Collaborating with Fritzie de Mata**

From the very beginning, working with Fritzie over the past month has been a delightful experience. Shes incredibly easy to connect with and genuinely understands the challenges Ive faced. When I first started our advising sessions, I felt almost fully prepared with my college list, extracurricular activities, and initial plans. However, Fritzie redirected my focus, especially when it came to essay writing.She introduced a brilliant strategy by starting with the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), which she affectionately calls The Gift That Keeps on Givingand it truly is. Focusing on the PIQs first made it much simpler to complete my other applications, such as QuestBridge and the Common Application. Many of the PIQs mirrored questions from these applications, allowing me to reuse and slightly adjust my essays, which made the entire process more efficient.Before tackling the PIQs, I was unsure about what to write. My original ideas were completely different from what I ended up expressing, and I actually preferred the final topics. During a one-on-one session, Fritzie asked me a series of thoughtful questions that I answered thoroughly. These questions sparked my writing process, and she helped me identify my strengths, which proved to be spot on.Her guidance on essay topics made everything so much easier. Being able to brainstorm ideas with her and then jot them down helped me clarify my thoughts and enhance my writing. Shes also fantastic at editing and condensing my essays when needed. There were times I worried about exceeding word limits, but she was always reassuring and understanding when I reached out. I never had any issues because she is genuinely kind and committed to helping.In summary, Fritzie is one of the best, if not the top, mentors Ive worked with, and Im incredibly grateful to have her support throughout the college admissions process. If I could give her a rating higher than 5, I absolutely would.