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Former UNC Professor | Helping Students Craft Standout Essays
Erica F.

5.0 (1,040 ratings)

2,959 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $275
Contact Erica
Response time: 4 minutes

About Erica

Bio

The stakes are high and the clock is ticking. You have ideas but aren’t sure where to start, or you worry your essays won’t stand out in a competitive admissions landscape. That’s where I come in.

Hi, I’m Dr. Erica. I’m a writing coach, experienced college admissions essay tutor, Fulbright Scholar, and former college professor with 13 years of experience helping students succeed in higher education.

I’ve guided hundreds of students through college application essays, medical school and...

The stakes are high and the clock is ticking. You have ideas but aren’t sure where to start, or you worry your essays won’t stand out in a competitive admissions landscape. That’s where I come in.

Hi, I’m Dr. Erica. I’m a writing coach, experienced college admissions essay tutor, Fulbright Scholar, and former college professor with 13 years of experience helping students succeed in higher education.

I’ve guided hundreds of students through college application essays, medical school and law school personal statements, graduate school essays, letters of continued interest (LOCIs), and other application materials. I provide a structured, step-by-step approach that prioritizes quality and efficiency—all while ensuring that your voice remains at the center of the work.

RECENT CLIENT SUCCESSES
*Medical schools: Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, WashU, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Wake Forest
*Law schools: University of Michigan, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, George Washington, Pepperdine
*Undergraduate institutions: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, University of Chicago, Georgetown, Northwestern

ABOUT ME

I earned my Ph.D. from UNC–Chapel Hill, where I held the university’s most prestigious doctoral fellowship, and have taught at both UNC–Chapel Hill and the UNC School of the Arts. I’m also an Essay Specialist with College Essay Guy.

If you’d like to see whether my approach is the right fit for you, I offer a free 15-minute intro call to discuss your goals and how I can help.

Read more

Education

Wake Forest University
English and Music
Florida State University
Masters
The University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
PhD

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $275
  • Rate details: Cancellations within 24 hours of the lesson start time and no-shows will be charged in full.
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • No background check

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

College Counseling

College Counseling

I am a writing coach, academic consultant, and former UNC professor who would be honored to guide you on your application journey. My students/clients have been accepted to a number of highly competitive universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, UMichigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Emory, UVA, and UNC-Chapel Hill. I work with students applying to college (Common App, UCs, Coalition, QuestBridge: personal statement, activities list, and supplemental essays), medical school (AMCAS, AACOMAS, TMDSAS: primaries and secondaries), law school, graduate school, and dental school. In addition to tutoring on Wyzant, I am an Essay Specialist with College Essay Guy (undergraduate and graduate school divisions.) All of my lessons are tailored to each student's needs, and I pride myself on my ability to bring clarity, meaning, and even fun (!) to the application process. I look forward to connecting with you and helping you achieve your goals!
Ear Training

Ear Training

I hold a Ph.D. in Music and taught music theory at UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC School of the Arts. For over 20 years, I have trained extensively in music theory, aural skills, and ear training. As an educator, I have developed many effective strategies and materials for helping students improve their ear training and sight-singing skills. I have over 12 years of experience teaching music in one-on-one and classroom settings and I absolutely love what I do!
English

English

I am a writing coach, academic consultant, and former UNC professor who would be honored to work with you. My areas of specialization include admissions essays (college/med school/law school/grad school), term papers, and dissertations/theses. I have been helping students improve their writing for over 12 years. After graduating with honors in English from Wake Forest University, I taught English as a foreign language in the Czech Republic as a Fulbright Scholar. I work with students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college in the following areas: grammar, reading comprehension, writing, literary analysis, and test preparation. I also enjoy working with adult and non-traditional students. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than helping my students improve their written and verbal communication skills.
General Music

General Music

I have over twelve years of experience teaching music to students of all ages and levels of advancement. I also have extensive experience teaching music online. I am a classically trained pianist and cellist and I hold undergraduate and advanced graduate degrees in music.
Literature

