College Essays

I have been a professional writer and editor for thirty-five years. I have published in The New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, The Guardian, Fast Company, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic. 

It is difficult to tell an unusual story. Based on my experience, the most important work takes place not on the page but in attentive thinking, conversation, and editing. In efficient and empathic sessions, I help your student dramatize the ways in which they are valuable already and the ways in which they are promising.

I learned about the college admissions process when my own son was applying to colleges. He was in a NYC public school that did not get kids into Ivies. With my guidance, he wrote two fantastic essays and got into Cornell University early decision. This experience led me to change focus in my career so I could help young people express themselves in an essay format. My job is to help students write essays they are proud of, and which convince an admissions team that the student will be an asset.

Writing Process

We start with a conversation. I take notes and we start generate and connect ideas. We may alternate between five-minute writing sessions and conversation to develop thoughts in smaller units—sentence by sentence. Talking out loud is sometimes more intuitive than writing, so I encourage students to record themselves on audio, and to “write” by speaking out loud. This works because rhythm is inherent in ordinary speech. Reciting an essay reveals how well it is working. 

Next we refine and polish multiple drafts, tightening the language and developing a precise and affecting story with clear insights. The best stories evolve over many drafts. We’ll concentrate on writing effective sentences that carry weight and personality. This will make an impact on your student’s confidence, and it will make a difference on the page. Each sentence will proceed naturally from the one above and connect to the next. Each paragraph will support and defend the paragraph above and set up a transition for the one below. This is meticulous but not difficult work. 

How am I different from other coaches?

I believe that shared and guided work is critical to telling an effective story. I do not believe that brainstorming is very useful. It is a quick method for problem-solving. Writing is not a problem but a process. It is about thinking, exploring, revising, and rewriting. 

Instead of trying to make students appear heroic to show that they have an elite mind, I draw out a student’s variety and diversity of experience. It doesn’t matter how much you have accomplished at age eighteen. What matters is that you show the ways in which you are imaginative and curious. 

Special needs:

I have experience, empathy, and success working with highly individualistic, neurodivergent kids with ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and time-management issues. 

Fee:  $225 per hour

Free 20-minute consultation: Please email me at dianemehta@gmail.com to set up a time to talk.