Writer, editor and teacher Pamela Toutant offers a highly successful college admissions essay writing process that results in original, well written essays that reflect a student’s strengths and authentic voice. Pamela coaches students applying to college for the first time, transfer applicants, and students applying to graduate school and professional school (business, law, and medical).
The College Essay Composition Process
The process begins by meeting with the student to discuss his or her college essay goals, and to identify interests and personal strengths. A brainstorming session leads to a short list of essay topics, as well as ideas for imaginatively focusing his or her essay(s). Ms. Toutant and the student then discuss a list of guidelines on both the attributes of and methods for writing a winning college admissions essay. Finally, we develop a schedule for bringing the student’s work to completion.
For this initial meeting, the student should bring specific essay questions from colleges to which he or she plans to apply (if known), as well as a calendar for planning. Depending on the range of tasks the student needs to accomplish, this initial meeting typically lasts from one to two hours.
After the student settles on a topic, he or she writes a draft of the essay and submits it for critique. Ms. Toutant critiques elements such as voice, style, organization, content, and grammar, writes suggestions for revisions, and sends it back to the student. The student then revises the essay and returns it to Ms. Toutant for a second critique. We repeat this process as many times as necessary until the student is satisfied with the result. A final reading and edit for grammar and punctuation completes the process.
