Celebrating HS Class of '26 College Acceptances - Amazing Results Already!
Hi, I'm Jen! (I'm the short one in the middle.)
I'm an author, poet, teacher, and coach who helps
students around the world craft seriously standout college apps anchored by unforgettable essays.
I help students & families confidently
navigate strategies & make educated choices
vis a vis colleges, majors, ED/EA/RD, etc.
I offer unparalleled, one-on-one essay support -
selecting topics, crafting hooks, honing voice,
weaving in the details and depth that bring
stories to life - and axing anything that
doesn't make your case!
My students' exceptional results are all them.
I'm here to support their journey,
and celebrate their success!
The Process
1
Book a free 30 minute Introductory Session and choose a package. My five-session package is a great start/savings. Every student and family is different - some get the job done quickly, others grind away for months on their Personal Statement, UC PIQ's, and supplementals with spectacular results. As a teacher and parent of teens, I'm all about encouraging students' independence and meeting them "where they're at" - within budget constraints, of course!
2
We typically work together one hour at a time. I come to the student's house, they come to mine; 90% meet me over Zoom. First session: I get to know the student’s goals, timeline, and “where they are at”. I share a College Essay & App Organizer that students personalize to track schools, deadlines, essay prompts, etc. I ask them to send/create a resume so that nothing important gets left out (becomes Activities List).
3
We do whatever it takes to make your application impeccable. Whether that's connecting you with SAT/ACT prep resources; supporting you as you create a capstone project; helping you prepare for calls with coaches and AD's; building your overall application narrative; or honing those essays until *you* sparkle, I'm here for it all. I will both push you to go as far as you can go and polish you right where you're at... until we feel confident your app is as seriously standout as can be.
UC (University of California) Resources & Links
-
Link to the UC App (opens August 1, 2025 for Fall 2026 Admission)
-
13 holistic review factors UC Admissions considers when reviewing applications
-
UC guidance to PIQ's Each campus evaluates apps differently/separately. Scroll down for campus-specific links - UC Berkeley is quite specific in what they look for.
-
Direct from the UCLA Admissions Reader - The PIQ's are your chance to stand out.
-
Direct from UC Berkeley Admissions Officer - Use every word of PIQ's.
-
All UC's - After we read your PIQs, we will ask, “What do we know about this individual?”
-
If we have learned very little about you, your answers were not successful.
College Essays - A Rite of Passage
and in an increasingly competitive college environment, they have never mattered more
Great essays are the centerpiece of a great app. They bring the vibe; they are the vibe.
Every student has an authentic take to share, and most could use a little help owning it!
Even self-aware, confident writers benefit greatly from a pro gently helping them go deep, deeper, deepest. Here's what I bring:
Support
Your essay should be a proud and positive reflection of who you are.
How to achieve this? Without giving all my secrets away... I believe in the power and efficiency of conversation to get words and ideas flowing! I ask simple/deep questions (how? why? who helped? what happened next?), write gems down exactly as the student voiced them, and gather the threads until an unforgettable story comes together. Then, we hone each word and line with next-level attention to detail, building essays & apps that resonate with honesty, emotional intelligence, and willingness to work hard... exactly what Admissions wants.
Storytelling
Students I work with create what college AOs want: compelling essay-stories written in lively, authentic voices. They don't waste space with resume-rehash; they confidently, justifiably weave their skills and achievements into their essays in a way that supports the larger point- that they are ideal candidates for their chosen school.
Don't believe that only straight-A students with heaps of extracurriculars have great material to work with. Recent successful essays have centered around onions, starting a doomed business, crashing a car, missing the last train in a foreign country, and the number seven. It's about owning who you are and showing how you've grown, led, listened, changed... and will continue to do so.
Craft
Applicants get 650 words for the Common App Personal Statement, 350 for UC PIQ's, and anything goes for supplementals. Organization, prioritization, and editing are musts! Standout essays are tightly-crafted word-puzzle, essential to building a successful application, and task is to fit all (and only) the value-adding pieces in.
