College, Private School and Program Essay Coaching FAQs

How does a Essay Coach help?
I don't write essays for students. I teach students to understand how to identify a strong essay topic and how to write an essay that highlights personal characteristics that show colleges who they really are.  I support the entire essay writing process from brainstorming to submission with all the steps in between. I welcome students who have no idea what to write as well as those who want detailed feedback on how effective their essays are for the college goals they have.

Students ask, “Couldn’t I just use AI to write my college essay?”
Maintaining the student’s personal voice in the college essays is essential to making connections with the readers (college admissions decision makers).  Without making that connection, that decision maker will not fight to get you admitted.  Essays written in AI will never make the same connection that thoughtfully written essays will.  AI can't help your student tell your story in an authentic way. I can.

When should my student start working with you on their college essay?
Students can start working with me as soon as the end of their junior year.  Most students wait until the end of the school year because of their academic and extracurricular commitments, so a popular time to start is in early June. 

Some students need a break after the school year finishes and wait to start working with me until the college applications officially open in August.  Either way, it’s important to remember that the earliest EA (Early Action) application deadline is October 15 with most others on November 1.  

How many sessions will my student need to finish their college essays? 
Every student is different. Some confident writers only need 1 – 2 sessions to refine and polish their personal statement or a challenging supplemental essay.  Other students need multiple sessions to go from “I have no idea what to say” to “I’m ready to submit”. 

Most students need 5 hours of my time, both working together and with me providing feedback between sessions to complete the personal statement and 2 – 3 supplemental essays.  To be as flexible as possible, I offer that if you purchase an essay coaching package from me and decide you need more hours, I will honor the package price for any additional time.

Do you provide college counseling services?
I am not a college counselor.  If you are looking for that service, there are many options to choose from, both locally and nationally.  My focus is on ensuring the student’s essays are the best versions they can be.  

Do you guarantee my student will be admitted into the colleges they apply to?
Unfortunately, I see some companies online who promise they can get students into specific colleges.  In my experience as a former admissions officer, a long-time academic advisor for community college students interested in continuing their academic careers in universities and a college essay coach, there is no guaranteed college acceptance.  

There is no way to control for all the factors colleges use to determine the make-up of their student community.  The best option for any student is to submit the strongest essays they can, highlighting the qualities that make them unique and how these are a good match for what the university offers and look for in their students.

My student is a sophomore or junior.  What can they do to prepare for the college essays?
While some younger students start writing their college essays before the summer after junior year, in my experience, they rarely use those essays when it’s time to officially apply.  Writing college essays takes a level of maturity and experience that doesn’t come earlier.  

If you want your student to get started on the college essay writing process, the best approach is to have them write a detailed brag sheet that lists all the activities they have done in high school (not before – middle school activities not continued in high school are not included on a college application). 

Once they have the brag sheet completed, they should take some notes on why these activities have been meaningful to them (what they learned, how they grew as people, who they met, what skills they developed).  Time invested in these pre-writing activities will pay off big when it comes time to write the college essays.

Don’t forget to update the brag sheet and reflections for any new experiences the student has through the summer before senior year.

Do you offer coaching for other types of admission essays?

Yes, I work with students applying to private schools at all grade levels.  I have worked with many students applying to Cary Academy, Durham Academy and other local private schools as well as schools around the country.  

I also regularly work with students applying to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.  

Finally, I help students apply to competitive admission summer programs and internships including the North Carolina Governor's School, Duke and UNC Chapel Hill  research programs.

Writing essays for summer programs and internships is also great practice for college application essays.