Writing CoachI have been a professional writer for three decades -- countless articles and books and screenplays -- but I have realized that helping young people achieve success can be as rewarding as a byline or a bestseller. So I have decided to expand my reach as a college application essay coach.
As application numbers skyrocket and colleges become test-optional, personal essays have taken on paramount importance. The goal is to offer a personal account that stands out among hundreds and hundreds of essays. If yours is memorable... if you can make readers laugh or smile... if you can offer unexpected insight or creativity... then your application will make its way toward the top of the heap. My coaching process involves four steps:
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Honor RollI have coached students who have been accepted to colleges and universities coast to coast, including Stanford, Duke, CalTech, Columbia, Penn, Cornell, Cal-Berkeley, UCLA, Northwestern, WashU, Emory, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Amherst College, Colorado College, Wesleyan University, Johns Hopkins, Rice, NYU, Boston University, Boston College, Smith College, Brandeis, Colby, Colgate, George Washington, Emory Oxford, Loyola Marymount, Loyola Chicago, Macalester, Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell, Occidental, Naval Academy, Northeastern, Drexel, Villanova, Providence, St. Lawrence, Sarah Lawrence, Elon, Richmond, Rochester, Hobart, Fordham, Skidmore, Cal-Poly, UC-Santa Barbara, UC-San Diego, UC-Santa Cruz, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine, UC-Merced, Miami of Ohio, Case Western, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Vermont, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, Syracuse, Rutgers, Connecticut, Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon, Oregon State, Ohio State, Florida State, South Florida, South Carolina, Wyoming, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, SMU, Delaware, Miami, U of San Francisco, Cal-Poly Pomona, Portland, Fairfield, Binghamton, Stony Brook, Denver, Pittsburgh, Washington & Lee, Gettysburg College, Chapman University, Santa Clara University, College of Charleston, Hawaii Manoa, Colorado School of Mines, University of Redlands, Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands, and American University in Paris.
About Me
Over the past several decades, I have written dozens of books and several screenplays about subjects ranging from sports to civil rights to space. My children’s books have sold more than half a million copies and have earned various awards. My series of travel memoirs have been called “the new classics of American travel writing.” Over the years, I have written hundreds of national magazine articles, and several have been honored with gold medals by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. I have been interviewed by everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Marie Osmond, have served as a keynote speaker and guest author at conferences and schools around the country, and have given two popular TEDx talks (“Catching Creative Ideas” and “Write the Wrong Way”). So I know that a great story is simply a good idea conveyed in a compelling way.
Contact me with questions about fees and availability: [email protected], 831-915-2322 "We could not be more pleased with our investment in Brad! Before we met, we were concerned that our son would not have sufficient material for his essays; our brainstorming session with Brad quickly disabused us of that notion. His extensive experience as a prolific author and now essay coach equips him to ask questions that engender rich, productive conversation. Remarkably, Brad managed to turn the essay-writing experience into a palatable one for all of us! To top it off, our son was admitted early decision to his dream school!" -- Michelle (Pacific Grove, CA), son attending Duke University "One of the best things about working with Brad, besides the fact that an author was guiding me, was that he made the process comfortable and relatively stress-free at a time when the pressures tend to add up. I love the way my final essays turned out!" -- Liv (Reno, NV), attending UC-Santa Barbara "Every time I write a college essay now, I think back to the feedback Brad would give me. I swear it has made me a better essay writer." -- Josh (Chicago, IL) attending Emory Oxford "My acceptance letter to my dream school included a handwritten note praising my writing. I cannot thank Brad enough for his expertise about what to write and his guidance about how." -- Cole (New York, NY) attending Columbia University "Brad was a HUGE help in several areas -- discussing what I wanted to convey about myself, strategizing which topics fit into which essays, and then guiding my writing so that I presented myself in a compelling way. It's what he does as an author, and I was grateful for his expertise." -- Ben (Boise, ID), attending Colorado College "Brad was super useful in helping me to organize my thoughts and perfect my language in my college essays. It definitely made a big difference, and I got into the college of my choice!" -- Claire (St. Louis, MO), attending Boston University "Brad was able to bring a creative take to every single one of my essays, brainstorming material from my past to make me stand out in an overwhelming ocean of candidates. I was inspired after every meeting to think harder and be more focused on my essays, and he set me up for the best possible outcome, no matter the school I applied too. I cannot recommend Brad’s coaching and creative guidance enough!" -- Adrian (Pacific Grove, CA), attending UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television "I knew what stories I wanted to tell in my application essays, but I wasn't sure exactly how to go about telling them. I felt so lucky to have the guidance of someone who's been writing stories for 30 years! Brad definitely knows how to make any subject fascinating, and it was a lot of fun to work with him." -- Kai (Pacific Grove, CA), attending Middlebury College "Brad's approach as a writing coach was the perfect fit for me. He helped me unlock ideas for essays that I would have never conceived myself and most importantly, allowed me to really reflect my personality in my writing. With Brad's help, I submitted my applications with confidence and ease." -- Leah (Monterey, CA), attending University of Portland |
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