Hello parents and college essay writers! I'm so glad you're here and I look forward to working with you as you begin your college essay writing journey. Keep on reading to learn more about me and how I can help you write your best college essays.
I've coached over 500 juniors and seniors on their college essays over the past four years as high school writing center coordinator. Before that, I coached at the University of Minnesota Center for Writing for eight years, helping students at all levels with a variety of application essays for scholarships and internships; programs like pre-med and Carlson School of Management; graduate school programs; and even research and teaching statements for Ph.D. students applying for faculty positions.
I know the college essay genre inside and out, and with over 20 years of experience teaching and studying the craft of writing, I know how to get writers from the blank page to compelling, effective, and (most importantly) finished essays.
I've coached over 500 juniors and seniors on their college essays over the past four years as high school writing center coordinator. Before that, I coached at the University of Minnesota Center for Writing for eight years, helping students at all levels with a variety of application essays for scholarships and internships; programs like pre-med and Carlson School of Management; graduate school programs; and even research and teaching statements for Ph.D. students applying for faculty positions.
I know the college essay genre inside and out, and with over 20 years of experience teaching and studying the craft of writing, I know how to get writers from the blank page to compelling, effective, and (most importantly) finished essays.
As a justice-oriented writing coach, I believe in the transformative power of language. I approach the college essay as a way to help writers transform their understanding of themselves - their resilience, their strengths, and their core values!
Writing a college essay is also a unique opportunity to consider how your own story is interwoven with broader cultural stories about race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomics, and even colonialism (hello mission trip essays!)
No college essay writing coach can guarantee any specific outcome because the essays are just a small part of the application process. What I can guarantee, is that writers will create essays that tell memorable stories that demonstrate their strengths and values, their resilience and humility, and most importantly, their readiness for the college or university experience.
If you’d like your young person to get the most out of the college essay writing process, I’d love to help them craft an essay that showcases their character, resilience, and strengths while helping them to reflect on their own burgeoning transformation to adulthood.
I offer a wide range of services to suit any budget and varying degrees of support and independence—from 90-minute workshops to an all-inclusive college essay coaching package. I also offer scholarships and reduced-rate services for low-income students or students from underrepresented groups.
If you'd like to know more about my college coaching philosophy check out my college essay coaching blog post. Check out the rest of this page to learn about my services and tuition, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions.
No college essay writing coach can guarantee any specific outcome because the essays are just a small part of the application process. What I can guarantee, is that writers will create essays that tell memorable stories that demonstrate their strengths and values, their resilience and humility, and most importantly, their readiness for the college or university experience.
If you’d like your young person to get the most out of the college essay writing process, I’d love to help them craft an essay that showcases their character, resilience, and strengths while helping them to reflect on their own burgeoning transformation to adulthood.
I offer a wide range of services to suit any budget and varying degrees of support and independence—from 90-minute workshops to an all-inclusive college essay coaching package. I also offer scholarships and reduced-rate services for low-income students or students from underrepresented groups.
If you'd like to know more about my college coaching philosophy check out my college essay coaching blog post. Check out the rest of this page to learn about my services and tuition, and be sure to reach out if you have any questions.
College Essay Coaching Packages
*If using a mobile device, scroll right to view all packages
Your Common App or Coalition Essay is generally the most important essay in the college application process. It is also a good place to invest your resources because the same essay goes to multiple schools. You may also want to use this package for a school-specific long-form essay. With this package, you can start with nothing and end with a complete draft of your essay.
This package includes:
Tuition: $400
*Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
This package includes:
- Independent inventory and brainstorming activities
- One-hour get-started Session*
- Similar content to the Common App Workshop but customized to your specific needs
- Learn about the Common App, Coalition Essay, or another long-form essay required by a target school (institutional purpose, your goal, key components, tone, structure, etc.)
- Develop suggested schedule and strategies for writing the essay
- Engage in brainstorming exercises
- Your values/attributes/perspectives
- Good stories
- Other essay seeds
- Leave with a list of topics and strategies for getting started
- Two hours of 1:1 coaching*
- For each hour of coaching, you will submit a draft and receive written feedback before the session
- During the session, we will work together to develop a revision plan. This may involve brainstorming, asking curiosity questions, identifying key points and extraneous content, etc.
