Mara K.

*Please read below for details about package pricing and discounts* I help students discover what story they should tell — and then help them tell it with clear, concise and powerful prose. As a narrative consultant and story strategist, I work primarily with students applying to colleges, graduate programs and scholarships. My specialty is helping clients look at their experiences, interests and what may seem like ordinary moments in their lives to identify the narrative and theme that will make an admissions or scholarship essay effective and memorable. As a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, I have more than a decade of experience interviewing sources, finding the heart of a story and writing clear, engaging copy that weaves together a strong theme and holds a reader’s attention. I use those same skills when working with students and professionals. HERE’S WHAT I CAN HELP WITH: - Brainstorming and story discovery: Through conversation and targeted questions, I’ll help you identify the experiences, details and themes that could make the strongest essay. - Finding the deeper meaning: A good essay is rarely just about what happened. I’ll help you identify what an experience reveals about your values, perspective, growth or way of thinking. - Structuring and drafting: I’ll help you organize your ideas into a narrative that moves naturally, builds toward a clear point and keeps the reader interested. - Editing and revision: I offer detailed feedback on structure, clarity, pacing, word choice and grammar. I offer as many rounds of edits as needed and I typically edit in Google Docs, allowing you to see my suggested edits in real-time and decide what to approve or reject. That way, I'm not changing your words and you stay an active part of the process. (This format also allows you to see exactly how long I'm actively working in your document so you know you're never getting overcharged.) - Scholarship essay help: I have a particular passion for scholarship applications. I funded my first year of college with private scholarships that I won by writing essays, and I know several databases and strategies for finding niche scholarships tailored to a student’s experiences and interests. For the last several years, I’ve helped students and young professionals write and polish scholarship essays, college application essays, graduate school essays, personal statements and cover letters. My goal with every project is to capture the client’s own voice while making sure each idea is clearly conveyed. I am not interested in manufacturing a dramatic story or rewriting an essay that sounds like someone else wrote it. I want to help you recognize what is already compelling about your experiences and communicate it effectively. Each draft should sound more and more like YOU and what YOU want to convey. To reiterate, you do not need to arrive with the perfect topic or a polished first draft. Some of the most important work we can do together happens before the writing even begins: identifying which story is worth telling, what it says about you and how to tell it in a way that feels genuine, specific and memorable. PACKAGES: * Common App Essay Package — $600: One-hour brainstorming session and unlimited revisions on your Common App personal statement. * Comprehensive Application Package — $1,000: Common App essay support plus guidance on supplemental essays for up to three colleges. * Scholarship Search Add On — $150: Personalized guidance on how to find scholarships that match your background, interests and qualifications and which ones are worth applying to. One round of edits on up to three scholarship essays. Please note that discounts of $100 on both packages are available for students who book outside peak application season (August through mid-January) or begin working with me more than six months before their application deadline.