Who is the BEST college essay coach out there?

[Anonymous]

Frankly, ChatGPT.

Use it as the starting point and keep refining it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

This is a different route than what you’re looking for, but I’m offering it in case it helps:

My dd is a senior. I bought the College Essay Guy’s 4-week course in June about how to do the personal essay. It was once a week online for 90min and about $300. It was excellent: he set her up to really think about what she wanted to say and how to structure it. She worked on it over the summer and had it ready to go by mid September.

I believe that if you want a coach, he has them and you can pay for that. We didn’t use one at all.

Whether any of this “worked” will be revealed at the end of March. Fingers crossed 🤞

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

Trade kids amongst the parents in your friend group: each parent supports (honestly, not by ghostwriting) a kid who is not their own. Free, mutually helpful, and a bonding experience. Then you fund a celebration for the kids when everyone has finished their essays.

[Anonymous]

NOT ChatGPT.

You don't need the BEST essay coach, OP. You need someone who is honest, and who is willing to let your kid's voice shine through. Do you have any friends who are good writers, teachers, or both?

[Anonymous]

Someone who can really talk to your kid and find out what makes him unique. What kids think they should write about and what actually makes for a good, compelling and interesting essay are two very different things. The topic choice is just as important, if not more, than how they write it. No admissions officers wants to read the 5000th essay about a sports injury or voulnteering. What is specific cool and interesting about this kid. Do they have a weird hobby, something unusal and specific is best. BC unless you have an amazing personal story of overcoming hardship - ie walking out of a warzone, it's better to pick something interesting and unique even if it's small- that will stand out.

[Anonymous]

College Essay Advisors was great for my kid. DC wrote all the first drafts and then they helped with refining.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, when they train the folks who are going to read your kid's essay, they have a list of coaches most often used and the 'style' of those coaches. Some of the readers are really good at not just identifying that you had a coach, but which one.

The person who shared this tidbit reads for an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

I had great results with "Maximize Your Success College Consulting." Shalin used to work as a technical writer, has a masters in international affairs from Columbia, and spends a lot of time with his student. https://myscollegeconsulting.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

This is exactly where good essay editors focus.

I do this kind of work, but I’m not going to out myself on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

This is exactly where good essay editors focus.

I do this kind of work, but I’m not going to out myself on here.

Me neither!

[Anonymous]

I found a great person on Wyzant…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone who can really talk to your kid and find out what makes him unique. What kids think they should write about and what actually makes for a good, compelling and interesting essay are two very different things. The topic choice is just as important, if not more, than how they write it. No admissions officers wants to read the 5000th essay about a sports injury or voulnteering. What is specific cool and interesting about this kid. Do they have a weird hobby, something unusal and specific is best. BC unless you have an amazing personal story of overcoming hardship - ie walking out of a warzone, it's better to pick something interesting and unique even if it's small- that will stand out.

Yep. Mom was the best in our house.

[Anonymous]

I helped. And I interviewed a few on wyzsnt and hired one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

This is exactly where good essay editors focus.

I do this kind of work, but I’m not going to out myself on here.

Me neither!

If you can't afford a counselor, ChatGPT is good for brainstorming ideas.

The College Essay Guy website and book is also helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just thinking about this for my junior.
He needs someone to be a sounding board for his essay ideas (and doesn't want mom or dad).

Ideally, I'd like someone to help him work out his chosen topics and then take a final look at the end.

Nobody has any suggestions?

Your kid should check with their college and career counselor and see if their school offers anything.

My junior's IB English teacher has blocked out time for this on the syllabus, toward the end of the year after AP and IB exams are over. The school also occasionally has after-school and weekend sessions for essay help.