College Essay Guy
One-on-One Transfer
Application & Essay Coaching

Work closely with an experienced transfer essay coach, to help you brainstorm, draft and develop your best possible essays.

 
It's What We Do

Each year, our team helps students craft compelling transfer applications that articulate why their next institution will be a great match for their academic, career and personal goals. Students that work with us go on to amazing colleges around the US.

 
“Please go with CEG. The experience with this company is far more authentic, more reliable, and simply better than with anyone else. (Trust me, I tried other companies.) Nothing even comes close to the attention and vast support that your child will receive with CEG. I was terrified of college apps before. Working with CEG didn’t just help me get them done—it taught me that I can tackle even the things I’m scared of, and that’s a valuable lesson that you won’t get from another company.”

Lasya • Former Student

 
How we work with transfer students
For more than a decade, we've been refining our transfer application coaching process, identifying five key steps that help students create outstanding transfer applications.
STEP 1
Discovery (Pre-work)
This is arguably the most important part of the writing process. To make sure we get to know you really well and your reasons for transferring, you'll complete 1-2 hours of pre-work and intake questions, including a series of our most effective brainstorming exercises, a first draft of the Common Experiences List (aka resume) and the Additional Info section.

STEP 2
Brainstorming, Draft Review & Strategizing Topics
Once your pre-work is completed, we’ll review any initial drafts alongside your brainstorming activities, an optional parent questionnaire, and gather a few other details (your schedule, specialized programs you might be targeting, your writing/working style) and pair you with one of our amazing transfer essay coaches, hand picked for you.
Your coach will help you develop a big picture strategy, including deciding or finalizing potential topics for your main personal statement and supplemental essays. You’ll also collaborate on crafting initial outlines, so you have a solid framework to use as you write.

STEP 3
Topic Check
Before you get too deep into the drafting process, another experienced transfer essay specialist on our team will review your topics to help make sure colleges are getting a variety of values/skills/qualities across your application.
The goal: Make sure your main transfer statement is clear and coherent, and you're focusing on topics that help you stand out.

STEP 4
Bringing Your Stories to Life: Outlining, Drafting & Revising
SPOILER: MOST OF THE MAGIC HAPPENS HERE
You'll meet with your transfer essay coach regularly, as many times as needed to draft, revise and polish your essays, activities list, and Additional Information section.
Most students write between 8-10 drafts of each of their essays, but the number of sessions depends on a student's writing abilities, the number of essays they’re tackling, and (honestly) their appetite for re-drafting.

STEP 5
Polishing & Team Review
Our mission is to ensure you feel really good about everything you're submitting.
When you and your coach feel the essays are getting close, you’ll create what we like to call your “Almost Done” doc (the finalized essays and application components for your colleges).
As part of our internal review process, another transfer application and essay coach on the team will do a deep review of your nearly finalized essays one more time, offering final feedback before you submit. If necessary, you'll meet with your coach for a session or two to make final tweaks.
Two college essay coaches looking at laptop

Complete your essays well before deadlines
We recommend planning to submit your applications a few weeks before deadlines. With this in mind, the goal completion date for transfer applications is March 15th so that your applications are done well ahead of deadlines in case any delays arise. However, you will have access to your essay coach for revisions until April 15th of your application year.
Note: Access to your essay coach beyond that date may be available for an additional fee, pending coach availability.
 
“College Essay Guy is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! We could not be pleased more with how Kate worked with our son. They took away the stress of the application process and writing essays from us and made our son a better, more confident writer in the process. Could not have asked for anything more!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! He became a better, more confident writer. Period!”

Cindy R • Parent

 
We hate to brag...
But we know parents are often curious about the numbers.
300+
Acceptances each year to top colleges around the US, including multiple students going on to each of the Ivy+ schools yearly.
Over 80%
Of the students we work with gain acceptance into one of their top five schools
98%
Of students we work with have been accepted to top 50 schools (if rankings are your jam).
While essays are just one piece of a holistic admissions process, the students we work with craft outstanding college applications, and go on to great colleges around the US and world.
Meet our Transfer Essay Coaches
Our team is made of highly-experienced essay specialists that help students craft compelling college essays. Here are some of the folks on our team:
Amanda
Core Values: Empathy, Community, Joy
Amanda

Amanda M. (she/they) is a veteran educator, writer, and storyteller, and expert in helping students reach their full creative potential. She is a professor of Performance Studies at California State University, Northridge, where she teaches students to find their committed, creative voice and to actively pursue their passions through writing and performance. As a tutor and college admissions coach she has worked with hundreds of high school students to tell their truest stories. Her students have been accepted to some of the country’s best schools, including Harvard, Duke, Rice, USC, UPenn, and dozens of other great schools. In her other life, she is an award-winning theater director and Artistic Director of Fugitive Kind Theater. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of California, Irvine, and a Fulbright scholar to New Zealand. She lives and creates in Los Angeles in a colorful house full of tiny interesting objects.

