College Admissions Essays

Helping college-bound students find their inner writer

Why Hire Me?

As someone who spent many years in senior editorial positions at top publishing houses in New York, I bring a unique background and skill set to the college essay coaching trade. One of the numerous tasks of a book editor is to sift through a constant flow of submissions. As a result, we develop a knack for spotting extraordinary writing. This experience informs my perspective on what makes an admissions essay stand out.

The foundation of my work with any writer is inquisitive and supportive feedback. This, too, comes from my publishing experience, because from manuscript to finished book, editors act as an author’s trustiest confidant and fiercest ally. Both roles require a commitment to empathy.

In practice, this involves a lot of talking.  I ask questions. I listen. I ask more questions. In this way, I encourage insight and originality of expression. Do we talk about verb tenses and idioms and metaphors and how, when used as a predicate adjective, “good” is not bad? We sure do. Style is important! But we also talk about quantum mechanics and tennis and jazz. I am always impressed by the ingenuity and individuality of the young adults with whom I’ve worked. It’s refreshing. And linguistically essential! How else would I learn any of the latest slang?

Helping students mine their individuality and showcase it on the page effectively to win over admissions officers is the short-term goal in our work together. But I also try to send them off with a deeper understanding of the writing process itself, a way of seeing and feeling and thinking that cultivates honesty, fearlessness, and originality, essential qualities in writing to be sure, but also for success itself.

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Notes on the Common Application Personal Statement

You are not a brand; you’re a person. College admissions officers are people too, and they would like to get to know you. Your essay gives you the opportunity to show them who the person behind the stellar GPA and perfect test scores is. 

Unlike most of the writing you’ve probably done in high school, this is a personal essay. In his introduction to The Art of the Personal Essay, a comprehensive anthology used in many college courses, acclaimed essayist Philip Lopate writes that, “the personal essay has an open form and a drive toward candor and self-disclosure. Unlike the formal essay, it depends less on airtight reasoning than on style and personality.”  He goes on to stress that, “the potential essayist must above all be a reliable narrator; we must trust his or her core of sincerity. We must also feel secure that the essayist has done a fair amount of introspective homework already, grounded in reality, and is trying to give us the maximum understanding and intelligence of which he or she is capable.”

If you want to write a winning essay, get ready to draw on your lived experience, practice some self-reflection, and tap into your creativity! 

Now What?

Maybe you have a first draft. Maybe you haven’t written a word. I will meet you wherever you are and tailor my approach to your individual needs.

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Testimonials

“Tina provided exactly what my son needed in his college essay process—structure to compel progress, coaching to develop meaningful substance, and expert writing guidance to draft and hone an excellent personal statement in his own voice. I appreciated the care she took at the outset to vet her match with my son, to lay out what was expected of him, and to be clear about what she could (and couldn’t) deliver. Over the course of their sessions, she proved herself to be thoughtful, professional, encouraging, and talented. I am a tough critic and was very pleased with his essay. I recommend Tina without reservation.”

— Julie L

Parent

“Working with Tina was very seamless. Our daughter actually enjoyed the process of creating a college essay for the common app under Tina’s guidance. She was able to dig deep and create an essay that really represented who she is as a person, let alone a student. The final product helped our daughter gain admission to many of her choice colleges and the feedback received from these schools showed that the essay played a part in her admission. Tina’s patience and skills were evident throughout the process. Our daughter was in great hands. We highly recommend Tina for her ability to work with student writers.”

— Donna A

Parent

“Having had all 3 of my children get accepted to their first-choice schools, I am incredibly grateful for all the help Tina gave to each child as they navigated the challenging process of writing multiple college application essays.

We began with another firm with our first child and we were really disappointed with the quality of the common app essay under their guidance. We were incredibly fortunate to switch to Tina as she immediately recognized that his voice wasn’t in his essay and helped redirect him to an essay he was proud of!

Each of my children are very different, and Tina was able to work with each of their styles and backgrounds to craft incredible essays that I truly believe helped them stand out. Tina’s background as an accomplished editor makes her perfect in this role and I highly recommend her.”

— Nicola D

Parent

“Tina’s help with my essay was incredibly valuable in making me a competitive college applicant. She gave me the tools to create a strong personal statement while making sure the ideas and voice still came from me. Through the process, she helped me grow as a writer and discover my own voice. I was able to pull deeper meaning from my experiences and better show colleges how I see myself. Tina pushed me to work hard on an essay that wouldn’t have been possible without her and it ended up getting me into my top school.”

— Marty

UVA ‘30

“Before I started working with Tina, I was struggling with motivation and had knocked out a generic first draft of my personal essay. In my sessions with her, we had conversations that pushed me to delve deeper. She helped me figure out what I really wanted to say and encouraged me to say it in my own voice. Getting a handle on these basic points gave me the drive to keep going. After multiple drafts, I felt like I had an essay that really flowed and revealed my true self.”
— Alex
UC Berkeley ‘28
“Tina was a huge help in writing, editing, and perfecting my personal statement for the common app. She helped me to communicate the message that I was struggling to share. I found my voice from within many drafts and worked the language to articulate what was most important. She was gifted at seeing what was missing and prompting me to fill in any gaps. The final version was a different caliber than the initial piece. I couldn’t have gone through the process without her as she was definitely a huge help in getting me into my dream school!”
— Emilia
WashU ‘27
“Tina had an invaluable role in my college essay process. She has a talent for understanding the deeper message you are trying to convey and guiding you to get there while still keeping the story your own. I don’t know what I would have done without her help.”
— Elsa
Wake Forest ‘24

Rates

My services include packages, individual hourly sessions, or a combination of the two. I like to start with a free one-hour consultation session that includes both the parents and the student. Based on your goals and my assessment of how I can best help you succeed, I’ll come back to you with an action plan and fee structure. I look forward to hearing from you!

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