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WRITE UNIQUE COLLEGE ESSAYS Interview coaching, too.
Shelley L.

4.9 (300 ratings)

1,463 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $75
Contact Shelley

Response time: 2 hours

Shelley L.'s Photo
Shelley L.'s Photo Shelley L.'s Photo

WRITE UNIQUE COLLEGE ESSAYS Interview coaching, too.
WRITE UNIQUE COLLEGE ESSAYS Interview coaching, too.
Shelley L.

4.9 (300 ratings)

1,463 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
4.9 (300 ratings)

1,463 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Shelley

Bio

I'm happy to say that my students have gained admission to Berkeley, Cambridge, Cornell, Dartmouth, NYU, Oberlin, Oxford, Pratt, Purdue, Sarah Lawrence, Stanford, UCLA, UCSD, Michigan, University of Virginia, USC, UT at Austin, Tulane, Vassar, Yale , and other wonderful schools.

I have extensive experience helping students find the perfect anecdote to write about. If you tell a compelling story, your essay will stand out. This is crucial since each reader goes through hundreds of essays for...

I'm happy to say that my students have gained admission to Berkeley, Cambridge, Cornell, Dartmouth, NYU, Oberlin, Oxford, Pratt, Purdue, Sarah Lawrence, Stanford, UCLA, UCSD, Michigan, University of Virginia, USC, UT at Austin, Tulane, Vassar, Yale , and other wonderful schools.

I have extensive experience helping students find the perfect anecdote to write about. If you tell a compelling story, your essay will stand out. This is crucial since each reader goes through hundreds of essays for a months.
Finally, it's best to write your essays over the summer when you have time to think and rewrite! Your fall senior semester asks a lot of you; make it a bit easier on yourself.

On preparing you for interviews...

After interviewing thousands of people over the 25 years of her talk show, Oprah Winfrey tells an amazing story: she says that at the end of each interview when the cameras were shut off, every guest asked the same question: "Was that okay?" Whether her guest was a reformed white supremacist or the President of the United States, each person feared they weren't up to par., so you are not alone as you face an interview with trepidation.

As an interview coach, in just one hour or even less, you will learn what needs to happen between you and the interviewer. Few of us have been taught how to handle an interview though we all face them at some time. Once you understand that the interviewer also has a lot riding on meeting you, you'll be able to remove the spotlight on you. That way you will connect with person you are facing and appear as your best true self.

On Screenwriting...

I so enjoy teaching screenwriting; it's complex, challenging and fun. Whether you're learning the basics, or you've written many screenplays, I know that if we both work hard, a workable, and maybe even wonderful, story will emerge.

Read more

Education

Queens College, City University of New York
Communication Arts
Queens College, City University of New York
Masters
American Film Institute Conservatory, Los Angeles, CA
Masters

Policies

Schedule

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Subjects

Art

Film,

Film

I am a member of the Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Happily, I received an M.F.A from The American Film Institute, and managed to win the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short for my AFI film. I've taught acting in various New York schools and Advanced Screenwriting at USC. Often I prepare applicants for film schools by coaching them through their essays and helping them ace their interviews through "rehearsals." Needless to say, it's a joy for me pay forward all the instruction and support I've received.
Theater

Theater

I have written and directed plays as well as directed episodic television. I have won major awards in the entertainment industry.

Business

Career Development,

Career Development

As a speech coach, I have "rehearsed" many adults before they face job interviews, school interviews and auditions and dates! I have been astounded every time I coach someone at how quickly their presentation improves. Also I've learned that even the most talented and brightest of applicants is often unaware of what interviewers look for, appreciate and expect. That is why I find this work incredibly rewarding and stimulating.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

I have a Bachelor and Master's degree in Speech and have taught public speaking to adults (businessmen and politicians) as well as to high school and college students. I have personally spoken at very large gatherings where I feel very comfortable. I most enjoy working with adults and teens as they face job and school interviews.

