How We Work

The heart of Essay Coaching is working one-on-one. Together we move toward a clear, short-term, totally attainable goal: a compelling, sincere essay that brings out your best qualities.

We will not do any writing for you.

What we will do is help you:

1. Understand the qualities of a good essay and the steps involved in getting there.

2. Discover your own unique strengths and essay theme. We do this by listening, asking questions, and supplying short writing exercises.

3. Find the time and motivation to write. Some writing will be completed while we’re together, and meetings serve as mini-deadlines for drafts.

4. Edit. We start by putting ourselves in the shoes of a college admissions officer, and reflect what we have learned about you from your essay. Then, we advise about how the essay can be strengthened. We point out what’s working well, what can be fixed, and help you edit.

Five sessions is the average for most students to complete a college essay. Many students also come with an essay draft for a single session of feedback. Read an example.

Sessions are $100 for the first one-hour session.  In-person coaching clients also receive a copy of Debbie Merion’s book, College Admissions: From Chaos to Control. A Guide for Students and Families for Solving the College Admissions Puzzle. We also offer 3-hour and 5-hour coaching packages at special rates.

Sign up for a free initial phone consultation to learn more about how Essay Coaching works with students. Hours for individual sessions are 2:30-8:00PM Monday through Thursday and 1:00-4:00PM on Sunday.