One-on-One Transfer
Work closely with an experienced transfer essay coach, to help you brainstorm, draft and develop your best possible essays.
It’s What We Do
Each year, our team helps transfer students craft outstanding essays and applications, assisting them on their journey to better fit colleges and universities around the country…and the world.
Please go with CEG.
“The experience with this company is far more authentic, more reliable, and simply better than with anyone else. (Trust me, I tried other companies.) Nothing even comes close to the attention and vast support that your child will receive with CEG. I was terrified of college apps before. Working with CEG didn’t just help me get them done—it taught me that I can tackle even the things I’m scared of, and that’s a valuable lesson that you won’t get from another company.”
Lasya
Former Student
How we work with transfer students
For more than a decade, we’ve been refining our transfer application coaching process, identifying five key steps that help students create outstanding transfer applications.
Step 1
Discovery (Pre-work)
This is arguably the most important part of the writing process. To make sure we get to know you really well and your reasons for transferring, you’ll complete 1-2 hours of pre-work and intake questions, including a series of our most effective brainstorming exercises, a first draft of the Common Experiences List (aka resume) and the Additional Info section.
Step 2
Brainstorming, Draft Review & Strategizing Topics
Step 3
Topic Check
Step 4
Drafting, Revising, and Core Content Review
SPOILER: MOST OF THE MAGIC HAPPENS HERE
Step 5
Final Proof
Complete your essays well before deadlines
College Essay Guy is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
“We could not be pleased more with how Kate worked with our son. They took away the stress of the application process and writing essays from us and made our son a better, more confident writer in the process. Could not have asked for anything more!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! He became a better, more confident writer. Period!”
Cindy R
Parent
We hate to brag…
But we know parents are often curious about the numbers.
While essays are just one piece of a holistic admissions process, the students we work with craft outstanding college applications, and go on to top colleges around the US and world.
Amanda
Core Values: Empathy, Community, Joy
Amanda M. (she/they) is a veteran educator, writer, and storyteller, and expert in helping students reach their full creative potential. She is a professor of Performance Studies at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches students to find their committed, creative voice and to actively pursue their passions through writing and performance. As a tutor and college admissions coach she has worked with hundreds of high school students to tell their truest stories. Her students have been accepted to some of the country’s best schools, including Harvard, Duke, Rice, USC, UPenn, and dozens of other great schools. In her other life, she is an award-winning theater director and Artistic Director of Fugitive Kind Theater. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of California, Irvine, and a Fulbright scholar to New Zealand. She lives and creates in Los Angeles in a colorful house full of tiny interesting objects.
Andy
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.
Christine
Core Values: Close Relationships, Meaningful Work, Humor
Christine (she/her) is a former professor (Mills College, Macalester College, and UC-Davis) and high school English teacher who has also been an independent college and graduate school admissions consultant for 20+ years. She is passionate about helping high school students find and narrate what makes them tick, no matter how bizarre or how traditional. Students she has coached on the personal essay have been accepted to every single Ivy, Seven Sister, and top 10 liberal arts college & university in the U.S. (although she maintains a strong critique of the rankings system). Born in Miami to parents from Tennessee and Mississippi, Christine was the first in the family to cross the Mason Dixon line for college. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College with a BA in English and completed her MA at the University of Toronto, and taught English lit in a prep school in Coconut Grove. Realizing that a university setting might be a better match, she completed her PhD in the interdisciplinary History of Consciousness Board at the University of California/Santa Cruz. Her extracurricular activities include cats, 1920s culture, turning simple dinner plans into ridiculously complicated 8-course gourmet feasts that require buying entirely unnecessary kitchen gadgets, and more cats. She splits her time between Miami Beach and Berlin.
Dana
Core Values: Curiosity, Courage, Authenticity
Dana (she/her) earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Miami and graduated with an eye toward law school. What was supposed to be a quick layover in undergraduate admission led to a career-shifting adventure in the wonderful world of selective college admissions, where she was able to work with students from all over the US in pursuit of bringing together exciting freshman classes. She has experience working with athletes, musicians, and 7-year BS/MD applicants, among many other groups. Dana has read and helped students write thousands of essays over the years and fervently believes there are beautiful essays waiting to be discovered within every student. When she’s not working with students, Dana enjoys concerts in small venues, hiking at a moderate pace, indoor rock climbing, and all things related to food and eating. Next up on the bucket list: adopt a dog, learn basic carpentry, and hike in as many parks in the PNW as possible!
