Coaching to make your College essay stand out
Choosing a topic
Students often struggle here, believing they don’t have a compelling story. However, remember that the topic is not the focus of the essay. The topic is the gateway into your personality, strengths, interests, and experiences. I’ll get to know you well enough to help you craft an engaging and memorable story that will stand out to college admissions officers.
“Keep in mind that what makes an essay good is what the student shares and how they do it, not the topic…Write about something that interests you and let your voice come through.” — Jeannine Lalonde, Associate Dean of Admissions, University of Virginia
Organizing Ideas & First Draft
We’ll work together to organize your thoughts and ideas. Anecdotes are a great way to satisfy the writing tip, “Show me, don’t tell me.” Along the way, we’ll make sure to connect the dots so that every part of the essay relates to the main theme.
Your first draft is the chance to get it all out. We’ll focus on the word count in subsequent drafts. It’s easier to cut than to add, so your job at this stage is to relate as many details, ideas, and conclusions as possible. Tip: Read the essay, or paragraphs, aloud. It will help you identify phrasing that can be improved, as well as repetition of ideas.
Editing & Revising
I’ll provide constructive and useful feedback over Google Docs and through direct communication with you. I will not write the essay for you, but I will ask you if you can phrase sentences differently; question whether passages are relevant to the essay; and suggest changes and additions to strengthen the story.
As we progress through second and third drafts, I will also make suggestions focused on paring the essay down to its maximum allowed word count. When there is a limited word count, you want every word to count. And of course, we will focus on ensuring a clean final product with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
