College Essay Coaching

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• How do I discover my unique qualities and values?
• What's the best structure to use in my college essays?
• How do I make my skills and interests stand out?
• Can I get feedback from people who know what colleges are looking for?
• How do I find uncommon topics to write about if I don't feel like I have a life-changing story to tell?
• How can I stay on course to finish early and avoid rushing things at the last minute?

Writing your college essay can be a daunting task. These 650 words or less – your personal statement to colleges – will be one of the most important pieces of writing you’ve done in your life. We will identify key elements you want to highlight in your personal statement, supplemental essays, and resume. Um, feeling nervous? Under pressure?  You don’t have to face a blank page alone. I’ll teach you how to take something that seems so ordinary, so mundane, and write it so vividly that it ends up extraordinary.

Before we meet, I’ll send you a few questions to help me get to know you. This frees us up to dig in immediately when we connect and begin the 3-step process.

Step I:  

Uncover the Real You &  Create Compelling Stories

Help you develop a personal strategy that starts with going deep, reflecting, and understanding your core values to unravel your authentic story—or stories—digging deeper to discover the core values, skills, and interests that make you . . . you.  How will this essay stand out from the rest? I’ll also provide the perspective of a former college admissions counsellor in answering questions like: does this student come across as curious, open, likable? 

Step II:

Find your "Hook" and Develop a Strong Structure 

Work together to find the best hook, to end with a “bang” and to get rid of any prose that weighs down the writing. We will help you decide on the best structure for your admissions essays, whether that's a single narrative, a montage of moments, or something else entirely. I’ll help you with grammar and spelling to avoid distracting errors. 

Step III:

Pursuit of the Right Fit

We'll help you clarify your ideas, upleveling your paragraphs, and bring more personal insight to your writing before you submit. We will make sure that you are the right student for the right college.