The personal statement and written supplements are the most important components of students' college applications, yet they are often the sections for which students receive the least amount of direct support. 

Writing about one’s experiences in a concise, meaningful and persuasive manner is a life skill and doing so while still developing one's voice and style is a challenging endeavor.

I work closely with high school students on the written portions of their applications and supplements, as well as facilitate an individualized schedule and structure to guide students throughout the complex college application process.

I have 20 years of experience and a successful track record as a college counselor and writing teacher for middle and high school students. The mentoring methods and writing approaches I have developed both as a counselor and teacher are effective and facilitate the development of successful writing in students' applications.

I mentor and advise throughout all aspects of the college application process (except test prep), including but not limited to:

• Establishing and articulating goals;

• School exploration and selection;

• Brainstorming ideas and content to cultivate a wide range of topics and ideas for the personal statement and all corresponding supplements;

• Development and execution of written statements and reviewing, commenting and making suggestions for each draft;

• Interview preparation;

• Portfolio development and review preparation.

My role in your child’s college application process is to help reduce stress and alleviate the pressure they experience throughout this process. OUR TIME TOGETHER SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS AN ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY OR CLASS, but rather as an individually designed and mindfully implemented support system.

I work with students in person and via Zoom, email and Google Docs, so students can work at times that are convenient for them. 

Students have unlimited access to my services throughout all the stages of the application and writing process. There is no limit to how many applications, drafts and iterations we can review together in order to facilitate students' original, authentic written work.

Effective, powerful writing is a direct result of having ample time to examine, reflect and refine the work. The essays that make up the Common Application & supplements are not typical pieces of writing, nor are they just another step in the application process. College essays are a unique genre that must simultaneously catch the attention of admissions officers and illuminate students’ intellect, personality and potential.

Students do not need to know which institutions they want to apply to in order to begin preparing to respond to the written portions of their future applications. Waiting until the fall of senior year (or even junior year) to examine the many facets of applications’ written statements can be a very stressful experience, often resulting in written work that does not effectively convey an applicant’s personality or demonstrate their unique voice. 

9th grade is the ideal time for students to start framing their experiences in ways in which they can discuss them. 

• Using my approach and methods, I’ll meet with students a few times over the course of the 9th & 10th grades and prepare them to hit the ground running when they start their applications and alleviate the stress during that hectic time. 

• In the 11th & 12th grades, a more regular schedule is developed, and regular meetings take place throughout the process. There is no limit to how much time a student can spend working with me.

* NOTE: Specific college application essay prompts are not discussed during the 9th & 10th grade sessions unless requested by the students. Rather, time is spent reflecting upon their past and current experiences, so when it is time to prepare their applications, students have a breadth of topics to explore, reflect upon and ultimately write about in their statements.

I have been an educator for 20 years, and I earned a Master of Education in Learning & Teaching and Instructional Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

After teaching English Language Arts, I was promoted to the positions of College Counselor and International Baccalaureate coordinator, during which time I created and implemented a unique and highly effective approach to the college application process. Working closely with students from the beginning of 9th grade and throughout the entire process, an emphasis was put on the development and presentation of authentic and meaningful personal essays and written supplements.

FIXED FEE: NO BILLING SURPRISES

The fee for my program is the same whether students begin working with me in the 9th grade or wait until senior year, in order to encourage regular, long-term communication between myself and my students.

If you are interested in learning more about the program,  contact me for a free info session, and/or a free introductory session for students who are interested in learning more about how my program works and what the process will look like. 

Contact David @  keepcalmandwritethatessay@gmail.com

• "I am really happy that you were able to work with our daughter on her essay - it came out great and I feel like she gained more confidence with the application process thanks to your guidance. Thank you for making this process go smoothly!"

• "You were the support our child needed to get through this arduous process."

• "We found out this morning that our son has been accepted at his first choice school!  Thank you for your guidance with the writing process.  You helped to bring the pieces together!"  

• "We could not have done this without you. Thank you for all your guidance!"

• "You’ve been an inspiration to the kids as a teacher and of tremendous help and professionalism to guide those critical college decisions as a counselor."

• "Thank you again for everything you’ve given to our children. You’re a truly wonderful teacher and counselor, and we’ve really valued your help in their application process."

• "Thank you for all your advice. Thank you as well for your encouragement of our children to consider and prepare for their future and their options in their future!"

• "Thank you so much for the time and direction you gave to our son and to us. I think it really helped him to get focused and he made good progress this semester."