Allison R. (she/her) holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the Savannah College of Art & Design, where she achieved the singular Master’s Outstanding Academic Achievement award for the School of Liberal Arts. A lifelong storyteller and established playwright, Allison has over a decade of experience working with students on their college essays, Musical Theater and Acting auditions, and SAT/ACT preparation. Her goal as an essay coach is to provide every student with the tools to carry them far beyond college applications as both a writer and confident champion of their own story. She firmly believes that every student has a story worth telling and that if they can get their authentic self, unique personality, and humor to shine through on the page, anything is possible. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing in coffee shops, performing with her musical improvisational comedy team, and continuing her pursuit of storytelling at the highest level in theatre and television.

Andy (he/him) attended Stanford and Oxford, earning degrees in Political Science and Drama. He has taught college classes in Los Angeles in Critical Thinking, Sociology, Anthropology of Media, English Composition, and Public Speaking, has helped students gain entrance to Stanford, the Ivies, U Chicago, Northwestern, and other top 25 schools every year for the past decade, and is particularly interested in working to address issues of equity and access in higher education. He has worked with hundreds of students over his career and has spent time living in California, England, Montana, and briefly New Zealand. Over his career, he’s developed a passion for intentional wandering, both in life and in the wilderness. Some of his most valued experiences in that regard include trekking 100km with his brothers to Machu Picchu during a 100-year storm, joining a Maori tribe in New Zealand, and wandering through Patagonia with his wife, Sage.

Calvin (he/him) studied English Literature at Vassar College and went on to graduate from the prestigious Columbia Teacher’s College at Columbia University. He is a passionate advocate of college access and has guided hundreds of students through the college admissions process and helped students craft essays that have helped them gain admission to some of the most selective colleges in the U.S. He is a passionate reader, writer, and all-around communicator with a deep love of narrative. Having worked in both a classroom setting as an English instructor and through one-on-one college counseling and mentoring, Calvin seeks to leverage structure in writing to elevate students’ stories and help them access their highest college aspirations.

Cat (she/her) is an educator, student advocate, and writing coach with twenty years of experience teaching, editing, and writing. Using what she's learned from teaching every grade level from kindergarten through college, she aspires to meet each writer where they are in the process. She loves to work with students to create written work that is both authentic and intentional. Cat grew up in New England, lived in the Marshall Islands and then California for many years, and now resides in Northwest Montana, where she teaches writing at a tribal college. She spends her free time outside hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and camping with her family. She loves baking desserts, taking really long road trips, and listening to all kinds of music. Cat earned a BA in English from Dartmouth College and an MA and PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Courtney (she/her) has worked in college admissions and college counseling for nearly a decade. After earning her B.S.B.A and MBA from Elon University, Courtney found herself in a critical leadership position within college admissions, influencing recruitment strategy, scholarship review and strategic planning. While her leadership grew, Courtney missed making authentic connections with students and decided to became a college counselor. Empowering students to realize and tell their stories is a passion for Courtney. Her energy, empathy and professional experience lends itself to her coaching style that leaves students feeling confident after every session. She has read thousands of essays as a reviewer and assisted hundreds in crafting their story. Courtney is active within the profession serving on regional professional boards, leading national identity-based groups and serving on college admissions counselor advisory boards. When Courtney is not navigating the college admissions process, you can find her at OrangeTheory Fitness, walking her dog, Simba, on the phone with friends, or trying new restaurants in Atlanta.

Diane (she/her) has worked as a university English professor, taught literature and cultural studies at an independent secondary school, and directed writing programs. But coaching and running workshops on college essays the past decade has been her most joyful and meaningful work. Her approach to coaching is both collaborative and inquisitive, with a goal of seeing this writing as an opportunity to help writers develop their unique, most powerful voice and to understand their own value and dreams through the process of personal writing. After 25+ years in teaching, she started a new career path as a freelance writer. Her current writing project explores the relationship between Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, their music and their fans, questioning if and how this relationship is establishing a new wave of feminism. A native Californian, Diane received her B.A. in English from UC Santa Barbara, then moved East where she earned her M.A. in English at Boston College and her Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University. Ask her which of her Boston alma maters she roots for in the annual Beanpot hockey tournament. Currently, Diane lives in central New Hampshire, but dreams of living in London and Florence someday. When not writing or collaborating with writers, Diane can be found spinning new vinyl of all genres, hiking and skiing every mountain in New England and beyond, getting her zen on doing yoga and surfing, or playing with her SEVEN pets. She is so excited to get to work with you.

Elica (she/her) was born and raised in Southern California. She attended an arts high school, where she specialized in creative writing, and holds a BA from UCLA and an MA from CSULB (both in linguistics). While pursuing a PhD, she researched topics in the field of Writing Studies and taught academic writing at UC Santa Barbara. Beyond academics, Elica has been an essay coach and specialist for over seven years, working with students who were applying to four-year universities as well as various types of graduate school. She is committed to and passionate about helping students navigate the admissions essay genre while helping them gain confidence in their agency as young writers. You can find her (still) living in Southern California with her partner (+ two Italian greyhounds & lovebird), where she likes to spend her time reading, writing, and printmaking.