- Written feedback on up to three additional drafts of the same essay
Tuition: $400
*Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
There are so many different kinds of supplemental essays! From "why this school," to "diverse perspectives," to "extenuating circumstances," to "what color M&M would you be?" Supplementals can be short (like hashtag short) and apparently simple or long and challenging (explain any weaknesses in your application). This package helps you understand what supplemental essays are about, which ones you should and shouldn't answer, and how to get started. The package is flexible: you decide what you want to cover within the time and word limits.
The Supplemental Essays Package includes
Tuition: $300
Double up: 1 intro hour, 2 coaching hours, 1200 words = $500
The Supplemental Essays Package includes
- One hour intro to supplemental essays based on the Supplemental Essays Workshop but tailored to your needs
- One hour of 1:1 coaching and brainstorming for any and all supplemental essays. Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions
- Up to three rounds of feedback on up to 800 words of supplemental essays (your chosen essays will be submitted in a single document and the three rounds of feedback will be given on that same set of essays)
Tuition: $300
Double up: 1 intro hour, 2 coaching hours, 1200 words = $500
If you are planning to apply to multiple schools and want help with more than one essay, the all-inclusive coaching package is your best value. It is also the only way to get weekly coaching, daily email, and weekly written feedback on all of your college essays.
The package includes:
Tuition:
Limited number of all-inclusive packages available
*Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
The package includes:
- Support for any and all essays for up to three schools (Examples: common app, school-specific essay, why this university, why this major, diverse experiences, tell us more about..., how would your friends describe you, extenuating circumstances, and more)
- Free participation in Common App and Supplemental Essay webinars
- Ongoing coaching and support June through August:
- Create a personalized writing schedule and receive accountability support
- Up to two hours/week 1:1 coaching sessions*
- Daily responses to questions by email
- Feedback on unlimited drafts for all essays for up to three schools (feedback provided weekly)
- Sample weekly routine:
- Submit drafts every Monday
- Receive feedback every Tuesday
- Meet with a coach every Friday
- Up to one additional coaching session per week as needed
Tuition:
- $750 per month (June, July, or August) or $2000 for all three months for any and all essays for up to three schools.
- $100 per month or $250 for all three months for each additional school.
- 20% off any other college essay or tutoring services
- BIPOC scholarship available. See discounts and scholarships below
Limited number of all-inclusive packages available
*Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
Skip the intro and brainstorming phases and get right to writing
Tuition: $250
- Submit a draft and receive written feedback before our coaching session
- Receive one hour of 1:1 coaching: During the session, we will work together to develop a revision plan. This may involve brainstorming, asking curiosity questions, identifying key points and extraneous content, etc. Coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions
- Get feedback on up to three additional drafts of the same essay
Tuition: $250
Workshops
*If using a mobile device, scroll right to view all workshops
These happy friends already finished their Common App essay!
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Start your senior year fresh by getting your college essays out of the way this summer! The common app essay (or a similar essay for schools that don't use the Common App) is the most important, most challenging, most interesting, and most fun of all the college essays. This Common App workshop will get you started on your essay writing journey. Do a little bit every week this summer so you can relax and enjoy your senior year with your Common App essay in the rearview mirror.
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The Common App Workshop Includes:
Tuition:
- Personal inventory and brainstorming exercises before the workshop
- 90-minute get-started session
- Learn about the Common App and several other core essay types
- Engage in brainstorming exercises
- Identify your values, attributes, and unique perspectives
- Generate a list of stories
- Other essay seeds
- Leave with a list of topics, strategies for getting started, and a suggested schedule for completing your essay
Tuition:
- $20 each for a live webinar (Date & Time TBD)
- $30 each for an in-person workshop at your location. I’ll come to you!
