Reviews
“Nancy Heleno was a tremendous asset during my daughter’s college essay writing process. She really took the time to get to know my daughter and what makes her unique. Nancy has a great understanding of what admissions officers look for in an applicant and was able to help outline the steps to writing an effective essay. Her critiques were positive and her ability to help rephrase ideas really helped our daughter write her best essays. We were thrilled when she was accepted into six top colleges! Our experience far exceeded our expectations and I highly recommend Nancy for any student starting the college application process.”
~ Jill, New Jersey
“I was surprised when my son, a top student and excellent musician, had trouble with his college admissions essays. Nancy helped him with a step-by-step plan. The process took more time than my son believed it would due to his high school competency, which was what Nancy told him to expect during our consultation. This essay process is nothing like he saw in high school. Recently, he compared his first drafts to his final drafts and was astonished at the progress thanks to Nancy’s help. We are all elated that he will be attending his first choice college! We’ll be back with her soon as my daughter is a rising senior.”
~ Joe, Michigan
“When I met Nancy Heleno I was a retired teacher, counselor, and principal from California. Nancy came to me as an advisor and editor for a middle school charter school application; I was very impressed and was pleased with her proposed curriculum and culture when she showed me her draft. I was not at all surprised when she and her team received the charter as well as the State grant with more funds than requested – a first in Colorado. Obviously, she has excellent writing skills. Nancy also has unique people skills. She often spoke to parents and students during information and recruiting sessions. Nancy met each student exactly where they were educationally, and gave them challenges to grow and improve themselves at their pace. Each of the three schools Nancy has been involved in from inception is very successful. So much so that the third school she helped open was the first in the state to have a lottery its first year. I strongly believe that she will be a great help to anyone writing their college essay. You’ll be glad you got her help and advice. Good luck to you all.
~ Ann Flatten, Arizona
“My son has an IEP and has worked extra hard to achieve in school. While STEM courses come easily to him, English and writing courses do not. I hired Nancy to supplement my son’s high school writing curriculum. She has a special way. Having a clinical psychology research background and listening to many emotional parents while she was founding schools shows in her patience and humor. Knowing that she had previously worked with ESL students helped me choose her. She appreciated my son and he came to become comfortable with the writing process.”
~ Natalie, Ohio
“Prior to assuming the role of Board Chair, I had the honor of getting to know Nancy Heleno as a dedicated leader in the field of education during her tenure as founding Board President for a project based learning charter middle school in Colorado. Her commitment to the daunting and overwhelming responsibility of opening a school that meets all stakeholder needs – students, parents, state Board of Education standards, and chartering authority – was inspiring and the school flourished into one of the State’s highest performing within a few short years. A powerful and motivating speaker and writer, Nancy knows how to capture an audience’s imagination, listen to their needs, and execute to their dreams- talents she puts to incredible use helping high school students in their college application preparation. Nancy has worked with my eldest son (a rising Junior) and me over the past year to help us understand the college application process and how to choose the colleges for his focus. I am a single mom, and an immigrant from a country with a higher education system vastly different to here; I had no idea where to begin. Nancy used grace, patience, and a personal approach to help us learn about the process of choosing and applying for college, and as a result of her early coaching my son was accepted into a summer college institute for high schoolers this June for his current top college choice. I am excited to continue working with Nancy as she coaches my son for his college applications a year from now.”
~ Erin Patla, Colorado
“As a graduate student, I have worked with Nancy on journal article submissions and grant applications. Since she has a clinical background in psychology research and has been professionally published, she not only helped me as an editor, but has made significant suggestions regarding my research. Interestingly, through her MBA background she has made practical suggestions for applications of my ideas. I am very grateful for her editorial suggestions and overall support!”
~ Elisa, Georgia
“When I first wrote my college essay, my thoughts were all over the map. I have dyslexia and felt reassured knowing one of the three schools Nancy Heleno worked on opening is a school for high achieving dyslexic students. She talked to me about my passions and experiences and helped me organize my thoughts. I liked working in google docs after conversations with Nancy because I could take my time and think about her suggestions. It was also helpful to read other suggestions she left in the document. It was a great combination of talking to her, listening to her guidance, and writing at my own pace. I got into my top choice college and am grateful to Nancy for helping me with that and improving my overall confidence as a writer using her techniques.”
