Bonnie Auslander
College Essay Coaching
My summer roster is full. I'll accept new clients beginning January 2022.
"Thank you, Bonnie, for building trust and friendship with our son. You permitted him to open up and develop essays that reflected who he truly is."
--Jill Lowry, Boulder, CO
Now is the perfect time to tackle writing the college essay!
I’ve successfully coached young people to come up with creative & arresting essays that they actually feel invested in and that college admission counselors actually want to read.
Students need not have a draft to benefit from our time together; I can lead writers through a brainstorming & invention process that will yield several possible ideas for further expansion. And when it comes time to edit & polish a draft, I pride myself on my ability to guide & inspire without taking over.
Results: Schools young people have attended after working with me on their essays include Cornell University, Tulane (honors), Dickinson College & Oberlin College. I've also helped with successful Fulbright applications.
I am happy to travel to Longmont or Boulder or to work remotely.
Rate: $100/hour; one hour minimum; discounts for low-income, Lyons residents, and students attending Silver Creek, Waldorf schools, or Watershed. For everyone, the first 20-minute one-on-one consult is free; after that, hourly rates kick in.
Resources
Alan Gelb's Conquering the College Admission Essay in 10 Steps
has some good examples & insights.
The New York Times has several informative articles:
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How to Conquer the College Essay: "Failure is stylistic gold."
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Best college essays (this year and last year) about money, work, and social class. Don't miss the one about the cow by Allison Hess!
The Washington Post's zippy article "Read Me" contains some good writing advice.
It's impossible to resist the big heart of my competition, the College Essay Guy (Ethan Sawyer), who has lots of free resources & videos on his site.