Here are two things

you should know about our team: 

1. More than 80% of the students we work with gain acceptance into one of their top choice schools, and 98% of those who have applied to the Top 50 schools have been accepted. 

2. But we don't base our success solely on our students' college acceptances.

Why? Because there are so many other things that our students have done well (GPA, SAT/ACT, Extracurriculars, Life) before meeting us that have prepared them to write a great personal statement. Instead:

We measure our success in other ways...

• Each time a student tells us that working with us has made him a better writer

• Each time a student tells us we've helped her gain confidence

• Or when we receive a testimonial like this:

"Working with Ethan and the College Essay Guy team, I discovered who I am as a person, what I value, and how I specifically developed and express my values. Knowing who I am as a person was essential in genuinely presenting myself to college admissions representatives. My essay coach, Mr. Simpson, met with me over Skype and was free to meet as much as I could keep up. He coached me on how to write my essays, but did it in a way where my voice was maintained. The best part about the College Essay Guy team is that I was constantly pushed to strive for even better essays. They do not want to just get you an essay, they help you present yourself in the best possible way you can...I learned a lot about what I value as a person. I learned about my different qualities and characteristics that I have used in the past, and will continue to use in the future. I really enjoyed reflecting on specific experiences that led me to develop these values... I enjoyed working with the College Essay Guy team."

That's how we know we've made a real impact. And that's why we love our work.

But we also don’t mind bragging a little. And, because parents are sometimes curious, we’ve compiled a list of acceptances from the past year (2019)

2019 Acceptances

• American University

• Amherst College

• Arizona State University

• Babson College

• Barnard College

• Belmont University

• Boston University (3)

• Brandeis University (2)

• Brown University (3)

• California Polytechnic State University (3)

• California State Polytechnic University Pomona

• California University of Pennsylvania

• Carnegie Mellon University

• Case Western Reserve University

• Chapman University

• College of the Holy Cross

• Connecticut College

• Cornell University (3)

• Dartmouth College (2)

• DePaul University

• Drexel University (2)

• Duke University

• Emerson College

• Emory University (4)

• Fairfield University

• Fordham University

• George Washington University (3)

• Georgetown University (3)

• Gonzaga University

• Harvard University

• Harvey Mudd College (2)

• Indiana University

• Johns Hopkins University (2)

• Lawrence University

• Lehigh University

• Lewis & Clark College

• Loyola Marymount University (2)

• Loyala University Chicago

• Macalester College (2)

• Marquette University

• MIT (2)

• Miami University

• Middlebury College

• The New School

• New York University (4)

• Northeastern University (4)

• Northwestern University (2)

• Oberlin College

• Occidental College (2)

• Ohio State University

• Penn State University

• Pepperdine University

• Pitzer College

• Purdue University (2)

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Rhodes University

• Rutgers University (5)

• Saint Mary's College

• San Diego State University

• Santa Clara University

• Scripps College

• Seattle University

• Skidmore College (2)

• Southern Methodist University

• Southwestern University

• Stanford University (3)

• Stony Brook University

• Suffolk University

• Swarthmore College

• Texas A&M University (3)

• Tufts University (2)

• Tulane University

• Union University

• University of Alabama

• University of Arizona (2)

• University of California Berkeley (6)

• University of California Davis (3)

• University of California Irvine (3)

• University of California Los Angeles (5)

• University of California Merced (2)

• University of California Riverside

• University of California San Diego (6)

• University of California San Francisco

• University of California Santa Barbara (5)

• University of California Santa Cruz (3)

• University of Chicago

• University of Colorado Boulder (3)

• University of Denver (2)

• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (3)

• University of Massachusetts Amherst

• University of Michigan (3)

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• University of Oxford

• University of Pennsylvania (4)

• University of Pittsburgh (2)

• University of Puget Sound

• University of Rochester

• University of San Diego (3)

• University of South Florida

• University of Southern California (3)

• University of Southern California Iovine and Young Academy

• University of Tennessee

• University of Texas at Austin (5)

• University of the Pacific

• University of Washington (4)

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Vanderbilt University (2)

• Vassar College

• Washington University in St. Louis

• Wentworth Institute of Technology

• Wesleyan University

• Western Washington University

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)