Andy
Core Values: Integrity, Curiosity, Kindness
Andy

Andy (he/him) attended Stanford and Oxford, earning degrees in Political Science and Drama. He has taught college classes in Los Angeles in Critical Thinking, Sociology, Anthropology of Media, English Composition, and Public Speaking, has helped students gain entrance to Stanford, the Ivies, U Chicago, Northwestern, and other top 25 schools every year for the past decade, and is particularly interested in working to address issues of equity and access in higher education. He has worked with hundreds of students over his career and has spent time living in California, England, Montana, and briefly New Zealand. Over his career, he’s developed a passion for intentional wandering, both in life and in the wilderness. Some of his most valued experiences in that regard include trekking 100km with his brothers to Machu Picchu during a 100-year storm, joining a Maori tribe in New Zealand, and wandering through Patagonia with his wife, Sage.

Christine
Core Values: Close Relationships, Meaningful Work, Humor
Christine

Christine (she/her) is a former professor (Mills College, Macalester College, and UC-Davis) and high school English teacher who has also been an independent college and graduate school admissions consultant for 20+ years. She is passionate about helping high school students find and narrate what makes them tick, no matter how bizarre or how traditional. Students she has coached on the personal essay have been accepted to every single Ivy, Seven Sister, and top 10 liberal arts college & university in the U.S. (although she maintains a strong critique of the rankings system). Born in Miami to parents from Tennessee and Mississippi, Christine was the first in the family to cross the Mason Dixon line for college. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College with a BA in English and completed her MA at the University of Toronto, and taught English lit in a prep school in Coconut Grove. Realizing that a university setting might be a better match, she completed her PhD in the interdisciplinary History of Consciousness Board at the University of California/Santa Cruz. Her extracurricular activities include cats, 1920s culture, turning simple dinner plans into ridiculously complicated 8-course gourmet feasts that require buying entirely unnecessary kitchen gadgets, and more cats. She splits her time between Miami Beach and Berlin.

Dana
Core Values: Curiosity, Courage, Authenticity
Dana

Dana (she/her) earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Miami and graduated with an eye toward law school. What was supposed to be a quick layover in undergraduate admission led to a career-shifting adventure in the wonderful world of selective college admissions, where she was able to work with students from all over the US in pursuit of bringing together exciting freshman classes. She has experience working with athletes, musicians, and 7-year BS/MD applicants, among many other groups. Dana has read and helped students write thousands of essays over the years and fervently believes there are beautiful essays waiting to be discovered within every student. When she’s not working with students, Dana enjoys concerts in small venues, hiking at a moderate pace, indoor rock climbing, and all things related to food and eating. Next up on the bucket list: adopt a dog, learn basic carpentry, and hike in as many parks in the PNW as possible!

Elica
Core Values: Adventure, Quiet, Wonder
Elica

Elica (she/her) was born and raised in Southern California. She attended an arts high school, where she specialized in creative writing, and holds a BA from UCLA and an MA from CSULB (both in linguistics). While pursuing a PhD, she researched topics in the field of Writing Studies and taught academic writing at UC Santa Barbara. Beyond academics, Elica has been an essay coach and specialist for over seven years, working with students who were applying to four-year universities as well as various types of graduate school. She is committed to and passionate about helping students navigate the admissions essay genre while helping them gain confidence in their agency as young writers. You can find her (still) living in Southern California with her partner (+ two Italian greyhounds & lovebird), where she likes to spend her time reading, writing, and printmaking.

