college essay prep classes

Common App Essay

Support for Fall Applications

Each class registration includes:

• 8 hours of live instruction across four weekly 2-hour classes
• 2 individual one-hour working sessions with your instructor*
• Guidance through the writing process from blank page to refined draft
• Written instructor feedback on up to two drafts
• A recording of each class available to review whenever needed
• A maximum class size of 10 students
• A 10% discount on additional 1-on-1 essay writing support

Students are asked to complete a pre-class assignment and 3-4 hours of writing homework each week.

In four sessions, classes cover the following topics:

• Focus on a key piece of your application: the Common App Personal Essay
• Discover a topic that keeps you motivated
• Use the Common App essay prompts to your advantage
• Draft and revise your essay to appeal to your readers
• Find your authentic voice
• Develop a reliable process so that you can finish the job

*Students may opt for a group-only version of the class. See below.

If you are working with an independent college counselor, we recommend you discuss essay writing support with them before enrolling., one-on-one essay support, customized tutoring package, 6 hours of online 1-on-1 tutoring, tutors can help with the common app essay and/or supplemental essays, common app essay lab plus, small group workshop + 2 individual sessions, 8 hours of group instruction, 2 hours of individual help from your class instructor, common app essay lab, small group workshop only (no individual sessions), nothing makes us happier than helping our students reach their goals..

“ The instructor was the best part 100%. I got excited to come to the class every Saturday morning at 7am because of him. The questions he asked always made it feel like a community, and I really feel 10x more prepared because of him. ” Compass Classes Student 11th Grader at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences

“ The course was exactly what we were hoping for. Our instructors were enthusiastic, friendly, and always open to questions. ” Parent of an 11th Grader Newbury Park High School

“ I deeply appreciate the passion for teaching and kind patience that both of my instructors demonstrated throughout the sessions. Each teacher was engaging and attentive. ” Alanu U. 11th Grader at Dwight Global Online School

“ We are so pleased with our experience with Compass. The tutors are very professional, always on time and really helped our daughter. The results were even better than we had hoped for. ” Denise W. Mother of Makena, 11th Grader at Flintridge Prep

6 hours of Online Tutoring

After a phone call with a dedicated Compass program director, we will match you with a tutor whose teaching style and expertise suits your needs. The online lessons are scheduled with the tutor at your convenience. Essay tutoring hours can be used for any other AP or Academic subject, but cannot be used for SAT or ACT test prep.

Purchase of the Common App & Supplemental Essays Package locks in a discounted rate of $210/hr for any additional college application essay writing tutoring. Packages are non-transferable.

Sundays at 1pm Pacific | 4pm Eastern

Classes Begin: 9/15 Class Time: 1-3pm PT | 4-6pm ET Class Schedule: 4 consecutive Sundays: 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, & 10/6 Individual Sessions: See FAQ  below for more details.

Registration is closed for this program.

Classes Begin: 9/15 Class Time: 1-3pm PT | 4-6pm ET Class Schedule: 4 consecutive Sundays: 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, & 10/6

Need a boost before your final SAT or ACT sitting?

We also offer test prep classes., frequently asked questions:, will i leave the class with an essay ready to submit to schools.

If you’ve attended all the sessions and done your work in between meetings, we expect you to have a refined draft of your essay that you’ll be proud to share. The essay will have a clear structure and reflect your personalized response to the prompt you’re addressing. We recommend that you plan for some additional time for final notes from trusted sources and a polish.

Who are the instructors?

Our writing instructors are a specialized subset of our broader tutor pool . These are our most experienced essay teachers who thrive in an online, interactive group format.

Will I get individual feedback on my writing?

Yes! Any time before the last class, you can submit one draft for written feedback from the instructor. At the last class, you can submit a draft for final feedback, which you will receive within one week of the end of the program.

How do the two individual sessions work?

At the start of the program, we’ll provide you with a selection of times to meet with your instructor. These may be distributed throughout the week. 

All individual sessions occur before the last day of class. Sessions are scheduled between the first and second class and between the third and fourth class.

Once you have scheduled your two sessions, you may not be able to reschedule them, so please make sure you select a day and time that will work for you. 

The individual sessions are optional. You can take the class and receive written feedback without this element. See options above.

What happens in the individual sessions?

Your instructor will meet you where you are! Think of this time like office hours—you schedule an hour to discuss your writing with your class instructor.

