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Award-Winning College Essays Tutors serving New York City, NY

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Top College Essays Tutors serving New York City

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Certified College Essays Tutor in New York, NY Call us today to connect with a top New York City College Essays tutor (917) 215-4373 Call Now Get Started

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Private College Essays Tutoring in New York City, NY

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• (818) 776-0213
• College Essay Help

College essay help is a service with IvySelect that aids you in writing the best college application essay possible. Our college essay help specialists have world-class experience in the field of essay writing. Your college essays play an incredibly important role in the highly selective admissions process. Standardized test scores, your GPA and the rigor of your curriculum remain as pivotal pieces of your college application. But with so many students submitting test scores and grades at the highest level, how is a university able to decide to whom they should offer admission?

College Essay Writing Help From Unsurpassed College Essay Specialists

By employing a “holistic” approach to the process, admissions officers are able to separate students with very similar academic credentials. Their subjective analysis draws upon many pieces, e.g., your letters of recommendation, your activities and how they’re viewed in the context of “institutional priorities,” your “special status” as an athlete or legacy and so forth.

Your essays are very highly valued in this analysis. They provide (or should provide) insights into how you write, how you think and what you’re passionate about. Your personal statement, short answers and supplemental essays reveal your personality traits, how you visualize your academic path, and detail your life story.

Is it any wonder, then, that the vast majority of students find writing their college essays to be incredibly daunting? Due to a lack of information, anxiety and a dearth of fundamental knowledge, students often fail to write “winning” essays that can be the difference between whether or not they get in to various schools. That fate will not be yours when you work with IvySelect!

Our college admissions counselors possess an expert understanding of the essay writing process. We will guide you to write top-notch essays that stand out from your competition.

We’re sure you have many questions. How do you begin the writing process? What strategies distinguish exceptional personal statements from ordinary essays? Will I have to write many drafts? How can I make my essay stand out from other students? What methods do I use to reveal different aspects of myself in the many short answer questions and essays I’ll be writing?

Don’t Let Inadequate Resources Undermine Your Essays

The resources you might consider are simply inadequate. Your guidance and/or college counselors do not have the time to work with you on an individual basis through multiple drafts of your multiple essays. Alternatively, filled with hubris, some students believe that because they receive strong grades in English and read a book on “successful Ivy League essays,” that they are well equipped to write an outstanding personal statement.

Keep in mind that the college personal statement is a very different beast than the five-paragraph essays that make up your high school writing assignments. Admissions officers are evaluating your essays in an exceedingly different light than your English teacher. Therefore, the college essay help offered by your English teacher may totally miss the mark, as your teacher is without the requisite expertise needed.

Essay Coaching Companies Lack The Knowledge Of Our Professional College Counselors

Essay coaches share something in common with English teachers: they, too, are NOT professional college counselors. The writing background that essay coaches may have does not make them admissions experts!

IOur counselors participate in national college conferences alongside admissions officers, who share their insights about their schools and their different admissions processes. We fly all over the country to take part in professional development seminars where we receive current information on college admissions. Our consultants visit schools in the U.S. and internationally in order to help you build essays that are on-point for each university.

We are true college essay specialists, with a honed professional understanding that is way beyond essay coaching and writing services. Utilizing our experience, knowledge base and deep-level strategies, your writing will be top flight, unique and will stand head and shoulders above your competition.

We’ll Provide Insight Into How Admissions Officers Evaluate College Essays

When students lack professional college admissions guidance, they often will write essays that they think admissions officers want. They may envision a professorial old man sporting a bow tie and dowdy sports jacket as their gatekeeper. Though a few admissions officers may fit that profile, most AO’s do not belong to that demographic.

Attempting to craft an essay to impress your particular vision of an admissions officer is foolhardy. It may actually undermine your chances of getting into a particular school.

Our college counselors will help you avoid these types of pitfalls. Given our experience and knowledge, including the many conversations that we have with admissions officers, we are able to guide you in crafting authentic essays that are exceptional.

We Will Assist You In Discovering Your “Life Themes”

Students without the proper counseling often write essays that are bereft of passion and that fail to delineate who they are. Their writing, on most occasions, often does not identify their “life themes” that are part of different pieces of their applications, including resumes, letters of recommendation, the academic record as well as extracurricular activities.

Your Ivy league college counselor will help you tie together the various pieces of your application in both the academic and extracurricular contexts. Through our strategic vision, you will understand how your school-based and summer activities, as well as your personal and family experiences tie together to showcase your life themes. We’ll help you demonstrate your vision throughout your application and your essays, so that, in admissions speak, there will be the proper “resonance” across all of your college admissions documents.

Unsurpassed Professional Writing & Teaching Assistance

It’s not sufficient to know what to write. How you convey ideas is crucial. From experience, you understand that not all teachers, coaches and counselors have the same abilities. You simply learn more from certain individuals. Let’s face it – some people have superior talent in imparting what they know and in helping you elevate your writing.

Our Director has experience as an editor at a major New York publishing firm and is an award-winning writer. He possesses exceptional skills in helping students craft their essays. Should you work with him, you will receive guidance on your essays from an Ivy League graduate with a special talent and training to teach you how to write standout essays.

Regardless of which of our college counselors you work with, you’ll be in great hands. For example, our Senior College Admissions Consultant has a wealth of experience, having read literally thousands of essays in her role as a member of an admissions committee at one of the Ivies.

Our group of first-rate professionals will guide you in crafting personal statement that cut through the clutter in the very competitive admissions landscape at highly selective universities.

We Help You Conceptualize Standout Essays

Our college counselors will help you brainstorm concepts for your personal statements that you would most likely have not thought of on your own. Although we do not write essays for applicants, we guide you in crystallizing your ideas, direct you when your concepts flail and stop you from submitting essays that fail to answer the question or that do not make your best case for admission.

Is Hiring a College Essay Specialist Worth It? Ask Our Students and Their Parents.

College essay help testimonials, read more from our clients and what they have to say about our college essay advisement services., college essays: why are they important, the essay makes up 25% of your college application.

Essays are a key component in admissions evaluations to top-tier schools. Depending upon the university, they can represent 25% or more of your application. Writing and submitting great college essays can play an even greater role in your admissions chances to elite schools than the mere percentage they represent, however. As one of the few subjective pieces of your application, they can serve as true differentiators, helping you to maximize your competitive stature to high-end colleges.

Essays Help You Stand Out From the Competition

Top colleges are not only looking for students with exceptionally high grades and standardized test scores. In the world of highly selective schools, the vast majority of students will have the “numbers” that put them in the conversation for admission. Beyond the “hard factors” though, top-tier universities employ a holistic admissions policy that looks at the whole student. The colleges are seeking students who demonstrate academic passion, intellectual curiosity, a dedication to impactful extracurricular activities, resilience, character, kindness and a commitment to their community. Your college essays are one of the primary mechanisms for manifesting these traits that can serve as a great contrast to other students with superior numbers. Your Ivy league consultant can provide you with exceptional college essay help, so that you can stand out from the competition.

Essays Can Highlight Your Creativity

College essays do more than highlight your strengths and passions. They also demonstrate the way you express yourself. They provide insights into your personality and how you think. With our college essay help, we will make certain that your “voice” comes through. You are unique – and the story you have to tell is unique as well!

Essays Provide an Outlet to Tell Your Story

Admissions officers truly want to get to know you. It’s a hard task when they might have 10 minutes or less to review your entire admissions file. Your transcript, standardized test scores, resume and more all tell part of your story. Yet, it’s the “soft factors” or subjective pieces of your application like letters of recommendation and essays that can really make you come to life, off the page, in a three-dimensional way. Essays can elicit an emotional reaction in admissions officers reviewing your file. Your college essays can really showcase in a heartfelt way who you are, making admissions officers more inclined to advocate for you in committee if they feel a connection to you through your writing.

Essays Help Round Out Your Application

It’s one thing to simply check off a box in your application indicating what you want to study in college. Grades in AP, honors or IB Higher Level courses in high school in that discipline can also demonstrate your interest in and aptitude for a given area of study. However, it’s another thing to be able to articulate with passion and authenticity why it is that you want to pursue a major in a specific field. In your Common App essay, you can speak about a meaningful extracurricular activity that cemented your interest in pursuing study in a given area. In a “Why X College” essay, you can write about how your interest developed, the resources that the college has that will help you learn more about your intended major and why, because of that alignment, you’re a great fit for that school. Essays allow you to provide a different perspective to round out your application. The college essay help that our team provides can make a pivotal difference in your admissions outcomes.

Our Counselors Work With You For Months On Your Multiple Essays

Although the Common Application has one “main” essay prompt, students are often surprised to find that each school may require that they respond to multiple supplemental essays and short answers. Many selective schools and, of course, highly selective colleges, require you to write at least one and often two additional essays. These writings may range in length from 250 to 500 words or more. In some cases, you may find yourself responding to five to seven questions for a single university!

If you submit a polished “main” personal statement that an essay coach or your English teacher helped you with, but answer your supplemental essays and short answers with awkward writing, this will raise red flags to admissions officers. They will surmise that you had help with your main essay and that your poor writing in other essays reflects your true abilities. In such a case, you will surely lose credibility.

In order to write multiple essays that are of the same elevated, high quality as your main essay, you need to spend the time, do the hard work and receive informed guidance. Working with your college counselor in hands-on, individualized weekly meetings that take place over a period of months, your essays will truly standout and help make your best case for admission to top colleges.

The IvySelect Essay Strategy

Preliminaries.

