Five years ago, I was in your position: applying to my dream schools without the foggiest clue of how to write a personal statement. My parents weren’t familiar with the American college admissions process and I had no legacy connection. I dreamed of going to a top school, but while my academics were strong, I didn’t have the extraordinary extracurricular CV that many applicants to these schools have. Nevertheless, I was admitted to Columbia (where I've just graduated from, cum laude, as a...
Five years ago, I was in your position: applying to my dream schools without the foggiest clue of how to write a personal statement. My parents weren’t familiar with the American college admissions process and I had no legacy connection. I dreamed of going to a top school, but while my academics were strong, I didn’t have the extraordinary extracurricular CV that many applicants to these schools have. Nevertheless, I was admitted to Columbia (where I've just graduated from, cum laude, as a John Jay Scholar), Stanford, Duke, UPenn, Brown, Cornell, and several other highly selective universities. How did I do it?
My essays made the difference. The good news is that you don’t need an extraordinary life story to write an extraordinary essay. What you need is to learn how to pay attention: to your experiences, thoughts, relationships, and world.
That’s what we’ll do together.
To begin, we’ll look beyond the obvious accomplishments on your résumé to find the experiences that reveal something meaningful about who you are. Then, we’ll take a trip to your subconscious by way of non-judgmental free-writing, shape what we find there into a structured narrative, rigorously outline to pre-empt writer’s block, and get to drafting. Finally, we’ll revise until the essay is compelling and unmistakably yours.
As a nationally-recognized writer (National Silver Medalist and Three Regional Gold Keys from the 2021 National Scholastic Writing Awards) with four years of experience as an editor on Columbia campus publications and as a college essay coach (helping my students get admitted to schools like Columbia, UPenn, Duke and more), I have the story sense to help you turn your essay into gold.
Five years ago, I was in your position. I know how daunting (and utterly unconducive to creativity) the admissions process can be, but I’m here to show you that writing your personal statement can be a deeply rewarding experience.
I’m excited to write with you!
