Search
Rayner J.'s Photo
Rayner J.'s Photo Rayner J.'s Photo

Ivy League Admissions & Essay Coach | Executive Coach | Duke & Harvard
Rayner J.

5.0 (61 ratings)

198 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $400
Contact Rayner
Response time: 49 minutes

About Rayner

Bio

My students have been admitted to Harvard, Yale (3), Stanford, Princeton, Brown (2), Penn (2), Cornell (2), MIT, UChicago, Duke (2), Dartmouth, Northwestern (2), Georgetown, Emory (2), Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, CMU, UT Austin, UW, and many more.

How does a student with a 3.5 GPA make it to the top of the waitlist of a #1 program while those with higher GPAs were rejected? How does a student receive multiple offers from Top 10 schools with personal notes from admissions...

My students have been admitted to Harvard, Yale (3), Stanford, Princeton, Brown (2), Penn (2), Cornell (2), MIT, UChicago, Duke (2), Dartmouth, Northwestern (2), Georgetown, Emory (2), Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, CMU, UT Austin, UW, and many more.

How does a student with a 3.5 GPA make it to the top of the waitlist of a #1 program while those with higher GPAs were rejected? How does a student receive multiple offers from Top 10 schools with personal notes from admissions officers and offers to fly to visit campus? They trust me to help them tell their stories.

I help students get an edge in college admissions, college essays (Common App and supplementals), and career navigation while finding a sense of peace and joy. With 10+ years of experience in education, including time in one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premier consultancies, my students achieve outstanding results and my knowledge, skills, and abilities make me one of the most sought after counselors on the market.

Having trained with admissions directors from Stanford and worked with admissions officers from Columbia, UVA, and Duke, I have strong insights into how decisions are made. I am an Integral Coach®, which means I am trained to work with you in an ethical and empowering way. Besides knowing the admissions process, I coach leaders in higher education, which gives me further insight into colleges' priorities.

My writing has also been widely recognized. The Duke English Director of Undergraduate Studies called my work "an academic achievement," and distinguished Harvard professors have placed my writing in the Top 4%. I have been published on the Gates Foundation website and have been mentioned multiple times by 4x #1 NYT Bestselling Author Marianne Williamson for my writing and insights into the human condition.

Looking forward to meeting. I hope to help you discover who you are, find your place in the world, and reach your full potential.

Read more

Education

Duke University, Honors
Cultural Anthropology, Political Science
Northeastern University, In Progress
MBA
Harvard University
Graduate Coursework

Additional Languages

Mandarin Chinese

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $400
  • Rate details: Rates can vary, particularly for workplace professionals, founders, and thought leaders.
  • Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 1/5/2024

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

Loading...

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Approved Subjects

Anthropology

Anthropology

With a BA in Cultural Anthropology, I help students learn the art of anthropology. With field experience on three continents and distinction awards from top professors at Duke University, cultural analysis and ethnography are my forte. My scholarship has appeared in CNN, WSJ, and FT and been featured in multiple outlets by a 7x bestselling author.
Business

Business

I'm an MBA Fellow with training in finance, innovation, marketing, operations, and organizational behavior. As a serial entrepreneur and ICF-certified coach, I specialize in helping early-stage founders connect business strategy with personal alignment. Whether you're launching a new venture or sharpening your strategic thinking, I’ll help you approach business with clarity, creativity, and rigor. I often coach people who've already earned their MBAs, and my approach is grounded, practical, and human, designed to help you succeed in a way that helps you feel more whole, not less.
Career Development

Career Development

I am a certified Integral Coach® and Duke Alumni Career Coach specializing in helping people discover their purpose and find careers that fit their unique interests and capacities. I'm also part of the writing team at Teal HQ, helping you master your job search. Using a range of career development skills and whole-person technologies, I help my students become One Self, living in full alignment in and beyond their careers.
College Counseling

College Counseling

I am a Duke Honors graduate with several years of experience working with high school students. I specialize in building strong personal statements and applications and can also select courses, extracurriculars, and colleges for the right student. My students have gained admission to Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, UChicago, Duke, Dartmouth, Berkeley, and MIT—but most importantly, they have also reported experiencing power and confidence and an ability to reveal their true selves.
English

English

I don't take fluency in English for granted. As someone who went from having English as a second language to "most improved" in AP English to receiving academic honors from the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Duke English Department, I know what it's like to struggle—and succeed!—in this subject. My writing has been recognized by 7x bestselling author Marianne Williamson, among other esteemed writers and thinkers, and my students have received admission to Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. I would be happy to support you in your reading and writing journey.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

As an essay writer featured by 4x NYT Bestselling authors and recognized by professors at Yale, Harvard, and UChicago, I help students craft standout essays that add value to the field and make a point. I know how to turn complex ideas into powerful prose, and teach students how to deepen, structure, and elevate their writing. Whether for high-stakes academic essays or advanced coursework, you’ll learn to transcend formulaic writing and make your ideas shine with insight and precision.
Personal Statements

Personal Statements

I’m a Duke Honors graduate and admissions strategist specializing in powerful college and graduate school essays. My students have been admitted to Yale, Cornell, Brown, Stanford, and Berkeley—with many receiving merit scholarships, honors program offers, and personal recognition from admissions officers. Together, we'll uncover your authentic story, craft standout narratives, and help you present yourself with clarity and confidence. Whether you're applying to college, medical or law school, or a competitive fellowship, I’ll help your application make a lasting impression.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

