Davud Skenderi
College admissions counselor for first-gen and non-traditional students
| Hourly rate range | $70 to $130 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students |
Davud Skenderi is a college admissions counselor who works one on one with students on essays, activities lists and school strategy. He focuses on first-generation and non-traditional students aiming at top schools. His students have gone on to Columbia, Yale, Princeton and Stanford. He also coaches for programs like the Summer Science Program and Yale Young Global Scholars.
What Davud helps with
Davud helps students find the story behind their application and turn it into strong essays and a clear school plan.
- Finding the personal story for an application
- Writing personal statements and supplements draft by draft
- Shaping an activities list and résumé
- Choosing schools that fit the story
- Applying to Ivy League and other top schools
- Getting into selective summer programs
- Applying with little access to connections or guidance
Who Davud works with
Davud works with students who are first-generation, non-traditional or short on connections. He also works with students aiming at schools that feel out of reach. His students have gone on to Columbia, Yale, Princeton and Stanford, and into selective programs like the Summer Science Program and Yale Young Global Scholars.
How Davud works
Davud does not hand out templates. He works one on one with each student to find the moments and strengths that make them who they are. Then they build an application narrative around those points. The work moves through the personal statement and supplements draft by draft. It also covers the activities list, the résumé and which schools fit the story. Package options include essay work, application foundations, and research and competitive program help.
Background and qualifications
Davud is a Columbia Engineering student. He was a first-generation, low-income high schooler who learned the application process on his own. Davis Scholar, with offers from Johns Hopkins, NYU Shanghai and Georgia Tech. Since then he has earned spots in competitive research programs without a network, including a synthetic biology residency in Barcelona and a global summer research program that took 16 students from 1,100 applicants.
Davud Skenderi pricing
Programs and services
- Application essay package
- Application foundations: Résumé, activities and strategy
- Research and competitive program accelerator
- Custom hourly coaching
Davud Skenderi reviews
Davud Skenderi has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 12 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
The CoachVouch take
He got into Columbia as a first-generation, low-income student with no guidance, and now coaches others through the same path.
Best for first-generation or non-traditional students aiming at Ivy League and other top schools.
Common questions
How much does Davud Skenderi charge?
Coaching with Davud runs $70 to $130 an hour. Request an intro for an exact quote.
What does Davud Skenderi help with?
Davud Skenderi helps with finding the personal story for an application, writing personal statements and supplements draft by draft, shaping an activities list and résumé and choosing schools that fit the story.
Does Davud Skenderi have reviews?
Davud Skenderi has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 12 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
Does Davud Skenderi help with research and summer programs?
Yes. His students have gone into programs like the Summer Science Program and Yale Young Global Scholars, and he offers a package for research and competitive programs.
Does Davud use essay templates?
No. He works one on one with each student to find their own story and builds the essays around it, draft by draft.
How do I contact Davud Skenderi?
Request an intro on this page. It's free, and we'll connect you with Davud and, if you want, 2 or 3 similar coaches to compare.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.