This essay originally appeared in Minding the Campus in July 2025. This year marks my ninth year coaching students on their college essays. It also marks my first year coaching ChatGPT.
It also marks my first year coaching ChatGPT. Passionate about the transformative power of writing, I signed up to teach three high school students how to outline and draft their college essays back in 2017. After studying countless Ivy League college application files and reading one too many David Sedaris essays, I felt that I had discovered the secret sauce to a great personal essay: reflection on experiences.
After studying countless Ivy League college application files and reading one too many David Sedaris essays, I felt that I had discovered the secret sauce to a great personal essay: reflection on experiences. Over the next several years, I built a career helping students craft the perfect college essay, advancing through several college admissions consulting firms before launching my own company in 2022.