Sonya Petkova
College admissions counselor for international and ambitious students
| Hourly rate range | $70 to $130 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students |
| Experience | 8 years coaching |
| Practice | The College Master |
Sonya Petkova is a college admissions counselor who helps students find their own voice in their applications. She has worked with ambitious students from around the world for over 8 years, and many of them are international. She grew up in Eastern Europe and came to the United States as an international student on a full scholarship. She also works as a writer and artist. She takes on a limited number of students at a time.
What Sonya helps with
Sonya helps students plan their college applications and write essays that sound like them. She also supports test prep and master's program applications.
- Finding colleges that fit a student's story and strengths
- Writing college essays in a student's real voice
- Applying to U.S. schools as an international student
- SAT test prep
- TOEFL test prep
- Master's program applications
Who Sonya works with
Sonya works with ambitious students from all over the world. Many are international students who are far from home and facing the pressure of a new application system. She keeps her caseload small so each student gets her full attention.
How Sonya works
Sonya builds a plan around each student. The plan starts with the student's story, strengths and the schools where they can do well. She starts by getting to know who the student is before talking about where to apply. She takes on a limited number of students at a time, and she supports them at every step of the process.
Background and qualifications
Sonya grew up in Eastern Europe and came to the United States as an international student on a full scholarship. She went through the American application system herself, including standardized tests in a second language. She has coached students for over 8 years, and many of them are international. Outside of coaching, she is a writer and artist. Her service areas include college admissions, SAT and TOEFL prep, and master's programs.
Sonya Petkova pricing
Programs and services
- College admissions counseling
- Admissions essay consulting
- SAT prep
- TOEFL prep
- Master's program admissions
- Message chat before starting
Sonya Petkova reviews
Sonya Petkova has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 8 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
The CoachVouch take
Sonya went through the U.S. application process herself as an international student on a full scholarship, and she caps how many students she takes on.
Best for international students who want essays in their own voice and a plan built around their story.
Common questions
How much does Sonya Petkova charge?
Coaching with Sonya runs $70 to $130 an hour. Request an intro for an exact quote.
What does Sonya Petkova help with?
Sonya Petkova helps with finding colleges that fit a student's story and strengths, writing college essays in a student's real voice, applying to U.S. schools as an international student and sAT test prep.
Does Sonya Petkova have reviews?
Sonya Petkova has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 8 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
Does Sonya Petkova work with international students?
Yes. Many of the students she has worked with over 8 years are international and far from home. She was an international student herself.
Does Sonya help with test prep?
Yes. She offers SAT and TOEFL prep along with admissions and essay consulting.
How do I contact Sonya Petkova?
Request an intro on this page. It's free, and we'll connect you with Sonya and, if you want, 2 or 3 similar coaches to compare.
Similar coaches to compare
Tick "Compare" on any coach to add them to your intro request.
Christian Hansen
Christian Hansen is a full-time admissions counselor who helps students get into college, MBA and master's programs. He is a former Associate Director of the MBA program at UC Irvine and a former member of BYU's Admissions Committee. He also ran internships for LG Electronics in South Korea and China. He wrote the book The Influence Mindset and uses its ideas to teach students personal influence. He says every one of his students got into one of their top 3 programs.
Hailee DeMott
Hailee DeMott is an Independent Educational Consultant who helps students and families plan for college and graduate school. She owns DeMott College and Education Consulting. Before starting her practice, she worked in student recruitment and admissions, academic advising, and as a faculty member. She is a 2013 Fulbright Scholar who studied in Berlin and Strasbourg. She also serves as the Las Vegas Community Coordinator for the Higher Education Consultants Association.
Hamid Arbab
Hamid Arbab is an admissions consultant who helps applicants with college, law school and policy school applications. He has coached 60+ applicants on school selection, essays and overall strategy, including international applicants. He got into Harvard Law School two years early through the Junior Deferral Program. He studied at Princeton and is now a Marshall Scholar and DPhil candidate at Oxford. He focuses on making every part of an application point in the same direction.
Julia Rivera
Julia Rivera is an independent educational consultant in the Dominican Republic. She helps international students get into universities in the USA and other countries. Before starting her practice, she worked in the admissions department of a Chicago college, so she knows how schools review applicants. She guides students and parents through college selection, applications, essays, test prep, and scholarships. She also advises on graduate school and medical residencies.
Browse related
Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.