Corporate Training

Career Development,

Career Development

As a speech coach, I have "rehearsed" many adults before they face job interviews, school interviews and auditions and dates! I have been astounded every time I coach someone at how quickly their presentation improves. Also I've learned that even the most talented and brightest of applicants is often unaware of what interviewers look for, appreciate and expect. That is why I find this work incredibly rewarding and stimulating.
Proofreading,

Proofreading

Having taught English at the high school and college level, and as a member of the Writers Guild of America, proofreading comes very easily to me. The novelist James Michener said, "I am not a very good writer but I am an excellent rewriter." I totally get that; it is only with editing that I am able to write well. What is more, I think this is true for everyone. This is why I find proofreading satisfying. I also act as consultant to professors and professional writers.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

I have a Bachelor and Master's degree in Speech and have taught public speaking to adults (businessmen and politicians) as well as to high school and college students. I have personally spoken at very large gatherings where I feel very comfortable. I most enjoy working with adults and teens as they face job and school interviews.

Elementary Education

Vocabulary

English

Proofreading,

Proofreading

Having taught English at the high school and college level, and as a member of the Writers Guild of America, proofreading comes very easily to me. The novelist James Michener said, "I am not a very good writer but I am an excellent rewriter." I totally get that; it is only with editing that I am able to write well. What is more, I think this is true for everyone. This is why I find proofreading satisfying. I also act as consultant to professors and professional writers.
Public Speaking,

Public Speaking

I have a Bachelor and Master's degree in Speech and have taught public speaking to adults (businessmen and politicians) as well as to high school and college students. I have personally spoken at very large gatherings where I feel very comfortable. I most enjoy working with adults and teens as they face job and school interviews.
Writing,

Writing

Years as a high school Speech, Film and Drama teacher, followed by work as a college Screenwriting, Essay Writing instructor, taught me how to teach writing. I will help you find a terrific topic to write about, one that is authentic, surprising and attention-getting. You will also learn many ways to improve your writing easily and quickly.
Vocabulary

Homeschool

Writing

Writing

Years as a high school Speech, Film and Drama teacher, followed by work as a college Screenwriting, Essay Writing instructor, taught me how to teach writing. I will help you find a terrific topic to write about, one that is authentic, surprising and attention-getting. You will also learn many ways to improve your writing easily and quickly.

Most Popular

Writing

Writing

Years as a high school Speech, Film and Drama teacher, followed by work as a college Screenwriting, Essay Writing instructor, taught me how to teach writing. I will help you find a terrific topic to write about, one that is authentic, surprising and attention-getting. You will also learn many ways to improve your writing easily and quickly.

Other

College Counseling

College Counseling

First, you will want to know that my students have gone on to Berkeley, Colorado College, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Oberlin, Pepperdine, Pratt Institute, Santa Clara, Sarah Lawrence, Stanford (early action), UCLA, University of Oxford, UC San Diego, University of Virginia, University Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Puget Sound, Purdue, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin, Yale (early action) and many other wonderful schools. When I work with you on your college application essays, my goal is to help you write attention-getting, authentic and meaningful essays. Ultimately, we are looking for a result that makes clear what your contribution to the college will be. Are you an out-of-the-box thinker, a humanitarian, a problem solver, an ethicist, an entrepreneur? The challenge you face is to show and not tell the admissions officer what your gift is; this is where I am best able to help you. We need to find that one specific story that clearly demonstrates who you are. A challenging task but well worth the effort! When possible, I urge you to spend time on the supplemental essays as well. They too must be well-written, otherwise the admissions officer thinks you may have received too much outside help if the quality of the writing varies. My students have been successful because my prompts inevitably produce original work, and my numerous and simple tips for writing insure quick and impressive results. Finally, I urge rising seniors to consider working on the personal statements and supplementals during the summer since the fall semester requires you to focus on good grades, SAT scores, obtaining recommendations, completing volunteer hours and of course, applying to colleges! If you can remove one important task from the list, it will help you. And quality time spent on the essays often pays off down the line.

Special Needs

Speech

Speech

I majored in Speech in undergraduate and graduate schools and therefore hold two degrees in the subject. I taught Public Speaking at the high school level and also at a professional school for adults interested in improving their public speaking abilities. We worked with politicians and business people for the most part.

Summer

Writing

Writing

Years as a high school Speech, Film and Drama teacher, followed by work as a college Screenwriting, Essay Writing instructor, taught me how to teach writing. I will help you find a terrific topic to write about, one that is authentic, surprising and attention-getting. You will also learn many ways to improve your writing easily and quickly.

