Editing for Admissions Essays

To gain admission to a stellar school, you need a stellar essay.

A compelling and authentic essay is essential to showing admissions officers that you’re the right fit for their school. In fact, an essay can determine far more than whether you’re accepted. I received a full ride scholarship to the University of Michigan largely based on my admissions essays—and over the past decade, I’ve helped numerous students secure more aid and receive better placement (for example, in competitive residential colleges and mentorship programs) at their preferred high schools, colleges, and universities.

As your essay editor, my goal is to make you the obvious choice to your ideal schools.

I’ve been editing school essays for students since I was in high school (seriously). During and after college, I helped many of my peers gain admission to graduate school, including The Yale School of Management, Columbia Business School, Loyola Law School, Northwestern Law School, the USC Keck School of Medicine, and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Personally, although I was the first person on both sides of my extended family to attend college and received dismal math scores on standardized tests, I was granted admission to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and ultimately opted to attend Harvard’s Radcliffe Publishing Institute.

Over the past decade, I’ve helped students gain admission to dozens of top-tier high schools and undergraduate institutions, including Cornell, The University of Virginia, Yale, Columbia University, Purdue University, Kalamazoo College, Michigan State University, New York University, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Of course, I can’t guarantee admission to any school. What I can guarantee is that I will work with you or your child to create an essay that stands out in the sea of generic (and often AI-generated and/or edited) admissions essays. Having spoken with numerous admissions professionals, I can state with certainty that higher education systems aren’t screening for yet another student with a 4.2 GPA and dozens of extracurriculars.

They are looking for resilience, authenticity, and a student who will truly thrive at their school. That is what I will help your essay convey.

Moreover, my editorial process is designed to help students become stronger writers. Even if you are pursuing a STEM degree, the data is clear: students who write clearly and concisely are more effective in academic and workplace environments and become better at all communication—which is essential for personal and professional success.

If you’d like personalized support with your essay, simply email me to let me know you’d like to work together. Read on to find out more about how I can help you.

Admissions Essay Editing FAQ

  • No—because I could never know your story as well as you do, nor convey your experiences the way that only you can. Likewise, while I will make your copy shine by suggesting certain phrasing, adding transitions, etc., I won't put words in your mouth (or in this case, on the page). Beyond the ethical implications of doing so, that simply wouldn't set you up for success as a student and professional.

    If you are wavering on what to write about, I can evaluate your potential topics and offer suggestions on which direction to take when writing your first draft.

  • My edit includes as many rounds as needed in order to create an essay that I feel will make you the obvious choice to your ideal schools—and that you feel is authentic and conveys your potential.

    I use Microsoft Word and its track changes feature during editing so you can see my changes and learn from them.  (I do not use Google docs—not because I don't like it, but because I've had too many students accidentally delete documents or undo edits during the process. Word allows us to track each version.)

  • I charge $1 per word, based on the essay's word count limit. For example, if the essay has a maximum of 600 words, my fee is $600.

    This is a flat fee that includes as many rounds of edits as needed to create an essay that you are satisfied with. Most essays require two to three rounds of edits before I proof them for spelling, grammar, and accuracy.

  • My typical turnaround for the entire essay process is two weeks.

    In most cases, I offer a 48-hour turnaround for each individual round of edits. I do ask that students wait at least one day after receiving feedback to send edits back to me. This is because their work is invariably better if they sleep on it and give it another look before before returning the draft.

    You have two weeks from hiring me in which to send me your first draft.

  • I help students with essays used for admission to high school, college, and graduate school.

    I have edited essays targeted at liberal arts, STEM, legal, medical, and specialized schools and degree programs. If you have questions about a particular educational program or admissions process, email me.

  • Email me to let me know you’d like to work together and I’ll respond with my earliest availability.

    Please let me know some of the schools you/your child is considering applying to and your deadline.

    Once we agree to work together, I’ll send you an invoice that allows you to make payment using a credit or debit card. You will receive a receipt from Stripe, my company's payment processing system.

  • Yes, I offer complete confidentiality for students and their families. I will not give your contact information to other prospective students or families, nor will I use your essay as an example or teaching guide for others. I keep all information you share with me during this process in the strictest confidence.