• Analyze your academic and extracurricular profile & interests
• Learn about the student and family
• Conceptualize and develop an essay strategy
• “Life themes” exploration
• Discuss possible essay concepts
• Delineate what admissions officers look for in your essays

Essay Brainstorming & Conceptualization

• Review various approaches to develop outstanding essay themes
• The use of the “Snow Plow” to generate ideas
• Writing About “Your Passions” Method
• The “What do I believe?” Question
• The “Values” Approach
• Use of adjectives as a starting point
• Discussion of Experiences: interests, activities, family, job, philosophy
• Conceptualization through Formation of the Essay Idea

The Synthesis Stage

• Drawing together material through your experience
• Relating your experience to strengthen your positioning strategy
• Defining how the experience was significant and your “take away”
• Ascertaining your theme — revealing a truth, manifesting uniqueness
• Pre-writing concepts — consider what will make your writing sound authentic and what to include for specificity
• Avoiding trite topics that admissions readers hate
• Making sure that you answer the question
• Conferencing on what should be included in a specific essay

The Drafting Stage

• Guidance on structure
• Editing Considerations — length, flow, clarity, content, objectives, structure
• Making certain the essay follows the “Do’s & Don’ts” rules
• Discussing when you need to “kill your darlings”
• Making certain the essay resonates with emotion & passion
• Story development
• Making the “character” come to life
• Emphasizing Authenticity
• Grammar assistance
• Months-long feedback on an ongoing basis given for personal statements and short answers
• Elevation of essays by taking them through multiple drafts

The Polishing Stage

• Polishing the Introduction to “draw the reader in”
• Elevating your positioning strategy via the polish
• Making certain your ideas are defined & polished
• Polishing the flow of your personal statements
• Maximizing the depth & focus of your essays through the polish
• Making certain your essay feels “complete” by polishing your Conclusion
• Proofread for final adjustments

Our essay strategy is applied to all your essays and short answers.

Speak to a College Essay Specialist Today

Our college essay specialists have vast experience in the world of essay advisement and they know what they’re doing. Michael Goran and our team possess the talent to help you write a five-star essay, so that you have the best chance at the college or university of your dreams.

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Latest Posts

• College Admissions Essay Tutoring

Is the College Essay Really That Important?

In a word, Yes! In fact, in some instances the college essay can make or break an application. Especially for highly selective schools where admissions are competitive, a strong essay can be the deciding factor. All things bring relatively equal, the essay is an opportunity for applicants to distinguish themselves from the pack.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that a college admissions team has one seat left and they have narrowed down the remaining pool to 15 or 20 students who have all performed well in high school and generally met the criteria for entry; the essay suddenly becomes the most vital component of a student’s application as the admissions office seeks to differentiate the applicants.

Moreover, in recent years admissions officers have trended toward putting more emphasis on the essay, and some schools have even shifted some of the weight away from applicants’ academic record over to the essay. Some would argue that today, more than ever, a well-crafted college essay is essential to high school students maximizing the likelihood of acceptance to their target schools.

Is Writing My Essay a Team Effort?

One of the unfortunate ironies of the college essay process is that students are pressured to be insightful and well-reasoned during a time when they often feel overwhelmed, confused, and stressed. The process is further complicated because everyone has an opinion: mom, dad, the college counselor, the private college counselor, the aunt, the English teacher, the family friend in publishing, the next-door neighbor – well, you get the idea.

So why add “Next Level instructor” to that list? First of all, we’re not family, so the stress of perceived judgment or sentimental preferences are eliminated. Second, Next Level instructors understand that the main application essay (aka “personal statement”) is really more like a page from a memoir, and, as such, it is our job to help the student select a topic and employ language that actually sounds like him or her, because the essay IS his or hers and colleges are rather adept at detecting the underlying hand of “invisible helpers.” This well-meaning “support” can become particularly conspicuous when a student ends up discussing his or her essay in an admissions interview.

How Can Next Level Help?

The first step is topic selection: What does the student feel most passionate about? What experience, idea, or decision lights up the student? And then, of course, how can the student tell his or her story in a way that is both authentic and compelling? Our low-pressure, friendly, collaborative approach helps the student relax into brainstorming and freewriting on relevant questions that organically lead to selecting an appropriate topic.

After that, we help the student build an engaging essay through various writing tasks (“How does this paragraph improve if you include some sensory details?”), so the student leaves not only with an authentic essay, but also with repeatable and transferable skills that can be applied to future writing tasks.

Easy enough!

But…there are supplements, too. Next Level instructors help with those as well, from tracking due dates to evaluating content overlap that helps students liven up those snooze-inducing, “Why do you want to go to [name of school]?” questions.

Everything we do with college essay support is designed to help students tap into their creativity and develop a captivating essay that emerges from their authentic voice and avoids sounding like a dreary exercise in completing a compulsory assignment.

How Do I Get Started?

For more information please contact Next Level Learning to find out more about how Next Level instructors can help students improve their odds of being accepted to their target schools.

Go to: College Admissions

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• College Admissions

College Write Now!

Professional consulting for the college admissions essay, karen kligerman, phd.

About Me : I earned my PhD in English Literature from NYU and have years of experience teaching expository writing to incoming college freshmen both at home and abroad. Through my private practice, I have tutored middle-school, high-school and college students in the English Language Arts, and have been successfully helping students with their college & high school admissions essays for six years. For my international and U.S. students, I am available to work via Skype.

3 sessions, 2 hours each =

1 stellar college essay.

My Philosophy :   The college essay should enhance and cast a richer light on a student's overall application. A well-conceived essay provides a special glimpse for the admissions board into the way a student thinks, creates, and engages with the world. My straightforward manner of communicating and my lifelong love of language and literature have inspired even the most reserved teens to express themselves with authenticity and ease. Time and again, I have witnessed the anxiety of both students and parents turn into excitement as an idea crystallizes and the student's voice emerges.

My Mission : I pride myself on being able to connect with each and every one of my students and draw forth a meaningful and compelling piece of writing, revealing the student to be an individual thinker who is equipped to embrace every exciting facet of college life. Through a series of 3 one-on-one meetings, I help students alight on an essay topic that resonates for them. I aim to support them in developing an essay that captures their authentic voice. In our sessions, we brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise to develop an essay to be proud of, one that represents the student's finest effort and truest beliefs.​

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Patient Virtual tutor that specializes in Statistics & College Essays

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Writing Mentor specializing in College Application Essays

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Published Author, NYU MFA in Writing, Personal Statement Specialist

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Expert Writing Coach & College Essay Consultant; Former UNC Professor

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Award-winning Harvard Grad / College Essay and Application Consultant

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College Essay Consultant

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Don L-- English, Literature, SAT prep, Grammar, and Writing Teacher

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Certified ELA Educator: College Essays , Writing, College Composition

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3+ yrs experience helping students find/get into their dream schools

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Ivy League College Essay & Writing Coach

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Experienced College Essay Coach with UCLA PhD in English

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College Essay Coach

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Effective Writing/Editing Tutor; College Essay Tutor & Counselor

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Harvard Grad and College Essay Expert

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Experienced Grad-School, Fellowship, and College Essay Tutor

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Psychology PhD, Dissertations, Research Methods, College Essays

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The College Lad - Leading SoCal Writing Coach & Test Expert

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College Essay Expert with 5-Star Rating

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Conquer the College Essay with Author, Journalist and Writing Teacher

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College Essay and Application Coach with Admissions Reading Experience

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Writing/Editing/Proofreading/Public Speaking, Doctorate/ College Essays

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Experienced Ivy university instructor for writing, college apps, GRE

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Professor Specializing in College Essays /Personal Statements

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Make Your Essays Shine!

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• Application Positioning™
• Services for Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors

Testimonials

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College Essay Assistance

Nearly all students in any selective college’s applicant pool possess the grades and test scores to be admitted. Therefore, essays frequently determine an applicant’s admission decision. For this reason, it is vital to write high-quality essays that are interesting and memorable.

With over 40 years of experience, I have read over a million college admission essays, including essays while Dean of Admissions at both Columbia and Harvard. My experience enables me to help students write successful college essays.

Through guidance and feedback, I will help you transform your essays into creative, powerful stories. With stronger essays, you are more likely to stand out from the thousands of other applicants—improving your chance of acceptance.

If you need to submit essays as part of your application process, here is what I offer:

• Personal guidance from a former Ivy League Dean of Admissions
• Identification of unique strengths, abilities, and experiences
• Step-by-step help with essay topics and discussion points
• Guidance to transform essays to be as strong as possible

For more information, call (845) 418-5765 or (845) 826-5310 . You may also  click here  to contact The Ivy Dean.

On paper, I am by no means a perfect student. However, thanks to my Application Positioning, I was able to maximize the strengths that I bring to a college to compensate for other factors. Thanks to The Ivy Dean Team, I will be attending Princeton University, my dream school, in the fall.

Dee provided excellent advice and guidance throughout the application process. Her overall expertise in admissions, professionalism and warmth made the experience a great one. I was thrilled that I was accepted to several of the most selective colleges in the country and will be attending Stanford in the fall.”

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College Essay Help with a Private Essay Coach

A letter from our ceo.

Dear Parent - One of the realities that confronts many high school seniors during the college application process is the data-centric nature of college admissions.  College applications involve standardized forms, obligatory exam scores, and formulaic transcripts; I remember applying to college and feeling schools were more interested in my statistics and quantitative measurements than in me as a person.  This over-reliance on data is what makes the college application essay such a crucial component of the college application.  When your child is competing for a spot at his or her first choice school against dozens of other students with nearly identical GPA’s, test scores, and extra-curricular backgrounds, the application essay becomes your child’s one opportunity to showcase himself or herself as something more than a data point.  Your child’s essay is the only opportunity an admissions officer has to get to know the creative and quirky, considerate and thoughtful, or inquisitive and courageous child that you know and love. Most students will never face a more difficult writing assignment than the college essay. Figuring out how to write a strong essay that showcases all of your unique strengths is tough enough, but doing so within the constraints of a few hundred words can feel near impossible. It's a challenge that vexes even great writers, and when the stakes feel so high it's no wonder the college essay process can be so overwhelming. Our college essay coaching is designed to help students craft a compelling essay or personal statement. Working with one of our exceptional writing instructors, your child will start by brainstorming potential topics. From there the process works through cycles of drafts and revisions until everyone is satisfied with the final piece. The goal is to help your child demonstrate why he or she will make a meaningful and unique addition to the campus community and learning environment, and to keep the process of achieving that goal organized and on track. Our writing instructors are extremely talented, and will coach and encourage your child to a finished product that you can be proud of. If you’d like to learn more about how our college essay coaching works and what it entails, I encourage you to scroll down and continue reading about this tremendous resource for college-bound students. Sincerely,

Richard J. Enos

CEO & Co-Founder

We’ve helped over 30,000 students since the 1990’s

Over 60% of our programs are with returning families

Our customer satisfaction scores are up there with Apple, USAA, and Amazon

One-to-one, private college essay support.

