Experience has taught me that guiding a student through the writing process involves conversation at all stages: discovery, draft, revision, and editing—and that these stages are recursive and messy. Coaching a student writing a college essay could take between one and three hours if the most recent draft is ready for final revisions and edits — or ten-plus hours if the student is at the beginning stages, such as choosing a question and discovering a focus. Students may not need assistance at every stage: while some students write fluently and independently, others benefit from the structure of drafting during tutoring sessions. In the planning consultation, we will discuss a reasonable timeline for the student and family.
Final thoughts about the college essay: I will not supply ideas or wording for your student’s essay, which needs to sound as if it were written by an insightful adolescent, not a mature English teacher. Also, it is important to realize that while I can coach your student to write a strong college essay, which is a significant component of the admissions process, a strong college essay does not guarantee college admission.