Overview: AIɫɫAdvisor.com Client Success Stories
AIɫɫAdvisor has guided thousands of students through the college application process. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing each student’s unique journey and achievements firsthand. Every student’s path to college looks different, and we’re grateful to play a role in helping students reach their goals.
In our Client Success Stories, we spotlight what it’s really like applying to college with the help of an expert college advisor. Through these interviews, students reflect on their college application journeys, the challenges they faced, and the successes they achieved along the way. Our hope is that these experiences also encourage other students in their college admissions journeys —no matter where they are in the process.
In this Client Success Story, we talked to Alaina Bonanni, a motivated student who sought help to get into the program of her dreams.
Meet Alaina
Originally from Pennsylvania, Alaina spent her high school years in North Carolina. Outside of her classes, Alaina has always been a strong leader in the activities that matter most to her. Most notably, she’s spent years volunteering with the . Her brother is a Special Olympian, so the experience has been especially meaningful for her.
“I volunteer for Special Olympics, which is less of volunteering and more just me doing it for fun. I do Special Olympics swimming, and I just got to be a certified coach in that this winter. And then I do Special Olympics horseback riding. I also volunteer for bocce and track.”
Apart from volunteering, one of Alaina’s favorite things to do is horseback riding. Since a young age, she’s loved animals, and that passion has played a major role in shaping her academic interests and future career plans.
“I’ve known I wanted to work with animals since I was little,” she told us, ”and for me, I don’t want to be in a building all day. I want to be out doing stuff…so in sixth grade I started horseback riding and I’m like, I really enjoy this. I really like this. What is a way I could do this as a career? But you know, I still love my dogs, my cats, the bunnies, all of that. So that’s when I’m like, ‘Okay, well let’s go into veterinary medicine.’”
While she couldn’t exactly study veterinary science in high school, Alaina took a somewhat related course taught by her favorite teacher: health science. She explained, “It help[ed] me a little bit [with] the general terminology…but it’s humans, which is what health science focuses more on. But when we practice injections and bandaging and all that, it still can translate to veterinary medicine.”
Alaina’s Feelings About the AIɫɫ Application Process
As a self-starter, Alaina wasn’t necessarily nervous about her college applications — she just didn’t know where to begin. She did, however, come into the process with a few programs in mind. Alaina said, “I picked the schools based off of their ranking for vet school. [I thought] they should have decent undergrad programs when it comes to veterinary medicine.”
She also knew the big ideas of the application process: Common App, essays, extracurriculars. But the specifics on how to actually complete all these tasks while crafting a competitive application wasn’t something she felt confident tackling on her own.
“I knew I had to use the Common App,” she recalled, “because I wanted to go out of state, so I had to do it through there. I didn’t know how to add stuff. I know I created an account, but that’s all I did. I was really worried about that. And I was worried about essays because I knew you needed one essay and then I knew you needed extra essays, but I had no idea what to do for that. I pretty much had no idea before AIɫɫAdvisor about any of the application process.”
Getting Started with AIɫɫAdvisor
Knowing she had to dive into the college application process soon, Alaina was relieved to receive an email from AIɫɫAdvisor with a description of their services. She knew she could find support at her school, but she was worried that it wouldn’t be personalized enough.
Intrigued by the free consultation, Alaina and her parents decided to see what it was all about. “That meeting was very eye opening to all of us,” she said. “My favorite thing was that [AIɫɫAdvisor] will walk you through everything, and I don’t have to control and worry about it as much. With AIɫɫAdvisor…I need to pay attention, but I don’t have to go to sleep stressing over it. They’re here to help me, they’re here to guide me.”
Alaina and her parents thought she would benefit from working with the experts at AIɫɫAdvisor. So, shortly after their initial consultation, Alaina started working with her advisors. While she was initially paired with two advisors, they were changed during the process due to unforeseen circumstances. “That was the most nerve-wracking part,” Alaina told us. ”But the transition was great…we picked up right where I left off.”
Alaina’s advisors were and . On working with all of her advisors, she said, “It was great. I absolutely loved it, and I liked all the support I got.”
Building a More Complete AIɫɫ List
One of the most surprising parts of the process to Alaina was the sheer number of colleges that she would need to apply to. Initially, Alaina was only planning to apply to three or four colleges. However, her advisors helped her expand that list in order to have more options and better opportunities.
Luckily, Alaina already knew what she wanted to study. That knowledge helped her and her advisors create a college list that made sense for her. What else was Alaina looking for in a college? “Definitely a decent price,” she told us. “I didn’t want to go too expensive, especially with needing to go to vet school… And I don’t want to have a lot of college debt.”
Alaina was also open to studying out of state. In fact she welcomed it, so location wasn’t a huge factor in her decision process. Her main two criteria were a good undergraduate veterinary medicine program and an affordable price. With those in mind, her advisors helped her create her college list of twelve schools.
Tackling the AIɫɫ Essays
Many students find the sheer number of college essays they need to write overwhelming. While Alaina wasn’t necessarily stressing over the essays, she did find them to be one of the most challenging parts of the application process.