Writing a strong college essay is an intensive effort, and there is no better support resource than a private essay coach. With a private coach your child will have the undivided attention of an expert writing instructor, and will be able to move through the process at a pace that fits his or her needs.

This isn't a theoretical program. It is 100% focused on helping your child move from a blank page to a polished final essay that he or she can submit to colleges. Together with the college essay coach your child will work through the brainstorming, drafting, re-drafting, and final editing process.

Your Success

While nobody can guarantee your child acceptance to a particular school, our essay coaching program can help ensure that your child's application stands out. The goal is to increase your child's chances of admission by clearly communicating the unique and important contributions he or she will make to the campus community.

An Expert Team of Carefully Selected Essay Coaches

Writing Experts

Our experienced essay tutors have degrees (and often advanced degrees) from some of the country’s best colleges and universities.

Extensive Teaching/ Tutoring Experience

They’re experienced, passionate teachers, and they know how to draw out the best in your child.

Thoughtful, Flexible Teaching Styles

Being smart isn't enough—our tutors are able to listen well and communicate clearly, and they adapt their approach to fit your child.

You (and your family) are busy

To be effective, an educational program has to work with your family's schedule. We make life simpler by bringing the tutoring to you and making scheduling easy:

In home Convenience

To provide you access to our elite instructional team, and make tutoring logistics easier, all of our essay coaching takes place in our custom online learning environment. This innovative tool enables your child and his or her coach to brainstorm, edit, and work on drafts together, just as they would on at your kitchen table. Online tutoring replicates the in-person tutoring dynamic, and it’s remarkably effective.  

Flexible Scheduling

Our one-to-one format and innovative approach make scheduling sessions with your essay coach easy. Generally, sessions occur about once a week over four weeks, but session timing and frequency can be adjusted to accommodate your child's schedule and his or her upcoming college application deadlines. We know you're busy, so we work hard to make things easy.  

A Proven Track Record of Success

40,000 success stories. Start your story today.

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Ten Tips for a Great College Essay

by Dana Ponsky | Jun 30, 2022 | Blog | 0 comments

The College Essay. Those three words can elicit many emotions and reactions to a rising senior who needs to write one in the next few weeks and months. While I am the first to say the essay is probably the most challenging part of the college application, it does not need to be the most dreadful. Here are some great tips to help any student as they embark on the college essay and share with an admissions committee something important about themselves. 

1 – Your essay is a window into your soul – be honest, open, & vulnerable

In 500-650 words, students need to be their most vulnerable self. They need to share stories, insights, values, experiences, they have had that helped make them the person they are today and will usher them to become the person they want to be. Providing opportunities for a student to be honest, open, and vulnerable will not only help with telling the great story, but provide a window into the soul of who they are as a person. 

2 – Don’t share your entire life story – find a snippet that reveals a lot about you

With a word limit, there must be a limit on what a student shares. While the essay can be either a narrative (or chronological telling of a story) or a montage (a thematic telling of experiences), it does not need to include every step of a teenager’s life. Have the student identify 1-3 snippets in their life that can be shared with detail and focus. 

3 – It is not about the ashes, but how you have risen from them

Students who have faced challenges often ask if they should write about them in their college essay. The answer is, yes if you want to and no if you do not. For those that choose to share a challenge, failure, or setback, the essay should focus on pushing through the challenge, what is learned in the process of overcoming the challenge, and what motivates them to move ahead. The most effective essays highlight the rise from the ashes and not just the ashes. 

4 – Know the “why.”  Why are you writing the story? Why does this matter to you?

The Common Application, Coalition Application, and many college-specific applications have essay prompts they want the student to use to provide focus for the essay. These prompts help students also answer that important question of why is this story important? Knowing the motivation behind telling a specific story and why it is important to the writer. The most effective essays focus on why the student thinks the story is important and not what the reader might want to read.  

5 – Make sure you use a prompt – prompts provide guidance for you & the reader(s)

Ever read an essay or memoir or narrative and not quite sure why the writer wrote it? This can lead the reader to miss some of the important purposes of the written content and the writer’s intended meaning. Using the prompts can provide great direction for the writer to stay focused in their storytelling and can help the reader focus more on the content and less trying to figure out what direction the writer is asking them to go. 

6 – Grammar matters and so does editing – get an extra set of eyes to review your essay Many students are not conditioned to ask for help with their regular writing requirements for school. However, with the college essay, having 1-2 editors/reviewers is a fundamental part of the writing process. Students should be encouraged to find a teacher, counselor, or mentor, who is familiar with the college essay writing process to serve as an editor/reviewer. These people should be a resource for the student to ask for honest feedback, suggestions about how to handle certain aspects of the essay, and who have the time to make edits and comments that are constructive without having the student lose their voice in the process. 

7 – Make the essay sound like you – write it like how you speak College admissions counselors expect to read essays written by high school students, not adults with multiple years of advanced education. While the essay should be well-written in terms of content and grammar, it needs to “sound” like the student and not the editors/reviewers/adults that are helping to support them in the writing process. If a student does not use certain words in their everyday speech and writing, it should not find a place in the college essay now. 

8 – Ask yourself – what can be learned about you that is not found anywhere else on the application? The essay provides the reader the chance to learn about the student in a way no other part of the application can do. While it is fine to mention things in the essay that have been highlighted somewhere else in the application, the essay should provide context to the reader about why a student chose that activity or course or experience. Just keep encouraging the writer to think about what values or personality or characteristics they want the reader to know about them that cannot easily be extrapolated from other objective or data-driven experiences shared in the application. 

9 – Have patience while you write many drafts – with time comes the story meant to be told Students need to realize that a great essay goes through two or more drafts before it is a solid document. It takes time to develop a well-constructed essay and a decent amount of effort should be put into the process for a positive outcome. Most students can complete a great essay in 1-2 weeks if they put a decent amount of effort into the process, but it is a good idea to start early and then go back to the essay after a few weeks away from it, so they see it with clear eyes and can make any necessary changes and/or adjustments. 

10 – Tell the audience what you want them to know, not what you think they want to read College admissions counselors do not have a specific story they want to hear. They do not want to just read about tragic stories or challenges, they love to hear the triumphs too. Be sure to share the story that is authentic to you and that you are proud to share with a group of strangers. Counselors will tell you that they remember the essays that make them laugh, that make them think, that make them cry, that make them excited to keep reading. They are not interested in reading what you think they want to know about you, but what you are excited to share. 

If your student needs advice, assistance, or an editor or reviewer for the college essay, we are happy to provide the support. To learn more about NYC Admissions Solutions and our college counseling services, please visit our website at www.nycadmissionssolutions.com where you can also schedule a complimentary initial call with Dana Ponsky, Senior College Admissions Counselor. 

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College Admissions Counselors in New York

Find college admissions counselors in New York. Getting into a top ranked college requires more than straight A’s. You need expert help; we help you find quality college consultants near your city and state.

According to our college consulting expert, David H. Nguyen, PhD, founder of Next Level Prep , Location is pertinent to finding the best educational consultant agencies because companies based in a region will understand the characteristics that admissions officers look for in students from high schools in that region. There is an edge that consultants gain from having worked with many students in the same region . That’s why our college consulting agencies are broken down state-by-state.

Most high school students have extremely limited access to direct guidance during the college admissions process. According to The New York Times , during the 2012–2016 school year, every public school counselor in the U.S. was assigned an average of 470 students! That doesn’t leave much time for one-on-one support as you figure out how to complete your FAFSA, decide which extracurriculars improve your chances of college admission, and what application strategies can help you stand out in a sea of other excellent students.

College admissions consultants, or college coaches, can help fill that gap, and give you a major advantage in finding the school of your choice.

Find College Admissions Counselors Close to You in New York

Agencies are listed alphabetically within their cities.

Woolf College Consulting

Location:  1025 Constable Drive, NY

Services include:

• Customized Counseling that matches academic and personal goals with the best colleges and graduate schools
• Review and Analysis of each student’s background, academic experience, activities, interests and career ambitions
• Design and Management of an individualized action plan, including course selection, testing, school visits, and the preparation and submission of applications

Affiliations and Accreditations

The College Advisor of New York

Location:  Albany, NY

• One On One Essay Coaching & Application Development
• Deadline Tracking and Application Critique
• Personalized Online Client Portal
• Detailed Financial Strategy and Affordability Counseling
• SAT and ACT Strategic Preparation
• High School Transcript Analysis & Course Selection
• Career/Major Learning Style Inventory and Counseling
• Parent Coaching Strategies
• Campus Visit Guidance and Interview Preparation

Behrend Consulting

Location:  Amherst, NY

• Individual assistance in the college admissions process for students and their families
• Career decision making/college major assistance and selection
• College transfer consultation
• Workshop presentations on all aspects of college admission for students, families, colleges and businesses
• Consultation services with colleges and school districts
• Development and improvement of guidance college admission programs

Scott-Deutsch Associates, LLC

Location:  Ardsley, NY

• Advice about the transition to high school
• Annual review and evaluation of your child's academic profile.
• Yearly recommendations for course selection.
• Help compile a list of colleges that meet the student’s unique talents, abilities and strengths, with consideration of aptitude, transcript and test scores
• Assistance with international applications both for domestic students applying overseas and international students seeking attendance in the states.
• Assistance in understanding test scores and score reporting.
• Developing a test schedule and application calendar.
• Helping with the completion of a personalized activities sheet (resume) to submit with the common application and scholarship applications.
• Developing ideas and strategies for admission essays
• reviewing and assistance in editing all writing
• Reviewing campus visit protocols and providing a mock admission interview.
• Reviewing all application materials prior to submission
• Assistance in scholarship searches and qualifications
• completion of forms including essays

