New York City
A New York City college essay coach. Sessions online, so you can be anywhere.
I'm based in New York City and coach students one-on-one over video. New York families get a coach who knows the city's schools and pressures, and students outside New York get exactly the same coaching from wherever they live.
Online, so location doesn't matter
Every session happens over video. Students don't need to live in New York, or even in the US. I work with families across the country and with international students. Online sessions also fit around busy school, sports, and activity schedules, with no commute.
For New York families
New York students apply in one of the most competitive environments in the country. Many attend independent schools with their own college counselors. An essay coach works alongside the counselor: the counselor guides the college list and the overall process, and I focus on helping the student find their story and write it themselves.
I also coach students applying to private, specialized public, boarding, and other selective high schools, including application essays, short answers, and interview preparation.
What I help with
- The Common App personal essay
- Supplemental and “Why us” essays
- Early decision and early action applications
- UC Personal Insight Questions
- Transfer application essays
About your coach
I'm Elizabeth Shepard: a former admissions application screener for Columbia and Vassar, MFA in Writing from Columbia (Graduate Fellow), Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar, former visiting scholar at Harvard, and I taught English and writing as an associate professor at Fordham University and Marymount Manhattan College. More about me.
Questions families ask
Do I need to live in New York to work with you?
No. All coaching happens online over video, so students anywhere in the US or around the world can work with me.
Do you meet students in person?
Sessions are online. That keeps scheduling simple and lets students work from home, school, or wherever they are.
Do you work with students at NYC private schools?
Yes. I work alongside a student's school counselor. The counselor guides the overall process, and I focus on the essays.