• Yale University

“Working with College Essay Guy was awesome. The number one thing I heard from people who had worked with essay coaches like College Essay Guy before me was "don't let your voice get lost, because that is what happened to me," and I think that Hannah (my essay coach) and Ethan were fantastic in making sure that my voice, intentions, message, etc were the number one priority. I so deeply appreciated that, and I feel like it made my essays just that much better. And, as a result, I'm going to Georgetown University where my stories of Model United Nations, Debates, and Campaigning are also deeply appreciated. My sister is going to work with College Essay Guy next year, and I know it makes our whole family feel better about this terrible, terrible process of college admissions. “

Accepted: Georgetown University, George Washington University, University of Denver, Barnard College, American University

Will Attend: Georgetown University

“Working with Ethan and Amanda was one of the best things that could have happened to me during the college admissions process. They pushed me to make sure every detail in my essays were exactly how I wanted them to be. Working late hours and grinding through countless revisions was definitely worth it! I never felt overwhelmed because I always had a sense that the college essay guy team was there to guide me. I’m really grateful that they helped me portray my genuine self through the college essays and application.”

Accepted: Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Will Attend: Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

“I am forever grateful for Amanda, Ethan, and Stacy's help throughout my college process. It was always helpful to have different voices to offer advice. Being an international student and coming from a community where there is little understanding of what a Liberal Arts College is, the College Essay Guy team helped me to come to the conclusion that a Liberal Arts College environment was indeed what suited me best and helped facilitate difficult conversations with my parents regarding college choice.“

Accepted: Bowdoin College

Will Attend: Bowdoin College

“Working with the entire College Essay Guy team has been one of the best decisions I've made. Applications for college, especially the essays, look extremely daunting but you all have guided me through the entire process until I feel proud of my writing and ready to hit "submit". From the beginning, the brainstorming packet really got me to search within me and my past to reflect on the experiences that paint a picture of who I am. Ethan helped me to pull from the experiences I've had playing 3 variations of the Chinese flute and Chinese 3D beading, which I probably wouldn't have even thought about including those in my essays at all. Overall, every question I had was answered by one of you and Andy especially was very patient with me and made me feel more confident in my writing abilities.“

Accepted: Harvey Mudd College, University of the Pacific

Will Attend: Harvey Mudd College

“I distinctly remember about 10 months ago I was struggling immensely with the process. Like just about everyone else, my high school career was stuffed with academic writing. But academic writing is definitely NOT how you approach the college admissions process. College Essay Guy helped rediscover my youth, my values, and all the creative writing within me. Admittedly, it wasn't a lot - that left a lot of room for improvement though! Even though this process was very frustrating, I know I'll bring the lessons I've learned from College Essay Guy to college and beyond.“

Accepted: Stanford University, California University of Pennsylvania, University of California Los Angeles, University of California San Diego, Amherst, Brown University, Dartmouth University, Vanderbilt University, Case Western Reserve University, New York University, University of Southern California

Will Attend: Stanford University,

“Coming into the college essay writing process, I was definitely intimidated by the number of essays I needed to write. Thank goodness I had the College Essay Guy team to guide me through the process; they helped me appropriately pace myself, were thorough in their feedback, and ultimately allowed me to feel confident in my applications. If I were to do it all over again, I would definetly still choose to work with the College Essay Guy - and I've recommend them to many of my friends and family!”

Accepted: University of California Los Angeles, University of California Berkeley, University of California San Diego, University of California Irvine, University of California Davis, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Santa Cru, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, University of San Diego

Will Attend: University of California Los Angeles

“I truly recommend College Essay Guy — I’m not a person who likes to use these kind of programs. I worked with multiple coaches before settling on College Essay Guy, and you really see the difference in the details. Every part of my essays shone, and they really paid attention to who I was as a person (as opposed to who a college wanted me to be). 10/10”

Accepted: Georgetown University, University of California Berkeley, Emory University

Will Attend: Georgetown University

“I had a great time working with Ethan and the whole team. What had previously been depicted to me as a scary and high-stress time was made enjoyable by College Essay Guy as they worked to make sure that I put my best foot forward without sacrificing my sanity. I am endlessly grateful for all the help Ethan provided with my essays and all the help Stacy provided in building a college list -- I couldn't have done it without them.”

