by j9robinson | Apr 15, 2016
Teaching How to Write College Application Essays Many Language Arts (English) teachers are tasked with teaching high school juniors and seniors how to craft personal essays to use for their college applications. I believe teachers can find many posts on my blog here...
by j9robinson | Apr 15, 2016
How to Find Your Required Essays The first step to writing your college application essay is to figure out what applications you will use. Then you learn what essays they require and the prompts (essay questions) you need to write about. To start, check out...
by j9robinson | Apr 14, 2016
The Common Application Learn about the seven essay prompts for The Common Application. Two new prompts were added for 2017-18, including one (Prompt 7) that allows you to write about any topic you want! If you are applying to one or more of the college and...
by j9robinson | Apr 14, 2016
Find help for writing your four required essays for The University of California application. There are eight prompts, which are called Personal Insight Questions, to choose from. Each of your four essays must be under 350 words. Read more about the Personal Insight...
by j9robinson | Apr 13, 2016
Meet Your Own Writing Coach! Start with a brainstorming session!Follow-up help via tutoring and editing(Click the flame!) Summer 2023 Workshops Jumpstart Your Essays!In Person in Laguna Beach, CA(Click the Flame!) Counselors: Looking for Essay Help? Become An Essay...
by j9robinson | Apr 9, 2016
Looking for a college admissions conference this summer to help launch your application process? I will be the featured essay writing coach at the My Pathway to College conference for college-bound students in San Diego. I will be working with students on their...
by j9robinson | Mar 29, 2016
Workshops for
Educational Consultants
and Students
I offer in-person and cyber workshops and private tutoring to counselors, teachers and other educators.
Counselor and Teacher Workshops
Become an official Essay Jumpstart Expert!
Get certified through my one-hour cyber training or put together your own group.
Cost: $200 for private session.
Put together a group of two or more and the costs go down accordingly. Email me for details: Essayhell@gmail.com. (I use Zoom)
During these sessions, I teach counselors and English teachers what I believe makes a “great” or effective college application essay, and then how to teach their students to write them using a narrative (story-telling) style to showcase their defining qualities and values.
In effect, I share my main essay writing Show AND Tell “method,” including how I help students brainstorm and identify engaging topics, use anecdotes (mini real-life stories) to hook readers and make their essays personal and meaningful, and a slew of other tips and techniques to craft powerful personal essays.
Participants receive copies of my trade-marked handouts and worksheets (my SampleOutline™, AnecdoteBuilder™, Sample Essays, ProblemFinder™) in one digital companion workbook (that you can print out), as well as a digital badge (two options) to use for marketing.
They also receive digital versions of my popular writing guides, Escape Essay Hell! and Heavenly Essays.
For information on how to set up a private or group workshop, either in person or via Skype, email Janine Robinson: EssayHell@gmail.com.
If you live within an hour of my home in Laguna Beach, California, I can come to you, or we can set up a workshop here. I also work with groups via Zoom, Skype or other Webinar platforms. Just ask and we can make it happen!
Read about the first workshop and newest official Essay Jumpstart Experts from San Diego in my latest blog post!
TESTIMONIALS FROM ESSAY JUMPSTART EXPERTS
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“After reading Janine’s books: Escape Essay Hell and Heavenly Essays, I was craving more. I am a new college consultant and Janine’s method was exactly what I had been searching for. I was thrilled to become an “Essay Jumpstart Expert.” My one-on-one time with Janine was invaluable. I appreciated getting to know the origin of her ideas through her journalism experience. She bridges key concepts and strategies from her journalism background to approaching college essay writing.
She had a very well-organized Power Point that covered her points, from her books, with more depth and complexity. Her instruction provided me with a more sophisticated understanding of the college essay writing process. Best of all, Janine is so generous with her materials and resources. She provided me with a workbook that I can easily use with the clients, immediately. She exudes passion for what she does and wants to set others up for success! From the bottom of my heart, thank you Janine!”
* * * * *
“There is a big difference between being able to recognize a good college essay and being able to coach someone
to write that good essay, and the workshop helped tremendously to train me in coaching.”
Laurel Reidy of LWR Admissions Support in Encinitas, CA
* * * * *
“Janine’s process and formula provides a way for counselors and independent college consultants
to maximize the way that students approach writing the essay in a way that helps them to really explore
more about who they are, what is important to them and why it is important…
The way she delivers her workshop is clear, concise, with tons of great examples so that it is easy to follow.
I thoroughly recommend her training!”
* * * * *
Student Workshops
I work for private college admissions consultants who want me to work with their clients on their essays, either in person or via group Skype.
During my interactive workshops with students, I help them understand what makes a great college application essay, and take them through various writing exercises to help them identify strong topics, teach them narrative writing techniques and show them how to craft “slice-of-life” personal essays.
I use a variety of hand-outs, worksheets, videos and exercises to make the workshops lively and interactive.
Anyone is welcome to put together their own group, including educational consultants, counselors, teachers, parents and students.
Workshop Rates: I charge a per-student rate, and the total cost goes down depending on the number of students. Email me for details: EssayHell@gmail.com.
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Private Consulting
As a professional writing coach, I counsel you one-on-one on how to teach your students to write narrative-style college application essays using the approach I developed and share in my writing guides, videos, online courses and blog.
These private sessions include the same information and resources I offer my group workshops participants, including my handouts/worksheets, certification of completion, badge and two of my popular writing guides (Escape Essay Hell! and Heavenly Essays.)
Private Consulting Rates: Depending on what skills you want to develop (helping students identity compelling essay topics, find and tell their real-life stories, map out writing plans, apply literary writing techniques and strategies, edit and polish their own work, etc.), I work in person or via Zoom, Skype and phone consultations. Cost: $300 an hour. Group rates are less. Email me for details: EssayHell@gmail.com.