Jennifer (she/her) holds two degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, a BA in East Asian Studies and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School. She worked as an analyst on Wall Street for eight years before leaving to focus on raising her two daughters. She began her work in college admissions consulting as a volunteer for ScholarMatch, an organization dedicated to helping high-achieving low-income students through the college admissions process. She also tutors students preparing for the ACT and SAT. Students she has worked with have received acceptances to Harvard, Williams, Yale, Brown, U Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, and UVA, among others. Outside of work she is a member of the Board of Trustees of her local public school and a docent for school groups at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters location. She serves on the board of Graham Windham, a child welfare organization, and the Bronxville Historical Conservancy.

Jon (he/him) knows well the value and power of writing from a place of personal truth. Originally from Houston, Texas, he holds a BA in English from Harvard University and an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He teaches English, Writing, Script Analysis and SAT/ACT Prep classes throughout California. As an essay coach and college admissions consultant, he has helped thousands of students from various backgrounds gain admission to top colleges and universities, including the Ivies, the UCs, MIT, CalTech, UChicago, NYU, Williams, Swarthmore, UMichigan and many, many more. As a storyteller, he is committed to helping students find their personal voices to craft authentic stories that reflect the range of human experience.

Marvin (he/him) is an education enthusiast and advocate. His parents cultivated his interest in learning at a young age and he strives to cultivate that same curiosity in young people today. After graduating from the Trinity School in NYC, Marvin studied Sociology and French at Colgate University. He also completed a graduate degree in Education Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the College Essay Guy team, Marvin served as a teacher, college admission officer and university development officer. He worked at various institutions, including Babson College, American University and MIT. As a nonprofit professional with a background in K-12 and higher education, Marvin thinks about the full education lifecycle of a learner. He strongly believes that the college admission process is about reflecting and taking stock of one's goals, interests, skills and personal mission. As a college counselor, Marvin has helped many students pursue their postsecondary education goals who have attended top colleges all around the US.

Jade (she/her) brings nine years of professional college admission experience to her coaching role with College Essay Guy. After graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with an English Degree, she began an exciting and fulfilling career in college admission. Jade has worked in multiple admission offices, most recently Agnes Scott College, where she served as Associate Director of Admission and made final admission and scholarship decisions. Driven by a desire to work more closely with students and supporters, Jade transitioned to school-based college counseling and most recently served as the Dean of College Counseling at Atlanta Girls’ School. Jade leverages her experience in selective college admission to counsel students on how to develop competitive applications, while encouraging wellness, self-advocacy, and celebration in their process. Jade recently completed three years of service on the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC) Board of Directors, an organization that awarded her the 2020 Rising Star Award. Jade is an active NACAC member and has been selected for the 2024-2025 NACAC Next cohort of emerging admission leaders. When she isn’t helping students confidently and creatively craft their stories, she enjoys getting lost in novels, bragging about New Orleans to anyone who’ll listen, and spending time with a little black cat named Elphaba!

Rene (she/her) is a veteran educator who has taught academic writing courses at Duke University for a decade as well as advised faculty there on increasing inclusivity through effective intercultural communication. As a writing coach, she has supported Duke undergraduate students, law school students, and Ph.D. candidates in addition to working privately with high school students on their college application essays. She enjoys guiding students to develop narratives that share personal insights and that invite their readers into another world. Rene has worked with students who have been accepted to some of the country’s top schools. Her past experience includes teaching undergraduates in Puerto Rico as well as serving as an undergraduate admissions reader for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives out in the countryside near Chapel Hill.

Margaret (she/her) is a passionate English educator who has worked in New York City public schools for more than a decade. As English Department Chair of her school, she provided Instructional Coaching for her department, growing other English teachers into more effective educators. She received two Bachelor of the Arts degrees, one in Comparative Literature and one in Spanish Language, from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and she is fluent in Spanish. Afterward, she went on to study English Education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Margaret has taught countless writing courses, including AP English Language and Composition, as well as several Creative Writing classes. She also developed a College Essay writing curriculum herself, gently guiding hundreds of students through the process. Margaret firmly believes that creating an emotionally safe learning environment is essential to student growth and as a result, works hard to make sure students see her as a trustworthy ally and cheerleader. Her main objective always is to build her students’ confidence and empower them to feel comfortable taking academic and creative risks. Personal Narrative is her favorite genre to teach, as she sees it as an opportunity for incredible developmental and academic growth.

Helena (she/her) has over 35 years experience working in higher education at colleges and law schools where she focused on admissions, student counseling, student leadership programs and community development. After many years as an independent education consultant working with high school students, she now brings her calming presence and warm, student-focused approach to helping students and families during the college application process. She also serves as a seasonal admissions application reader for a liberal arts college in Los Angeles. (As a native New Yorker, she is constantly surprised by how much she enjoys living in LA!) When not at work, Helena rides her road bike (longest ride - 70 miles!), loves the beach, reads books recommended by her daughters, lifts medium-heavyish weights, and is mildly obsessed with American Ninja Warrior. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies and earned her Masters of Education degree from Harvard University with concentrations in higher education planning and counseling.