Professional guidance with a holistic approach.
Hi! I'm Rachel, a college essay consultant passionate about inspiring young people while navigating the essay process. Solely focussing on essays, I use my 10+ years experience in the business to help inspire cohesive and original essays that Admissions Officers will remember.
Combining my varied experience as a executive function coach, 14 years as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's MFA Program, and the Director of Essay Reviews for the world's largest college admissions company, I come to consulting with a unique take, providing encouragement, creativity, and practical advice to my clients and their families.
I am an award winning author of two books, and I earned an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in literature and photography from Bard College. These educational pursuits have enriched my understanding of storytelling and artistic expression, which I also bring to my work.
Let me help you make the most of your application journey!


APPROACH
By combining multiple aspects of my professional expertise, I assist each student and family through the (often daunting) college essay writing process. Young adults thrive through both gaining independence as well as adhering to certain guidelines. To this end, I use my skills as an executive function coach to help break down and simplify the essay writing process. Together, my students and I make clear, manageable deadlines to set them up for success.
I have been teaching creative writing for over 14 years in the Columbia University MFA Program, at Rutgers University, and in my own private workshops. I draw from my experience as I mentor my students, helping to inspire "college essay worthy" ideas which the student can draw from as they begin to draft. My techniques for eliciting original, inspired work are tailored for each student. Through my years as an educator, working with students with varied capabilities, I've learned that developing a strong rapport by creating an understanding, non-judgmental space is also integral to the writing process.
As the Head of the Essay Review Team for the world's largest college admissions company, I have helped hundreds of clients get into top 20 schools. My vast knowledge of the admissions process from "behind the scenes" has given me unique insight into what schools are looking for, both nationally and internationally. I have worked with many admissions committee professionals from various schools, which informs the way I help my students customize each essay for each specific college, major, and school.
Many college essay companies focus on the end result and ignore the other aspects of a student's college application journey, which often includes anxiety and frustration, as well as a general feeling of being overwhelmed. I accompany each family through the process from start to finish with timely communication, empathy and patience, assuaging fears with concrete answers and clear guidance.






TESTIMONIALS
"Rachel is a godsend! As a first generation student, she has been instrumental in helping me navigate this college process. She is a seasoned professional and truly passionate about her craft, which showed in our 10 sessions together. From our first consultation, she expertly broke down my life experiences into a coherent story on paper. My personal statement started at around 1000 words, and we were able to get it down to exactly 650 words. Rachel works efficiently, sometimes banging out 2 - 3 essays per session. She is generous with her time, always following up and ensuring each session goes smoothly. Rachel has been a pleasure to work with, as I looked forward to every session. I would recommend Rachel to anyone who is navigating the college process!" --IZ (student)
"Rachel was an absolute lifesaver. She guided my son in crafting an essay on a topic that was creative, personal, and truly his own. Her warmth, patience, and insight made the entire process so much easier, and several of the colleges he was accepted to made a point of mentioning how much they loved his essay!"--LK (parent)
"Last summer I spent time workshopping ideas, editing, and producing a final draft of my personal statement with Rachel Sherman. Rachel was not only supportive and honest, but she also motivated me to write. During the brainstorming process, I immediately knew she was going to help me get into the school of my dreams as she guided me to create a multilayered essay. I would recommend Rachel Sherman to anyone looking to write an amazing college essay!"-- WH (student)
"So glad we found Rachel! My son is on the autism spectrum and has ADHD. Writing about personal things is really hard for him. In just three sessions, Rachel built a great rapport with him and helped him get the thoughts out of his head and on to paper in a great essay that was authentic to him. He is so proud of it, he has shown it to all his teachers and our family members!" - DM (parent)
“Rachel was an angel. I came to her with a draft for an essay and walked away with a whole new one. Applying with this new essay I had so much more confidence. She helped me organize so much and truly was the best. I can’t recommend her enough: she is patient and the sweetest. I went in with little knowledge and left with so much! I am so truly grateful and appreciative for her.”–AS (student)
"Rachel is an amazing resource at helping high school students to write their personal essays as part of their college application processes. Her guidance with two of our sons was insightful, and her expertise in storytelling enabled our sons to effectively express themselves and share key life experiences. We highly recommend Rachel for college application support, and we plan to hire her again when our third son is ready to prepare his college applications."-EA (parent)
"Rachel was a lifesaver during the stress of college applications. My son had to complete several essays and was not very comfortable being vulnerable in his writing. Rachel was able to help him unlock this vulnerability and authenticity and write beautiful essays that represent who he is to the college. She was patient, kind and incredibly talented. He applied early decision to a top 10 school and was accepted!"-- DS (parent)
"We think the essay guidance Rachel gave our son - over ten sessions of drafting and editing - made all the difference. He had suffered some Pandemic depression that necessitated his moving high schools two times and which impacted his grade point average. He did recover well, but still, the damage was done. But despite the challenges, he got into both the safe and reach schools. Including Bard College, which we could not believe and which we were thrilled about. We have a younger daughter, and we'll have her work with Rachel as well when the time comes."--GM (parent)
"Rachel was genuinely the best resource I could’ve had throughout the college application process. She got me very organized and was such a big help in writing my essays. I had about 17 essays to write and that was overwhelming, but Rachel helped make it so much more manageable. She was also so helpful for figuring out my personal statement topic. Overall, she is so knowledgeable about what needs to be in a college essay and anyone would be lucky to use her expertise."-- MW (student)
"Rachel helped me mold a collection of scattered ideas into a cohesive and personal essay that truly reflected who I am. She guided me to find my voice and bring authenticity to my story."-- MK (student)





Services
Every student is different. Some need help finding story-worthy ideas. Others need support organizing dozens of supplemental essays. My services are designed to meet students where they are and provide personalized guidance throughout the college essay process.
Comprehensive Essay Package
10 Sessions | $2,000
Ideal for students seeking support throughout the personal statement process, along with guidance on key supplemental essays.
This package includes:
✓ Personalized application timeline and writing schedule
✓ Brainstorming and topic development
✓ Identifying a compelling essay theme
✓ Essay structure and outlining
✓ Detailed feedback on drafts
✓ Revision guidance
✓ Support for up to four supplemental essays
✓ Email support between meetings
Additional sessions: $200/hour
Essay Foundations Package
5 Sessions | $1,000
Perfect for students who need focused support developing and refining their personal statement.
This package includes:
✓ Personalized writing schedule
✓ Brainstorming and topic exploration
✓ Identifying a strong essay focus
✓ Essay outline development
✓ Draft review and feedback
✓ Revision guidance
Additional sessions: $200/hour
Full Application Support
Unlimited Meetings | $5,000
My most comprehensive package for students applying to multiple colleges and highly selective programs.
This package includes:
✓ Everything in the Comprehensive Essay Package
✓ Unlimited meetings throughout one admissions cycle
✓ Guidance on all supplemental essays
✓ Strategic planning and timeline management
✓ Ongoing support for students and families
✓ Priority scheduling and communication
This option is ideal for students who want extensive support throughout the entire essay-writing process.
Individual Consulting Sessions
$250/hour
For students who need targeted support on a specific aspect of the application process.
Common topics include:
• Essay brainstorming
• Personal statement review
• Supplemental essay strategy
• Topic selection
• Application planning
• Final polishing
Professional Essay Review
Personal Statement Review: $200
Supplemental Essay Review: $100
Receive detailed written feedback on your essay, including:
✓ Strengths and opportunities for improvement
✓ Structural and content recommendations
✓ Suggestions for clarity and impact
✓ Actionable next steps for revision
Perfect for students who have already drafted an essay and want expert feedback before submitting.