Advice from a friend
already in college.
Luminao is a marketplace where high-school applicants book college students for a free 15-minute intro, essay feedback and 1:1 video calls.
Luminao was founded by Evan Kong, a student at USC’s Marshall School of Business.
It started from one observation. The best college advice he and his friends got didn’t come from consultants charging hundreds an hour. It came from friends already in college.
Luminao is built by college students, and priced so more families can get that kind of help.
How it works
The full walkthrough- Step 1Pick a college studentBy the college you want.
- Step 2Meet free for 15 minutesOn video. No card needed.
- Step 3Get feedback or a callEssay edits, 60-min calls.
- Step 4Payment heldUntil the work is done.
Nothing over $60.
Private admissions consultants often charge $200–300 an hour. A college student who just went through it can help for far less.
The price you see is the full price, with no added fees.
See pricingFour rules we
don’t bend.
They hold for every mentor and every booking.
Mentors never write essays
They give feedback on the student’s own draft. The student decides what to keep.
Human feedback only
Every suggestion is labeled ‘Mentor suggestion’. Luminao uses no AI on essays.
Every mentor is a verified college student
Mentors confirm their college email with a one-time code. We review every profile before it goes live. We don’t run background checks.
How Luminao keeps this safeYour payment is held
An essay payment waits until the mentor delivers. Not delivered within 3 days? Automatic full refund. A call payment is released only after the session.
Refund policy
Who’s building Luminao.
Luminao is new. Instead of big numbers, here’s who runs it and how to reach us.
- Evan KongCo-Founder & CEO · USC Marshall School of Business
- Parker SmallCMO · Arizona State University
Start with a free 15-minute intro.
No card needed. Every student gets 3.