College Application Essay Coach - Brown University Writing Fellow

Alexandra W.

I specialize in helping students craft compelling college essays to set their applications apart. College essays offer a unique opportunity to speak directly to admissions officers, and I guide students through every stage of the process - from brainstorming to final draft.

MY BACKGROUND: I am a Brown University graduate (3.86 GPA) with a BA in Political Science and five years of tutoring and teaching experience.

Prior to coaching independently, I tutored students on personal statements and supplemental college essays at a private tutoring company, in a public school Writing Center, and in a high school English Department - leading workshops, developing essay curricula, and tutoring one-on-one. As an SAT tutor at two test prep companies, I helped students achieve an average 240-point score increase. I am also a former classroom English teacher at an independent school, where I designed and taught courses, including one on memoir, the college essay style.

At Brown, I was selected as a University Writing Fellow, completed a semester-long training seminar on writing instruction, and coached peers on their academic essays for five semesters. My coursework includes Writing Workshop, Fiction Writing, and Persuasive Communication. I earned perfect SAT scores (800s) in Writing and Reading and 91st and 99th percentile scores on GRE Analytical Writing and Verbal Reasoning.

ESSAY PROCESS: My approach breaks the essay process into three steps: discovering, structuring, and polishing an essay story, and is tailored to individual strengths - whether students need brainstorming assistance, writing guidance, or a keen revising eye. I help students overcome application anxiety by providing clear steps and creative strategies that demystify the essay process. I offer writing exercises, tropes to avoid, sample essays, and storytelling structures that lead to progress with every session. Combining structured guidance and creative collaboration, I help students discover their unique voice - the key to a standout essay.