International students

US college essay coaching for students anywhere in the world.

Applying to American universities from outside the US means writing a very different kind of essay from the ones most students are used to. I coach international students one-on-one, over video, to write essays US admissions readers remember, in their own words.

Why US application essays feel unfamiliar

Many school systems ask students to write about their subject: why they want to study it and how they have prepared. US colleges ask something different. The Common App personal essay is about who the student is. Supplemental essays ask why a particular college, what a student would add to its community, and how they think. Students who are excellent academic writers often find this personal, story-driven writing the hardest part of the application.

I spent years screening admissions applications for Columbia University and Vassar College, among others, so I know what American readers look for in the few minutes they spend with an essay.

Applying to both UK and US universities?

The two systems want different things, so one piece of writing can't do both jobs.

  • UCAS personal statement (UK): from 2026 entry, three questions about why you want to study your course, how your studies have prepared you, and what else you've done to prepare, in up to 4,000 characters in total. It's focused on the subject. (See UCAS for the current rules.)
  • Common App essay (US): up to 650 words on one of seven broad prompts, and it's focused on the person. Most selective colleges add their own supplemental essays on top.

Students can draw on the same experiences for both, but the angle, tone, and structure need to change. I help students plan their US essays so they work alongside the rest of their applications. Read more: UCAS personal statement vs. Common App essay and applying to US colleges from the UK.

What I help with

How it works from abroad

  • All sessions are one-on-one over video, so students can join from anywhere.
  • We schedule around the student's time zone and school timetable.
  • Detailed written feedback between sessions keeps drafts moving.
  • The student writes every word. No ghostwriting, no AI, so the essay sounds like the student, not a hired writer or a template.

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 you work with international students?

Yes. All coaching happens over video, so I work with students wherever they live, scheduling sessions around their time zone.

Can I use my UCAS personal statement for US colleges?

Not as it is. The UCAS statement focuses on your subject, while the Common App essay focuses on who you are. You can draw on the same experiences, but US essays need a different angle and structure.

Do you write or rewrite essays?

Never. Every word is the student's. I ask questions, give honest feedback, and help the student's own voice come through.