Emily
Core Values: Empathy, Inclusion, Balance
Emily

Emily S. (she/her) graduated with a B.A. in English and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before pursuing her M.A. in English from Wake Forest University. There, she tutored undergraduate and graduate students on all manner of academic, professional, and creative writing projects, before teaching first-year composition in Wake Forest’s English Department and working as an academic coach for student-athletes, tutoring public speaking, gender studies, and comparative literature. Over the past few years, Emily has begun working as an admissions essay coach to help students develop an awareness of their audience and purpose to curate authentic personal statements. Harnessing her background in university writing centers, she loves to help students find ease in their admissions experience by creating a personalized writing process to discover their style and voice. Emily is particularly passionate about supporting first-generation college students and neurodiverse writers in navigating higher education and believes that everyone has meaningful stories to share. When she is not coaching students, Emily is hard at work directing a writing center in Asheville, NC to support equity, accessibility, and inclusion in education. During her downtime, she can be found baking in pursuit of the perfect chocolate chip cookie, knitting, and spoiling her cat, Tyson.

Erika
Core Values: Curiosity, Vulnerability, Adaptability
Erika

Erika (she/her) is a California native who graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology. She has been tutoring and teaching test prep since 2008 and has been coaching college entrance essays since 2010. She has worked at several prestigious SAT and college prep academies, the most notable being College BluePrint and Elite Educational Institute, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013. She loves helping her students find their authentic voice during their college application journey. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, refurbishing furniture she finds on trash day and swing dancing.

Jacki
Core Values: Curiosity, Balance, Family
Jacki

Jacki (she/her) has spent her career telling stories and working with students to tell theirs. She’s an award-wining journalist who was with CNN for more than a decade before becoming a mom and shifting her focus from doing journalism to teaching it. Jacki has taught writing and communications courses at two- and four-year colleges, and in two New Jersey state prisons. Several years ago, she began assisting college-bound students with their application essays, helping them gain admission to a range of institutions. Jacki delights in helping students discover their voice, stretch their curiosity, and widen their relationship with the written word. Jacki received a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Political Science from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. Her first book, Dogland: A Journey to the Heart of America’s Dog Problem, earned several awards for journalism and investigative reporting. A dog lover who lives with two rescues, Jacki donates all proceeds to non-profit animal welfare organizations. She says her second book is a work in progress—however, she’s made little progress.

Core Values: Humor, Empathy, Purpose
Jennifer

Jennifer (she/her) holds two degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, a BA in East Asian Studies and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School. She worked as an analyst on Wall Street for eight years before leaving to focus on raising her two daughters. She began her work in college admissions consulting as a volunteer for ScholarMatch, an organization dedicated to helping high-achieving low-income students through the college admissions process. She also tutors students preparing for the ACT and SAT. Students she has worked with have received acceptances to Harvard, Williams, Yale, Brown, U Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, and UVA, among others. Outside of work she is a member of the Board of Trustees of her local public school and a docent for school groups at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters location. She serves on the board of Graham Windham, a child welfare organization, and the Bronxville Historical Conservancy.

Liz
Core Values: Authenticity, Empathy, Inclusion
Liz

Liz S. (she/her) is a passionate college counselor, yoga teacher, and college essay coach. Liz has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science & Photography from Allegheny College, a Master of Arts in Bilingual Education from the Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain, and a Certificate in College Counseling from the University of California at Los Angeles. Liz has worked in education for more than a decade - as a teacher, academic director, and curriculum writer. Her passion for college counseling began as an Assistant Director of Education at a non-profit organization, where she worked with first-generation high school students on college/scholarship applications, essays, and interviews to make higher education accessible. Liz has successfully coached students from diverse backgrounds to earn acceptance at large research institutions, small liberal arts colleges, and ivy league schools. She enjoys helping students find their authentic voice to express themselves, using their passions as a springboard to success. When she is not working with students or visiting college campuses, Liz enjoys traveling, yoga, playing with dogs, and going to the beach. She currently resides in Salem, MA.

Lyssa
Core Values: Creativity, Curiosity, Love
Lyssa

Lyssa (she/her) is a writer and educator, originally from the Green Mountains of Vermont, living in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Performance Studies from Northwestern and an M.A. in Theater & English Education from NYU. She's passionate about helping students discover and nurture their unique voice as writers and especially loves the creativity, attunement, empowerment, and connection involved in guiding students through the college essay process. Lyssa is a Teaching Artist for the Geffen Playhouse, where she leads theater workshops for schools and community groups, and a freelance tutor, editor, and ghostwriter when not working on her own scripts and essays. She has been a ninth grade English teacher in NYC public schools, education staff member at MCC Theater, and education consultant for The Moth. She's backpacked around the world solo and taught English to preschoolers in South Africa, job-seekers in Tanzania, and a crew of rowdy young monks in Nepal. You can usually find her in a theater, hiking with her dog, reading in the grass, or consuming maple syrup.

