Celebrating Class of '25/'29 College Acceptances!
Hi, I'm Jen! (I'm the short one in the middle.)
I'm a professional writer, an award-winning poet,
a credentialed teacher, and I've been helping students craft seriously standout college essays since 2020.
There is no 'formula' for writing a great college essay,
but after consulting with admissions readers and officers, leading college essay workshops, and coaching lots of successful applicants, I've come up with a tried-and-true, personalized approach. I support students to:
balance clean, cohesive storytelling
with bold and creative touches
that show you at your (very real) best
I'll help you choose a topic, craft a hook, hone your voice, weave in memorable details... and axe anything that
doesn't make your case!
Book online for a free Essay/App Consultation here
Whether you're picking your prompt or pining for proofreading, I'm happy to help (no obligation whatsoever)!
Support
I believe your essay should be a proud and positive reflection of who you are. I listen, ask questions
(how? why? who helped? what did you learn? what happened next?) and help gather the threads until a memorable story comes together. I ask questions until the student says says unique, interesting, insightful things... I write those things down exactly as the student voiced them... then together, we edit until a cohesive, compelling story comes together.
Every student has an authentic take to share, and most could use a little help owning it! Even self-aware, confident writers benefit greatly from a professional gently helping them identify what is (and is not) important in terms of the college essay.
Storytelling
Students I work with create what college AOs want: compelling essay-stories written in lively, authentic voices. They don't waste space with resume-rehash; they confidently and justifiably weave their skills and achievements into their essays that support the larger point that they are ideal candidates for their chosen school.
Don't believe that only straight-A students with heaps of extracurriculars have great material to work with. I've helped students write knockout essays about starting a doomed business, crashing a car, missing the last train in a foreign country, and being a lousy golfer. It's about owning who you are and showing how you've grown, led, listened, changed... and will continue to do so.
Craft
Applicants get 650 words for the Common App, 350 for the UC PIQ's, less for most supplementals. Organization, prioritization, and editing are musts! Colleges may claim that grammar and syntax don't matter, but errors may muddle the impact of your storytelling. A good essay is a tightly-crafted word-puzzle, and your task is to fit all (and only) the value-adding pieces in.
If a student gets "stuck" in all that complexity, co-writing on a Zoom shared screen is a game-changer! Together we dump out all the puzzle pieces, turn them right side up, and arrange them to create a seamless whole. I *love* doing these kinds of puzzles, and can help you sort yours out efficiently - saving time and frustration!
Pro Tip!
Do not throw away your shot! Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of the Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast share an honest look into what AO's do (and don't) want to read in a college essay. Certain topics are considered irredeemably cliché/overused, no matter how scintillating your take -- so choose wisely!
The Process
We typically work together one hour at a time. I come to the student's house, they come to mine, or we use Zoom. (book online here!) First session: I get to know the student’s goals, timeline, and “where they are at”. I share a Google Doc that lets them organize schools, deadlines, essay prompts, etc. I ask them to send/create a resume to make sure nothing important gets left out. Then, we meet over Zoom (or exchange Google Docs) an average of four times, or until we get it done!
1
Brainstorm & Gather Info
Student sends essay ideas, outlines, resume, draft(s) -- whatever they have.
We discuss goals, then jump into essay-conversation: topics, prompts, and writing.
2
Idea to Draft
Student sends next draft incorporating ideas, edits, and recommendations.
I return ASAP with edits. Deep dive into resume, goals, dreams, details. Zoom call to discuss / co-write.
Deepen & Refine
Student sends next draft incorporating ideas, edits, and recommendations.
I return ASAP with edits, or we set up a Zoom call to discuss, item by item, line by line. Tone is refined.
3
4
Polish &
Proofread
Student sends completed essay(s).
Final content check, final close proofread, "one last think". Confirm “ready to submit”!
90% of my students prefer to co-write with me over Zoom. Some crank their essays out in one or two sessions! Four-to-five sessions is fairly typical for a Common App Essay from start to finish, whereas some students will grind away for months on their Personal Statement, UC PIQ's, and supplementals... with spectacular results. As a teacher and parent of teens, I'm all about encouraging students' independence and meeting them where they are at - within the constraints of the family budget!