- Minimum 5 participants
- Milage rates may apply outside of the metro area
- COVID safety measures in place
- Pro-bono or low-bono workshop may be available for nonprofits, schools, or organizations that serve BIPOC, LGBTQ, homeless, or other underrepresented youth
What DOES #YOLO mean to me? [Actual essay question]
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Wow . . . so many essays! In addition to the Common App or other long-form essays, most colleges and universities also ask applicants to write supplemental essays. The most common are the "why this school" essay and the "diverse perspectives" essay, and they usually offer an “anything else we should know?” essay or an “extenuating circumstances” essay. If you’re really un/lucky, they might even ask you how you would put your life motto on a bumper sticker, how you would describe yourself in a hashtag, or why it’s not easy being green (all real college application questions).
In the Supplemental Essays Workshop, learn all about the most common supplemental essay types (what are schools really asking with those weird and wonderful questions?), develop strategies for writing essays of each type, and finish the workshop with a list of topics and a suggested schedule for completing your essays |
The Supplemental Essays Workshop Includes:
Tuition:
- Personal inventory and brainstorming exercises in advance of the class
- 90-minute get-started session
- Understand the main types of supplemental essays
- Practice school-specific research to inform essay writing
- Engage in brainstorming exercises for “why this school” and “diverse experience” essays
- Leave with a list of topics, strategies for getting started, and a suggested schedule for completing your essays
Tuition:
- $20 each for a 90-minute live webinar (Date & Time TBD)
- $30 each for an in-person workshop at your location. I’ll come to you!
- Minimum 5 participants
- Milage rates may apply outside of the metro area
- COVID safety measures in place
- Pro-bono or low-bono workshop may be available for nonprofits, schools, or organizations that serve BIPOC, LGBTQ, homeless, or other underrepresented youth
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Woah . . . it's August?
Enjoy your summer? Work extra hard bringing home the bacon? Didn't quite get around to starting those essays? It's not too late to write a draft before your senior year is in full swing. With the three-day Procrastinator's Bootcamp you can start with nothing and leave with at least one college essay drafted. |
No regrets! But it's probably time to get started on those college essays.
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The Procrastinator's Bootcamp Includes:
Tuition: $600
Bootcamp will be held in person with stringent COVID safety precautions.
- Personal inventory and brainstorming exercises in advance of the Bootcamp
- Three-day Bootcamp (Date & Time TBD)
- All the highlights from the Common App and Supplemental Essays Workshops
- 3–4 hours learning and working together each morning
- Supervised independent writing time and 1:1 coaching in the afternoon
- A community of writers for support and accountability
- In the evening of the first and second day, receive asynchronous written feedback on the day's writing
- Finish the workshop with a complete draft and a detailed plan for finishing and polishing your essay
- After the Bootcamp, receive written feedback on up to three additional drafts of the same essay
- 20% discount on any additional coaching services
Tuition: $600
Bootcamp will be held in person with stringent COVID safety precautions.
A La Carte
*If using a mobile device, scroll right to view all services
One-on-one coaching, online, or face-to-face with appropriate COVID safety precautions
Tuition: $80/hr. 10% off after five hours. 20% off after ten hours.
- Any aspect of the college essay writing process
- Repurpose an existing essay
- Research target school together
- Job applications, scholarships, etc.
Tuition: $80/hr. 10% off after five hours. 20% off after ten hours.
Written Feedback on Long-Form Essays (Common App, Coalition Essay, or any essay more than 500 words)
Written feedback on short-form supplemental essays (less than 500 words each)
Light Feedback
If your coach determines that the draft needs only light feedback on previously reviewed writing, you may be charged a reduced rate, generally $25.
- Receive written feedback on up to three drafts of the same essay
- $250 for each long-form essay 500–800 words
Written feedback on short-form supplemental essays (less than 500 words each)
- Submit drafts of as many supplemental essays as you’d like in a single document
- Receive written feedback on up to three drafts of the same essay(s) in a single document
- $150 for up to 400 words and $50 for each additional 200 words. For example:
- Up to 400 words $150
- Up to 400–600 words $200
- Up to 600–800 words $250
- And so on . . .
Light Feedback
If your coach determines that the draft needs only light feedback on previously reviewed writing, you may be charged a reduced rate, generally $25.