College Planning of Westchester LLC

Location:  ARMONK, NY

• College Planning
• Resume building
• College search
• application assistance
• tuition and financial aid assistamce

Nancy Edwards LLC, Academic Choices

Location:  Auburn, NY

• School Placement
• Addiction Program Placement
• Summer Program Planning
• Therapeutic Interventions
• Parent Training/Coaching

Klemmer Educational Consulting, LLC

Location:  Briarcliff Manor, NY

• Course selection and mapping out a general curriculum plan through senior year
• Developing interests through extracurricular involvement
• Outlining a standardized testing plan
• Evaluating college affordability and becoming familiar with the college financial aid process

Dana Ponsky Consulting Services LLC

Location:  Brooklyn, NY

• Assist with high school course selection, co-curricular exploration, summer planning and preparation
• assistance with submission of applications for college
• financial aid
• gap year programs, and more
• develop a college list, work on resume development
• explore college majors
• and develop a college application plan of action for their application cycle.
• standardized test planning
• making sense of changes to the SAT and ACT
• high school course selection
• transcript assessment
• extra-curricular review
• summer program recommendations
• personalized college list
• teacher recommendations
• campus visits
• interview preparation
• essay coaching

EduCoates College Services

• whole student assessment
• Early Decision and Early Action

Cast-A-Net College Admissions Consulting

Location:  Carmel, NY

• Creating A College List
• Campus tours
• assistance with college interviews
• help with crafting essays
• guidance for music students
• gudance for athletes
• guidance for parents
• Financial aid guidance

Successful Education Solutions

• College research and selection
• Assessing student academic strengths and weaknesses
• Evaluating extracurricular activities
• Organizing and planning campus visit itineraries
• Preparing for college interviews
• Reviewing college essays and applications
• Assisting with special needs such as learning disabilities, portfolio review, gap year info

Signature College Counseling

Location:  Central Valley, NY

• College Search
• Application Assistance
• Essay Guidance
• Interview Preparation
• Financial Aid Counseling
• Career Assessment
• Final Consultation for Selection of School Choice

Athena College Advisors, LLC

Location:  Chappaqua, NY

• Curricular Planning
• Summer Activity Planning
• Summer Program Applications
• Extracurricular/Community Service Activities
• College List Development
• Decoding Financial and Merit Aid
• Strategic Planning and Packaging
• Visit Planning
• Showing Demonstrated Interest
• Support for Ivy and DIII Athletes
• Resume Development and Editing
• Art, Music and Theatre Supplements
• Essay Brainstorming
• Essay Editing and Proofreading
• Common App Assistance and Review
• Soliciting Recommendations
• Deferral and Wait List Strategies

Pathways for College

• College Counseling Services
• Assist in planning an appropriately rigorous high school curriculum
• Provide direction regarding standardized testing options and optimal testing schedules
• Identify student’s talents, interests, needs and goals
• Develop priorities for college selection
• Visiting Colleges
• Interview prep
• Financial Aid Considerations
• Develop and critique activity resumes that highlight strengths and accomplishments
• Provide support to help students stay organized and on track

Sheptin Tutoring Group, LLC

Performing arts college consultants.

Location:  CHAPPAQUA, NY

• High school transcript review and evaluation, curriculum planning
• Plan College visits
• Essay guidance and support for Common App essay/personal statement and college-specific supplemental essays
• Extracurricular and summer activity review and recommendations
• Develop strategy for application process
• Interview and audition planning
• Standardized test: ACT/SAT planning
• Editing activities résumé, arts supplement and artists statement
• Application review

Lerner & Esposito College Consultants, Inc.

Location:  Commack, NY

• admissions Prep
• scholarship advice
• and financial aid assitance

Island Wise College Consulting Services, LLC

Location:  Dix Hills, NY

• Review and advice for creating the High School resume
• Provide recommendations for extra curricular activities
• Provide comprehensive list of suitable colleges/universities
• Provide a comprehensive action timeline for the junior and senior year.
• Assist in college essay brainstorming and editing for common application and supplemental essays.
• Assist and review of student’s applications
• Provide guidance in setting up college visits
• Assist in preparation for college interview
• Assist with final decision making after acceptance letters have been received

Susan Maran

Location:  E Quogue, NY

• Develop your art
• Application assistance
• Financial aid assistance
• Recommend extracurriculars
• Graduate school advice
• Guidance on final choices

College Directions CNY

Location:  Fayetteville, NY

• Determine application strategy and timeline
• Develop individualized applications, brainstorm differentiating college essays, and edit writing
• Prep students for college visits and on-campus interviews
• Send application deadlines and reminders, as well as address deferrals and waitlists
• Advise during the decision-making process

Application Workshop

Location:  Garden City, NY

• Planning and College Match
• Development of a Balanced College List
• Brainstorming Exercises and Guidance to Develop Ideas and Outlines for the Personal Essay and Supplemental Essays
• interview prep

Location:  Glen Cove, NY

• Choosing Courses, Training, Extra-curriculars, Summer Programs
• Guidance to organize the college search process
• Talent Evaluation and Coaching referrals and oversight
• Essay Review
• College Visits
• College Applications
• Audition Preparation and Guidance
• Financial Aid Information
• Making the Choice

COPA, Inc.: College Options in the Performing Arts

Lockwood college prep.

Location:  Glenwood Landing, NY

• School Selection
• Application Advising
• Test Preparation
• Private Tutoring

Future Step College Consulting

Location:  Goldens Bridge, NY

• College Search & Selection
• Application Preparation
• Decision Making

College Station of the Hudson Valley

Location:  Goshen, NY

• College Admission Essay Preparation
• College Admissions Counseling
• Editing and Revising essays, papers and projects
• High School Planning to Open College Doors
• Guidance on choosing a Major and Career

A & B Educational Consultants, Inc.

Location:  Great Neck, NY

• College search and selection
• Application and essay help
• Interiew strategies

IvyPath Advising Service

• Instruct high school students in grades 9-12 to prepare and apply for college
• Conception and revision of the thesis for further studies
• Preparation and drills for the interview at the application school
• Apply for private high school and apply for transfer
• Study abroad supervision-tailor-made academic planning for international students and manage and implement them on behalf of their parents
• One-to-one tuition, SAT/ACT, TOEFL, SSAT, SATII single subjects
• Intensive English training, reading and writing training, school homework supervision and extracurricular tutoring
• Interest mining: help students discover their personal interests, participate in extracurricular activities, and lay a solid foundation for successful advancement
• Course selection guidance: guide students to select courses strategically, so that students can not only accept challenges but also develop their potential
• olunteer arrangement: Recommend or arrange volunteer activities to enable students to grow through social practice

Doris Davis Educational Consulting, LLC

Location:  Hartsdale, NY

My College Advisor

• College admissions
• College transfers
• Graduate school admissions
• Private high school admissions
• International student admissions
• Athletic Recruiting

College Assistance Plus

Location:  Honeoye Falls, NY

• financial aid assistance

Next Step College Counseling

Location:  Hyde Park, NY

Riseman Educational Consulting

Location:  Irvington, NY

• Standardized Test Preparation
• application process assistance
• college selection
• personal essays, and supplemental essays assistance

Arthur Smith Advising College Admissions Consulting

Location:  Ithaca, NY

• academic advising and course selection
• application essay brainstorming and crafting
• athletic recruiting
• strategies for parents
• college list development
• admissions strategy
• extracurricular list/resume building
• college visits
• testing strategies

GlobalEd Insight

Tyler admissions consulting.

• Personalized testing and career counseling
• Customized, balanced college list
• Affordability options
• Organizational tools to help make the process more manageable
• College essay help
• Mock interviewing
• Servises include Undergraduate, graduate and Vet school

Educational Alternatives LLC

Location:  Katonah, NY

• Assistanc with child assesments and Evaluations

One University Place

• Pre-k-Grade 8 Guidance
• high school guidance
• Colege selection guidance
• Campus visits
• graduate program assistance

Madenberg College Consulting

Location:  Lake Success, NY

College Advice 101

Location:  Larchmont, NY

• College search and visits
• course guidance
• assistance in the application process
• Discuss affordability, merit scholarships, need based financial aid, and their impact on admissions

Lynn Zerbib College Counseling

• College search and lists
• curriculum guidance
• application assitance
• decision assistance

GuidED Consulting, LLC

Location:  Mahopac, NY

• Career assessment and exploration
• Academic planning
• Summer programs and applications
• Standardized test options
• College list development and review
• College application completion support
• College essay
• College supplements
• Ongoing follow up with submitted applications
• Transition to college and final decisions

Location:  Mamaroneck, NY

• College selection and application assistance
• Customized Counseling that matches academic and personal goals
• Design and Management of an individualized action plan
• ssay assistance

Ms. Elaine F. Cataneo

Location:  Maplewood, NY

Kathy Williams Independent College Counseling

Location:  Mattituck, NY

• College search plan
• Ongoing meetings/communications to discuss and determine a list of best-fit potential schools
• Assistance with preparation and completion of college essays, all applications, and student resume
• Preparation for college interviews
• Management of the entire application process, timeline, individual applications to ensure that all pieces are completed, proactive and correct
• Help with understanding your award letters after acceptance
• Final Consultation to compare schools, inclusive of financial aid award letters and assistance with final college selection

Carol Gill Associates

Location:  Mt. Kisco, NY

• financial aid counseling
• portfolio review
• consultant to schools
• College and Private School Placement

Open Door Educational Consultants LLC

Location:  New Rochelle, NY

• College Major and Career Exploration
• High School transcript review, evaluation and curriculum planning
• Extracurricular and summer activity review, assessment and recommendations.
• Standardized test planning and timing
• Research and development of initial college list
• then a more targeted list of multiple best-fit target, reach and safety (likely) schools
• Admission Interview Preparation
• Application and financial aid timeline
• Essay organization and timeline
• College planning and consulting for students with special talents, interests and/or learning challenges

