Peer Mentorship Made My American Dream Make Sense

By Rafael G. (not his real name), Student from Brazil

Growing up in São Paulo, the idea of studying in the U.S. was more fantasy than plan. I knew a few people who had gone abroad, but I never imagined I could be one of them. I had great grades, sure, and I did well in math olympiads, but everything else—the essays, the SAT, the financial aid process—was a mystery.

What made it harder was that I was raised not to brag. In Brazilian culture, we don’t usually talk openly about our accomplishments. So writing essays that centered me felt almost wrong.

That’s where Mariana (not her real name), my peer mentor, came in. She was a student from Colombia attending a university in Florida. She had gone through the same process, including applying for aid as an international student. She knew the mental blocks I was facing.

She helped me see that I could talk about my community work and my role in organizing neighborhood cleanups not as an afterthought, but as core to my identity. She guided me through the differences in cultural expectations, clarified the role of personal voice in American essays, and even helped me find programs that didn’t require the SAT due to COVID-era policies.

She was also honest with me about the financial side. Many American schools don’t offer financial aid to international students—or they only offer merit scholarships, not need-based aid. Mariana helped me identify a shortlist of institutions that were both need-aware and generous. We built a strategy around applying to those. She even reviewed my CSS Profile and helped me avoid small errors that could have delayed my application.

By the time I submitted my final applications, I felt like I understood the system—and more importantly, I understood myself better. When I got into two of my top-choice schools with financial aid packages that made it possible to attend, I called Mariana first. We cried on the phone together.

My dream didn’t come true by accident. It came true because someone who had been in my shoes helped me see that it was possible—and walked beside me every step of the way.