Our Process

Pre-Writing

The Pre-writing process includes getting-to-know-you exercises, where students identify their roles, identities, values, and character strengths. We'll hone in on a common app prompt that interests them. We'll free-write to generate ideas and determine which story excites us the most.

Revision and Draft 2

This is the work of envisioning again. What did we say? How did we say it? How can we say it better?

Outlining

This is where we start to identify the pieces that make the whole, and like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, we twist and move the ideas that will shape the bigger picture to form a cohesive whole.

Editing and Proofreading

And then we nitpick. The ideas are wonderful, the story is compelling, but let's try to say it just a little bit cleaner.

Drafting

We write. It will be rough and redundant. We will misspell words and misuse words. We will struggle for the right analogy. We will not say enough and we will say too much all at the same time. But we will get it all down without stopping to see what shows up.

Supplemental Writing

The schools you are applying to may or may not require additional supplemental essays. Here, we're just hammering that impression home with a few extra, but impactful details.

Time Commitment

Because each student and school application is unique, the writing process varies in length and timing. On average, we’ve found that completing the suite of essays, including a personal statement and two supplemental essays, can take anywhere from 6-12 collaborative sessions.

While we are happy to review pre-written essays and provide feedback, the process is often more effective when we begin working together from the start. This allows us to get to know the student personally and ensure that the suite of essays submitted authentically reflects their personality, values, and voice in a memorable and compelling way.

Investment

Summer rates (Jun-Aug): $100/hour
Fall rates (Sept-Dec): $150/hour

Seasonal Workshops: $100/2 hours

We want your student to walk into senior year with the most labor-intensive part of the college application under their belt. Scholarship applications and supplemental essays may pop up during the school year, but it feels pretty good to have the bulk of the common application writing complete before the school year commitments begin.

*We will send out a weekly invoice payable through Zelle or Venmo.