Elica
Core Values: Adventure, Quiet, Wonder
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.
Erika
Core Values: Curiosity, Vulnerability, Adaptability
Erika (she/her) is a California native who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology. She has been tutoring and teaching test prep since 2008 and has been coaching college entrance essays since 2010. She has worked at several prestigious SAT and college prep academies, the most notable being College BluePrint and Elite Educational Institute, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013. She loves helping her students find their authentic voice during their college application journey. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, refurbishing furniture she finds on trash day and swing dancing.
Jacki
Core Values: Curiosity, Balance, Family
Jacki (she/her) has spent her career telling stories and working with students to tell theirs. She’s an award-wining journalist who was with CNN for more than a decade before becoming a mom and shifting her focus from doing journalism to teaching it. Jacki has taught writing and communications courses at two- and four-year colleges, and in two New Jersey state prisons. Several years ago, she began assisting college-bound students with their application essays, helping them gain admission to a range of institutions. Jacki delights in helping students discover their voice, stretch their curiosity, and widen their relationship with the written word. Jacki received a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Political Science from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. Her first book, Dogland: A Journey to the Heart of America’s Dog Problem, earned several awards for journalism and investigative reporting. A dog lover who lives with two rescues, Jacki donates all proceeds to non-profit animal welfare organizations. She says her second book is a work in progress—however, she’s made little progress.
Liz
Core Values: Authenticity, Empathy, Inclusion
Liz S. (she/her) is a passionate college counselor, yoga teacher, and college essay coach. Liz has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science & Photography from Allegheny College, a Master of Arts in Bilingual Education from the Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain, and a Certificate in College Counseling from the University of California at Los Angeles. Liz has worked in education for more than a decade – as a teacher, academic director, and curriculum writer. Her passion for college counseling began as an Assistant Director of Education at a non-profit organization, where she worked with first-generation high school students on college/scholarship applications, essays, and interviews to make higher education accessible. Liz has successfully coached students from diverse backgrounds to earn acceptance at large research institutions, small liberal arts colleges, and ivy league schools. She enjoys helping students find their authentic voice to express themselves, using their passions as a springboard to success. When she is not working with students or visiting college campuses, Liz enjoys traveling, yoga, playing with dogs, and going to the beach. She currently resides in Salem, MA.
Lyssa
Core Values: Creativity, Curiosity, Love
Lyssa (she/her) is a writer and educator, originally from the Green Mountains of Vermont, living in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Performance Studies from Northwestern and an M.A. in Theater & English Education from NYU. She’s passionate about helping students discover and nurture their unique voice as writers and especially loves the creativity, attunement, empowerment, and connection involved in guiding students through the college essay process. Lyssa is a Teaching Artist for the Geffen Playhouse, where she leads theater workshops for schools and community groups, and a freelance tutor, editor, and ghostwriter when not working on her own scripts and essays. She has been a ninth grade English teacher in NYC public schools, education staff member at MCC Theater, and education consultant for The Moth. She’s backpacked around the world solo and taught English to preschoolers in South Africa, job-seekers in Tanzania, and a crew of rowdy young monks in Nepal. You can usually find her in a theater, hiking with her dog, reading in the grass, or consuming maple syrup.
Margaret
Core Values: Curiosity, Inclusion, Fun
Margaret E. (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.
Melissa A
Core Values: Creativity, Curiosity, Meaningful Work
Melissa A. (she/her) believes that everyone has a story to tell. She helps students tell theirs by asking questions, promoting self-reflection, and helping students make connections between their past, present, and future. Melissa has over a decade of experience teaching, advising, and coaching high school and college students. She holds a BA from Brown University, where she double-concentrated in Anthropology and Old World Art & Archaeology. She has an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs from Rutgers University, where she worked as a Dean for Transfer Students and taught courses on mentoring and transitioning to college. She also worked as a college advisor for two nonprofits, an admissions reader for Princeton University, and an alumni interviewer for Brown University. Melissa in lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she teaches classes on ancient art history, designs and leads virtual escape rooms, and is learning to play the dulcimer.