Accepted: Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Boston University, Northeastern University, Brandeis University, Rutgers University, Stony Brook University

Will Attend: Dartmouth College

“By working with Ethan, I understood how he was truly passionate about college essays. We continually brainstormed and redrafted ideas, and his enthusiasm and his ability to inspire never faltered. I am typically someone who is quite defensive about my writing, both content-wise and stylistically. However, I quickly got over my initial nervousness. Ethan “understood” me and my way of thinking and writing. I really felt that we were on the same wavelength. He was always able to nudge me in the right direction and thread together my ideas until we alighted upon the right approach. His keen eye for detail and his experience with college essays also prevented many faux pas. Just as importantly, Ethan was endlessly patient and understanding, and was always there whenever I needed encouragements. With Ethan, what would have otherwise been a hellish process became a journey in self-discovery—and dare I say it—something immensely fun.”

Accepted: University of Chicago (EDII)

Will Attend: University of Chicago

“Working with Ethan was an awesome experience. Fresh off a rejection from my early action school, I was very unconfident and scared of working on my other applications. Ethan was able to help me develop my ideas under a very stressful time constraint. He was also able to show me how to modify an essay to fit many different prompts for different schools. Talking to him about my essays was very fun and stimulating. Overall, I felt like I was able to submit applications I felt proud of and that represented me well. I highly recommend working with Ethan, he's amazing!”

Accepted: Arizona State University, University of Arizona, University of California Los Angeles, University of California Berkeley, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California San Diego, Duke University

Will Attend: University of California Berkeley

“I really enjoyed working the entire College Essay Guy team! Ethan was extremely helpful in helping me formulate ideas and brainstorm what my essays could be centered around. Kate gave me tons of great constructive criticism on how to improve my essays, both rhetorically and content-wise. Stacy and the rest of the College Essay Guy team were always there to support and answer any questions I had.”

Accepted: University of California Santa Cruz, University of California Irvine, University of California San Diego, Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Washington, California Polytechnic State University

Will Attend: University of Washington

“I loved working with College Essay Guy! You guys are super helpful with pulling out details and figuring out what will stand out in a pool of so many other students. I felt at ease while writing essays because I knew my writing coaches had my back and were there for me whenever I needed answers or help brainstorming.”

Accepted: University of San Diego, Marquette University, Fordham University, College of the Holy Cross, Belmont University, University of Tennessee, Miami University, Gonzaga University, Saint Mary’s College, Loyola University Chicago

Will Attend: Marquette University

“The stressful process of college applications was smoothened out quite a bit thanks to you! The brainstorming exercises were of great help in particular.”

 Accepted: Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Brown University, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles

Will Attend: Harvard University

“As always I would like to thank you guys so much for all your help. Without you guys I don’t think I would have gotten into one of my top 3 choices. Thank you so much again.”

Accepted: Pepperdine University, Loyola Marymount University

Will Attend: Pepperdine University

“Working with Ethan is the reason that I got into my top choice school. I went through countless drafts of personal statements until Ethan and I reached a topic that made me stand out in comparison to other applicants while also highlighting my various code projects and extra-circulars. Without Ethan I would not have written essays that clearly demonstrated my talents and accomplishments while still maintaining a tone that any person could relate to.”

Accepted: University of California San Diego, University of California Merced, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Washington, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Harvey Mudd College, New York University

Will Attend: Harvey Mudd College

“Working with the College Essay Guy team was awesome! They provided new insights and perspectives that I could not have obtained otherwise. I wholeheartedly believe that I would not have been as successful in my college application process without them.”

Accepted: Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University

Will Attend: Texas A&M University

“Working with Ethan was nothing short of incredible. He was funny, serious, and most of all, optimistic. No matter if it was a small school or an attempt to get into the Ivy League, he always maintained a helpful and cheerful attitude. Along the way, Ethan worked to build an essay that came from me, my passions, and my life. I learned about not only the schools I applied to but also about myself. When I didn't like a suggestion, he let me explain my objections or issues with it and work out my own approach. During the most difficult essays, he always kept me on track and encouraged me to go through multiple drafts and to never give up. Definitely the best experience I could have had, and did have, during the college application process!”

Accepted: Dartmouth College, Brown University

Will Attend: Dartmouth College

“I loved how genuine, kind, honest, and supportive the whole College Essay Guy team was. I could tell that all the coaches were extremely passionate to help with anything.”

Accepted: Boston University, University of Southern California, Northeastern University, The New School

Will Attend: Boston University or University of Southern California (Still deciding!)