Literature

I graduated with honors in English from Wake Forest University, then went on to teach English abroad through the Fulbright Program. An experienced educator and former college professor, I enjoy working with students in middle school, high school, and college to strengthen their literary analysis and reading comprehension skills.
Music History

Music History

I hold a Ph.D. in Musicology (Music History) and have held faculty appointments at both UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC School of the Arts. I love helping my students more fully understand music's historical and cultural contexts! These broader understandings are highly useful for students of all interests and backgrounds, from seasoned performers to those who enjoy listening to music as a hobby. My areas of specialization include the history of Western art music (classical music) and world music. I have taught college courses on women in music, music appreciation, and more.
Music Theory

Music Theory

Ready to ace your music theory course or AP Music Theory exam? Let’s work together! I hold a Ph.D. in Music, a degree that requires advanced music theory expertise. I have also held faculty appointments at both UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC School of the Arts. I am eager to work with music theory students of all ages and levels of experience. I strive to help my students understand the building blocks of music and apply music theory principles to enhance their musicianship.
Piano

Piano

I hold a Ph.D. in Music and have worked with piano students of all ages for over 12 years. A classically trained pianist, I have played and studied piano for 25 years. I remain active as a solo pianist, accompanist (collaborative pianist), and ensemble coach in my home state of North Carolina. I love sharing the joys of music with others and celebrating my students’ accomplishments! Eager to guide students on their musical journeys with support and enthusiasm, I take a collaborative, student-centered approach to lessons. I excel in customizing lessons to students’ goals and interests. I encourage the development of well-rounded musicians by promoting healthy technical foundations, fostering artistic expression, and discussing music’s historical and cultural contexts. Lessons with me are always encouraging and prioritize artistry, technique, and fun!
Study Skills

Study Skills

I am a college professor who has extensive experience working with students of all ages (elementary school to adult) to hone their study skills. Nothing makes me happier than helping my students become confident, independent learners! My specialities include: time management, organizational skills, memory strategies, and setting actionable goals.
Writing

Writing

As a professional writing coach, I am committed to supporting you through every step of the writing process— from formulating ideas to assisting with edits and rewrites to ensure a dazzling final product. I specialize in helping students with application essays for college (Common App, Coalition, and QuestBridge: personal statement, activities list, and supplementals), medical school (AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS: primaries and secondaries), graduate school, and law school admissions, as well as term papers, theses, and conference presentations. Over the last 12 years, I have been honored to help my clients hone their writing skills, pursue their dreams, and achieve their highest potential. In addition to tutoring through Wyzant, I assist students with college essays and applications as an Essay Specialist with College Essay Guy, an industry leader in college counseling, I am also an author myself, with published work forthcoming through Manchester University Press.
Erica F.'s Photo

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Contact Erica
Response time: 4 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (1,040 ratings)
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Reviews

Erica is THE BEST!

Erica is a wonderful tutor in every way! When I started working with Erica on my personal statement for law school, I had no idea of what to include or how to write an essay that really reflected my personality and values. She was so patient and kind during the brainstorming process, and her expertise in admissions writing helped to calm my nerves about my own unfamiliarity with the subject. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who wants to ensure that their admissions essay is a polished, professional, and strategic representation of their life and experiences!

Peytyn, 9 lessons with Erica

Outstanding essay tutor

Erica was an invaluable resource for my son during the college application process. She worked with him on essays, activity descriptions, and application reviews. She also generously made herself available for last-minute questions and advice. When he got stuck, she helped him generate new ideas and figure out how to communicate what he wanted to say. In a supportive, positive way, Erica worked with him to refine his draft essays without changing his voice and pointed out where they could be clearer or stronger. After working with her, he felt much more confident about his essays and entire application. Erica is also very responsive and flexible, which made the whole process feel far less stressful for him and for us. We highly recommend her to any student navigating the college application process.

S, 11 lessons with Erica

The Absolute BEST

Erica is one of the best tutors I have ever met with. She is so incredibly kind and personable, and is so so intelligent and really wanted me to succeed and did everything she could to help me in any way. I cannot thank her enough for all her help with my college essays/applications. One of the best decisions I have made was meeting with her!!