The college essay writing process provides a great opportunity to improve your writing skills!
How does writing skills tutoring work?
If you are interested in tutoring, I would conduct an assessment to identify learning goals for improving your writing skills. While you are writing your college essays, we will take time to mindfully learn and practice skills, such as
By the end of the summer, you will have finished essays AND improved writing skills to bring with you into your senior year and beyond.
Tutoring and essay writing will be done together. It is an enrichment service that does not require separate sessions. Essay completion may take longer because of the focus on skills, but all tutoring sessions move the writer toward the completion of their essays.
Can I get writing skills tutoring if I am not writing college essays?
If you are not writing college essays, and you would still like to receive tutoring for writing skills, you will need to have a writing sample of at least 500 words to work with. We can use a written assignment from the previous school year, an employment cover letter, or we can get a jump start on your college essays!
Tuition: $80/hr. 10% off after five hours. 20% off after ten hours
Tutoring/coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
How does writing skills tutoring work?
If you are interested in tutoring, I would conduct an assessment to identify learning goals for improving your writing skills. While you are writing your college essays, we will take time to mindfully learn and practice skills, such as
- Varying sentence structure
- Organizing paragraphs
- Word choice
- Patterns of grammatical errors
By the end of the summer, you will have finished essays AND improved writing skills to bring with you into your senior year and beyond.
Tutoring and essay writing will be done together. It is an enrichment service that does not require separate sessions. Essay completion may take longer because of the focus on skills, but all tutoring sessions move the writer toward the completion of their essays.
Can I get writing skills tutoring if I am not writing college essays?
If you are not writing college essays, and you would still like to receive tutoring for writing skills, you will need to have a writing sample of at least 500 words to work with. We can use a written assignment from the previous school year, an employment cover letter, or we can get a jump start on your college essays!
Tuition: $80/hr. 10% off after five hours. 20% off after ten hours
Tutoring/coaching may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
Discounts & Scholarships
*If using a mobile device, scroll right to view individuals, organizations, and donations
20% off any services for families who qualify for free and reduced lunch
You will not need to provide personal financial information to receive this discount. Inquire for details.
BIPOC scholarship:
At least one all-inclusive package or participation in a boot camp is provided pro-bono each summer. Additional scholarships may be available based on supplementary funding. Submit your application here, or contact me for more information.
You will not need to provide personal financial information to receive this discount. Inquire for details.
BIPOC scholarship:
At least one all-inclusive package or participation in a boot camp is provided pro-bono each summer. Additional scholarships may be available based on supplementary funding. Submit your application here, or contact me for more information.
If you are a nonprofit organization, school, or organization that serves BIPOC, LGBTQ, homeless, or other underrepresented youth, contact me about:
All coaching and workshops may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
- Sponsoring or Hosting Pro-bono and low-bono workshops
- Sponsoring or Hosting a one-day Bootcamp to include:
- Both the Common App and Supplemental Essays workshops, brainstorming, and quick-writing in the morning
- 1:1 coaching from multiple volunteers in the afternoon
- Review of one draft in the week following the Bootcamp provided by your volunteer writing coach
- Reduced-rate college essay coaching services booked for a group of your clients in a back-to-back block
All coaching and workshops may be virtual or in-person with appropriate COVID safety precautions.
Every summer one BIPOC youth will receive a full scholarship for the all-inclusive package or the boot camp. This scholarship will be provided pro-bono regardless of supplementary funding.
10% of full-cost tuition for all services will go to funding additional BIPOC scholarships, low-income discounts, and free services for youth from underrepresented groups.
Additional donations are welcome. Any cash donations will be matched by pro-bono hours.
If you are an organization that would like to sponsor pro-bono or low-bono workshops, Bootcamps, or coaching please reach out!
10% of full-cost tuition for all services will go to funding additional BIPOC scholarships, low-income discounts, and free services for youth from underrepresented groups.
Additional donations are welcome. Any cash donations will be matched by pro-bono hours.
If you are an organization that would like to sponsor pro-bono or low-bono workshops, Bootcamps, or coaching please reach out!