Abby Siegel & Associates

Location:  New York, NY

Admissions Insight

• Assistance with College admission requirements
• College selection

Andrew Meyers Counseling

• College counseling
• Gap year services

CollegeBound Advice

• Guidance in choosing an appropriate high school curriculum
• Development of a standardized testing timetable
• Assistance in finding appropriate summer programs throughout the high school years
• Review of financial options, including scholarship and merit aid opportunities
• Preparing a college list and strategies about visiting
• Conducting mock interviews
• Support throughout every step of the college application process, including assistance in preparing effective applications, resumes and essays
• Working on transfer applications, internship searches and post-baccalaureate options
• Assistance with resumes and career planning

College Maven LLC

• Intake consisting of extensive interviews with parent(s) and student to accurately determine the student’s unique profile
• Thorough review of student’s high school transcript, standardized test results, extracurricular activities, personal interests, and evaluations and accommodations
• Tracking and reminding of important dates and deadlines, including those for standardized tests, college applications, and financial aid
• Discussion of standardized test preparation and selections
• Creation of student’s personalized “best fit” college list based on all information
• Guidance and support for filling out college applications
• Essay support—brainstorming, editing, and feedback, with special attention to essay topic, tone, style, organization of ideas, grammar and other details
• College admissions software which allows students and parents to keep all college-related information and dates organized and up-to-date
• Tips on college interviewing
• Review of financial aid options including need-based and merit-based aid
• Assistance with final decision after acceptance letters are received

Collegiate Gateway LLC

• Undergraduate Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Law School Admissions
• Business School Admissions
• Master’s and PhD Admissions

CriLu Educational Services

• NURSERY AND PRE-K TO 12TH GRADE APPLICATION
• COLLEGE APPLICATION, COUNSELING AND ADVOCACY
• GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL APPLICATION
• Test preparation

Dynamic Admissions LTD

• Overview of college admissions process
• Evaluate transcripts, standardized test scores, activities and interests
• Address appropriate opportunities for the student including summer programs, internships, employment, community service, learning and cultural travel based on student’s interests and goals
• Discuss standardized testing options, develop a timeline, recommend tutors, and other resources
• Overview of types of financial aid: Merit, Loan, Work-study
• Brainstorm essay topics and structure
• Develop resume highlighting student strengths
• Review all application materials before submission
• Evaluate offers of admission
• Assistance on final decision

Early Stage Careers; Everything Summer

• Internship Coaching
• Carreer guidance
• Customized Programs & Workplace Training
• Neurodiversity Training

Educational Advisory Services

Ee college coach, emerson educational consulting.

• College serch and selection
• application adn essay assistance
• Addressing wait-lists or deferrals
• Making the final college choice once acceptances have been received

Expert Admissions

• Assistanc with academic and extracurricular choices
• assitance to build a list of schools
• compose applications
• College Transfer Applicants
• Graduate Admissions

Forster-Thomas Educational Consulting

• Program choice assistance

Galin Education

• Addmissions assistance
• application and essay assistance
• Academic Coaching

Greenberg Educational Group

• SAT/ACT tutoring
• Refine coursework plans, testing schedules, and extracurricular activities
• Research appropriate colleges and develop a balanced list
• Facilitate or improve teacher relationships, and ultimately select teachers for letters of recommendation
• Identify and recommend extracurricular and summer activities, as well as internship opportunities
• Plan for and prioritize college visits, including preparing for college interviews
• Keep your student on task to complete all components of the college application
• Brainstorm, draft, edit and revise the personal statement and any supplements in order to perfect them and pull together cohesive, compelling applications
• Evaluate offers of admission as well as develop a strategy for waitlist and deferral decisions

Living City Project

My learning springboard.

• Admissions Consulting and School Planning
• Digital Coaching
• Executive Function Coaching
• Special Education Services
• Summer Program and Camp Consultation
• Writing Coaching

New York Admissions

• Consulting for Private, Boarding, Special Needs, and Nursery School Admissions
• Consulting for Selective Public School Admissions
• Relocation Services for Private and Public School Admissions
• Tutoring, Enrichment, Special Needs, Extracurricular, and Community Service Consulting
• Consulting for Private and Public Schools

Nothing But Drama

• Assistance in college choice
• Preparing for your College Audition
• organization of dates, deadlines, requirements, guidelines and materials to gather for each school’s artistic review process
• Develop your art. Whether through your work on monologues, songs, a director’s notebook for theater, or portfolios for film, dramatic writing and theatrical production & design programs, we will help them get to know you.

Omega Educational Consulting, Inc.

• Identify a comprehensive list of your best-fit target, reach and safety schools.
• Craft a compelling essay
• Select the most appropriate, outstanding high school courses
• Identify the most relevant extracurricular activities
• Pinpoint the most advantageous testing options
• Perfect applications and supplements
• Prepare a professional CV/resume
• Devise effective study schedules
• Select and apply to competitive, prestigious summer programs.

Options for College, Inc.

• Course Selection
• Summer planning
• Test selection
• Application assistcance
• Transfer Admissions Help
• Grad School selection assistance

PI Educational Consulting

• Private school Test prep

School + College Consulting Services

• College planning and placement
• interview skill development
• Consulting for college-bound students with special needs
• Guiding teens and young adults at-risk
• Collegiate recovery counseling
• SSAT flex testing

Sentia Education

• General Academic Tutoring

Smart City Kids

• Nursury-High school advising and addmissions assistance
• College academic planning
• school lissts and selection
• Essay preperation
• Admissions stratagies

Spider Web Education

• Drafting of the College List
• Analysis of the Student’s “Academic Index”
• Standardized Test Recommendations and Calendar
• Academic & Course Selection Advice
• Advice on Summer Programs, Community Service, & Work Opportunities
• Advice on College Visits
• Advice and Practice for College Interviews
• Review of the Common Application
• Vision Exercises and Revisions to the College Essay
• Review of Supplemental College Essays
• Financial Aid Consulting
• Advice on Gap Years and Transfer Admissions
• Consistent Updates and Reports on the College Admissions Process

Story2, LLC

• College admissions assistance
• career develpment assistance

Susan Warner Advisory

The college focus, tools for success consulting llc.

• Resume assistance
• student profile enhancement
• admissions assitance

Two Sisters College Consulting

• Course & extracurricular activities selection guidance

US College Connect

• College Application and Essay Development
• Prep test Practice, and Improvement Strategies
• Resume Building and Interview Preparation
• Campus Visit Planning

VJB & Associates

• College search assistance
• Essay development
• Financial aid advising

Admission Sense

Location:  Pelham, NY

• Strategic Educational Planning
• 10th Grade - Comprehensive Advising
• 11th Grade - College Advising
• College Match: Find Your Fit

Greg Wasserman

Location:  Plainview, NY

Next Steps: Stephen Migden & Assoc., LLC

The family college experience, llc.

• College Application Assistance
• Essay Skills and Coaching
• Information to navigate College Life

Your College Navigator, LLC

• College choice assistance
• fincancial aid assistance
• admissions and applications assistance

Charted University Consultants, LLC

Location:  Port Washington, NY

• Student assesments
• Action plan with step-by-step timeline
• Advice on secondary school course selection
• Advice on extracurricular and summer activities
• Advice on standardized testing: ACTs, SATs, AP and IB exams
• Preparation of a carefully selected list of colleges and universities
• College interview strategy
• Planning college visits
• Review of resume format and content
• Support in making final choices after decision letters are received

Jamie L. Reich Educational Consulting

• creating a customized target college list tailored to the student’s needs, interests, and preferences
• College visits
• college interview prep
• creating and refining the resume
• brainstorming and editing the Personal Statement and individual school essays
• Transfer Applications.

Vella Consulting Inc.

Location:  Port Washington,, NY

College Search Navigators, LLC

Location:  Quogue, NY

• Personalized guidance
• one-on-one counseling
• High school course selection
• Standardized Test Strategy
• Student Profile Enhancement
• College Selection
• Submissions Preparation
• Deadline and Requirements Tracking
• Process Protocol and Etiquette

Stodghill College Consulting

Location:  Rensselaer, NY

College Planning Connections

Location:  Rhinebeck, NY

• College Consulting for the Student Athletes
• College Consulting for Creative Arts Students
• College Consulting for Students with Learning Differences

Taconic Educational Placement

• Define potential directions and general options
• Gather and review records, history, transcripts, testing and scores, and contact key professionals who know your child
• Inquiries to admissions directors, clinical specialists, or educational professionals of selected programs
• Guidance and support in selection of placement and completion of applications

College Career Consulting

Location:  Rochester, NY

• List of best fit colleges
• Essay proofreading
• College visit prep
• Career assessment

Jj College Admission Advising LLC

• college planning
• assistaance with application process (including essays)
• advice regarding high school course selection, extracurricular and summer activity planning

Jodi Rosenshein Atkin, MA, LLC

• Creating a college choice list
• Guidance in Writing the essays and supplements
• Clarification of the financial aid process
• Organizing the application process

LESS COLLEGE STRESS CONSULTING

• Self -Assessment
• College List Research
• Recommendations Strategies
• Essays Applications College Updates
• Acceptances and Decisions

The College Dollar

• Financial Review
• Tuition Bill Analysis
• Svholarship assistance

The Road Ahead

• develop a list of schools

Kobrick College Consulting, LLC

Location:  Roslyn, NY

• State-of-the-art, college admissions software designed and personalized for each student
• Computerized, automatic tracking and reminders of registration and test dates, application deadlines, financial aid deadlines and more
• Evaluation and matching of student's credentials to potential colleges
• Discussion of standardized test preparation
• Discussion of activities - athletics, extracurricular, community service, etc. that will enhance applications
• Guidance and support to fill out all college applications.
• Preparation for interviews.

