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The Portrait: Your Personal Statement — From First Idea to Polished Final
The Portrait: Your Personal Statement — From First Idea to Polished Final
Offered by Sonya P.
5.0
Stanford + Columbia | College Essay Specialist | 95% Reach a Top Choice
Studied at Columbia University
Works at The College Master: Guide to your Dream College – Expert Test Prep and Admissions Essays Consulting
Description
- Brainstorming session (2 hrs) with 5–6 core discovery exercises - Full drafting, rewriting & revisions - Regular meetings until your Personal Statement is perfected - Polished final essay - Annotated examples of successful essays of former students who got into Ivy League and Ivy League+ schools - Application context review — activities list, honors & written components assessed to ensure the essay strengthens the whole - Parent communication included — structured updates and open correspondence throughout - Unlimited email correspondence — same-day responses, never billed separately
What you'll get from this package
A polished, submission-ready personal statement that stands out at the most selective U.S. universities.
A clear, authentic narrative — the story only you can tell — uncovered through guided discovery exercises.
A full trail of drafts with annotated feedback, so you can see exactly how your essay grew from first idea to final.
The confidence that your essay sounds unmistakably like you.
Additional details
Coaching delivered via live sessions and .
My approach is personal and voice-first. Here's how we work together: 01 Discovery Session A focused 2-hour conversation using 5–6 core exercises designed to surface the right essay topic. In 90% of cases, this single session is enough to determine the direction entirely. 02 Essay Examples & Benchmarks You receive a curated set of successful essays of the same type you're writing — with detailed analysis of why each one worked and what made it stand out to admissions readers. 03 Structure & Voice We build the architecture of your essay together — hook, paragraph order, conclusion — then focus on the depth that separates memorable essays from competent ones: your real story, told in your real voice. 04 · Drafting & Revision — Every draft receives structural and line-level feedback, separately. Revisions are unlimited — we refine word choice, tone, pacing, and style until the essay sounds unmistakably like you, at your best. 05 Timeline Management Deadlines are tracked and every step is scheduled in advance. Nothing is left to the last minute — which means the final essay is polished, not rushed. Always included — I stay in direct contact with you and your family throughout, with unlimited, same-day email support (never billed separately). And I coach the whole application — activities, positioning, and strategy — not just the essay, so every piece works toward the same goal. Every student I work with gets 100% of my attention. I'm a perfectionist, and I will do my absolute best to see you succeed. Whether you need help with a single essay or comprehensive support through every stage of your application, I'll build a plan around you — your story, your strengths, and the schools where you can truly thrive.
Services included:
Application Strategy
Essays
Editing
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Sonya also coaches for SAT, Master’s Programs, and TOEFL. View all.
Offered by Sonya P.
Joined July 2026
5.0
Stanford + Columbia | College Essay Specialist | 95% Reach a Top Choice
I’m a Stanford- and Columbia-educated college admissions coach with 8+ years of experience helping high-achieving students gain admission to selective universities in the U.S. and in UK. I work with juniors and seniors on the full application strategy—from building a smart college list and positioning activities to developing authentic personal statements and supplements and preparing for mock admissions interviews. 95% of my students have been admitted to at least one of their top-choice schools, including Ivy League universities. My students have earned admission to Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, Duke, Brown, UChicago, UCLA, USC, NYU, Vanderbilt, UMich, UC Berkeley, Oxford, Cambridge, and many other highly selective programs. I’ve also helped students raise SAT scores to 1590 and successfully compete for major awards, including Fulbright. I particularly enjoy working with ambitious students and I welvome both domestic international families. My approach combines strategic admissions expertise with hands-on writing guidance: I help students identify what makes their story distinctive, communicate it authentically, and build an application that is both compelling and cohesive.
$2,700
12h of coaching