Services
College Selection & Application Assistance (late junior to early senior year)
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A good application is one where all its sections work in tandem. It’s not about grades, or test scores, or essays; it’s about how all these parts work together to tell a story.
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That’s why I don’t simply help people draft essays. Instead, the student and I work together throughout the entire application to make sure their strengths are vividly told. Together, we cover essays, activity lists, rec letter advice, extra information spaces, and even the basic information sections, making sure each student makes the strongest possible case for admission. I also help with the application’s auxiliary parts: art portfolios, STEM portfolios, interviews, awards verification steps, letters of continued interest, and even how to properly email admissions departments. Finally, when decisions are made, I help students compare offers and advise on making the best possible choice.
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This also means that I work with the student for an unlimited amount of time … basically until they and I are happy with the final product. We meet through zoom meetings and message apps throughout this process. Meeting frequency can range from once a week to even daily, depending on the student’s deadline schedule. (I’m good with students who procrastinate and I don’t leave people behind!) This specialized attention is the primary reason I only oversee a handful of students each year.
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With particular regard to essays, my history background means that I approach the process from a narrative perspective: instead addressing the prompts, I literally start by having students tell stories about their lives. As we work together, I help make these stories more vivid, cogent, and effective at demonstrating aspects their character and development. Finally, we take that story and shape it to fit the required essay prompts. This “story-first” method means a student’s experiences and insights remain foregrounded, allowing for powerful narratives that command the prompt and result in focused, compelling essays.
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I also work with students on how to select colleges that are good fits for their personalities and interests. Surprisingly, many students skip this step, simply applying to the “best” schools they think they can get into (see my philosophy page for more on this). This is a mistake, as most colleges will ask students why they are applying to them, and expect a thoughtful answer beyond rankings. Having students do their research ahead of time makes this process easier, yields better application results, and most important, helps students learn more about themselves.
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Overall, I take pride in my holistic, student-centered approach. Instead of simply telling students what to say, I provide each student with a structured space to develop their own thoughts, resulting in both better applications and a less stressful experience for them and their parents. I want students to finish with not only the best application possible, but also with a new awareness of how to effectively communicate to diverse audiences through writing–a skill my students retain long after college. Many have remarked to me that, upon completion of this process, they have a better sense of themselves and what they're after as they begin college life.
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College Counseling and Application Readiness (freshman through early junior year)
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I work with students at this earlier stage to help them develop a student profile, meaning I ensure that they are on pace to have an impressive curricular and extra-curricular track record by senior year. I primarily do this by helping students to identify interests, develop self-confidence, and explore their world in such a way that they leave positive impacts in their wake.
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More specifically, I work with kids on:
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• Establishing good study habits to keep grades high and burnout low.
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• Advising students on courses that help develop their interests while challenging them intellectually.
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• Working with students to find extra-curriculars that speak to their interests, and helping students make tangible but realistic schedules each semester on how they can deepen their knowledge within these areas while also upscaling their activities’ community impact..
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• Helping kids plan summer activities (local, abroad, or online) that stretch their intellectual boundaries while also providing opportunities to further sample life’s rich pallet.
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• Tests! We discuss SAT, ACT, the APs, AME, Scioly … all those exams that are often necessary during high school. I help kids plan what to take and when, and, if necessary, ensure sure they can find the support necessary to excel, again with a minimum of stress.
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• Last but not least, I assign books! Together we work through works of fiction and non-fiction, reading and discussing their ideas so students better understand the world and their place in it.
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That’s a summary of some of the things we work on. While sessions vary depending upon the needs of the student, my over-arching philosophy remains the same. I typically meet once a month with students at this stage, with increased interaction when necessary (such as when applying for summer programs or choosing school courses).
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Questions?
If either of these options sounds good to you, feel to contact me! I give complimentary introductory meetings to students and parents about myself and what I offer. If you to work with me, great! And if not, you’ll still walk away with some free quality advice.