College Cooperative

Location:  Scarborough, NY

Acceptance Ahead

Location:  Scarsdale, NY

• Evaluate high school course selection and course rigor for sophomore, junior and senior years
• Help prepare initial resume.
• Plan an effective schedule for taking SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, ACT and other appropriate standardized tests
• Generate preliminary list of colleges to explore and visits
• Guide families in planning productive and informative visits to colleges.
• Prepare students for college interviews (admissions interviews, alumni interviews, evaluative and non-evaluative)
• Assist students (and parents) in applying for financial aid.

Location:  Searsdale, NY

Coates College Consulting

Location:  Tonawanda, NY

• Personal and Career assessments to help determine needs
• Advice on standardized tests (SAT & ACT)
• * An in-depth college search
• A complete review of the college application
• Advice on scholarship searches and financial aid

The College Spy

Location:  Tupper Lake, NY

• Identification of interests and educational priorities
• Thorough college research culminating in a list of “best match” colleges
• Up to date knowledge of trends in college admissions and how they relate to your family’s circumstances
• Review of academic record.
• Advice on course selection
• Standardized testing recommendations.
• Extracurricular activities planning (including valuable summer experiences)
• Create and update an activities resume.
• Advice regarding effective college visits.
• Review of the financial aid process.
• Essay assistance
• Recommendation letter strategies
• Interview strategies
• Comprehensive review of applications prior to submission
• Action plan for completing applications
• Timing and tasks action plan
• motivation and encouragement in completing applications
• Assistance in determining final college choice.

Anne Gould College Advisor, LLC

Location:  Valley Stream, NY

• course selection

Stearns Group Educational Advisory

Location:  Waccabuc, NY

• Consistent monitoring of academic performance and advising on course selection
• Assisting with time management strategies
• Identifying test preparation professionals and solidifying standardized test timeline
• Advising student on service opportunities, extra-curricular activities and summer jobs/internships
• Developing a robust resume to present for colleges and/or work opportunities that promote student’s special skills such as theatre, art, music, and athletics
• Planning college visits and preparing for the interview process with admissions and/or alumni
• Providing support throughout the entire Common Application process with an emphasis on the personal statement essay and the activity section
• Continually refining college list for final application submission
• Strategy development for application options, such as early decision and early action
• Help manage and advise on deferment and wait list scenarios
• Continued interaction with student and family while decisions are being made on final college choice
• Personalized service until the student matriculates their freshman year
• Athletic Recruit Program

Your College Story

Location:  West Harrison, NY

• Create a college preparation timeline
• Advise on standardized test planning
• Advise on SAT/Subject Tests/ACT Test Prep and provide tutor referrals
• Develop college search criteria
• Research and develop a college list with multiple reach, targeted, and likely schools
• Review college applications
• Advise on college merit scholarships
• Advise on college visits and interview prep
• Assist on correspondence with colleges
• Create student résumés
• Brainstorm, organize, and offer edit suggestions on college essays
• Discuss Early Decision/Early Action/Regular Decision application strategies
• Advise athletes and artists on their specialized application processes
• Offer specialized support for students with learning differences

College Pointers, LLC

Location:  West Islip, NY

• Consultation with student and parents to explore educational goals
• Overview of current college admissions environment
• Assess student’s academic background and extracurricular activities
• Identify strengths, needs and interests through step-by-step exercises
• Personality assessment and evaluation of learning style
• Develop academic and extracurricular profile
• Techniques and tools for researching college options
• Develop list for “best-fit” colleges to include “reach, match and likely” choices
• Timetable for application process, deadlines and testing
• Preparation for college visits
• Strategies for admission and alumni interviews
• College essay brainstorming and review
• Overview of financial aid, scholarships and FAFSA
• Evaluation of acceptances and guidance on decision making

AK Educational Consulting, LLC

Location:  White Plains, NY

Louis Educational Consulting

• High School Course Selection
• College Admissions Assistance
• Guidance through the Financial aid process
• College Application Essay support
• Transfer Student assistance
• assistance fo Students With Learning Disabilities
• Prep School and College Search
• College application assistance

College Consulting FAQs

An admissions consultant is a hired professional who can guide you through the complex landscape of college admissions. Admissions consultant companies vary greatly in size and service offerings, and operate either locally, or as part of a nationwide network.

Learn more about how to select a college admissions counselor that is right for you in our conversation with NextLevelPrep college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen, who explains how to choose a college admissions counselor .

College admission consultants help guide families and students through the often complex college admissions process. Services typically include counseling on how to improve your chances of getting into your chosen schools, coaching on writing college essays and personal statements, SAT and ACT test preparation, and assistance in the scholarship process, among others.

One of the primary benefits of hiring a college admissions consultant is their experience: an expert consultant will have up-to-date insight on what colleges are looking for in terms of grades, extracurricular activities, test scores, and personal statements. This knowledge can help you make a favorable impression on the schools of your choice.

Plus, college admissions consultants who also provide test preparation can significantly improve your performance on SAT/ACT exams — improving your odds of both earning scholarships and getting into the higher-tiered schools on your list.

This depends on your goals. If you simply need support during the test-prep and application process, you can begin your relationship with a consultant during your junior year of high school — just as the college search process really heats up. However, some college consultants begin working with families as early as 8th or 9th grade, guiding students in their academic focus, electdive course selection, extracurriculars, community service, and more.

This type of full-service consultation is generally very costly, but the goal is to provide students and families with a complete road map leading directly to a top college.

The price for college admissions consultation can vary widely depending on the type of company and the nature of services you seek. From one-time seminars to weekly consultation, to hands-on guidance for the entirety of your high school education, you have a lot of options. The higher the level of service you seek, the more you’ll spend.

For an overview of the pricing landscape, check out college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen’s ranking of The Best College Admissions Consulting Agencies .

Yes! If you have access, this extra level of support can genuinely provide you with insight into the admissions process and enhance your odds of admission. More importantly: you won’t be alone during the arduous process of applying to colleges.

While your high school guidance counselor can literally spend no more than a few minutes a semester on your admissions process, a professional college admissions consultant will be directly and professionally invested in your success. This can make a major difference in where you end up earning your undergraduate degree.

Yes, you can trust the recognized college admissions consulting groups. That’s why we list only companies that are recognized by agencies and associations such as Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) , Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) , and National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) .

These independent agencies provide oversight and certification, ensuring that members adhere to all appropriate legal, ethical, and commercial standards both on behalf of consumers and within the higher education infrastructure. Consulting companies listed in their directories may be considered trustworthy and legitimate.

For more on how you can safely and effectively navigate the college admissions consulting landscape, check out college consultant and admissions expert David Nguyen’s Confessions of a College Prep Consultant .

Find College Admissions Consultants Near You

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• Pennsylvania
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• Rhode Island
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• South Dakota
• West Virginia

Colleges and Universities in New York

On average, tuition at New York’s higher education institutes comes in well-below the national average at about $7,900. Students have nearly 80 public school options to choose from, ranging in fees from $1,000 at the United States Merchant Marine Academy up to $10,000 at the University at Buffalo, the largest public university. However, some of the state’s private schools, such as New York University (NYU), charge tuition fees at a much higher cost.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Although tuition fees at NYU average $52,000, students who attend this school have access to some of the best programs in fields like literature, business, medicine, communications, and law. The school also boasts famous alumni like Whoopi Goldberg and Jonas Salk. New York also offers close to 40 religiously affiliated schools. Students can expect to pay a wide range of tuition costs at these schools, but have the option to major in fields like social work, law, religious studies, business, and nursing.

They say New York is a place where dreams come true. Here, fashion, culture, food, business, art, and many languages comfortably coexist. While The Empire State’s metropolitan landmarks, like the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, are noteworthy, many forget New York also offers access to the Great Lakes, the Atlantic Ocean, and countless cozy cabins tucked away in the verdant Catskills Mountains. Additionally, New York is home to over 200 colleges and universities, making it easy for students to dream big while earning their degrees.

Explore some of the top programs New York higher education institutes have to offer, and make your educational and personal dreams come true.

What are New York’s Colleges & Universities?

• 29 Research Universities
• 92 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
• 42 Graduate Schools
• 41 Public Colleges & Universities
• 80 Private Colleges & Universities
• 21 Christian Colleges & Universities
• 73 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
• 47 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000,000/year)
• 36 Community Colleges
• 36 Online Colleges

New York’s Best Overall

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Guest Essay

Anxious Parents Are the Ones Who Need Help

By Mathilde Ross

Dr. Ross is a senior staff psychiatrist at Boston University Health Services.

This month, across the country, a new cohort of students is being accepted into colleges. And if recent trends continue, the start of the school year will kick off another record-breaking season for anxiety on campus.

I’m talking about the parents. The kids are mostly fine.

Let me explain. Most emotions, even unpleasant ones, are normal. But the word is out about increasing rates of mental health problems on campus, and that’s got parents worrying. Fair enough. The statistics are startling — in 2022, nearly 14 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds reported having serious thoughts about suicide.

But parents are allowing their anxiety to take over, and it’s not helping anyone, least of all their children. If a child calls home too much, there must be a crisis! And if a child calls too little, there must be a crisis! Either way, the panicked parent picks up the phone and calls the college counseling center to talk to someone like me.

I am a psychiatrist who has worked at a major university’s mental health clinic for 16 years. Much of next year’s freshman class was born the year before I started working here. Technically, my job is to keep my door open and help students through crises, big and small. But I have also developed a comprehensive approach to the assessment and treatment of anxious parents.

The typical call from a parent begins like this: “I think my son/daughter is suffering from anxiety.” My typical reply is: “Anxiety in this setting is usually normal, because major life transitions like living away from home for the first time are commonly associated with elevated anxiety.” Parents used to be satisfied with this kind of answer, thanked me, hung up, called their children and encouraged them to think long-term: “This too shall pass.” And most everyone carried on.

But these days this kind of thinking just convinces parents that I don’t know what I’m talking about. In the circular logic of mental health awareness, a clinician’s reassurance that situational anxiety is most likely normal and time-limited leads a parent to believe that the clinician may be missing a serious mental health condition.