Melissa M
Core Values: Communication, Family, Empathy
Melissa M. (she/her) earned her B.S. in sociology at Santa Clara University (summa cum laude) and is a current graduate student at Pepperdine University, where she is working toward a Masters in Psychology. The diversity of human experience she has encountered in her academic work goes hand in hand with another one of her passions: storytelling. As a published author, Melissa values the written word and its ability to convey emotion, inspiration, and the breadth of lived experiences. During her time at Santa Clara University, she helped high school students craft their college essays and guided them throughout the application process, placing special emphasis on making the work as feasible and rewarding as possible. Her students have been accepted at a variety of top institutions and programs around the US. She understands the whirlwind of emotions one experiences when applying to college, and as such, she prioritizes meeting students where they’re at and supporting them throughout their journey. In addition to obtaining her Master’s degree, Melissa is working on her third book (which means she knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of tons of edits and comments!) and spends her free time swimming, singing, and cuddling with her three dogs: Maisie, Luna, and Winnie.
Shira H
Core Values: Integrity, Curiosity, Love
After attending UC Berkeley and NYU Law, Shira H. (ze/zer, she/her) started her professional life as a civil rights attorney, fighting for queer rights and racial equity. When she realized she wasn’t into fighting, she discovered her true path as an educator. She now lives on a farm based, sustainable community in the Sierra Nevada foothills. A global citizen, she has worked, lived and played in 14 countries. She spent the last four years in the Mediterranean, volunteering with refugees, studying current and ancient migration, and serving as an amateur ambassador between Arabs, Muslims and Jews. During that time, it’s been her joy and honor to accompany students on the rite of passage between high school and college that we call the college application process. Your stories, your actions, your dreams… light her up! She’s committed to uplifting your voice because that’s what the world needs now. Super powers: nomad life, wilderness exuberance, intuition.
Shira W
Core Values: Curiosity, Creativity, Kindness
Shira (she/her) has been involved in secondary and higher education for close to 20 years in numerous capacities including teaching on the high school and university levels, admissions, mentoring, and curricular programming. Having earned a PhD, she conducts academic research and has published two books (with two more in progress), in addition to articles in various journals. Shira oversees the admissions process in a large private high school and has guided students through the challenges of navigating the college application process. She helps students find their voice and develop their perspective, as they actualize their vision through the vivid and unique expression of their personal narratives.
Sofia
Core Values: Trust, Courage, Relationships
Sofia (she/her) is committed to helping students making education count and living bigger lives. She has worked with hundreds of students, designed and led college application essay workshops and helped students write powerful stories to gain admission to the college of their dreams. Sofia is the author of Journeys to the Heart, a book about social entrepreneurs, failed ideas and change-makers in Indonesia. She has lived in Asia and Europe and has worked as a strategy consultant in Washington DC. Sofia graduated from Brown University majoring in international relations. She holds a masters in European political science from L’institute des Sciences Politiques and a Masters in diplomacy and international business from Georgetown University. She loves theater, any kind of science and politics, modern art, board games, painting, mindful practices, kickboxing, a good read, empowering conversations and her amazing family. She believes in the power of young people’s ideas and creativity to make positive impacts throughout their lives.
Tom
Core Values: Authenticity, Fun, Vulnerability
Tom (he/him) is an eternally “extra” Gemini who has spent the past seven years helping students and families navigate the college admissions process. Before joining College Essay Guy full-time as our inaugural Community Manager, he worked as a college counselor at a selective Seattle independent school and an admissions officer at Pomona College and the College of the Holy Cross (his alma mater). After college, Tom spent a year as a Jesuit Volunteers/AmeriCorps member at Catholic Charities Spokane, where he served as an Operations Assistant for a family services program called CAPA (Childbirth and Parenting Assistance). During this program, Tom lived with fellow volunteers who committed themselves to four core values: simple living, community, spirituality, and social and ecological justice. Tom first connected with CEG after reading a poignant essay from a Matchlighters student during his time in admissions at Pomona, and — thanks to additional advocacy from Ethan and some fighting spirit in the admissions committee room — this student was admitted on a full scholarship! He stans em dashes and semicolons, Kacey Musgraves (all eras, not just star crossed and Golden Hour), superior breakfast burritos, and alliterative moments. He works out begrudgingly, sings and dances feverishly, complains about space tourism incessantly, and uses way too many exclamation points. (He just took one out of that last sentence). Sitting here penning this bio, he’s reminded how challenging writing about oneself can be and how high stakes and it can feel — so you’ll find nothing but empathy and solidarity from him as you embark on your college essay journey!
