Writing doesn't have to be this stressful. I promise.
Maybe you're a high schooler staring at a blank Common App essay wondering where to even start. Maybe you're a grad student who has done all the research and can't figure out how to write any of it down. Either way — you're in the right place. I'm a professional writer and editor, and for nearly two decades my whole job has been asking the right questions until the right words come out.
What I Do
College Essay Coaching
The college essay is the one place in your application where you get to sound like yourself. Most students have no idea how to do that on the page — not because they're not remarkable, but because nobody taught them how. I work one-on-one with students to find their story, build their confidence, and produce an essay that sounds exactly like them. Not a tutor, not a template, not AI. Just them at their absolute best.
Thesis & Dissertation Consulting
Writing a thesis is hard because writing itself is hard — it's a discipline most graduate students were never formally taught. I work with students at every stage of the process, combining editing with personalized coaching that actually moves the needle. You'll finish with a thesis you're proud of and writing skills you'll use for the rest of your career.
ABOUT ME
Not every writer can teach. Not every teacher can write. I do both.
I'm a James Beard-nominated journalist, the bestselling author of four books, and a former Washington Post columnist with bylines in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, Reader’s Digest and dozens of other globally-recognized publications. I've spent nearly two decades making complicated things make sense: walking into rooms full of experts, asking the right questions, and making their knowledge accessible to everyone else. That's journalism. And it turns out, it's exactly what great writing coaching looks like too.
I'm also a mom of two boys currently in college, which means I've lived the application essay process from the other side of the table, and know the stress university students face firsthand. I can get anyone to open up (even teenagers!), and how to turn what they're actually thinking into writing that gets noticed.