I help high-achieving students turn their experiences into meaningful college essays.
Strong students know what they’ve done. They struggle to explain why it mattered.
Why Students Get Stuck
Serious students have no problem describing their research, leadership roles, internships, and awards. But the Common App personal statement requires something different.
It isn’t another place to list accomplishments. It asks for reflection and self-awareness — an understanding of why certain experiences mattered and how they shaped you. For bright, driven students who are used to succeeding through performance, that shift can be unexpectedly difficult.
That’s where the real work begins.
How I Approach the College Essay
My training as a historian and writer shaped the way I approach the college essay. In scholarship, the task is not simply to present information, but to interpret it: to understand context, motivation, and significance, and to communicate those ideas clearly to readers outside the field.
I bring that same interpretive discipline to the college essay process, helping students think carefully about their experiences and articulate them with clarity and purpose.
More Resources on College Essays
Want to go deeper into this approach? Below are some of the most-read articles I’ve written on what makes a strong college essay — and why even smart students often get stuck.
My approach to coaching isn’t gimmicky — it’s thoughtful, honest, and built around helping you sound like yourself (at your best).
A no-nonsense guide to what admissions officers actually value — and why generic advice about “what colleges want” often backfires.
Even top students fall into predictable traps. This guide offers five common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Not sure if you need coaching? This article helps you figure out what kind of support (if any) is right for you.
Tips for writing compelling UC PIQ responses that sound like you — not like everyone else applying.
Most high-achieving students approach the college essay the wrong way. Here’s why that strategy backfires — and what to do instead.
Work With Me
College Essay Coaching
Private, one-on-one college essay coaching for serious students seeking a thoughtful, rigorous approach to the Common App personal statement and supplemental essays.
Speaking & Workshops
Guest sessions for academic and summer programs on communicating complex work to broader audiences.
Credentials
- Former Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows
- PhD in History, UC Berkeley
- Author of The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact with Hitler (Harvard University Press, 2013)
If this approach resonates with you, learn more about coaching.
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