College Essay Coach
I can help your teen write a standout college essay.
Personalized coaching from a professional writer and editor, from the first idea to the final draft.
About Joelle
Unmistakably you, never boring.
"I love it. Why be boring?" someone once shouted after spotting me on the slopes in my iridescent ski suit. (My family calls it the spacesuit and would rather not share a chairlift with me.) That is exactly how I think about the college essay. It should be unmistakably you, and it should never be boring.
I hold a master's degree in journalism from CU Boulder and have spent decades writing and editing professionally. After coaching my nieces and neighbors through their personal statements, I found the work I love most: helping teenagers tell their stories.
Admissions officers want to read about one thing: you. Through guided exercises and reflective questions about your teen's life experiences, quirky interests and aspirations, I help them find a strong topic. Then, we work together to develop an outline, write a first draft, and revise until they have a memorable 650-word narrative that shows a school exactly why they belong there.
Why the essay matters
650 words can carry a lot of weight.
It's the one part they control
By senior fall, grades and test scores are what they are. The essay is the one piece of the application a student can still shape, and strong writing can tip a decision.
It separates similar applicants
Admissions officers read thousands of applications with nearly identical numbers. A compelling, personal story is what makes a reader remember one application out of the stack.
It shows the person behind the numbers
Transcripts show what a student did. The essay shows who they are: how they think, what they care about, and what they'll bring to a campus.
How it works
From blank page to final draft.
And wherever your teen is in the process — no ideas yet or one draft away — we can start right there.
Discover
Guided exercises and questions to surface your best stories and topics.
Outline
Shape the strongest topic into a clear, organized structure of flowing ideas.
Draft
Write a first draft, with feedback along the way.
Refine
Revise until the essay is authentic, polished, and memorable.
Packages
Pick the level of help that fits.
The Standout Personal Statement
$800
Full support on the main personal statement. Whether your student has a dozen ideas or none, we work from brainstorming and topic selection through outlining and revision until the essay shines. Unlimited meetings and feedback for one essay.
The Final Read
$175
For the student who cannot look at their essay one more time. A fresh set of eyes on a near-final draft to make sure it flows and is free of glaring errors.
Supplementals & UC PIQs
$1,400
For students writing supplemental essays or the University of California Personal Insight Questions. Includes unlimited edits and revisions to polish four supplemental essays of 350 words or fewer, or the four PIQs.
The Whole Shebang
$2,400
For students applying to many schools with many supplements. Unlimited meetings for every piece of college application writing, including the personal statement.
Don't see a package that fits? I'm happy to work together on an hourly basis. Just reach out. Get in touch