WE’RE A CERTIFIED B CORP
Unlike traditional corporations, B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders: customers, workers, communities, and the environment. As a B Corp, we demonstrate our active commitment to providing college application support to every student, everywhere, by offering hundreds of free resources, and pay-what-you-can spots for our online courses.
Developing your
transfer narrative and overall essay strategy
Bringing your essays to life through drafting, revising, & polishing
Committee review of your applications & essays by our team of coaches
JOHN • PARENT
UP TO 3 SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS
Includes:
Up to 6 schools & Programs
Includes:
UP TO 10 SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS
Includes:
Applying to more than 10 colleges? Adding schools after getting started? Don’t worry. You can upgrade at any time by paying the difference in packages.
Important Information on Essay Coaching Packages:
- The University of California application system requires extensive essay and activities list requirements, so is counted as two schools/programs in essay packages, but may be used to apply to all 9 UC campuses
- If students are applying to specialized programs that require additional essays beyond the required essays for their undergraduate admissions application, we may often consider those as two colleges. These programs may include but are not limited to honors colleges, BS/MD programs, specialized business programs, the US service academies, film, theater, arts, or other creative programs. Inquire for more details about your specific programs. See below in the FAQ for a longer list of programs. Please note that most scholarships and honors colleges do not require additional essays.
- The packages above include assistance with the college essay components noted in the packages above and do not include college admissions counseling or college list development guidance, which is a separate service provided by our veteran college counselors. See more below about these options, or ask us to learn more.
Looking for assistance beyond
your college essays?
Intake & Review
Your transfer college counselor will review your background, including high school and college transcripts, school profile, resume, college preferences, and more.
Four One-on-One Meetings
You’ll work with your counselor over several 1:1 meetings to cover topics from finalizing a college list to strategic help around major selection, getting strong recommendations, and more.
Comprehensive Follow-up Report
We’ll follow-up from your meetings with a comprehensive report that summarizes our recommendations and outlines next steps for you.
Included in Your Sessions
Developing a customized list of colleges
based on your profile
Getting compelling professor &
academic evaluations
Academic courseload rquirements &
intended major selection strategy
Transfer timeline options and strategy
(Spring v. Fall transfer)
Navigating standardized testing
requirements & submission strategy
Transfer timeline options and strategy
(Spring v. Fall transfer)
Meet our Transfer College Counselors
College Essay Guy brings to you a team of veteran transfer college counselors.
Jay
Jay (he/him) brings over a decade of dedicated experience in college admissions consulting, specializing in University of California (UC) admissions and guiding students aspiring to STEM majors such as pre-med, engineering, and computer science. As a former application reader and interviewer for UCLA’s Alumni Scholarships Program, Jay has a sharp eye for what makes applicants stand out at top institutions.
With a strength-based counseling style, Jay collaborates closely with both students and parents to craft comprehensive, tailored college plans. He values and encourages parental involvement, creating a team approach that supports students at every stage. Holding a PPS credential, Jay goes beyond academics to help students with time management, stress management, and character development, recognizing that a well-rounded approach is key to success. As a certified Strong Interest Inventory counselor, Jay helps students identify and align their unique strengths with potential majors and career paths. His students have achieved admission to all Ivy League schools, every UC campus, and top private colleges such as Stanford, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, USC and more. Jay’s mission is not just to help students reach their dream schools but also to empower them with confidence and skills for a bright future.
As a Southern California native, Jay loves spending his free time at the beach or taking long afternoon hikes. Some of his favorite spots include Newport Beach and Crystal Cove. He’s got a lot of interests, from watching anime and sports to traveling and discovering the latest food trends on TikTok.
Renee
Renee has spent the last 25 years supporting students through the college application process, including the last 4 years as one of the original College Essay Guy counselors. She has worked with students applying to colleges across the United States (and abroad) and loves diving into research to support students’ niche interests and high-achieving goals. She has advised students pursuing college athletics, performing arts programs, and military academies, as well as most academic disciplines. She helps students understand both what their college priorities are, and the ‘why’ behind it. She uses the knowledge she’s gained from touring over 200+ college campuses in the US, Canada, and the UK to guide students toward colleges that best fit their aspirations.