Margaret E
Core Values: Curiosity, Inclusion, Fun
Margaret

Margaret E. (she/her) is a passionate English educator who has worked in New York City public schools for more than a decade. As English Department Chair of her school, she provided Instructional Coaching for her department, growing other English teachers into more effective educators. She received two Bachelor of the Arts degrees, one in Comparative Literature and one in Spanish Language, from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and she is fluent in Spanish. Afterward, she went on to study English Education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Margaret has taught countless writing courses, including AP English Language and Composition, as well as several Creative Writing classes. She also developed a College Essay writing curriculum herself, gently guiding hundreds of students through the process. Margaret firmly believes that creating an emotionally safe learning environment is essential to student growth and as a result, works hard to make sure students see her as a trustworthy ally and cheerleader. Her main objective always is to build her students’ confidence and empower them to feel comfortable taking academic and creative risks. Personal Narrative is her favorite genre to teach, as she sees it as an opportunity for incredible developmental and academic growth.

Melissa
Core Values: Creativity, Curiosity, Meaningful Work
Melissa

Melissa A. (she/her) believes that everyone has a story to tell. She helps students tell theirs by asking questions, promoting self-reflection, and helping students make connections between their past, present, and future. Melissa has over a decade of experience teaching, advising, and coaching high school and college students. She holds a BA from Brown University, where she double-concentrated in Anthropology and Old World Art & Archaeology. She has an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs from Rutgers University, where she worked as a Dean for Transfer Students and taught courses on mentoring and transitioning to college. She also worked as a college advisor for two nonprofits, an admissions reader for Princeton University, and an alumni interviewer for Brown University. Melissa in lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she teaches classes on ancient art history, designs and leads virtual escape rooms, and is learning to play the dulcimer.

Melissa M
Core Values: Communication, Family, Empathy
Melissa

Melissa M. (she/her) earned her B.S. in sociology at Santa Clara University (summa cum laude) and is a current graduate student at Pepperdine University, where she is working toward a Masters in Psychology. The diversity of human experience she has encountered in her academic work goes hand in hand with another one of her passions: storytelling. As a published author, Melissa values the written word and its ability to convey emotion, inspiration, and the breadth of lived experiences. During her time at Santa Clara University, she helped high school students craft their college essays and guided them throughout the application process, placing special emphasis on making the work as feasible and rewarding as possible. Her students have been accepted at a variety of top institutions and programs around the US. She understands the whirlwind of emotions one experiences when applying to college, and as such, she prioritizes meeting students where they’re at and supporting them throughout their journey. In addition to obtaining her Master’s degree, Melissa is working on her third book (which means she knows what it’s like to be on the receiving end of tons of edits and comments!) and spends her free time swimming, singing, and cuddling with her three dogs: Maisie, Luna, and Winnie.

Shira H
Core Values: Integrity, Curiosity, Love
Shira

After attending UC Berkeley and NYU Law, Shira H. (ze/zer, she/her) started her professional life as a civil rights attorney, fighting for queer rights and racial equity. When she realized she wasn't into fighting, she discovered her true path as an educator. She now lives on a farm based, sustainable community in the Sierra Nevada foothills. A global citizen, she has worked, lived and played in 14 countries. She spent the last four years in the Mediterranean, volunteering with refugees, studying current and ancient migration, and serving as an amateur ambassador between Arabs, Muslims and Jews. During that time, it’s been her joy and honor to accompany students on the rite of passage between high school and college that we call the college application process. Your stories, your actions, your dreams… light her up! She’s committed to uplifting your voice because that’s what the world needs now. Super powers: nomad life, wilderness exuberance, intuition.

Shira W
Core Values: Curiosity, Creativity, Kindness
Shira W.

Shira (she/her) has been involved in secondary and higher education for close to 20 years in numerous capacities including teaching on the high school and university levels, admissions, mentoring, and curricular programming. Having earned a PhD, she conducts academic research and has published two books (with two more in progress), in addition to articles in various journals. Shira oversees the admissions process in a large private high school and has guided students through the challenges of navigating the college application process. She helps students find their voice and develop their perspective, as they actualize their vision through the vivid and unique expression of their personal narratives.

