Personal Statement AND Supplemental Essay Tips & Brainstorming Session
Embarking on your college application journey can be both exciting and daunting, especially when it comes to crafting a personal statement and supplemental essays that truly reflect who you are. This plan is designed to help you develop a strategic approach to your application essays, ensuring they are not only compelling but also aligned with your overall application strategy. Whether you're just starting to brainstorm or refining your drafts, I'll meet you where you are and help you elevate your writing. Here's what we'll cover together: **Kickoff & Exploration Session**: We'll begin with a deep dive into your experiences, interests, and aspirations. This session is all about uncovering the unique stories and themes that will form the backbone of your essays. **Personal Statement Strategy**: I'll guide you through the process of crafting a personal statement that captures your voice and highlights your individuality. From brainstorming to final edits, we'll ensure your statement is authentic and impactful. **Supplemental Essay Brainstorming**: We'll explore the prompts for your target schools and brainstorm ideas that align with each institution's values and your personal narrative. I'll help you develop a cohesive strategy for tackling these essays. **Draft Development & Feedback**: As you draft your essays, I'll provide detailed feedback to refine your ideas, enhance clarity, and ensure your writing resonates with admissions officers. We'll focus on structure, tone, and the overall narrative arc. **Application Strategy Integration**: We'll ensure your essays complement the rest of your application, creating a unified and compelling story that showcases your strengths and potential. Throughout our sessions, you'll receive personalized support and constructive feedback, empowering you to present your best self to admissions committees. My goal is to help you articulate your story with confidence and clarity, making your application memorable and impactful. Let's work together to transform your ideas into essays that open doors to your dream college.
What's included
I take a voice-driven approach to college admissions essays.
- Personalized essay roadmap to align with your unique experiences and application strategy.
- Compelling personal statement that captures your voice and individuality.
- Tailored supplemental essay ideas that resonate with each target school's values.
- Detailed feedback to enhance clarity, structure, and narrative impact.
- Integrated application strategy ensuring essays complement your overall application.
- Confidence in presenting a cohesive and memorable story to admissions committees.
Meet your expert
Chris N.
Harvard, Berkeley, & NYU Grad | Personal Statement Expert
Update (7/21/26): Just this last application season, I had several students accepted to Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Brown, with most admitted to two or more of these universities. Others include Duke, USC, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Occidental, the University of Rochester, Williams, Barnard of Columbia University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, UCSD, Georgetown, Wesleyan, Macalester, University of Richmond, Reed, Whitman, Virginia Tech, and NYU. Additionally, four received the Gates Scholarship, one earned Jack Kent Cooke, and another earned a Coca-Cola scholarship. I earned my Master of Theological Studies in Religion, Literature, and Culture from Harvard, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from NYU, and Bachelor of Arts in English from UC Berkeley. I also studied philosophy and law abroad at Oxford. I have a decade of experience teaching and coaching writing at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, and most recently served as a Writing Instructor at the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), hosted at Princeton and Yale Universities. Last year, among the many admissions offers LEDA students received, 37/100 earned spots at Yale. Previously, I taught writing at NYU, and I currently teach Generative AI and Responsible AI at the University of Maryland Global Campus, qualified by my experience as a Content Engineer and Reviewer at Google. My unique background and trajectory prove that I know how to reflect on my experience to consider my next steps, and I will help you do the same.
