I work with rising high school seniors to help them identify the meaningful, personal stories that make for standout admissions and scholarship essays. Subscribe to my newsletter to get the latest college admission and essay writing information.
Do you need to hire an essay coach?
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Hi, Reader! It was my dog’s second birthday yesterday. OK, we just made yesterday her birthday. She was turned into the shelter as a stray, so she really doesn’t have an official birthday. But we knew her general age, and sometimes she acts a fool, so April 1 seemed as good of a day as any to name it her birthday. But as you can imagine, that’s not why I’m writing. Instead, I want to ease your mind about something. I’ve been spending a lot of time talking with parents about both the past and the upcoming admission seasons, and for those of you who are looking at college applications this summer, I wanted to send you some suggestions you might find useful. You’ll notice that I’m College Essay Guy-heavy in the resources I name, like his College Application Hub. (I swear I reference this on the daily. Bookmark it, for sure.) It’s in part because I’m part of his team, but it’s mostly because I really believe in his approach and materials. I know that a lot of parents (and students) might be wondering if they should (or need to) hire an essay coach this summer to write their best essay. The answer? Not necessarily. Sure, 1:1 coaching might be a benefit to students who are challenged by deadlines and time management or to parents who don’t want to hover over their students all summer. It can also help with students who just want to talk through the whole process with someone who’s been there, done that. And students applying to highly selective schools might want to make sure their essays are as effective as they can be. In these cases, an essay coach may be a great resource to have! (I will say: If you think you might want to hire someone to support you in building a college list or prepping for standardized tests or brainstorming college admission essays, I encourage you to do that soon. Those professionals are booking up earlier than ever!) But having an essay coach isn’t absolutely essential to success. Read more about why I say that here. There are lots of great (and free) online resources available to you — I’ve listed a few above but there are plenty more online. And many high schools will support their students in essay writing later this spring. One of my favorite College Essay Guy workshops has just been released for students this summer: The Summer College Essay & Application Program for Students. It’s an 8-week program (both live and on demand) with Ethan Sawyer himself that covers the personal statement, the activities list, additional information section, and supplemental essays. And not only is it priced reasonably — you can get 10% off if you use code JULIA10. If you do purchase the College Essay Guy program through my link, let me know. Share a screenshot of your receipt (including the name and email address you signed up under), and I’ll give you a FREE one-time asynchronous review of your brainstorming work after your first session in the program (late June) and deliver a short Loom video to you about the topics that I see as potential options for you. I know you can do it! Happy Writing! Julia Interested in Coaching? Let's Talk! | View My Resources | Join My Free Facebook Group | Visit My Amazon Storefront This email may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a percentage of the sale in commission, but using these links doesn't affect the price you pay. I recommend only products I use myself and believe in. Thank you for supporting me! Read more: Privacy Policy You're receiving this email because you opted in to my mailing list or because you're a current or past client. Don't need (or want) this information anymore? No hard feelings. Just use the links below to adjust your subscription.
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Julia Byrd: Essay Coach
I work with rising high school seniors to help them identify the meaningful, personal stories that make for standout admissions and scholarship essays. Subscribe to my newsletter to get the latest college admission and essay writing information.
Hi, Reader! We’re heading into summer, and that can mean only one thing (besides essay writing): The Common App is prepping for its Aug. 1 debut! This year, the Common App is getting a long-overdue glow up to its look and feel, but much of the content will stay the same — including all seven personal statement prompts. Here’s what you need to know. 📆 Important timing: The Common App will shut down July 28 for maintenance and relaunch Aug. 1 with the new design. 💄 The visual makeover: Think of...
Hi, Reader! I’m in the thick of summer here in Texas. Pool days, vacations, and (of course) lots of essay work. After an unfortunate run-in with a copperhead under my rosemary a few years ago, I’m also trying gardening again. (If you’re not too squeamish, you can read my story here.) Some might call my little garden disorganized — a mishmash of citrus, cantaloupe, berries, and herbs — but I call it an experiment. See what grows and evolves, see what I like, and see what I crave more (and...
Hi, Reader! Last week, we talked about how many schools you might want to apply to … but now you’ve got to make sure that number is a nice balance of safety, target, and reach schools. And with college admissions changing from year to year (and seemingly moment to moment), defining those schools (and then creating a balanced list from them) can be challenging. The ideal list includes safety schools (roughly a >70% chance of admission), target schools (30%-70% chance), and reach schools (<30%...