She told us, “It was the fact that I had to keep rewriting my essays. That was the hardest part for me, because I am a writer where it’s like, I’ll write once, and then I’ll rewrite it another time, but then I’m done.”
The adage “writing is rewriting” was not lost on Alaina during the essay process. Her advisors encouraged her to continue rewriting in order to get the best versions of her essays possible. But they also provided plenty of feedback along the way. Here’s what Alaina had to say about working on her essays with her advisors: “Hannah was great. I loved doing [the essays] with her because she made it fun. She’s like, ‘No, they don’t really like this, but this is great.’ So I’d change it.”
With her advisors encouraging her and working alongside her, Alaina was even able to find the process enjoyable. She recalled, “I remember one day, it was probably my favorite day of AIɫɫAdvisor. It was when I first got all my essay [prompts]. And I just started typing and typing. I probably worked for six or seven hours during the day out on the porch. And Hannah was editing them [simultaneously]. Then we had a meeting that night together. So that was my favorite day because I could see all the progress, and she was actively working [while I was]. We were going back and forth.”
Alaina’s Favorite Part of AIɫɫ Advising and Applications
Oftentimes, the college application season is thought of as a stressful and difficult time for students and their families. However, having extra support throughout the process, from experts who do it each year, can be a huge relief to many. Alaina loved having the support of her advisors throughout, and it helped her to stay on track with all of her deadlines.
However, her favorite part of the entire experience was seeing the tangible advancements she made throughout. She said, “It’s not really one part [that was my favorite], it’s kind of the progression. I love seeing the progress. You know, I loved when I ended and I was like, ‘Okay, your Common App is pretty much done. Now let’s do your essays.’ And then I love seeing my personal essay done and then advancing to the others.”
She also benefited greatly from the reassurance of having others look over her work and give her feedback throughout the process. Alaina knew that when it was over, she was submitting her best application possible. She said, “At the end, when it was time to submit, it was like I didn’t have to worry about it… I trust [the advisors] know what they’re doing. I’m gonna trust them and they’ll get me through it, and I don’t have to worry.”
Alaina also knew that her advisors were always available to her. Whether through email or an extra meeting, she had the support and guidance she needed when she needed it.
Alaina’s Admissions Results and the Road Ahead
Alaina ended up applying to twelve schools, most of which she applied to by the early decision or early action deadlines. “I applied to University of Georgia, Texas A&M, North Carolina State, University of Florida, Ohio State, University of Delaware, University of Massachusetts, Colorado State, Auburn University, Cornell, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State.”
Overall, Alaina had extremely impressive admissions results: she was accepted to nine of the twelve schools she applied to, and received plenty of scholarships. “It was nice because I technically got an in-state tuition [scholarship] for University of Delaware, Mississippi State, and Colorado State. And then I think Massachusetts also gave me a scholarship as well.”
With financial accessibility a main criterion for Alaina, earning these scholarships granted her the opportunity to choose from various out-of-state schools at an affordable price. In the end, she decided to go to a school that wasn’t even on her initial list. She said, “I decided to do Mississippi State University, which was not on my list at all. But it was actually [my first advisor who recommended it]. It was the last college I added.”
With a good undergraduate program for , it was a logical addition to her college list. Alaina explained what else sold her on : “We went to see it in the winter and I absolutely loved it. It was by far my favorite tour. I loved everything about it. I loved the support. I loved the environment. So that really helped me. And then I got into the honors college, so that’s another big plus… It just really fit me.”
Alaina’s Advice for Future Applicants
For those embarking on the college application process, there are plenty of tips out there on how start. After going through the process, Alaina has her own words of wisdom to offer on the matter.
“I would say don’t stress about it. And I would say just be yourself and find what makes you happy…and find your interests. Even if you don’t know them yet, just go where your heart and your gut leads you. That’s my best advice because you want to enjoy life.”
Alaina urges students to venture outside of their comfort zones to truly explore what they enjoy. Having found a love for animals, she knew where she might end up professionally from a young age. However, she mentions the importance of enjoying the present moment, too. She said, “I wish I would’ve enjoyed it more in ninth and tenth grade when I was taking all the big AP classes and doing all that. Then I did dual enrollment in eleventh grade and I was really focused on that. [So, my advice is] enjoy it.”
Why AIɫɫAdvisor?
Alaina is an impressive student with an exciting future. She’s excited to continue her studies at Mississippi State University, preparing for her career as a veterinarian. Indeed, pursuing one of her passions led Alaina to her perfect fit university.
Having help from the experts can help to ease the college admissions process. In Alaina’s case, she’ll end up attending a university she hadn’t previously considered thanks to an advisor’s recommendation. She was also able to have support throughout the entire process, especially with her essays. This allowed her to submit her applications and feel confident that she had put her best foot forward, with an application narrative that was true to her and her aspirations.
No matter if you’re starting your college list or applying to scholarships, our team has experts that can help you through the process. Apart from one-on-one advising, students also have access to other opportunities such as an essay editing team, financial aid help, interview prep, and more.
AIɫɫAdvisor has years of experience in assisting students and families with all different preferences and needs through the college admissions process. with us today!
This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how can support you in the college application process.
