
What I Offer
A variety of options to cater to your needs, with encouragement and support every step of the way.
Package Options
The Standard Package: The Common Application Essay and Activities Section
Most colleges and universities partner with the Common Application, which requires one 650-word essay. (The Coalition App is becoming more popular as well; their prompts and word limit are similar. There are still a few schools, such as MIT, Georgetown, and of course, the UC System, who have their own essay questions.) Whichever way you go, this is your biggest chance to show the schools why they should accept you.
All sessions are remote: a mix of Zoom meetings, phone calls and shared Google docs.
-
This comprehensive package offers help from beginning to end - brainstorming, drafting and revising until it’s as close to perfect as possible, and you feel proud and ready to submit.
I’ll take a good amount of time in the beginning to understand your entire academic profile, as I believe a holistic review is necessary in order for me to best help you. Choosing the right topic can be difficult, and this is not your typical high school essay. So in order to garner the most powerful essay ideas, I’ll also ask you some introspective questions to ponder, taking notes and continuing an organic dialogue.
Once you have an idea and a draft, I will work continuously to provide you with constructive feedback and review, with detailed critique on both the macro and micro level, so that the final product is the best version of your own writing.
The Activities section of the Common App tends to get overlooked by applicants; it’s often the part they rush to finish up at the very last minute. This is unfortunate and ill-advised, as it is your résumé of how you’ve spent the hours, days and years that make up your high school career. It should be immaculate - the order in which you list your activities (not chronological), the verb tenses, the punctuation - all in only 150 *characters* (not 150 words!).
I’ll help you maximize the small space they give you in order to word your descriptions most effectively, showcasing your talents, passions and leadership. I’ll also comb through each and every line so that you don’t make the careless error of boasting about your “marital arts” skills. (Spell check doesn’t know that’s not a thing!)
FLAT FEE: $900 for 3 months
The Deluxe Package: Common App Essay, Activities Section and 1 School’s Supplements
Highly selective schools have their own supplemental questions in addition to the Common App essay. These are shorter in length (usually around 250-500 words, so your response should be succinct but memorable) and each school could ask for one to three (although there are plenty who ask for way more!).
-
These pieces need to be of the same excellent quality as the personal statement, if not more, as they could be the very thing that takes you from a “yeah, maybe” to a “definitely yes” in the eyes of the admissions folks. Some admissions officers have gone on record saying they look more closely at the supplemental pieces than they do the Common App essay.
Colleges really do want to know why you want to attend their school (a popular supplemental prompt); please do not just copy and paste your answer from one school to another! I’ll coach you on how to demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and how to communicate why your acceptance would be mutually beneficial to you and to the school. For other supplemental questions, too, I’ll advise you on choosing certain topics over others to truly supplement your main piece, in a way that’s not redundant but still provides a consistent thread throughout your entire profile.
The Deluxe Package is ideal for students who are applying Early Action or Early Decision to their one dream school.
FLAT FEE: $1200 for 3 months
The Premium Package: Common App Essay, Activities Section and 4 Schools’ Supplements
-
FLAT FEE: $1650 for 5 months
Additional Supplements
-
For returning clients only.
$250 per each additional school
The UCs Package: University of California Personal Insight Questions and Activities Section
The UC system has its own set of essay prompts; they offer you eight, you get to choose four.
-
Each one is 350 words, so it’s more like a mini-essay (but an even better description would be a “written interview”); the idea is that four of these together would provide the admissions committee with pretty good insight into who you are. The UCs are test-blind, so your writing pieces hold a lot of weight. The responses to the PIQs require a different tone and style from those of the Common App personal statement. I will advise you on how to decide which four are the best choices for you and how to answer each one uniquely.
FLAT FEE: $850 for 3 months
Hourly
-
For those who want á la carte services, you can pick and choose what part of the essay process you most need guidance on, whether it’s a brainstorming session to get started, or deep editing toward the final stages of your writing. Offline editing is billed in quarter hour increments.
$160 per hour
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly - they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
Ann Moon makes no guarantees, warranties or representations that any client/student will gain admission to any college or university. The responsibility for gaining admission to an educational institution rests solely with the client.