pe·ruse (v.) to read in a thorough or careful way
FAQs
What do you charge?
For 1-on-1 consulting, my rates begin at $300/hour.
When should I start?
The earlier the better! Ideally, you’d begin in mid-June (or whenever junior year ends for you). We will start with the Common App essay and focus solely on it while you decide which schools to ED/EA. By mid-August, the Common App essay is done and we begin working on supplemental.
What does a typical lesson look like?
An early lesson (brainstorming) will feel like an interview. I’ll ask you questions about your childhood, your friends, etc. and take copious notes. A later lesson that involves more writing/editing will be more of a discussion where I give you suggestions and we talk through the narrative choices you’ve made (and whether they accomplish what you set out to do).
Do you offer in-person consulting?
No. I only meet students over Zoom.
Do you write essays for me?
Definitely not. My goal is to help you produce the best essay you can write.
What schools do your students attend?
I’ve worked with students that go to public school, religious institutions, prep schools, arts academies, and more. The following list is by no means exhaustive: Harvard-Westlake, The Lawrenceville School, Horace Mann, The Peddie School, Cate School, Gonzaga College High School, Wasatch Academy, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Cushing Academy, Wyoming Seminary, and Montgomery Bell Academy.
How long does it take to write the Common App essay?
Short answer: roughly 10-15 hours of lesson time. Long answer: it depends on the quality of essay you want/have time to produce. It also depends on what calibre schools you’re applying to. For ivies, I’d estimate minimum 15 hours. If you sign up in June, we can take our time brainstorming to come up with the perfect topic. We can revise without making compromises or rushing. This is in contrast to signing up in late September when school and extracurriculars have already begun—we won’t have the luxury of time. We’ll likely have to run with the first decent topic that comes to mind since we’ll need to write the supplemental essays at the same time.
How long do supplemental essays usually take?
Supplements include short answers (30 words), short essays (150 words), and long essays (600 words e.g. Harvard, UChicago). My conservative estimate is 6 hours per school (assuming the school uses Common App). Schools on separate application systems (UCs, UTs, Georgetown) are not considered ‘supplements’ and you should expect these essays to take longer than 6 hours.
Do you help with UC essays?
Absolutely! I’ve worked on UC essays with many students. The UC schools ask for four 300 word essays (you choose from 8 different prompts). We can often adapt your ~600 word Common App essay to fit one of the UC prompts.
Do you do ad hoc essay checks?
I offer an hourly rate, so you are welcome to book a single session and I will help you in any way that I can. If you are looking for an ‘essay check’ that involves you emailing me the essay and receiving only written feedback, I don’t offer this because I find it to be unhelpful for the student. Feedback should include a dialogue where the student can ask questions about why changes are suggested.
Can you help me build my college list?
No—I’m strictly essays. If you need help with other facets of the college application, I’m happy to refer you to consultants I trust.
Do you do college consulting in addition to helping with essays?
I’m happy to offer my expertise in conjunction with essay consulting, but I do not take on any clients who are only interested in college consulting. Again, I’m happy to refer you to others who specialize in non-essay consulting.
What types of payment do you accept? How does billing work?
Venmo and Paypal are the most common. I can accommodate other requests (Zelle, Wise, etc). I will send you invoices every two weeks (one after the 15th of the month and a second after the month is complete).