What is Working with a College Essay Coach Really Like?
If you're like many high school students, you may be feeling overwhelmed by some aspect of college essay writing. This makes perfect sense: very few students have any experience with writing personal essays before starting the college application process. Add to that the fact that college applications are intensive and exhausting, and it's a recipe for stress. Depending on your unique strengths and personality, different parts of college essay writing may feel more or less challenging, from choosing a topic and brainstorming, to outlining, drafting, and revising. If this sounds familiar, working with a college essay coach or another trusted mentor can make a huge difference. But you may wonder, what is working with a college essay coach really like?
A college essay coach wants to get to know you
The first and most important aspect of college essay coaching is getting to know you. Writing a great college essay comes down to reflecting on your experiences and drawing meaning from them to share with readers. We help you do this by getting to know what makes you tick, what's important to you, and what your life experience has been like so far. This can and should be a fun and meaningful process of self discovery and one that's totally different from working on class work or extracurriculars or studying for a test. To get the most out of working with a college coach, come with an openness to letting us see you for who you are.
A college essay coach believes everyone can write an excellent college essay
There is no way to “hack the college essay.” Working with a great college essay coach can be one of the best ways to escape the sense that there is a single correct way to succeed with college essay writing. That couldn't be further from the truth. A college essay coach will help you see that you can write an amazing college essay when you speak from a place of truth and openness about yourself. Sometimes when you're surrounded by peers who are thinking and worrying about college essays, by parents who want to see you succeed, and by your own concerns about getting it right, the noise can make it hard to think and write clearly. One way to think about working with a college essay coach is that you'll have a mentor in this process who can stand between you and some of the noise that can distract from your process.
A college essay coach has read thousands of essays and can spot an authentic story from a mile off
Working with a college essay coach can feel like a short cut to a clear sense of your own work. Great college essay coaches have read thousands of student essays. They've also written countless essays themselves. Both of these things make them quick and keen observers of essay drafts. If your draft could have written by any student, well see that immediately, and we'll guide you towards thinking about the parts of your experience and identity that can allow you to write something truly unique. If the number one rule of college essay writing is to avoid cliches, working with an experienced college essay coach can be the quickest path to doing it.
A college essay coach knows when an essay is ready to go
When you've been pouring over an essay draft, and especially when you've had multiple sets of eyes and feedback already, it can be hard to know what a piece is done. When it comes to knowing when an essay is ready to be submitted, a college essay coach can give you the feedback and confidence you need to hit submit. Sometimes the greatest gift of a college essay coach can be to identify a piece that's been over written and shaped into something thet no longer feels like it reflects the author’s real voice. A coach will work with you on the mechanics of writing and style to develop your own best voice, not replace it with someone else's.
Thinking about taking the plunge? Reach out anytime to learn more about our coaching services and be matched with a coach!