Today’s parents are suffering from anxiety about anxiety, which is actually much more serious than anxiety. It’s self-fulfilling and not easily soothed by logic or evidence, such as the knowledge that most everyone adjusts to college just fine.

Anxiety about anxiety has gotten so bad that some parents actually worry if their student isn’t anxious. This puts a lot of pressure on unanxious students — it creates anxiety about anxiety about anxiety. (This happens all the time. Well-meaning parents tell their kid to make an appointment with our office to make sure their adjustment to college is going OK.) If the student says she’s fine, the parents worry that she isn’t being forthright. This is the conundrum of anxiety about anxiety — there’s really no easy way to combat it.

But I do have some advice for parents. The first thing I’d like to say, and I mean it in the kindest possible way, is: Get a grip.

As for your kids, I would like to help you with some age-appropriate remedies. If your child calls during the first weeks of college feeling anxious, consider saying any of the following: You’ll get through this; this is normal; we’ll laugh about this phone call at Thanksgiving. Or, say anything that was helpful to you the last time you started something new. Alternatively, you could say nothing. Just listening really helps. It’s the entire basis of my profession.

If the anxiety is connected to academic performance — for instance, if your child is having difficulty following the professor and thinks everyone in class is smarter — consider saying, “Do the reading.” Several times a semester, a student I’ve counseled tells me he or she discovered the secret to college: Show up for class prepared! This is often whispered rather sheepishly, even though my office is private.

Anxiety about oral presentations is also quite common. You know what I tell students? “Rehearse your speech.” Parents, you can say things like this, too. Practice it: “Son, you wouldn’t believe how helpful practice is.”

I can prepare you for advanced topics, too. Let’s say your child is exhausted and having trouble waking up for class; he thinks he has a medical problem or maybe a sleep disorder. Consider telling him to go to bed earlier. Common sense is still allowed.

What if a roommate is too loud or too quiet, too messy or too neat? Advise your kid to talk to the roommate, to take the conversation to the problem’s source.

If your child is worrying about something more serious, like failing out of college: This is quite common in the first few weeks on campus. Truth be told, failing all of one’s classes and being expelled as a result, all within the first semester, is essentially impossible and is particularly rare among those students who are worrying about it. The administrative process simply doesn’t happen that fast. Besides, you haven’t paid enough tuition yet.

I’m making my job sound easy, and it’s not. I’m making kids sound simple, and they’re not. They are my life’s work. Some kids walk through my door in serious pain. But most don’t. Most just need a responsible adult to show them the way. And most of what I do can be handled by any adult who has been through a thing or two, which is to say, any parent.

I worry that the current obsession with mental health awareness is disempowering parents from helping their adult children handle ordinary things. People are increasingly fearful that any normal emotion is a sign of something serious. But if you send your adult children to a mental health professional at the first sign of distress, you deprive yourself of the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with them. This is the beginning of their adult relationship with you. Show them the way.

The transition to college is full of excitement and its cousin, anxiety. I enjoy shepherding young people through this rite of passage. Parents should try enjoying it, too.

Mathilde Ross is a senior staff psychiatrist at Boston University Health Services.

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The Case for Marrying an Older Man

A woman’s life is all work and little rest. an age gap relationship can help..

In the summer, in the south of France, my husband and I like to play, rather badly, the lottery. We take long, scorching walks to the village — gratuitous beauty, gratuitous heat — kicking up dust and languid debates over how we’d spend such an influx. I purchase scratch-offs, jackpot tickets, scraping the former with euro coins in restaurants too fine for that. I never cash them in, nor do I check the winning numbers. For I already won something like the lotto, with its gifts and its curses, when he married me.

He is ten years older than I am. I chose him on purpose, not by chance. As far as life decisions go, on balance, I recommend it.

When I was 20 and a junior at Harvard College, a series of great ironies began to mock me. I could study all I wanted, prove myself as exceptional as I liked, and still my fiercest advantage remained so universal it deflated my other plans. My youth. The newness of my face and body. Compellingly effortless; cruelly fleeting. I shared it with the average, idle young woman shrugging down the street. The thought, when it descended on me, jolted my perspective, the way a falling leaf can make you look up: I could diligently craft an ideal existence, over years and years of sleepless nights and industry. Or I could just marry it early.

So naturally I began to lug a heavy suitcase of books each Saturday to the Harvard Business School to work on my Nabokov paper. In one cavernous, well-appointed room sat approximately 50 of the planet’s most suitable bachelors. I had high breasts, most of my eggs, plausible deniability when it came to purity, a flush ponytail, a pep in my step that had yet to run out. Apologies to Progress, but older men still desired those things.

I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me, given their intelligence. Each time I reconsidered the project, it struck me as more reasonable. Why ignore our youth when it amounted to a superpower? Why assume the burdens of womanhood, its too-quick-to-vanish upper hand, but not its brief benefits at least? Perhaps it came easier to avoid the topic wholesale than to accept that women really do have a tragically short window of power, and reason enough to take advantage of that fact while they can. As for me, I liked history, Victorian novels, knew of imminent female pitfalls from all the books I’d read: vampiric boyfriends; labor, at the office and in the hospital, expected simultaneously; a decline in status as we aged, like a looming eclipse. I’d have disliked being called calculating, but I had, like all women, a calculator in my head. I thought it silly to ignore its answers when they pointed to an unfairness for which we really ought to have been preparing.

I was competitive by nature, an English-literature student with all the corresponding major ambitions and minor prospects (Great American novel; email job). A little Bovarist , frantic for new places and ideas; to travel here, to travel there, to be in the room where things happened. I resented the callow boys in my class, who lusted after a particular, socially sanctioned type on campus: thin and sexless, emotionally detached and socially connected, the opposite of me. Restless one Saturday night, I slipped on a red dress and snuck into a graduate-school event, coiling an HDMI cord around my wrist as proof of some technical duty. I danced. I drank for free, until one of the organizers asked me to leave. I called and climbed into an Uber. Then I promptly climbed out of it. For there he was, emerging from the revolving doors. Brown eyes, curved lips, immaculate jacket. I went to him, asked him for a cigarette. A date, days later. A second one, where I discovered he was a person, potentially my favorite kind: funny, clear-eyed, brilliant, on intimate terms with the universe.

I used to love men like men love women — that is, not very well, and with a hunger driven only by my own inadequacies. Not him. In those early days, I spoke fondly of my family, stocked the fridge with his favorite pasta, folded his clothes more neatly than I ever have since. I wrote his mother a thank-you note for hosting me in his native France, something befitting a daughter-in-law. It worked; I meant it. After graduation and my fellowship at Oxford, I stayed in Europe for his career and married him at 23.

Of course I just fell in love. Romances have a setting; I had only intervened to place myself well. Mainly, I spotted the precise trouble of being a woman ahead of time, tried to surf it instead of letting it drown me on principle. I had grown bored of discussions of fair and unfair, equal or unequal , and preferred instead to consider a thing called ease.

The reception of a particular age-gap relationship depends on its obviousness. The greater and more visible the difference in years and status between a man and a woman, the more it strikes others as transactional. Transactional thinking in relationships is both as American as it gets and the least kosher subject in the American romantic lexicon. When a 50-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman walk down the street, the questions form themselves inside of you; they make you feel cynical and obscene: How good of a deal is that? Which party is getting the better one? Would I take it? He is older. Income rises with age, so we assume he has money, at least relative to her; at minimum, more connections and experience. She has supple skin. Energy. Sex. Maybe she gets a Birkin. Maybe he gets a baby long after his prime. The sight of their entwined hands throws a lucid light on the calculations each of us makes, in love, to varying degrees of denial. You could get married in the most romantic place in the world, like I did, and you would still have to sign a contract.

Twenty and 30 is not like 30 and 40; some freshness to my features back then, some clumsiness in my bearing, warped our decade, in the eyes of others, to an uncrossable gulf. Perhaps this explains the anger we felt directed at us at the start of our relationship. People seemed to take us very, very personally. I recall a hellish car ride with a friend of his who began to castigate me in the backseat, in tones so low that only I could hear him. He told me, You wanted a rich boyfriend. You chased and snuck into parties . He spared me the insult of gold digger, but he drew, with other words, the outline for it. Most offended were the single older women, my husband’s classmates. They discussed me in the bathroom at parties when I was in the stall. What does he see in her? What do they talk about? They were concerned about me. They wielded their concern like a bludgeon. They paraphrased without meaning to my favorite line from Nabokov’s Lolita : “You took advantage of my disadvantage,” suspecting me of some weakness he in turn mined. It did not disturb them, so much, to consider that all relationships were trades. The trouble was the trade I’d made struck them as a bad one.

The truth is you can fall in love with someone for all sorts of reasons, tiny transactions, pluses and minuses, whose sum is your affection for each other, your loyalty, your commitment. The way someone picks up your favorite croissant. Their habit of listening hard. What they do for you on your anniversary and your reciprocal gesture, wrapped thoughtfully. The serenity they inspire; your happiness, enlivening it. When someone says they feel unappreciated, what they really mean is you’re in debt to them.

When I think of same-age, same-stage relationships, what I tend to picture is a woman who is doing too much for too little.

I’m 27 now, and most women my age have “partners.” These days, girls become partners quite young. A partner is supposed to be a modern answer to the oppression of marriage, the terrible feeling of someone looming over you, head of a household to which you can only ever be the neck. Necks are vulnerable. The problem with a partner, however, is if you’re equal in all things, you compromise in all things. And men are too skilled at taking .

There is a boy out there who knows how to floss because my friend taught him. Now he kisses college girls with fresh breath. A boy married to my friend who doesn’t know how to pack his own suitcase. She “likes to do it for him.” A million boys who know how to touch a woman, who go to therapy because they were pushed, who learned fidelity, boundaries, decency, manners, to use a top sheet and act humanely beneath it, to call their mothers, match colors, bring flowers to a funeral and inhale, exhale in the face of rage, because some girl, some girl we know, some girl they probably don’t speak to and will never, ever credit, took the time to teach him. All while she was working, raising herself, clawing up the cliff-face of adulthood. Hauling him at her own expense.