Sofia
Core Values: Trust, Courage, Relationships
Sofia

Sofia (she/her) is committed to helping students making education count and living bigger lives. She has worked with hundreds of students, designed and led college application essay workshops and helped students write powerful stories to gain admission to the college of their dreams. Sofia is the author of Journeys to the Heart, a book about social entrepreneurs, failed ideas and change-makers in Indonesia. She has lived in Asia and Europe and has worked as a strategy consultant in Washington DC. Sofia graduated from Brown University majoring in international relations. She holds a masters in European political science from L’institute des Sciences Politiques and a Masters in diplomacy and international business from Georgetown University. She loves theater, any kind of science and politics, modern art, board games, painting, mindful practices, kickboxing, a good read, empowering conversations and her amazing family. She believes in the power of young people’s ideas and creativity to make positive impacts throughout their lives.

Tom
Core Values: Authenticity, Fun, Vulnerability
Tom

Tom (he/him) is an eternally "extra" Gemini who has spent the past seven years helping students and families navigate the college admissions process. Before joining College Essay Guy full-time as our inaugural Community Manager, he worked as a college counselor at a selective Seattle independent school and an admissions officer at Pomona College and the College of the Holy Cross (his alma mater). After college, Tom spent a year as a Jesuit Volunteers/AmeriCorps member at Catholic Charities Spokane, where he served as an Operations Assistant for a family services program called CAPA (Childbirth and Parenting Assistance). During this program, Tom lived with fellow volunteers who committed themselves to four core values: simple living, community, spirituality, and social and ecological justice. Tom first connected with CEG after reading a poignant essay from a Matchlighters student during his time in admissions at Pomona, and — thanks to additional advocacy from Ethan and some fighting spirit in the admissions committee room — this student was admitted on a full scholarship! He stans em dashes and semicolons, Kacey Musgraves (all eras, not just star crossed and Golden Hour), superior breakfast burritos, and alliterative moments. He works out begrudgingly, sings and dances feverishly, complains about space tourism incessantly, and uses way too many exclamation points. (He just took one out of that last sentence). Sitting here penning this bio, he’s reminded how challenging writing about oneself can be and how high stakes and it can feel — so you’ll find nothing but empathy and solidarity from him as you embark on your college essay journey!

 
Packages & Pricing
Each of the packages below includes meeting with your essay coach to complete your transfer application, including...
Developing your
transfer narrative and overall essay strategy
Bringing your essays to life through drafting, revising, & polishing
Committee review of your applications & essays by our team of coaches
“Best investment I have ever made for my college-bound child. I truly feel working with CEG made all the difference in submitting a polished, well-read application.”

John • Parent


Up to 3 SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS

Includes:
  • Common App main transfer statement (Usually 650 words)
  • Supplemental essays for up to THREE schools (Typically 6-10+ essays)
  • Common App Experiences List (AKA Resume)
  • Common App Additional Information statement (650 words)
  • Internal committee Team Reviews of Your Essays
  • Dedicated Family Liaison
  • Bonus: Access to our signature college essay courses for students
$4,900


Up to 6 Schools & Programs

Includes:
  • Common App main transfer statement (Usually 650 words)
  • Supplemental essays for up to SIX schools (Typically 8-10+ essays)
  • Common App Experiences List (AKA Resume)
  • Common App Additional Information statement (650 words)
  • Internal committee Team Reviews of Your Essays
  • Dedicated Family Liaison
  • Bonus: Access to our signature college essay courses for students
$6,700


Up to 10 Schools & Programs

Includes:
  • Common App main transfer statement (Usually 650 words)
  • Supplemental essays for up to TEN schools (Typically 15-20+ essays)
  • Common App Experiences List (AKA Resume)
  • Common App Additional Information statement (650 words)
  • Internal committee Team Reviews of Your Essays
  • Dedicated Family Liaison
  • Bonus: Access to our signature college essay courses for students
$9,100
 

Applying to more than 10 colleges? Adding schools after getting started? Additional schools can be added on for an additional fee of $600 per college.

 
 Important Information on Essay Coaching Packages:
  • The University of California application system requires extensive essay and activities list requirements, so is counted as two schools/programs in essay packages, but may be used to apply to all 9 UC campuses

  • If students are applying to specialized programs that require additional essays beyond the required essays for their undergraduate admissions application, we may often consider those as two colleges. These programs may include but are not limited to honors colleges, BS/MD programs, specialized business programs, the US service academies, film, theater, arts, or other creative programs. Inquire for more details about your specific programs. See below in the FAQ for a longer list of programs. Please note that most scholarships and honors colleges do not require additional essays.

