My Approach
Your essay is your one and only opportunity to add color and personality to your application. It is your moment to shine. Tell your story. Show who you are. Embrace the opportunity!
Getting to know you is vital to my approach and I consider that process to be the most valuable - and sacred - part of my process. I can’t help you find your story if I don’t have a good sense of who you are, what has shaped you, and what you value. My initial sessions are always one-on-one, allowing me to offer individualized attention and assignments that explore ideas and dig for the most authentic stories within each student. Once students have a working rough draft we will work virtually, over Google Docs.
You are not your grades. I don’t want to see your transcript. I want to know who you are, not how your coursework has been evaluated for the past 3 years. We will talk about your grades and your classes, but I firmly believe in entering the conversation about your essay with a completely open mind - and I will encourage you to do the same.
The more time you dedicate to your essay, the better it will be. This doesn’t mean that you need to spend 85 hours writing, but writing under duress (a looming deadline, ticking down the minutes) never yields the best writing. So think about starting AT LEAST a month before your first application deadline. Your ideas need time to breathe, to percolate, and fully evolve!
I recognize that the ‘admissions process’ is in no way an even playing field. The demographics at universities speak for themselves. I know that in offering this service, I am adding one more rung in the ladder of inequity. In an effort to address this, my services are available at a reduced fee (or waived entirely) depending on need. Please email me directly to discuss my waived fee policy.