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! One of the biggest mistakes students sometimes make in the college application process is having an unbalanced college list — either too many reach schools, not enough financial safeties, or schools that aren’t actually a great fit. (It doesn’t help that schools are always changing what they’re looking for in a student, what they’re asking of students, and how many students they’re looking to accept.) Here are some strategies for building a well-rounded list that increases both...
Hi, Reader! I know it’s not even spring break for most, but you best believe I’m already thinking ahead to summer. It’ll be here before you know it … do you know how you’re going to spend it? Colleges love to see students making the most of their summers — gaining knowledge, getting experience in fields they’re interested in, and serving their communities — but that doesn’t mean you need to spend thousands on a fancy program. Here are some smart (and sometimes free) ways to use your summer...
Hi, Reader! Scholarships aren’t just for seniors! I mentioned last week that even junior high school students (and sometimes even younger) can earn scholarship money. So I thought that this week, I’d expand on just a few (and then give you tips on how to find and win more!). Here’s a list of just a few great scholarships students can apply for based on grade level. Now, some of these may have closed for this year’s students, but they’re great to bookmark for next year. And there are also...