COLLEGE CONSULTING & ESSAY WRITING

make your college admissions app stand out.

About Me

Megan is a graduate from UC Berkeley and has been working as a College Counselor and Essay Editor since 2018. In 2021, she completed her Certificate in College Admissions and Career Planning through UC Berkeley Extension. She has worked with a handful of prep companies around the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, and is able to share that breadth of experience with her students without the corporate fluff (and exorbitant fees).

Authentic Expression

Why I'm Different

In a sea of students with similar stats and scores, an exceptional SAT score or perfect GPA is not enough to make a student stand out, so what will? Unlike standardized test scores or academic achievements, a genuine essay offers a glimpse into the applicant's unique personality, life experiences, and intellectual vitality. It's this type of authenticity that will allow an admissions officer to connect to a story, and advocate for a student's acceptance.

For most prep companies, profit is the bottom line. They run with the first idea a student comes up with, provide superficial edits for organization or word-choice, and then rinse and repeat. This is great for churning out a high volume of adequate essays quickly, but it fails to prompt the type of reflection and creative execution that will spark something real in a reader.

My experiences with these companies have shaped my counseling philosophy. I believe in taking a slower, more thoughtful approach, one that focuses on building a real connection with each student. This approach goes beyond just writing an essay; it involves understanding the student's unique story and helping them express it authentically. And with students accepted to Oxford, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford, the results speak for themselves.

Together, we will delve deep into your student's experiences, thoughts, and aspirations. By doing so, we will craft essays that are not only well-written but also resonate with the readers on a personal level, making the application stand out in the competitive admissions process.

The Process

july - august

Part of what makes the personal statement writing process so challenging is that students have been taught to hide themselves behind academic analysis and formal writing. Through brainstorming and active listening in a low-stress environment, I invite students to recall authentic stories that we will develop into engaging essays.

august - september

By now, each student will have a wealth of material to write their personal statement if they don’t already have a rough draft. Generally, by mid-September, students will have a strong working draft that we will spend the rest of the month revising for clarity, organization, and powerful diction.

october

Most students will have hit their stride and are ready to hit the ground running on their school-specific supplemental essays. We focus on any early-application schools the student may be applying to. Most students are able to complete not only their early schools, but start on their regular deadline schools as well.

november - december

These tend to be tricky months for most students - school assignments are piling on, senioritis is creeping in, and the glow of the holidays is imminent. Luckily, because we front-loaded our brainstorming in the summer, many students find that they are able to complete the rest of their supplements with very little stress, and even have time to actually enjoy their holiday breaks.

january

After applications are submitted, some students may be asked to submit additional essays, a Letter of Continued interest in the case they are waitlisted, or be asked to participate in an interview. I am available by appointment to provide support.

Services

How I Help My Students

early high school advising

By-appointment guidance on class selection, extra curricular time management, and summer program applications.

$200/hour

university package

For students who plan to apply to 2 or fewer schools that are considered Ivy League, as well as those applying to Stanford and/or Case Western.

$9,000

university+ package

For students who plan to apply to 3 or more schools that are considered Ivy League, including Stanford and/or Case Western.

$10,000

What My Customers Are Saying!

After only one meeting with Megan, I knew she would connect with my daughter as a mentor, advisor and peer. Over the course of the engagement, Megan struck the right balance of encouragement and push to motivate my daughter to make steady progress on her essays. She communicated with me throughout with status updates and proactively asked for my help when needed or when my daughter was not immediately responsive to her outreach. Megan's guidance on my daughter's writing was of course most important and reflected her ability to raise the quality and creativity of my daughter's essays while working with her inherent style. I'd certainly recommend Megan for any parents looking for a counselor with the skill to get the most out of their child in what can be a stressful but important process.

Sujal S

parent