We recently connected with Melody Dao and have shared our conversation below.

Melody, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My social media presence on Instagram and TikTok provides guidance to underserved high school students navigating the college application process. As a first-generation, low-income (FGLI) student myself, I was unaware of the nuances and strategies needed to succeed. I invested countless hours researching different opportunities and resources, eventually earning a full scholarship to a top 15 university—a goal that once seemed unfathomable.

I remember the exact moment I received my college acceptance. It felt like all these years of hard work finally paid off and I was so excited for a new chapter in my life! Yet, there was a feeling of incompleteness, where I knew so much about college applications, but I no longer have to apply this information to any other aspect of my life. Receiving that acceptance letter was a pivotal moment – while validating years of effort, it also sparked a sense of purpose that has guided me since. I want to provide others the mentorship I had wished for. Throughout my journey, I longed for someone to unravel the mystery of “getting in” and point me to unknown scholarships and essay tips. Now that I have such a deep understanding of the college application system, I feel compelled to become that guiding hand for students following my path.

My mission is to expand access and opportunity by sharing the knowledge I’ve gained through my own college application journey. Through informational videos and social media posts, I aim to demystify the process by transparently recounting my personal experiences and the strategies that helped me earn a full scholarship. I not only speak on my own experiences, but also share various resources—like lesser-known scholarships—that students may have otherwise overlooked. My goal is to provide a holistic perspective to help students understand what it takes to put together a compelling application, referencing multiple sources to offer thorough guidance. Ultimately, I want to empower capable young people to dream big, take risks, and unlock their full potential. If I can help even one student feel the life-changing rush of an acceptance letter, I will have succeeded in creating small, meaningful change.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m currently a sophomore at Rice University majoring in business and minoring in entrepreneurship and data science. I’ve always been fascinated by social media and marketing. While some may say these industries are oversaturated, I believe there is still great potential if leveraged correctly.

While there were many education-focused accounts on TikTok and Instagram, I noticed a lack of free, student-perspective guidance on the college application process itself. The existing options were primarily expensive private consulting firms charging thousands of dollars. My goal was to create an accessible platform where any student could gain the key insights needed to get into their dream school at no cost. Students overwhelmingly say that advice directly from other students is the most helpful, relatable, and practical. I aim to be the account that any high schooler can turn to for candid, actionable application tips tailored to their needs. I offer some low-cost services as well, which help sustain my business while staying affordable for students from all backgrounds.

Now, through my social media platforms, I create content on topics like scholarship opportunities, college essay writing strategies, and developing passion projects. Some of my most popular videos cover passion projects– extracurricular activities focused on making an impact based on a student’s unique interests and passions. These types of projects demonstrate dedication, initiative, creativity, and authentic excitement about a chosen field. I think my audience especially appreciates these videos because I encourage exploring diverse ideas to find what students are truly passionate about, noting how critical meaningful extracurriculars are for college applications. My goal is to inspire self-reflection that guides students to discover and pursue their genuine interests through these types of passion-driven projects. Ultimately, passion projects should be not only impressive on applications, but also genuinely engaging and rewarding to build.

My mission is to create an open, judgment-free platform where all students can access the college application knowledge I wished I had. I am most proud of the supportive community that has developed through my platform. It brings me joy to see followers thoughtfully engaging with each other’s questions in the comments, collectively furthering everyone’s knowledge about the college application process.

The main thing I want viewers to know is that I only share proven methods that I and others have used to earn top acceptances and funding. My goal is to provide reliable, tailored advice to empower capable students from all backgrounds to achieve their academic dreams.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My biggest advice for building a social media presence is to start creating consistently. Everyone, even mega-influencers, began with content that looks very different from what it is now. The more you create, the better quality and more efficient you will become. Once you identify your target audience, strategically plan content that provides value to those followers. Ask yourself – what would my ideal audience find this content relatable, educational or inspirational? The key is creating content people genuinely want to consume because it speaks to them. Stay persistent and let your skills develop over time. Remember, every creator started from zero at some point. Consistency and commitment are key.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

It’s crucial to listen to your audience, especially through social media comments. I often get video requests and recurring questions in the comments, which signal interest in a particular topic. If multiple people are asking the same thing, that’s a clear sign I should create content around it. I aim to address the topics my audience cares about most. Once their questions are answered in a new video, they actively engage with it by liking, sharing, and tagging friends. Satisfying my audience’s interests drives more interaction and social media algorithms read the large engagement as a sign to push out my content more, thus, growing my viewership and following.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studyforyoubestie/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-dao/