Recent former workshop clients include:
- Square One Counseling, Laguna Beach, CA: Gave essay writing workshops to the clients of Lynn Fair, a top college counselor in Laguna Beach, CA. Summer 2013-2016.
- Cleveland Foundation College Now Scholar Program, Cleveland, OH: Gave online essay writing workshops to their “Top 50” students. Summer 2015.
- Palisade High School, Palisade, CO: Gave essay writing workshops to the IB students as part of a college admissions seminar. Summer 2015.
- Texas Region One GEAR UP, Edinburg, TX: Conducted weeklong essay writing workshops to the top 160 students, and 35 English teachers, from 30 high schools in the Rio Grande Valley. (Read more about these workshops HERE.) GEARUP also purchased licenses to my online essay writing course for 10,500 students. Spring and Fall 2014-2017.
- Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro, NJ: Presented cyber essay writing workshops to their junior years students as well as to English and other teachers at this magnet school, ranked #6 in New Jersey. Summer 2016,
- Colorado Academy, Denver, CO: Daylong workshop to about 100 rising seniors on how to brainstorm, craft and edit their Common Application essays. Summer 2017.
- Girls, Inc. of Orange County: Gave essay writing workshops to freshmen and sophomore girls at their annual Eureka! Camp summer program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA. Summer 2017.
- City of Laguna Beach: Gave weekend college application essay writing workshops through the city’s Recreation Department at the City Community Center downtown. Summer 2017.
- Shanghai International School: Spent a week giving essay writing workshops to 380 juniors from SAS at a college admissions retreat in beautiful Hangzhou, China. Spring 2018.
- Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach, CA: Gave essay writing training workshop to their college counselors. Fall 2018.
All my students receive free copies of my popular ebook guides:
ESCAPE ESSAY HELL! and HEAVENLY ESSAYS.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Click HERE to contact me any time.
Janine Robinson
* * * * *
PAYMENT: All clients must pay in advance of my services (below), and then as they go for editing help.
NOTE: Please do not make payments until we have discussed and confirmed the exact services I will be providing.
Just email me any questions at: EssayHell@Gmail.com. Thanks!
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
PAY $200
(Click “Buy Now” button below): For Hourlong Jumpstart session.
PAY $100
(Click “Buy Now” button below): For expedited 2-day editing.
Use the DONATE “Buy Now” Button below to pay agreed-upon fee other than in options above (such as UC edits at $400).
(You fill in the amount)
by j9robinson | Mar 29, 2016
ESCAPE ESSAY HELL
Escape Essay Hell! is a short and simple guide to help students write their dreaded college application essays.
Featuring Essay Hell’s best advice and tips, Escape Essay Hell takes students step-by-step through brainstorming unique topics and the narrative writing process. It’s really a crash course in writing a personal statement!
College admissions experts advise students to “Be Yourself” and write essays that are help them “Stand Out” from other applicants. But no one shows them exactly how to do that. In this simple to follow guide, Escape Essay Hell teaches them how to write essays that are engaging, meaningful and memorable—which naturally help them stand out from the competition and land in their dream schools.
Escape Essay Hell! is ideal for any essay prompt that asks the student to write about himself or herself, called a personal statement. It can be used for the following prompts:
- All the Common Application prompts.
- Most prompts for major public universities around the country (including UC, Texas and others).
- Most prompts for transfer and scholarship essays.
- Prompts for applications to post-graduate programs, including medical, law and business schools
Escape Essay Hell! is available in paperback and Kindle ebook at
Amazon here.
Don’t have a Kindle? To purchase and download a pdf version of Escape Essay Hell! for instant access, click the Buy Now button below. Cost: $9.98.
READ MOST RECENT OF 70+ REVIEWS ON ESCAPE ESSAY HELL! FROM AMAZON:
I just purchased this book for my son to use. I read it today and love it. It is clear and engaging. I particularly like the way Ms. Robinson bolded the important parts–my son is much more likely to use it knowing he can just read the bolded than if he is faced with a long book to read. I love that she includes humor and plenty of examples.
Wow. Why is this book not used more often? It’s simple and light to read, but actually gives concrete steps to follow in writing a college admission essay. My friend and I used this book and both got into universities with 4% acceptance rates; and we certainly didn’t get in due to our marks. This book is amazing.
This guide made the daunting task of writing college essays so much easier for my son! We are so pleased we found this amazing resource!
I treasure this useful resource and have recommended it to all of my high school students. Most essay books will dance around the subject of essay writing. They can tell you how to recognize a good essay from a bad one and might even feature a few samples of general essay topics, but they don’t help the reader to get inspired about writing or how to show emotion. I have yet to find a great resource that goes right to the heart of essay writing until I found this book. Janine gives you a step by step approach for how to write a great essay. Her techniques can help students get right to the heart of essay writing in a fast, easy way. Students need to find their core characteristics and include this information in their essay in order to be noticed by collges. They also need to include details. I find that this book is a personal writing guide. Janine will coach you towards writing your personal story. If you are a high school senior,parent,teacher or college counselor, I urge you to purchase this book. This is the ultimate how to guide. Once you have this one, you will want all of the others in the series.
Absolutely one of the most comprehensive, helpful and effective essay-writing guide – that is easy to follow whether you are a student, a parent, or a counselor or consultant working with students to help them find their unique voice and express that in the most impactful way! Definitely recommend purchasing it along with Janine’s book “Heavenly Essays”, as it will crystallize what you learn by providing real examples of student-written essays that follow the process. You will see how her step-by-step guide provides a formula for students to follow that produces unique and impactful results! I am so excited to add this to my platform to guide my students throughout their college planning and in completing their applications. Coach Mira – Pathway to College. […]