UC (University of California) Resources & Links
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Link to the UC App (opens August 1, 2025 for Fall 2026 Admission)
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The 13 holistic review factors UC Admissions considers when reviewing student applications
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UC guidance to PIQ's Each campus evaluates apps differently/separately. Scroll down for campus-specific links -- some schools, such as UC Berkeley, are quite specific in what they are looking for.
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Direct from the UC's: After we read your personal insight questions, we will ask the question, “What do we know about this individual?” If we have learned very little about you, your answers were not successful.
Rates and Payment (updated Spring '25)
First 30 minutes (either over Zoom or via document review): free of charge.
My rate is $100/hour. Preferred methods of payment are Venmo or Zelle. I do not charge for administrative tasks; texts, emails, or questions (bring 'em!); or for behind-the-scenes time I spend researching your student’s desired schools and what those schools look for in their applicants. I charge only for time spent specifically in the craft of helping your student create brilliant college essays.
Package rate (Best Value): I offer 5 hours of one-on-one college essay support at a reduced package price of $450. You can purchase as many packages as needed.
Sliding scale: I passionately believe that all students, regardless of nationality or socio-economic status, deserve top-quality support during the admissions process. If you would like to pay a reduced rate or offer a trade (such as website help!) please know that I have never turned a student away. I am proud to have supported first-generation Americans and international students from as far away as Germany and Bangladesh in achieving their college dreams.
Establishing a budget: Before I start working one-on-one with students, I will establish a maximum number of hours / budget. If the family is OK with us working collaboratively until it’s done, they may indicate “unlimited”. Every student is different, but five hours is a good ballpark for completing a Common App Personal Statement, plus some help with UC PIQ’s and/or supplemental essays. Some students spend 10-20+ hours with me. It truly depends on your student’s style, pace, and the number and kind of apps they are taking on, etc.
Referrals: For every friend you refer who becomes a paying client, I will credit your family 30 minutes of essay/advisory time or you may choose to donate that forward to a lower-income client.
My "why": I do this work because I LOVE giving students the tools they need to succeed! I genuinely believe in the possibilities of language, self-expression, storytelling, and authenticity. Also, it's super-fun helping hard-working kids get into college.
There is hope in honest error, none in the icy perfections of the mere stylist - Charles Rennie Mackintosh
For my full writing, business, and educational background, check out my About Jen page and my C.V.
I began working with college applicants in 2020 after training with Encuentros, a non-profit organization that pairs professional writers with college seniors who are the first in their families to attend college. I was stunned to learn from experienced admissions officers, etc., that there are serious 'do’s' and 'don’ts' in college essay crafting, and that these are not necessarily common knowledge. I don't gatekeep information; my new writing mission was to empower as many students as I could to write the best essays possible! Since then, I have helped hundreds of students craft college essays via workshops, one-on-one Zoom sessions, and lots of swapping of Google Docs. My clients have been admitted to:
American University * Cal Poly SLO * Colorado State University * Colorado University Boulder * Harvard University (ED) * New York University * Occidental College * Ohio State University * Pepperdine University (ED) * San Diego State University * Sarah Lawrence College * Texas Christian University * UC Berkeley * UCLA * UCSD * University of Aberdeen * University of Arizona * UCSB * UCSC * UC Davis * University of San Diego * USC * University of Texas, Austin * University of Texas, Dallas
FAQ's
"Why does my competent student/excellent writer need a college essay coach? I wrote my essays all by myself, and I got into UCLA just fine!"
It's true, and I didn't use a writing coach either. Also true: we were applying to college (cough cough) 30-ish years ago. Like it or not, things have gotten more more competitive. I can't turn back time to when college apps were simpler and good-enough essays were good enough, but I *can* help each student I work with write an essay they feel completely confident in and proud of... providing the powerful antidote to anxiety that comes from knowing you did your very best.
"But seriously, what kind of student benefits from working with a coach?"
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a student who wants to go above and beyond and write seriously standout essays;
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a student who feels stuck; like they have nothing original to say; who feels unsure;
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a student who could use help explaining something deeply challenging or complex about their lives;
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a students whose essays read boring, blah, vanilla - and they don't know how to fix it;
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a student who is busy! Or procrastinated! Or maybe both, and now they need to get those essays done and done right!