Public speaking is in my DNA. My speaking career took off when I placed 4th in California State as a freshman behind three national finalists, won the CA State Championship, and became president of the US's #1 high school speech and debate team. Since then, I have gone on to work as a remote speech coach, record professional voiceovers, give seminars at places like Duke, Harvard, and NYU (where senior PR veterans gave me a rare 5-star rating), and speak on panels, podcasts, and at national conferences. I would be delighted to support you with your public speaking and presentation goals.
Reading

Reading

Reading a text is like reading the room—it takes time and practice to understand what's being said in any situation. Recognized by esteemed English and Cultural Anthropology professors and a 4x NYT Bestselling Author for my reading comprehension abilities and situational awareness, I would be glad to help you make sense of any text you need. I've read everything from the Tao Te Ching to James Joyce's Ulysses and will join you in understanding texts deeply and clearly.
Religion

Religion

I am a certified Integral Coach® who has used my knowledge of the world's religions to help many people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds reach their goals. I study more well-known religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Taoism, and have also investigated alternative spiritualities as well. I have been published in professional psychospiritual magazines, was a Duke Chapel Scholar, and have been invited to speak at the Harvard Divinity School. I would be glad to help you in your study of religious and spiritual texts and the wisdom they can reveal about the nature of reality and the human condition.
Writing

Writing

I help people write compelling essays. Writing is a fine art, and the best writing engages all of who we are. I've worked as a managing editor for business publications and have been recognized by 7x bestselling author Marianne Williamson in various media outlets, including The Intercept, for my writing. Ask me anything—I will gladly help you craft an essay that makes a dent in the universe.
Rayner J.'s Photo

Questions? Contact Rayner before you book.

Still have questions?

Contact Rayner
Response time: 49 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (61 ratings)
5 star
(61)
4 star
(0)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Amazing and Efficient Essay Writer

When I first met Rayner, I was in a college essay crisis. I was completely lost on how to fix my common application essay, and deadlines were approaching in less than two weeks. Over my lessons with Rayner, he was able to quickly catch onto what message I was attempting to deliver within my essays. Then, he masterfully revised, edited, and helped me portray my message clearly yet beautifully, resulting in a truly wonderful essay. Through this common app essay, I was accepted to Johns Hopkins and UPenn, with my admissions officers even complimenting my essays. Rayner truly is a wizard, and I highly recommend him as a tutor.

JaeJun, 3 lessons with Rayner
Tutor responded:

I couldn't be happier for you, JJ. You have an amazing story and I know you'll do amazing things!

Extremely knowledgeable, patient, and supportive.

Ray is outstanding! My son truly hit the jackpot working with him. He is Ray is outstanding! My son truly hit the jackpot working with him. He is extremely knowledgeable, patient, and supportive. We highly recommend Ray to anyone seeking guidance with essays and supportive. We highly recommend Ray to anyone seeking guidance with essays.

Julia, 1 lesson with Rayner

Excellent Tutor

I had the pleasure of working with Rayner for help with college. Rayner is incredibly talented, and patient. I was helped with all the work I had. Also, communication was very easy and quick, I highly recommend Rayner as a tutor! Thank you : )

Anonymous, 3 lessons with Rayner

Clear and Constructive

Rayner and I had three sessions where we worked on my personal statement for colleges. Over the course of our sessions, Rayner helped me draft ideas and explore different options for writing the essay. He was very helpful in getting my ideas into words and sentences that sounded both engaging and concise. Rayner was very attentive in listening to what I had to say, and he had helpful constructive feedback that guided the essay in the right direction. Overall, Rayner is a great tutor and person to ask for help for writing advice, and he can quickly implement ideas.

Johnston, 3 lessons with Rayner

Incredibly helpful!

Rayner helped us immensely with the Personal Statement of a university application in a very tight timeline. He made himself available on multiple occasions as he knew we were marching against a very tight timeline. Most importantly, Rayner was such a pleasure to work with. He got to know my son, asking him very thoughtful questions, spending time understanding what he was trying to convey in his writing. My son was really stuck and so frustrated and finding Rayner was the best gift! We really appreciated his patience, his sound advice and his superb guidance. Honestly, had we not found Rayner, I think my son would have delayed applying full stop. Rayner gave us hope and helped my son create a piece of work he was truly proud of! Could not recommend him more.

Barbara, 3 lessons with Rayner

Very helpful and inspiring

I had an alumni interview prep with Rayner. It is super helpful for me to learn about the process of/how to prepare for my alumni interview. Beyond that, I learned a lot more about Duke and it is wonderful to talk with Rayner as an individual.

Yuchen, 1 lesson with Rayner
Tutor responded:

Super excited for you, Yuchen!

Knowledgable and Understanding Tutor!

Rayner gave me useful insight on how I could improve my personal statement, he was clear in his explanations, and considerate of all aspects of my application. He assisted me in understanding the centralized theme of my application and ways in which I can further emphasize it.

Ariana, 3 lessons with Rayner

Confident and engaging tutor.

Rayner is always extremely engaged and very cooperative. Bringing in thoughtful ideas and always trying to provide as much knowledge as he can to the table. Every question I had he always answered to the best of his ability and when coming to the work he always gave great advice. I always look forward to working with Rayner as he is always trying to help in any way he can!

Charles, 18 lessons with Rayner

Great lesson

Great review! Provided feedback on improvement and content flow. Strengthen the content and make the message of the essay more prominent

Renjish, 2 lessons with Rayner
Hourly Rate: $400
Response time: 49 minutes
Contact Rayner