~Ben, Arizona
“I have worked with Nancy Heleno on a professional level and a personal level. As the Founding Volunteer Coordinator of Animas High School, I worked with Nancy in her capacity as Founding Board Member. She worked tirelessly in her pro bono position for the betterment of our community, bringing together people with differing points of view, getting her hands literally dirty remodeling the school structure, listening to concerned parents, and writing the weighted-average document to assess the Head of School applicants. Personally, my son benefitted from her knowledge, listening skills, and encouragement when she boiled down brain science to guide him with his academic questions. Years later, she coached him to prepare for his first ‘real job’ as a newly graduated electrical engineer after the pandemic, when no one was hiring new graduates- he found he would not have been prepared for the interview without her help and landed his dream job! I am confident she will work tirelessly, with expertise and compassion, with your child, too.”
~Kathy, Colorado
“What seemed like a daunting task at first was made so much easier with Nancy’s help. She really got to know me as a person and helped me from start to finish with the college process. She was extremely dedicated, helpful, and motivating throughout the whole experience. I am proud to say she is one of the reasons I was accepted into numerous colleges and universities, some of which specifically mentioned excerpts from my supplemental essays in my acceptance letters!
~Alyssa, New Jersey
“I am a 7th grade dropout. My academic path is unlike most Nancy has worked with. When I contacted her, my master’s capstone was looming over me. We started with my Purpose Statement, and she walked me through each step of the capstone project. Since she has taught college, she can easily decipher instructor notes and requirements. After a triumphant capstone paper, Nancy worked with me on my personal statements for doctoral programs; I am well on my way toward my Ph.D.”
~Mick, Florida
“Nancy Heleno was an inspirational leader who led a community-wide effort to establish new charter schools in Durango. She kept the group working well together, did the lion’s share of the writing, and held the vision for an exceptional new school. It was an honor to work alongside her, learn from her, and be part of this project. Nancy is top notch: brilliant, creative, and inspirational!”
~Jenny Bruell, California, Inaugural Board Member, Mountain Middle School
“As an international Ph.D. student, I not only needed an editor for my electrical engineering dissertation, but also someone who would take the time to decipher the meaning of my broken English. This was not an easy task because my dissertation was on Image Processing Improvements in X-ray Machines in Third World Countries. Ms. Heleno has a knack of being able to dive into any topic and educate herself on it so she brings so much more to you than just editorial help. She even brought to my attention commonalities in two sections of my 100 page paper that I had not thought to connect. She really cares about your goals.”
~ Hongquan, Wisconsin
“When a business colleague told me I ‘needed’ to get a coach for my step-daughter’s college essay, I was skeptical. I said she didn’t need help because she was an excellent student and a good writer. I found Nancy and was proved wrong. The process from my step-daughter’s first draft to her final draft was a real eye-opener. First, I did not expect the process to take so many steps. Second, Nancy was a cheerleader for my step-daughter all the way, especially when she was fatigued or doubting herself. Her final drafts were exceptional and she is happily on her way to college.”
~ David, Florida
“I thought since I had gotten great grades, I wouldn’t have a problem with my essays. But I had writer’s block and no teacher to help me through it since these essays were for college applications. I admit, I cried once because my drafts kept getting revised. But I learned so much during the process that I am already using in college. I am in film school and Nancy’s work in theater and Hollywood really helped my creative writing process. I am attending my first choice school and am so happy!”
~ Caitlin, Denver
“As an Inaugural Board Member I worked with Nancy Heleno in her role as Board President of a new charter school. I observed her listening to every comment by the Colorado Charter School Institute Board and watched her subsequently work unremittingly, sometimes sleeping in her office, to meet and exceed the charter application requirements. Nancy even utilized a free service of Colorado State editors and advisors with the award-winning Colorado League of Charter Schools for four revisions (that’s three times more submissions for editorial revision than any previous school). She also worked with my son on his college essay, and he was accepted into his most desired college. Nancy will work with you or your child/student with encouragement and competence.”
~ Kristy, Colorado
And many more happy clients!