  • The packages above include assistance with the college essay components noted in the packages above and do not include college admissions counseling or college list development guidance, which is a separate service provided by our veteran college counselors. See more below about these options, or ask us to learn more.

 

 
 Looking for assistance beyond your college essays?
Applying as a transfer student isn't the same as applying as a first-year applicant. There are key differences students should keep in mind, including increased competition, different academic and extracurricular expectations, and more.
We have an experienced team of college counselors to help students develop a great college list, and navigate the entire transfer admissions process
Our transfer college counselors have years of experience working directly with hundreds of students through the college admissions process, helping students develop a list of best-fit colleges, and getting admitted to amazing and also competitive colleges around the US.
In addition, they often have direct experience in admissions reviewing student applications and making admissions decisions for transfer applicants.
Here's how it works
Intake & Review

Intake & Review

Your transfer college counselor will review your background, including high school and college transcripts, school profile, resume, college preferences, and more.

One-on-One Meetings

Four
One-on-One Meetings

You'll work with your counselor over several 1:1 meetings to cover topics from finalizing a college list to strategic help around major selection, getting strong recommendations, and more.

Comprehensive Follow-Up Report

We'll follow-up from your meetings with a comprehensive report that summarizes our recommendations and outlines next steps for you.

Included in Your Sessions
 
Developing a customized list of colleges based on your profile
 
 
Getting compelling professor & academic evaluations
Academic courseload rquirements & intended major selection strategy
Transfer timeline options and strategy (Spring v. Fall transfer)
Navigating standardized testing requirements & submission strategy
Other topics depending on your unique circumstances

 
Meet our Transfer College Counselors
College Essay Guy brings to you a team of veteran transfer college counselors.
Adrienne
College Counselor
Core Values: Purpose, Balance, Love
Adrienne

Adrienne (she/her) has over a decade of experience in selective college admissions, as both a college admissions counselor and a high school counselor. She previously served as a Senior Admissions Counselor at Vanderbilt University, where she evaluated thousands of applications while also being charged with various recruitment initiatives. Most recently, Adrienne has counseled high school students in a selective private school in Nashville, where she aims to help students and families navigate all aspects of the college search and application process. Before entering into college counseling, Adrienne earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Delaware and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Peabody at Vanderbilt University. Outside of her work, Adrienne is a highly accomplished professional figure skater and coach, having toured and performed in various countries around the globe. She also loves running, writing and keeping up with her two daughters.

College Counselor
Core Values: Helping Others, Authenticity, Practicality
Morgan

Morgan is in her third year as the Director of College Counseling at College Essay Guy after spending her entire 20+ year career in college admissions and counseling. During her eight-year tenure in college admissions, she oversaw admission to an AACSB accredited Business School as a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions and application reader. She also spent 13 years supporting domestic and international students through the admissions process at two independent day and boarding schools in Massachusetts and North Carolina. At CEG, she prioritizes helping students be as successful as possible in the competitive landscape of highly selective admissions, while building rapport and trust with her students and families.

Recognized as a ‘Counselor That Changes Lives’ by the Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) organization, Morgan promotes “a college search that focuses on the individual student and finding a college that will cultivate the student's lifelong love of learning.” She also cares deeply about her students feeling successful in the application process and has had students accepted at a wide range of colleges, including most of the Top 50 (US News Rankings) and many highly selective liberal arts colleges. Here are just a handful of the colleges she’s had students admitted to recently: NYU, USC, Tufts, Georgia Tech, CMU, UNC-Chapel Hill, all UC campuses, UVA, MIT, Emory, Princeton, Columbia, Duke, Villanova, Wisconsin, Lehigh, Middlebury, Northeastern, University of Florida, University of Rochester, Boston College, McGill, Purdue, RPI, Case Western, Loyola Marymount, George Washington, UC Boulder, TCU, UGA, University of Washington, and many more.

Not only is Morgan competitive with her approach to college admissions, but she also loves playing cards and board games, having fun with her spunky 9-year-old daughter, and traveling with her family. She’s a New England transplant based in the amazing college town of Chapel Hill, NC.

Education:

  • B.A. Philosophy and Political Science
  • M.Ed. Interdisciplinary Education
  • Graduate Certificate in Counselor Education

Renee
College Counselor
Core Values: Laughter, Adventure, Creativity
Renee

Renee has spent the last 25 years supporting students through the college application process, including the last 4 years as one of the original College Essay Guy counselors. She has worked with students applying to colleges across the United States (and abroad) and loves diving into research to support students’ niche interests and high-achieving goals. She has advised students pursuing college athletics, performing arts programs, and military academies, as well as most academic disciplines. She helps students understand both what their college priorities are, and the ‘why’ behind it. She uses the knowledge she’s gained from touring over 200+ college campuses in the US, Canada, and the UK to guide students toward colleges that best fit their aspirations.

