I help students create compelling college admissions essays and personal statements. By breaking the task into manageable pieces, students learn how to organize and execute a polished essay. I walk students through each step, ensuring that they enjoy the process and emerge with well-constructed essays that highlight their accomplishments.

In the pre-writing stage we carefully consider each prompt, selecting the one that best aligns with the student's achievements and experiences. During this stage, students reflect on their time in high school as we make a list of all pertinent ideas that could be used in the essay. Because the essay should reflect both the student's personal values as well as the university's values, we discuss the ways that the two can be blended.

After selecting a prompt, we create an outline. This step provides an opportunity to ensure that ideas are well-organized and that the question has been addressed with strong support.

We then begin the first of three rounds of edits, focusing on the structure of the piece. We ask questions such as: Does the essay flow naturally between sentences and paragraphs? Are there any weak rhetorical choices that need to be corrected?

Once satisfied with the structure, we move on to the revision stage. In this stage, we are giving the essay's structure a final check and fine-tuning the syntax, word-choice, and flow. The essay will then go through a final edit in which each sentence is examined for cliches, grammar, and fact veracity.

The proven result of this process is a more confident writer and an essay that portrays their achievements in the best possible light.

As an essay consultant for students applying to highly-selective universities such as: UMass Amherst, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn State, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and University of Maryland as well as prestigious programs such as Yale Global Scholars, I have gained insight in how to guide students through the essay writing process.