ChatGPT and other AI tools can be hard to resist.
But AI narrows your perspective, claims your voice, erases your uniqueness, guarantees your rejection.
Your goal is to reveal your best authentic self.
Today, high school seniors often apply to 20 or 30 colleges in the hopes one or two will accept them.
Admissions counselors are reading tens of thousands of applications every year."*
Let's make them love yours.
*The New York Times, May 25, 2025
How is this different from AI?
AI isn't yours, and admissions counselors know it.
How many sessions do students typically need?
Typically 4-6 sessions
Do you work with international students?
Yes! Let's talk about your specific goals.
When should students begin?
Spring and summer of Junior year through Fall of Senior year.
Do you write essays for students?
Never. But I help make it easier for them to do it themselves.
What types of colleges do your students apply to?
Students apply and are accepted to a wide range of schools, from in-state to Ivy Leagues and oversees programs.
Why Hire an Essay Coach?
What We Do
(That Others Don't)
WriteToFit's customized one-on-one sessions
show you how to:
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Avoid the traps that make your essay 'undesirable.'
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Leverage the 3 secret strategies to make your essays memorable.
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Identify your strongest narrative angle
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Find your authentic voice. They want to hear it.
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Avoid generic essay conventions
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Shape supplemental essays for institutional fit
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Make every word count.
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Revise, refine, polish, proof, perfect -- and submit the essays that get you noticed.
Typical Essay Questions (They're Not Easy).
Our college’s founding was in response to society’s call from an immigrant community seeking a particular education to foster social mobility. Which of today’s local or global issues is of particular concern to you and how might you use your education at our college specifically to address it?
Most colleges have mottos - a word or phrase that expresses the ideals that guide their actions.Tell us about your personal motto and how it guides you.
Tell us what has helped you understand the world's complexity.
Who You Are and What Will You Bring: Developing a strong, equitable, and inclusive community is important to us. After all, camels live and work together in herds. In 150 words or less, please tell us who you are and what you will bring to the community to help us grow into the best version of ourselves.
Dr. Maya Angelou inspired others to celebrate their identities and to honor each person’s dignity. Choose one of Dr. Angelou’s powerful quotes. How does this quote relate to your lived experience or reflect how you plan to contribute to the community?
We empower students to envision and follow their own paths to wellness. How will you lead a healthy life at our school, and how will you empower others to do the same?
Give us your top ten list.
For one week at the end of January, students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. What would you teach that would contribute to the community?
There are just under 4,000 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Being as specific as possible, what interests you most about our college, why, and what will it mean for you to be a student here?
If you worked alongside Ben & Jerry, what charitable flavor would you develop and why?
Elizabeth Shepard, owner and founder of WriteToFit, has been an executive for more than fifteen years at leading digital media companies including Condé Nast, Hearst, and Dotdash Meredith, among others. She received her MFA in Writing as a graduate fellow at Columbia University, and spent six months as a visiting scholar at Harvard.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College and published author of numerous books (some pseudonymously), Elizabeth was an associate English professor at Fordham University and Marymount College. She also spent several years screening admissions applications Columbia University and Vassar College, among others.
What We Offer
Stuck in a rut?
Don't know where to start or think you have nothing to say?
AI isn't the answer.
Sign up for a one-on-one ideation session to focus and get started.
One core essay will be read by every school, so it has to appeal to a wide range of admissions directors. Hone in on the common app essay so showcases your best self.
Some schools require 5 or more individual prompts . There's also an opportunity to share details about special circumstances that may have affected your grades. It's important to get them right.
"Elizabeth is brilliant. My son emerges from their work sessions feeling totally inspired, motivated, and eager to do the work for the following week. I went from feeling overwhelmed about my son’s college applications to feeling totally relieved knowing we are in such excellent hands. Elizabeth is super smart, encouraging, and a college essay whisperer. Working with her is the best decision we’ve made on this college journey.” -Heidi Rose Robbins/CA
Testimonials
"Elizabeth made the college essay writing process both easy and enjoyable for our son. After a few sessions, he had an essay completely unlike what he started with. It was infinitely more personal, more professional, and a far more compelling read. He got into every university he applied to including a couple of reaches, and I have no doubt the essay had a huge part in paving the way."
Molly G.
"Elizabeth is amazing! My high school senior really enjoyed working with her and she pushed him to think outside the box and in more graphic detail. It was also lovely that Elizabeth got him to do this completely on his own, without Mom’s intervention.
I highly recommend her for anyone looking for college essay help."
Sherry/NY
