For parents
Your child's success, guided by students who've been there
Luminao connects high school students with verified college students for honest, affordable college essay guidance. Here's everything you need to know.
How Luminao works
Browse mentors
Your child browses mentor profiles, reads their bios, reviews, and sample essays to find the right fit.
Book a session
Book a 1-hour video session at the mentor's listed rate. Pay securely by card.
Get real feedback
Your child meets with their mentor live. The mentor gives honest feedback to strengthen the essay.
Safety is built in
All sessions happen on the Luminao platform. There's no need to share personal contact information. Every mentor is verified through an official .edu email address.
Common parent questions
Who are the mentors?
All mentors are verified current college students at accredited US universities. They verify their enrollment through their official .edu email address. We do not allow alumni, non-students, or external tutors.
Is this ethical and academically honest?
Yes. Mentors help students brainstorm, find their voice, give feedback on structure and storytelling — the same role a parent, teacher, or school counselor might play. Students write their own essays. We have a strict academic integrity policy and mentors agree to it before joining.
How does payment work?
Parents pay per session at the mentor's listed rate. There are no subscriptions or long-term commitments. You can pay by card and receive a receipt for every booking.
Can I see what happens in a session?
Sessions are recorded (with the student's consent) and the recording is available to the student after. We encourage students to share session notes or recordings with parents.
What if we're not satisfied?
Contact us within 24 hours of any session and we'll make it right with a full refund, no questions asked.
Is my child's information safe?
We collect only the minimum information needed to run the platform. Payment is handled by Stripe. We never sell personal data. See our full privacy policy for details.
Ready to get started?
Have your child create a free account to browse mentors — no payment required until they book.