Tutoring and Editing Services

Here’s how I work with students on their essays, including descriptions of my services, rates, deadlines and other details:

FOR STUDENTS (AND PARENTS)

I offer private and group tutoring for college-bound, transfer and graduate school students working on admission and scholarship essays.

Depending on where you live, I can help you privately in my home office in Laguna Beach, or work long-distance through Zoom, Skype or Facetime. I work with students from all over the world!

No matter where you are in the process, I work as an editor, helping you brainstorm a focused, compelling topic, and then structure, compose, revise and polish your essay. I do not write essays for students.

TUTORING OPTIONS

TUTORING “JUMPSTART” SESSION: During these private hourlong sessions, I help students identify powerful topics for their core and supplemental essay prompts, find their real-life stories, map out a narrative writing plan and dig deep to craft a personal, meaningful and memorable essay. These sessions can be adapted to students just starting the process (called a “Jumpstart” session) to those needing one-on-one help along the way. All students are given access to my online essay writing course!

Cost: $200. We work for an hour together in person or via Zoom, Skype, or Facetime.

EDITING/REVIEW: I review rough drafts and provide feedback (critique) and suggested edits to improve focus, clarity, flow, impact and meaning; edit length to meet word counts; and, correct grammar, spelling, word choice and other mechanics. I use Google docs to edit so students can see my advice and suggested edits. 

Costs for editing/review:

For Core Essays (Personal Statements), such as for The Common Application or Coalition Application: 

Cost: $200 for each round of suggested edits and feedback. (Most students use one round of edits; about a fourth come back for a second round. Depends on their writing ability and motivation.) Includes my online course!

For The University of California essays:

Cost: $400 for all four University of California short essays (350 word limit each), called Personal Insight Questions ($100 each) using Google docs. (Same cost for four UC transfer essays.) Final proofreading (for typos, spelling, flow, mechanics, clarity, etc.), if needed, $100. Includes my online course!

For Supplemental Essays:

Cost: $300 for one round suggested edits and feedback for every 700-800 words of supplemental essays (usually about 3-5 short supplemental essays) using Google docs. Includes my online course!

TYPICAL STUDENT EXPERIENCE:

For most students, one round of edits on a core essay—especially if they started with my popular online Bootcamp course to get them on the right track—is enough to help them advance and complete one core essay. Depending on their writing/editing ability, some students (roughly about a fourth) want/need a second round of edits to get it in top shape.

Some students—usually those who did not start the brainstorming/planning process with me—send in essays to be edited that are fundamentally off track (weak topic, lack of focus/main point, structure wrong, etc.) If I think I can’t help them improve their draft through written edits, I will send it back with my advice and ideas on what they need to do (no charge, of course). Usually I suggest a Jumpstart tutoring session via Zoom or my online essay writing course.

Editing Turnaround Time:

Turnaround for each round of edits is within a week at latest, and usually sooner.
Expedited fees: Two-day turnaround: $100 extra. Overnight: $200 extra.

PAYMENT   (OPTIONS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE VIA PAYPAL)
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.

All my students receive free digital copies of my popular ebook guides:
ESCAPE ESSAY HELL! and HEAVENLY ESSAYS