Renee’s experience working in both public and private schools, coupled with her roles on the Common App Advisory Board, NACAC’s advocacy work on Capitol Hill, and Co-Chairing SACAC’s NC State and Area Initiatives Committee, position her to advise students to maximize their potential. Her students have been accepted at a wide range of colleges, including many of the most highly selective colleges in the country (T50 and below USNWR), the Ivy League, HBCU’s, and top ranked liberal arts colleges. In recent years, her students have gotten admitted to Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, MIT, NYU, Wellesley, Northeastern, Barnard, all UC campuses, University of Michigan, Davidson, Brown, USC, Smith, Swarthmore, U Chicago, UGA, Ga Tech, Vanderbilt, UIUC, University of Washington, Scripps, Carnegie Mellon, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wash U, UT Austin, UVA, Wake Forest, Duke, Northeastern and countless others. Renee has supported students to get into almost every top ranked college during her long career as a college counselor.

When she’s not immersed in counseling and leading CEG’s Parent Community, she tends to her garden, dotes on her favorite dog, Pretzel, and travels the world (most recently to Antarctica and her new favorite city, Prague)!

Education:

  • B.A. Psychology
  • M.A. School Counseling
  • Ed.S. Educational Leadership & Administration

 
Scott
College Counselor
Core Values: Authenticity, Fun, Vulnerability
Scott

Scott brings extensive experience in university admissions and high school college counseling. He was an admission officer at Middlebury College in Vermont for eight years, handling all facets of both domestic and international admissions. Eager to experience the high school side of admissions and to live abroad, Scott moved overseas in 2014 and spent the following nine years working as a university counselor at independent schools in Hong Kong (five years) and Vancouver, Canada (four years). Scott has worked closely with American and international students and families, and has extensive knowledge of the admissions processes of the US, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Europe. He believes strongly in the philosophy of "best fit" in university admission, and loves getting to know his students and their families to help make the university admissions process as positive, comfortable, and stress-free as possible for all involved. The father of two (now adult) children, Scott has an understanding of the process from both the parent and counselor perspective.

Born and raised in Maine, Scott earned a BA in social anthropology from Harvard University, and spent most of his adult life in Vermont before moving abroad. Scott’s interests include cycling, Nordic skiing, travel, food/wine/cooking, music, and good conversation. He currently splits time between Hong Kong and New England.

Susan
College Counselor
Core Values: Practicality, Deep Caring, Grace
Susan T.

Susan (she/her) is a native New Yorker whose career in college admissions has spanned four decades. Following her graduation from St. Lawrence University with a BS in Psychology, Susan moved to New England where she worked at Bates College as Associate Dean of Admissions. She completed her Master’s degree in School Counseling at the University of Southern Maine. For the next 25 years, Susan served as the Director of College Counseling at a college prep day and boarding school near Philadelphia where she worked with students from around the world. Since stepping out of that role, Susan has evaluated applications for two selective research universities and is working as a consultant to schools, professional organizations, and families. A counselor at heart who loves helping students and parents launch their college searches, Susan finds time to be a writer, sports enthusiast, and mother of twins who are recent college graduates.

 
College Counseling Services for Transfer Applicants
Transferring colleges takes a lot more than just great essays.
 


Transfer Counseling Add-On Service

Up to 4 sessions with our team
  • Transfer application strategy including intended major selection, securing strong academic evaluations, academic record review & more.
  • Comprehensive & actionable follow-up report
  • Custom college list development
  • Support on other transfer admissions topics of your choice
$2,200


Longer-Term Transfer
Counseling Support

Up to 9 sessions with our team
  • More regular meetings & longer-term planning and support
  • Transfer application strategy including intended major selection, securing strong academic evaluations, academic record review & more.
  • Comprehensive & actionable follow-up report
  • Custom college list development
  • Support on waitlists, letters of continued interest, admissions decisions, financial aid & appeals
  • Other transfer admissions topics of your choice
$4,500
 
 
“I was really amazed by how transformative the process was. How my son’s personal essay evolved, and the finished product really reflected him. When I read it for the first time, there was no doubt that it could have been anyone else as the subject in the essay. It was authentic. Jon did a really great job helping with that process, and was incredibly patient with my son! Thank you!”