Test Preparation

Career Development,

Career Development

As a speech coach, I have "rehearsed" many adults before they face job interviews, school interviews and auditions and dates! I have been astounded every time I coach someone at how quickly their presentation improves. Also I've learned that even the most talented and brightest of applicants is often unaware of what interviewers look for, appreciate and expect. That is why I find this work incredibly rewarding and stimulating.
College Counseling

College Counseling

First, you will want to know that my students have gone on to Berkeley, Colorado College, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Oberlin, Pepperdine, Pratt Institute, Santa Clara, Sarah Lawrence, Stanford (early action), UCLA, University of Oxford, UC San Diego, University of Virginia, University Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Puget Sound, Purdue, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin, Yale (early action) and many other wonderful schools. When I work with you on your college application essays, my goal is to help you write attention-getting, authentic and meaningful essays. Ultimately, we are looking for a result that makes clear what your contribution to the college will be. Are you an out-of-the-box thinker, a humanitarian, a problem solver, an ethicist, an entrepreneur? The challenge you face is to show and not tell the admissions officer what your gift is; this is where I am best able to help you. We need to find that one specific story that clearly demonstrates who you are. A challenging task but well worth the effort! When possible, I urge you to spend time on the supplemental essays as well. They too must be well-written, otherwise the admissions officer thinks you may have received too much outside help if the quality of the writing varies. My students have been successful because my prompts inevitably produce original work, and my numerous and simple tips for writing insure quick and impressive results. Finally, I urge rising seniors to consider working on the personal statements and supplementals during the summer since the fall semester requires you to focus on good grades, SAT scores, obtaining recommendations, completing volunteer hours and of course, applying to colleges! If you can remove one important task from the list, it will help you. And quality time spent on the essays often pays off down the line.

Examples of Expertise

Shelley has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 7 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

See all of Shelley ’s answers ›

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.9 (300 ratings)
5 star
(271)
4 star
(19)
3 star
(7)
2 star
(2)
1 star
(1)

Reviews

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See all reviews interesting creative knowledgeable ideas excellent

Intelligent and tactful mentor

Shelley was incredible! I have had 3 sessions with her so far and her feedback has been amazingly insightful on many levels. She takes care to praise your strengths, but clearly articulates areas for improvement. Her tactful approach to giving feedback was very important to me because I tend to focus on my flaws. Her reassurance that I was making progress motivated me to recognize the weaker aspects of my work and think critically about the changes I needed to make. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone interested in essay feedback and look forward to working with her in the future.

Sydney, 3 lessons with Shelley

Knowledgeable and patient tutor

Shelley reviewed the college application process at a high level, then focused on the techniques to write an essay. She explained things in a fun way, make it easy to relate to.

Haiyan, 12 lessons with Shelley

Knowledgeable and patient tutor

Ms. Shelley is spontaneous and great tutor. She is helping my son with college essays. She helped our son with several essays. She is very prompt with editing and charges are very reasonable.

Anu, 12 lessons with Shelley

great teacher

Shelly jumped right in and helped my son get his essay ready to submit. We will use her again for sure!

Jodie, 4 lessons with Shelley

great teacher

Shelly jumped right in and helped my son get his essay ready to submit. We will use her again for sure!

Jodie, 4 lessons with Shelley

Screenwriting Inspo

I purchased a lesson from Shelley for my husband for his birthday. Just to get some feedback for his personal hobby of screenwriting. He seemed to come away excited, inspired, and more confident—which was exactly the goal. :)

Jessica, 1 lesson with Shelley

Encouraging and Very Skilled!

I really liked how Shelley not only coached my on my writing skills, but she taught me how to overcome my inner-voice telling me that my writing wasn't strong enough. She is not only a great teacher but also a great encouraged with TONS of knowledge to share! I really enjoyed my lesson with her, and I'm looking forward to more!

Kaylee, 4 lessons with Shelley

Supportive and Knowledgeable tutor

Shelley worked with my daughter on college essay writing. My daughter was not sure what to expect, but the time Shelley spent with her my daughter felt prepared to start writing her essays. Shelley was able to streamline her message and get to the heart and focus of the essays quickly.

Lori, 2 lessons with Shelley

Great editor!

Has helped me clarify and refine my college essays! She is knowledgeable about the UC application process. Very promptly gets back with helpful, concise feedback. Easy to work with. I would strongly recommend her

Ted, 4 lessons with Shelley
Hourly Rate: $75
Response time: 2 hours
Contact Shelley