If a student gets "stuck" in all that complexity, co-writing on a shared screen is a game-changer. Together we dump out all the puzzle pieces, turn them right side up, and arrange them to create a seamless whole. I *love* doing these kinds of puzzles, and can help you sort yours out efficiently - saving time and frustration!
Recommended Essay Resource
Do not throw away your shot! Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of the Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast share what AO's do (and don't!) want to read in a college essay. Certain topics are irredeemably cliché/overused, no matter how scintillating your take - choose wisely!
2026 Rates and Payment
First 30 minutes (either over Zoom or via document review): free of charge. Book online here!
My rate is $150/hour. Payment is via Zelle or credit card. I do not charge for administrative tasks (unless parent requests extra help); for texts, emails, or questions (bring 'em!); or for behind-the-scenes time I spend researching your student’s desired schools and what those schools look for in their applicants. I charge only for time spent specifically in the craft of helping your student create brilliant college apps & essays.
Package rate (Best Value): I offer 5 hours of one-on-one college essay support at a package price of $600. You can purchase as many packages as needed.
Sliding scale: I passionately believe that all students, regardless of background or socio-economic status, deserve top-quality support during the admissions process. If you would like to pay a reduced rate or offer a trade (such as website help!) please know that I have never turned a student away. I am proud to have supported first-generation Americans and international students from as far away as Germany and Bangladesh in achieving their college dreams.
Referrals: For every friend you refer who becomes a client, I will credit your family 30 minutes of essay/advisory time or you may choose to donate that forward to a lower-income client.
My "why": I LOVE giving students the tools they need to succeed! I genuinely believe in the possibilities of language, self-expression, and storytelling. Plus, it's super-fun helping hard-working kids get into college.
There is hope in honest error, none in the icy perfections of the mere stylist -
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
For my full writing, business, and educational background, check out About Jen and my C.V.
I began working with college applicants in 2020 after training with Encuentros, a non-profit organization that pairs professional writers with college seniors who are the first in their families to attend college. I was stunned to learn from experienced admissions officers, etc., that there are serious 'do’s' and 'don’ts' in college essay crafting, and that these are not necessarily common knowledge. I don't gatekeep information; my new writing mission was to empower as many students as I could to write the best essays possible! Since then, I have helped hundreds of students craft college essays via workshops, one-on-one Zoom sessions, and lots of swapping of Google Docs. My clients have been admitted to:
American University * Arizona State * Auburn University * Boston College * Cal Poly SLO * Colorado State * Colorado University Boulder * Creighton University * Gonzaga University * Harvard University (ED) * New York University * Occidental College * Ohio State University * Oregon State * Penn State * Pepperdine University (ED) * Pomona College * Providence College * San Diego State * Sarah Lawrence College * Texas Christian University * UC Berkeley * UCLA * UCSD * University of Aberdeen * University of Arizona * UCSB * UCSC * UCSD * UC Davis * University of Hawaii Manoa * USC * University of New Mexico * University of Oregon * Unversity of San Francisco * University of Texas, Austin * University of Texas, Dallas * Washington State * Wellesley College * Wheaton College * and more!
FAQ's (Mostly College Essay Stuff)
"Why does my competent student/excellent writer need a college (essay) coach? I wrote my essays all by myself, and I got into UCLA just fine!"
It's true, and I didn't use a writing coach either. Also true: we were applying to college (cough cough) 30-ish years ago. Like it or not, things have gotten more more competitive. I can't turn back time to when college apps were simpler and good-enough essays were good enough, but I *can* help each student I work with write an essay they feel completely confident in and proud of... providing the powerful antidote to anxiety that comes from knowing you did your very best.
"But seriously, what kind of student benefits from working with a coach?"
