll help you brainstorm, draft, revise, and polish responses, while guiding you on major selection, campus preferences, and extracurricular list.
3
Common App + Supplemental Package
$600 (+$200 per additional five essays)
This package includes comprehensive support for your Common App personal statement, from brainstorming ideas to final edits. We’ll also work with you on five supplemental essays, helping you refine your voice and tailor your responses to each institution. We’ll also provide feedback on your extracurricular list and activity descriptions to ensure your full application tells a cohesive, compelling story.