Leila, 9 lessons with Erica

Erica is a gem!

Erica helped my daughter with her activity list and personal statement. She could tell that my daughter was sensitive to feedback regarding how some of her personal experiences fit into her essay, and she did a fantastic job navigating those conversations. Aside from my daughter feeling great about her end product, she grew personally and academically because of Erica’s approach.

Laura, 5 lessons with Erica

Amazing College Counselor!

Erica is an amazing college counselor! She has helped my son with his personal statement, supplemental essays & common app. Erica helped organize his thoughts for his personal essay and set goals to get it done. We are so grateful we found her!!! I only wish we had found her sooner.

Michelle, 10 lessons with Erica

Terrific College Counselor!

Erica is a very strong college counselor. She assists students in capturing and presenting themselves completely and succinctly. She is definitely a great choice for students going through the college application process.

Jonathan, 7 lessons with Erica

Great college essay writing coach!

Erica is helping my daughter with her college essays. She is personable, flexible and knowledgeable about the college essay writing process and they are off to a wonderful start! We look forward to continuing to work with Erica this summer.

Yolanda, 17 lessons with Erica

Creative, knowledgeable, and highly intellectual

Erica has been helping me create college essays from scratch in a matter just a couple weeks till the due date and she has been incredibly helpful with forming ideas to link and connect!

Matteo, 11 lessons with Erica

Extremely detailed oriented, guides you in the right direction

Erica is personable and detail-oriented. She was extremely helpful for reviewing my personal statement. Her expertise provided the reassurance I needed to confidently apply to school. With just one lesson with her she was able to give me the confidence I was missing. She excels in paying attention to the finer details and truly cares about understanding and sharing the full story. She follows up even after the session. Her support has been invaluable. Thank you Erica!

Jasmine, 1 lesson with Erica

The best writing tutor a college applicant can ask for

Erica is a savant when it comes to college application essays, knowing exactly what admissions committees are seeking in prospective students' writings. Furthermore, she is a phenomenal person - just an all-around nice person who is very approachable and understanding when you have questions, comments, and/or concerns about the application process or your writing. Her help aided me in getting accepted into my top choice for law school—George Washington University. To preface, I contacted her to assist me in writing my personal and identity statement essays for law school after vacillating for over a month between applying to law school for the 2025 cycle or taking the LSAT again and applying during the 2026 cycle to shore up my chances of getting into my target school(s). Suffice to say, opting for the former paid off - largely due to Erica's writing expertise. During our first tutoring session, Erica showed me two personal statements examples—one from a traditional applicant, the other from a nontraditional applicant (which I was)—so I could get a sense of the writing style law schools were looking for. We also brainstormed potential personal and identity statement topics that related to my academic, professional, and life experiences. She was able to help me weave topics that were seemingly unrelated into a coherent statement, wherein everything written carried substance, were interrelated, and served a direct purpose as to why I wanted to attend X school. In future sessions, I would come to her with drafts, and she would provide her feedback, which I would then incorporate in subsequent drafts. I found her feedback and suggestions to be well-founded and very useful. I also provided my own input on my drafts to get her opinion, and oftentimes she agreed with my ideas and helped me incorporate my own feedback. Within 2 weeks, she helped me generate a personal and identity statement that contributed to being accepted to my top choice. While I was awaiting a decision from GW, we worked on other applications. Specifically, she assisted me in repurposing the core components of my identity and personal statements to expedite the application process, while still keeping the same level of writing quality. Moreover, Erica offered her insight on how to repurpose my statements to meet the varying requirements, namely length (words or pages), for each school as well as general writing advice that I will employ in writing assignments I have once I am in law school. I am very grateful to have met Erica and to have worked with her. I hope other college applicants, undergraduate and postgraduate, who want/need help writing marvelous essays that will bolster their chances of getting into their top choice hire her as their tutor. I promise it is worth it.

Paul, 9 lessons with Erica
Hourly Rate: $275
Response time: 4 minutes
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