Renee’s experience working in both public and private schools, coupled with her roles on the Common App Advisory Board, NACAC’s advocacy work on Capitol Hill, and Co-Chairing SACAC’s NC State and Area Initiatives Committee, position her to advise students to maximize their potential. Her students have been accepted at a wide range of colleges, including many of the most highly selective colleges in the country (T50 and below USNWR), the Ivy League, HBCU’s, and top ranked liberal arts colleges. In recent years, her students have gotten admitted to Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, MIT, NYU, Wellesley, Northeastern, Barnard, all UC campuses, University of Michigan, Davidson, Brown, USC, Smith, Swarthmore, U Chicago, UGA, Ga Tech, Vanderbilt, UIUC, University of Washington, Scripps, Carnegie Mellon, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wash U, UT Austin, UVA, Wake Forest, Duke, Northeastern and countless others. Renee has supported students to get into almost every top ranked college during her long career as a college counselor.
When she’s not immersed in counseling and leading CEG’s Parent Community, she tends to her garden, dotes on her favorite dog, Pretzel, and travels the world (most recently to Antarctica and her new favorite city, Prague)!
Education:
- B.A. Psychology
- M.A. School Counseling
- Ed.S. Educational Leadership & Administration
Scott
Scott brings extensive experience in university admissions and high school college counseling. He was an admission officer at Middlebury College in Vermont for eight years, handling all facets of both domestic and international admissions. Eager to experience the high school side of admissions and to live abroad, Scott moved overseas in 2014 and spent the following nine years working as a university counselor at independent schools in Hong Kong (five years) and Vancouver, Canada (four years). Scott has worked closely with American and international students and families, and has extensive knowledge of the admissions processes of the US, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Europe. He believes strongly in the philosophy of “best fit” in university admission, and loves getting to know his students and their families to help make the university admissions process as positive, comfortable, and stress-free as possible for all involved. The father of two (now adult) children, Scott has an understanding of the process from both the parent and counselor perspective.
Born and raised in Maine, Scott earned a BA in social anthropology from Harvard University, and spent most of his adult life in Vermont before moving abroad. Scott’s interests include cycling, Nordic skiing, travel, food/wine/cooking, music, and good conversation. He currently splits time between Hong Kong and New England.
Susan
Susan (she/her) is a native New Yorker whose career in college admissions has spanned four decades. Following her graduation from St. Lawrence University with a BS in Psychology, Susan moved to New England where she worked at Bates College as Associate Dean of Admissions. She completed her Master’s degree in School Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. For the next 25 years, Susan served as the Director of College Counseling at a college prep day and boarding school near Philadelphia where she worked with students from around the world. Since stepping out of that role, Susan has evaluated applications for two selective research universities and is working as a consultant to schools, professional organizations, and families. A counselor at heart who loves helping students and parents launch their college searches, Susan finds time to be a writer, sports enthusiast, and mother of twins who are recent college graduates.
Transfer Counseling Add-On Service
Up to 4 sessions with our team
Longer-Term Transfer Counseling Support
Up to 9 sessions with our team
I was really amazed by how transformative the process was.
“How my son’s personal essay evolved, and the finished product really reflected him. When I read it for the first time, there was no doubt that it could have been anyone else as the subject in the essay. It was authentic. Jon did a really great job helping with that process, and was incredibly patient with my son! Thank you!”
Donna J.
Parent
One-on-One Transfer Application & Essay Coaching FAQs
How is the process different as a transfer student when compared with freshmen applicants?
The transfer application process is different for every student and at every college.
While many aspects are the same as those applying as freshmen, it also differs in several important ways:
- Acceptance rates as a transfer student could be substantially higher or substantially lower, as colleges can vary widely and from year-to-year in the number of transfer students they admit.
- Rather than writing a more open-ended personal statement, students are asked to specifically address their reasons for transferring in the longer Common Application essay.
- The college list development process can change. Many students may be OK staying at their current school, but are simply aiming for different programs that might be a better fit, or perhaps hoping to receive substantial scholarships at their new school. As a result, the college list may be a bit more aggressive and not necessitate as many safety options.
