Services and Process

College Guidance

I advocate for identifying “good fit” schools. Crafting college lists is the fun part of the process—like window shopping—but it’s also a necessary step towards helping kids develop their own criteria. Together, we build a multi-tiered school list, discuss extracurriculars, passion projects, leadership opportunities, potential “hooks,” and ultimately work towards maximizing the odds they’ll be accepted into their top-choice schools. 

Students’ applications are read holistically, so my first task is to anticipate that reading. I look for gaps and suggest how to fill them. Sometimes this comes down to the finer details: have they demonstrated interest to schools that track it? Are they prepared for interviews should a school offer them? The devil’s in the details, and small things add up.

College Essays

My task as a writing coach is to guide students towards the material that will showcase their strengths and help their applications cohere. This is, to be sure, more instinct and art than science. In the current climate of increased competition, test-optional, and AI-generated writing, authenticity in the essay can be decisive. Ultimately, the best essay topics are the ones the students want to write about and that could only be written by them, in their unique voices, and with their own, original ways of looking at the world.

Whether students are applying to colleges or prep schools, the essays need to do the work of representing and promoting the applicant through a compelling narrative. This is no small task, so, to this end, I ask for:

♦ Regular communication: essays of this kind have a natural maturation period.

♦ Dialogue and receptivity to questions: this is how the “so what?” level of the essay comes into focus.

♦ Concentrated effort: Revision is where most of the real thinking happens and the language gains mileage.

Test Prep

My approach to standardized test prep is to give students the analytical tools and strategies that will set them apart from the herd. The crux of standardized testing is that if students take the test the same way, they will receive the same scores. The most important component of my work is cementing an understanding of tested grammatical conventions and rhetorical devices. The payback, beyond higher test scores, is that these are skills that will help them in college and beyond. I keep a record of every problem and every type of problem they miss, and then we shore up their gaps and streamline their decision-making process. I tutor the reading and writing sections only, but I work with a number of excellent tutors who can assist your student with math if needed.