Donna J. • Parent

 
One-on-One Transfer Application & Essay Coaching FAQs
 
  • How is the process different as a transfer student when compared with freshmen applicants?

    The transfer application process is different for every student and at every college.

    While many aspects are the same as those applying as freshmen, it also differs in several important ways:

    • Acceptance rates as a transfer student could be substantially higher or substantially lower, as colleges can vary widely and from year-to-year in the number of transfer students they admit.
    • Rather than writing a more open-ended personal statement, students are asked to specifically address their reasons for transferring in the longer Common Application essay.
    • The college list development process can change. Many students may be OK staying at their current school, but are simply aiming for different programs that might be a better fit, or perhaps hoping to receive substantial scholarships at their new school. As a result, the college list may be a bit more aggressive and not necessitate as many safety options.
    • The application requirements usually differ for transfer applicants, and admissions departments may rely more heavily on a college GPA and less on high school SAT or ACT testing.


  • Do you cover all aspects of the college application process (not just essays)?

    Yes. Though the company is called College Essay Guy (because that's what Ethan has become known for in the industry), we have a good deal of expertise on the whole admissions process. Our counselors average 15-20+ years of experience counseling students through the process. In short: we can do it all.

  • Where do sessions take place?

    Online via Zoom, email and Google docs.

  • Where have your students been accepted? 

    All the Ivies, as well as many other amazing schools. See links at the top of this page our most recent acceptances. It's important to note that our services are advisory in nature and we can't (of course) guarantee admission to a highly selective school. But we can put together the best application and essays to demonstrate your gifts, skills and values.

  • Are there any colleges or programs that might be considered as two colleges in your package?

    Most scholarships, honors colleges, or specialized programs and majors don't have additional essay requirements beyond those required by the undergraduate application. But some programs do require additional essays or materials and are considered by our team as an additional college given the time required to help you develop strong applications and essays. Here's a non-exhaustive list of some of these programs that may be considered as an additional college in your package:

  • Honors programs (Penn State Schreyer Honors College, UPitt Honors College)
  • BS/MD programs (Brown University's PLME program, etc.)
  • Theater, fine arts, and film school supplemental applications or essays
  • Business programs or specialized business/technology programs (UPenn’s M&T program, University of Michigan’s Ross School and portfolio application)
  • Specialized medical programs (UPenn’s Bio-Dental or Nursing and Healthcare Management Programs
  • Scholarship programs with essays beyond the requirements for the undergraduate application (UNC's Morehead Cain scholarship, etc.)

  • Do you write essays for students?

    No. Beyond being unethical, that would be doing you a great disservice to you and also undermine the transformative element of this process. The essays submitted will be the original work of the student. 

  • Do you offer hourly packages?

    We work with students through a tried-and-true process of brainstorming topics to polishing the final drafts. We find it super important that the college essay and application be grounded in an in-depth brainstorming process and some discussion to help you get to the point where you’ve found your deepest stories and are comfortable tackling your first draft. And that sometimes takes a session or two or three.

    As a result of this, we don’t offer hourly help and prefer to avoid giving essay feedback without the context of all of the other things that you’ve accomplished or experienced in your rich and colorful life. We’ve also found that it’s so important to have the flexibility to meet as many times as necessary to help you have great essays. It gives you (the student) and our specialist the freedom to spend time getting to know each other, to experiment and get creative, and to try things out without concern for how much time you’ve spent so far, or have left.

  • What if I (student) am not a good writer?

    The process may take a bit longer. That’s okay with us.

  • What advice do you have as I begin the process?

    We highly recommend developing a balanced college list. Most students, for example, fixate on 1 or 2 highly selective (usually Ivy League) schools, but we find the students who are most happy with the process are those who have developed a wide range (usually 8 - 12 schools) with around 3 reach, 4 maybe, and 3 likely.

  • Can I start with a smaller package and upgrade later in the process?

    Pending your coach’s availability at the time of upgrade, we’d be happy to help you with additional colleges! Just pay the difference in your current and the desired package, and we’ll dive into brainstorming the new topics. We request that families let us know as soon as they are able, as it typically helps to strategize topic selection on supplemental essays as early in the process as possible.

  • Can my son/daughter meet with your team to get an idea of how the whole process works?

    Absolutely. Email us and we’ll be happy to set up a call to walk you through the process and answer any questions you have.