- The application requirements usually differ for transfer applicants, and admissions departments may rely more heavily on a college GPA and less on high school SAT or ACT testing.
Do you cover all aspects of the college application process (not just essays)?
Yep! Though the company is called College Essay Guy (because that’s what Ethan has become known for in the industry), we have a good deal of expertise (a combined 150+ years experience) counseling students through the process, as well as counselors on our team with decades of experience working with students and in college admissions offices. In short: we can do it all.
Where do sessions take place?
Online via Zoom, email and Google docs. We have an essay management platform to help you stay organized and collaborate with us throughout the process.
Where have your students been accepted?
Each year, we have dozens of students that go on the Ivies, as well as every other top school. See links at the top of this page our most recent acceptances. We’re fortunate to work with lots of highly motivated and high-achieving students.
It’s important to note that our services are advisory in nature and we can’t (of course) guarantee admission to a highly selective school. But we can help you put together the best possible application and essays to demonstrate your gifts, skills and values.
Are there any colleges or programs that might be considered as two colleges in your package?
Most scholarships, honors colleges, or specialized programs and majors don’t have additional essay requirements beyond those required by the undergraduate application. However, some programs do require additional essays or materials and are considered by our team as an additional college given the time required to help you develop strong applications and essays. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of these programs that may be considered as an additioanl college in your package:
- Honors programs (Penn State Schreyer Honors College, UPitt Honors College)
- BS/MD programs (Brown University’s PLME program, etc.)
- Theater, fine arts, and film school supplemental applications or essays
- Business programs or specialized business/technology programs (UPenn’s M&T program, University of Michigan’s Ross School and portfolio application)
- Specialized medical programs (UPenn’s Bio-Dental or Nursing and Healthcare Management Programs)
- Scholarship programs with essays beyond the requirements for the undergraduate application (UNC’s Morehead Cain scholarship, etc.)
Do you write essays for students?
No. Beyond being unethical, that would be doing you a great disservice to you and also undermine the transformative element of this process. The essays submitted will be the original work of the student.
Do you offer hourly packages?
We work with students through a tried-and-true process of brainstorming topics to polishing the final drafts. We find it super important that the college essay and application be grounded in an in-depth brainstorming process and some discussion to help you get to the point where you’ve found your deepest stories and are comfortable tackling your first draft. And that sometimes takes a session or two or three.
As a result of this, we don’t offer hourly help and prefer to avoid giving essay feedback without the context of all of the other things that you’ve accomplished or experienced in your rich and colorful life. We’ve also found that it’s so important to have the flexibility to meet without hourly time restrictions to help you have great essays. It gives you (the student) and your essay specialist the freedom to spend time getting to know each other, to experiment and get creative, and to try things out without concern for how much time you’ve spent so far, or have left. We do offer limited hourly packages for 9th-11th graders working on essays for summer programs.
What if I (student) am not a good writer?
The process may take a bit longer. That’s okay with us.
What advice do you have as I begin the process?
We highly recommend developing a balanced college list. Most students, for example, fixate on 1 or 2 highly selective (usually Ivy League) schools, but we find the students who are most happy with the process are those who have developed a wide range (usually 8 – 12 schools) with around 3 reach, 4 maybe, and 3 likely.
Can I see some essays from past students?
In terms of sample essays, here are a few essays written by past students.
Can I start with a smaller package and upgrade later in the process?
Students are welcome to upgrade their package at any point!
We recommend that students try to have at least 3 of the colleges they’ll be working on with us prior to their first meeting, and to finalize all of the colleges they’ll be working on with us prior to the 4th meeting to help set students up for effective brainstorming and essay content strategy. This also helps us to guarantee that our coach will be available to assist with any additional colleges.
Most importantly, this will help students and coaches to work most effectively in their initial brainstorming meetings to select topics and map out a strategy that will allow them to see where there is opportunity for overlap on topics. In our experience, this helps students reduce the overall amount of writing, focus their energy more efficiently, and ultimately write better college essays.
Can my son/daughter meet with your team to get an idea of how the whole process works?
Absolutely. We’ll be happy to set up a call to walk you through the process and answer any questions you have.
As Seen In