I find a post on Reddit where five thousand men try to define “ a woman’s touch .” They describe raised flower beds, blankets, photographs of their loved ones, not hers, sprouting on the mantel overnight. Candles, coasters, side tables. Someone remembering to take lint out of the dryer. To give compliments. I wonder what these women are getting back. I imagine them like Cinderella’s mice, scurrying around, their sole proof of life their contributions to a more central character. On occasion I meet a nice couple, who grew up together. They know each other with a fraternalism tender and alien to me.  But I think of all my friends who failed at this, were failed at this, and I think, No, absolutely not, too risky . Riskier, sometimes, than an age gap.

My younger brother is in his early 20s, handsome, successful, but in many ways: an endearing disaster. By his age, I had long since wisened up. He leaves his clothes in the dryer, takes out a single shirt, steams it for three minutes. His towel on the floor, for someone else to retrieve. His lovely, same-age girlfriend is aching to fix these tendencies, among others. She is capable beyond words. Statistically, they will not end up together. He moved into his first place recently, and she, the girlfriend, supplied him with a long, detailed list of things he needed for his apartment: sheets, towels, hangers, a colander, which made me laugh. She picked out his couch. I will bet you anything she will fix his laundry habits, and if so, they will impress the next girl. If they break up, she will never see that couch again, and he will forget its story. I tell her when I visit because I like her, though I get in trouble for it: You shouldn’t do so much for him, not for someone who is not stuck with you, not for any boy, not even for my wonderful brother.

Too much work had left my husband, by 30, jaded and uninspired. He’d burned out — but I could reenchant things. I danced at restaurants when they played a song I liked. I turned grocery shopping into an adventure, pleased by what I provided. Ambitious, hungry, he needed someone smart enough to sustain his interest, but flexible enough in her habits to build them around his hours. I could. I do: read myself occupied, make myself free, materialize beside him when he calls for me. In exchange, I left a lucrative but deadening spreadsheet job to write full-time, without having to live like a writer. I learned to cook, a little, and decorate, somewhat poorly. Mostly I get to read, to walk central London and Miami and think in delicious circles, to work hard, when necessary, for free, and write stories for far less than minimum wage when I tally all the hours I take to write them.

At 20, I had felt daunted by the project of becoming my ideal self, couldn’t imagine doing it in tandem with someone, two raw lumps of clay trying to mold one another and only sullying things worse. I’d go on dates with boys my age and leave with the impression they were telling me not about themselves but some person who didn’t exist yet and on whom I was meant to bet regardless. My husband struck me instead as so finished, formed. Analyzable for compatibility. He bore the traces of other women who’d improved him, small but crucial basics like use a coaster ; listen, don’t give advice. Young egos mellow into patience and generosity.

My husband isn’t my partner. He’s my mentor, my lover, and, only in certain contexts, my friend. I’ll never forget it, how he showed me around our first place like he was introducing me to myself: This is the wine you’ll drink, where you’ll keep your clothes, we vacation here, this is the other language we’ll speak, you’ll learn it, and I did. Adulthood seemed a series of exhausting obligations. But his logistics ran so smoothly that he simply tacked mine on. I moved into his flat, onto his level, drag and drop, cleaner thrice a week, bills automatic. By opting out of partnership in my 20s, I granted myself a kind of compartmentalized, liberating selfishness none of my friends have managed. I am the work in progress, the party we worry about, a surprising dominance. When I searched for my first job, at 21, we combined our efforts, for my sake. He had wisdom to impart, contacts with whom he arranged coffees; we spent an afternoon, laughing, drawing up earnest lists of my pros and cons (highly sociable; sloppy math). Meanwhile, I took calls from a dear friend who had a boyfriend her age. Both savagely ambitious, hyperclose and entwined in each other’s projects. If each was a start-up , the other was the first hire, an intense dedication I found riveting. Yet every time she called me, I hung up with the distinct feeling that too much was happening at the same time: both learning to please a boss; to forge more adult relationships with their families; to pay bills and taxes and hang prints on the wall. Neither had any advice to give and certainly no stability. I pictured a three-legged race, two people tied together and hobbling toward every milestone.

I don’t fool myself. My marriage has its cons. There are only so many times one can say “thank you” — for splendid scenes, fine dinners — before the phrase starts to grate. I live in an apartment whose rent he pays and that shapes the freedom with which I can ever be angry with him. He doesn’t have to hold it over my head. It just floats there, complicating usual shorthands to explain dissatisfaction like, You aren’t being supportive lately . It’s a Frenchism to say, “Take a decision,” and from time to time I joke: from whom? Occasionally I find myself in some fabulous country at some fabulous party and I think what a long way I have traveled, like a lucky cloud, and it is frightening to think of oneself as vapor.

Mostly I worry that if he ever betrayed me and I had to move on, I would survive, but would find in my humor, preferences, the way I make coffee or the bed nothing that he did not teach, change, mold, recompose, stamp with his initials, the way Renaissance painters hid in their paintings their faces among a crowd. I wonder if when they looked at their paintings, they saw their own faces first. But this is the wrong question, if our aim is happiness. Like the other question on which I’m expected to dwell: Who is in charge, the man who drives or the woman who put him there so she could enjoy herself? I sit in the car, in the painting it would have taken me a corporate job and 20 years to paint alone, and my concern over who has the upper hand becomes as distant as the horizon, the one he and I made so wide for me.

To be a woman is to race against the clock, in several ways, until there is nothing left to be but run ragged.

We try to put it off, but it will hit us at some point: that we live in a world in which our power has a different shape from that of men, a different distribution of advantage, ours a funnel and theirs an expanding cone. A woman at 20 rarely has to earn her welcome; a boy at 20 will be turned away at the door. A woman at 30 may find a younger woman has taken her seat; a man at 30 will have invited her. I think back to the women in the bathroom, my husband’s classmates. What was my relationship if not an inconvertible sign of this unfairness? What was I doing, in marrying older, if not endorsing it? I had taken advantage of their disadvantage. I had preempted my own. After all, principled women are meant to defy unfairness, to show some integrity or denial, not plan around it, like I had. These were driven women, successful, beautiful, capable. I merely possessed the one thing they had already lost. In getting ahead of the problem, had I pushed them down? If I hadn’t, would it really have made any difference?

When we decided we wanted to be equal to men, we got on men’s time. We worked when they worked, retired when they retired, had to squeeze pregnancy, children, menopause somewhere impossibly in the margins. I have a friend, in her late 20s, who wears a mood ring; these days it is often red, flickering in the air like a siren when she explains her predicament to me. She has raised her fair share of same-age boyfriends. She has put her head down, worked laboriously alongside them, too. At last she is beginning to reap the dividends, earning the income to finally enjoy herself. But it is now, exactly at this precipice of freedom and pleasure, that a time problem comes closing in. If she would like to have children before 35, she must begin her next profession, motherhood, rather soon, compromising inevitably her original one. The same-age partner, equally unsettled in his career, will take only the minimum time off, she guesses, or else pay some cost which will come back to bite her. Everything unfailingly does. If she freezes her eggs to buy time, the decision and its logistics will burden her singly — and perhaps it will not work. Overlay the years a woman is supposed to establish herself in her career and her fertility window and it’s a perfect, miserable circle. By midlife women report feeling invisible, undervalued; it is a telling cliché, that after all this, some husbands leave for a younger girl. So when is her time, exactly? For leisure, ease, liberty? There is no brand of feminism which achieved female rest. If women’s problem in the ’50s was a paralyzing malaise, now it is that they are too active, too capable, never permitted a vacation they didn’t plan. It’s not that our efforts to have it all were fated for failure. They simply weren’t imaginative enough.

For me, my relationship, with its age gap, has alleviated this rush , permitted me to massage the clock, shift its hands to my benefit. Very soon, we will decide to have children, and I don’t panic over last gasps of fun, because I took so many big breaths of it early: on the holidays of someone who had worked a decade longer than I had, in beautiful places when I was young and beautiful, a symmetry I recommend. If such a thing as maternal energy exists, mine was never depleted. I spent the last nearly seven years supported more than I support and I am still not as old as my husband was when he met me. When I have a child, I will expect more help from him than I would if he were younger, for what does professional tenure earn you if not the right to set more limits on work demands — or, if not, to secure some child care, at the very least? When I return to work after maternal upheaval, he will aid me, as he’s always had, with his ability to put himself aside, as younger men are rarely able.

Above all, the great gift of my marriage is flexibility. A chance to live my life before I become responsible for someone else’s — a lover’s, or a child’s. A chance to write. A chance at a destiny that doesn’t adhere rigidly to the routines and timelines of men, but lends itself instead to roomy accommodation, to the very fluidity Betty Friedan dreamed of in 1963 in The Feminine Mystique , but we’ve largely forgotten: some career or style of life that “permits year-to-year variation — a full-time paid job in one community, part-time in another, exercise of the professional skill in serious volunteer work or a period of study during pregnancy or early motherhood when a full-time job is not feasible.” Some things are just not feasible in our current structures. Somewhere along the way we stopped admitting that, and all we did was make women feel like personal failures. I dream of new structures, a world in which women have entry-level jobs in their 30s; alternate avenues for promotion; corporate ladders with balconies on which they can stand still, have a smoke, take a break, make a baby, enjoy themselves, before they keep climbing. Perhaps men long for this in their own way. Actually I am sure of that.

Once, when we first fell in love, I put my head in his lap on a long car ride; I remember his hands on my face, the sun, the twisting turns of a mountain road, surprising and not surprising us like our romance, and his voice, telling me that it was his biggest regret that I was so young, he feared he would lose me. Last week, we looked back at old photos and agreed we’d given each other our respective best years. Sometimes real equality is not so obvious, sometimes it takes turns, sometimes it takes almost a decade to reveal itself.

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