"What kind of student genuinely doesn't need (much) coaching?"
If a student has answered the essay prompt fully and well; feels fantastic about their essay, with no lingering uncertainty or "what-if's?"; if an adult who is a good writer AND understands the assignment AND is not afraid to be brutally honest has looked over the essay and agrees that it's great: CONGRATULATIONS, they did it!
I humbly submit that a second opinion from a pro writer/editor is always a very good idea, not to mention a zero-risk investment as I don't charge for a 30-minute initial consult / look-over. I always send my important work to my Writing Salon, experienced writers and editors, etc., to sign off on before pressing "submit". I can't tell you how many times they have caught not just silly typos, but places where I really could have done better, been clearer, said more. It takes both engaging writers and engaged readers to make an essay work. Something to think about.
"Can't we find college essay help for free online?"
College websites have terrific guides on answering their own essay prompts, and I would advise every student to start there.
College Essay Guy (Ethan Sawyer) has tremendous resources online and I totally watch / recommend them! I also monitor the A2C (Applying to College) sub on Reddit. If your student can translate what they glean from online resources into a great essay, that's fantastic!
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https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-write-a-college-essay Updated, simple, truthful college essay info. Yes, you can talk about race in your essay. No, you don't have to focus exclusively on your accomplishments (memorable essays tend to get into the messier stuff).
"My student's high school teacher / counselor / writing-helper-person looked over their essay. They're good to go, right?"
This is a tricky one, and the answer is, maybe. I am a teacher. I love teachers! School counselors, English teachers, even some internet essay gurus can be great resources for college essay writers. But my students' experiences attest that not every counselor or college advisor is an optimal college essay writing coach:
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A client received feedback from his counselor that his essays were done- great! And yet... he felt he could do better. He just didn't know how. We ended up completely rewriting his essays (4 hours of work) until he felt 100% confident in them. Either the counselor had underestimated what he was capable of, or they saw nothing wrong with a student submitting an... unfocused, lackluster essay. I believe that every single student I work with is capable of essay greatness.
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Also common - a teacher or advisor recommends a change, and it's good advice - which the student then struggles to implement. This is where the writing coach comes in, with a technician's eye for content and detail, and an artist's feel for craft, to show not tell students how to turn their experiences into words that shine.
Unlike most teachers, I get to create a dedicated, one-on-one, professional relationship with your student. They have my undivided attention and assistance until they have written essays that truly do it all. I don't tell just tell your student what to do and leave them to figure it out (or not). I break the process down into achievable steps, and support them through it.
"What about college essays and AI?" -- Updated June 2025
It's a changing world out there. As of 2025, UC Admissions explicitly allows AI-written college essays. So do Stanford and the Ivies, though they "strongly discourage" it. This represents a seismic shift toward acceptance of AI, the use of which was once considered disqualifying in the college app context.
I do not use AI as a writing tool. If I feel like I need to use it, I will. I like to joke that I am the AI - students hand me ideas, sometimes "concepts of ideas", and I help them transform them into essays! I actually enjoy the struggle, the digging, the getting-stuck-and-breaking-through - the process. AI circumvents process and shortcuts you straight to the product. I do understand that there are times when that's really helpful. Some of my students may choose to use AI in their own essay draft process, and I'm happy support them by "de-AI-ifying" their work.
Here's the main reason why college admissions officers and I are not fan of AI in college essays. ChatGPT and other AI tools produce very well-put-together sentences (OK, that's debatable) with clean grammar and clear syntax (most of the time). The thing is, most people (and just about all high schoolers) naturally write with, shall we say, funkier grammar and syntax. These charming idiosyncrasies help create *voice*, one of a writer's strongest assets! Students and parents are sometimes surprised when I choose not to iron out every last syntactical kink in an essay. I leave this stuff in because a) it's them, doing their honest best, b) I'd choose blood, sweat and tears over bland perfection any day, and c) my experience shows that "real" writing produces excellent outcomes.
How do we get started?
Contact Jen to schedule a free consultation by email or phone. I highly recommend getting started in the "off-season", Winter/Spring, as I will book up during the high-demand period of late Summer/Fall.