-
a student who wants to go above and beyond and write seriously standout essays;
-
a student who feels stuck; like they have nothing original to say; who feels unsure;
-
a student who is writing a LOT of essays;
-
a student trying to explain something deeply challenging or complex about their lives;
-
a students whose essays read boring, blah, vanilla - and they don't know how to fix it;
-
a student who is busy! Or procrastinated! Or both - and now needs to get those essays done right!
"What kind of student genuinely doesn't need (much) coaching?"
If a student has answered the essay prompt fully and well; feels fantastic about their essay, with no lingering uncertainty or "what-if's?"; if an adult who is a good writer AND understands the assignment AND is not afraid to be brutally honest has looked over the essay and agrees that it's great: CONGRATULATIONS, they did it!
I humbly submit that a second opinion from a pro writer/editor is a very good idea, not to mention a zero-risk investment as I don't charge for a 30-minute initial consult / look-over. I always send my important work to my Writing Salon, experienced writers and editors, etc., to sign off on before pressing "submit". I can't tell you how many times they have caught not just silly typos, but places where I really could have done better, been clearer, said more. It takes both engaging writers and engaged readers to make an essay work. Something to think about.
"Can't we find college essay help for free online?"
College websites have terrific guides on answering their own essay prompts, and every student should start there. College Essay Guy (Ethan Sawyer) has tremendous resources online! I also monitor the A2C (Applying to College) sub on Reddit. If your student can translate what they glean from online resources into a great essay, that's fantastic!
"My student's high school teacher / counselor / writing-helper-person looked over their essay. They're good to go, right?"
This is a tricky one, and the answer is, maybe. I am a teacher. I love teachers! School counselors, English teachers, even some internet essay gurus can be great resources for college essay writers. But my students' experiences attest that not every counselor or college advisor is an optimal college essay writing coach:
-
A client received feedback from his counselor that his essays were done- great! And yet... he felt he could do better. He just didn't know how. We ended up completely rewriting his essays (4 hours of work) until he felt 100% confident in them. Either the counselor had underestimated what he was capable of, or they saw nothing wrong with a student submitting an... unfocused, lackluster essay. I believe that every student I work with is capable of essay greatness.
-
Also common - a teacher or advisor recommends a change, and it's good advice - which the student then struggles to implement. This is where the writing coach comes in, with a technician's eye for content and detail, and an artist's feel for craft, to show not tell students how to turn their experiences into words that shine.
Unlike most teachers, I get to create a dedicated, one-on-one, professional relationship with your student. They have my undivided attention and assistance until they have written essays that truly do it all. I don't just tell your student what to do and leave them to figure it out (or not). I break the process down into achievable steps, and support them through it.
"What about college essays and AI?" -- Updated June 2025
It's a changing world out there. As of 2025, UC Admissions explicitly allows AI in college essays. So do Stanford and the Ivies, though they "strongly discourage" it. This represents a seismic shift toward acceptance of AI, the use of which was once considered disqualifying in college applications.
I do not use AI as a writing tool. If I at some point I need to use it, I will. I like to joke that I am the AI - students hand me ideas, sometimes "concepts of ideas", and I help transform them into essays! I enjoy the struggle, the digging, the getting-stuck-and-breaking-through - the process. AI circumvents process and shortcuts you straight to the product. I do understand that there are times when that's really helpful. Some of my students may choose to use AI in their own essay draft process, and I'm happy support them by "de-AI-ifying" their work.
Here's the main reason why college admissions officers and I are not fans of AI in college essays. ChatGPT and other AI tools produce very well-put-together sentences (yeah yeah, debatable) with clean grammar and clear syntax (most of the time). The thing is, most people (and just about all high schoolers) naturally write with, shall we say, funkier grammar and syntax. These charming idiosyncrasies help create *voice*, one of a writer's strongest assets! Students and parents are sometimes surprised when I choose not to iron out every last syntactical kink in an essay. I leave this stuff in because a) it's them, doing their honest best, b) I'd choose blood, sweat and tears over bland perfection any day, and c) my experience shows that "real" writing produces excellent outcomes.