.png)
Imagine a coach who transforms the writing process into a journey of self-discovery and creative expression.
I turn the daunting college application process into a journey of self-discovery.
We showcase the whole student, intellect and personality.
With insider knowledge and a personal touch, I guide your child to their dream college,
blending strategy with compassion and humor.
What if your child felt more confident and more empowered
in their ability to present their academic story
that application readers immediately
see their value and intellectual curiosity?
What if instead of feeling stressed during the application process,
there was ease?
My research-based instruction works in just this way.
With a rich educational background,
including degrees from Smith College and Harvard University, and experience as a Fulbright Exchange teacher to England,
I bring a wealth of knowledge and
empathy to my coaching.
I help students gr. 9-12
design a cohesive application narrative,
from art school to the Ivy League,
incorporating academic goals,
personal values, and character traits.
Mentored by the former
director of admissions for Cornell,
my research-based process
empowers students,
and teaches how to craft life experiences
into a compelling application
while reducing stress.
I know what admissions readers look for.
No more procrastinating.
No more frustration.
No more pain.
For those who prefer more independence
or have an impending deadline,
I offer editing packages without face to face
or Zoom time.
These are intended to
polish essays before submission.
Fresh eyes.
Harvard, Princeton, Yale
Columbia, UPenn, MIT
Dartmouth, Brown
UK: Cambridge, Trinity
CalTech
Johns Hopkins, Rice
University of Michigan
Georgetown, Swarthmore
Smith, Wellesley
Carleton, Middlebury
Wesleyan, Emory
Tufts, USC, UVA
Macalester, Bucknell
UCONN, Colorado College
University of Florida
Georgia Tech, NYU
UMASS, Brandeis
Boston College, Clark
Boston University
Emerson, Fordham
George Washington, WPI
SUNY Stonybrook
SUNY New Paltz, Tulane
Northeastern, Penn State
Michigan State
Indiana University: Kelley School of Business,
Wheaton, Ole Miss, LSU
U Illinois Chicago
It's not just about getting the application done.
It's about empowerment.
It’s not just about getting the application done.
It's about setting them up for the future they want.
It's about empowering them throughout the college and
graduate school years and career beyond.
Having strong writing skills and an ease in communicating ideas
will give a competitive advantage.
And who doesn't want that?
To hear the rest of my 10 minute talk, go here:
Kristie approaches her students with a wonderful combination of respect, empathy, humor, and honesty. She sets a high bar which her students meet with great enthusiasm.
Truly the mark of a gifted educator.
I was so fortunate to have Kristie guide both of my daughters as they worked to create narratives that allowed them to get noticed. She took the time to learn each one's strengths not only as a student but as an individual. It was such a proud moment when their essays received compliments during
college interviews.
Verna O'Donnell, parent
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
by Alix E. Harrow.
"A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers and the doors they lead us through . . ."
If you need to escape, this is the book.
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger.
I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I've rarely, make that never, done a year in review for myself. But I do enjoy the January forced reset button, the yearly artificial construct that gives us a chance to refresh, to try again, to try something new. If you live in the Northeast like me, it's dark early, the routine has gotten a bit stale, and the lingering pandemic, along with the weather, contributes to a lethargy that's sometimes hard to escape. But escape we will!
I've participated in a number of virtual tours online. Places like the Vatican, the Amalfi Coast, the Louvre, are suddenly within reach of our fingertips and just beyond our reading glasses. They take us out of the same old stale place, easing claustrophobia and cabin fever although they do contribute to my and our ever-growing collective screen time. I have some concerns.
To break the monotony I've taken to driving around my neighborhood on roads normally not taken. To see hills instead of meadows, stonewalls instead of fences, and as always, an ocean horizon that makes me feel less enclosed and expands before me. It breaks up the less than a mile away runs to CVS and Big Y which are about the extent of my travels these days, at least my in person travels.
Have you been feeling trapped? In a rut? Stuck?
When you literally can't get out, can't expand your physical surroundings, one suggestion is to instead expand the mind. Consider what author and speaker Brene Brown says, "There is no such thing as creative and non-creative people, only people who use their creativity and people who don't." Maybe it's time to once again use your creativity. Jumpstart it. Get a tune up. Escape into it. Maybe what you need is a trip toward using your creativity.
Join my creative partner in Yes, And . . . Creativity Coaching, Dr. Lisa Kramer, and I for our upcoming workshop Writing With Joy: Creative Explorations. We promise an hour of fun, guided play, calm, and creativity through writing. An environment of support, kind feedback if you want it, and a chance to exercise the creative self who maybe hasn't gotten out to play much lately. Come to our escape. Recharge. Hit the reset button.
What we’ll do together
From brainstorming to outlining, from choosing the right structure to multiple drafts that refine, I provide support, expertise, resources, and scheduled accountability.
Clients will:
Complete a series of brainstorming exercises designed to reveal
values, traits, and essential self. This prewriting makes choosing topics far easier and results in more engaging and compelling topics that stand out.
Identify the story to tell that showcases best and highlights authenticity
and genius.
Essay Coaching
1:1
I offer 1:1 consulting tailored to each student's needs in order to ensure that the Common App personal statement, list of activities, additional information, and all supplementals convey the unique attributes, skills, and insights a student offers a campus. We also can address resumes, scholarship, and continued interest or wait-list letters.
How It Works
Packages vary depending upon need and at what stage in the process a client is (what they have drafted or need developed).
Pacing is often determined by a combination of deadlines and student effort.
I offer a range of services from one-off reviews of written work to my most comprehensive service, a developmental, strategic, and longer term partnership.
Comments