Generally the first individual session focuses on reviewing your list of ideas and first draft and making a specific plan for structural revisions and/or introductions and conclusions.

The second individual session tends to focus on developing your draft and making a plan for paragraph and sentence-level revisions.

What if I need more individualized attention and help?

This class is designed to be a jumping off point. It’s often a good idea to get further feedback from the people who know you best, including teachers, counselors, and tutors.

Some students follow up a class with one-on-one tutoring support. Our tutors can help refine and polish your Common App Personal Essay and supplemental essays.

What if I’m working with an independent counselor?

We strongly encourage you to discuss your writing with your counselor who is in the best position to be able to help you be strategic about your writing choices given your college list. This class and one-on-one essay writing tutoring are primarily intended for students who are not working with an independent counselor. 

Does this class cover the supplemental essays?

This class does not directly cover the supplemental essays because each student’s list of schools and the requirements of those schools varies. However, much of the guidance students receive will apply to their writing process for supplemental essays.

For more direct assistance with supplemental essays, we recommend working with your counselors or a Compass one-on-one tutor.

What about Chat GPT and AI?

We believe that the best feedback on your writing comes from people. Our instructors may discuss a range of tools that you can use in your writing process, but we caution against relying on AI, despite the hype, when human subjectivity and emotional response is available to you in the form of instructor feedback. At the end of the day, it’s people you need to convince, not computers trained on large language sets.

If I have a conflict for one of my classes, can I attend a different section?

Students are only able to attend the class section they are registered for. However, classes are recorded and are available to all registered students for viewing and instructors can be contacted during Study Hall sessions to answer questions.

Will there be homework?

Yes, crafting a successful personal essay requires thinking and writing outside of the scheduled group meeting times. Students are asked  to complete a pre-class assignment and 3-4 hours of writing homework each week. 

We recommend setting aside an hour or two several times a week, rather than trying to do all of your writing in one sitting.

If the section that I want to attend is full, will there be a waitlist?

Yes, please fill out this form or contact us at [email protected]. We’ll alert you if and when space becomes available or another section is opened for enrollment.

Do you offer financial aid?

Yes, we have some limited scholarship funds available. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information if you qualify for financial aid.

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Essay Coaching and Review

Designed for rising and current 12th graders.

Write Your Way In With Essays That Leave An Impression.

Whether you’re refining your essay or starting from the ground up, we’re here to help you craft a standout piece.

Of our students are admitted into at least one of their top choice schools.

Full Essay Coaching

The best option if you want to craft the ultimate essay from the ground up or need to discuss your current draft’s narrative. Your admissions consultants will take you from topic planning to final draft.

Price Option Pulldown

Essay Review

A great option if you already know what you want to write about and you’d mostly benefit from an expert admissions consultant helping you perfect your style, tone, and message.

You’re a unique person, with unique experiences and ambitions, but how do you best show this in a response to an essay prompt? With Full Essay Coaching, your expert Admissions Consultant will guide you from beginning to end and make sure your strongest attributes come through clearly and concisely.

This is a great option for the Common App personal statement, reach schools, and other high-stakes situations.

Highlights:

How it works:, we get to know you in detail and match you with the perfect consultant, we brainstorm and strategize your essay topic during live, face-to-face calls, we work with you to edit and improve your draft – as many times as it takes, we help you finish with a perfect stand-out essay.

You have a good start on your essay, but you want an expert to help you perfect it? PrepScholar Admissions Consultants are top-notch writers who know exactly what colleges are looking for. No matter your background or school choices, they’ll help you wordsmith and perfect your essay so you can present your thoughts in the best possible manner.

This is an affordable option for lower-stakes situations and almost-ready essays that require some polishing before they’re submissions-ready.

Upload your rough essay draft

Receive a complete evaluation and revision – up to 5 rounds, finish with a completely polished essay, see for yourself.

Curious to see the process in action? See two samples of our essay review and revision process for real essays. SAMPLE ONE | SAMPLE TWO

We Hire Only The Best

Leverage experienced admissions consultants.

At PrepScholar, you have access to the nation’s best storytellers, profile-builders, and application crafters. By working one-on-one with one of our expert Admissions Consultants, students build their profiles and develop their unique story resulting in a standout application.  

The Perfect Consultant, Hand-Picked For You

We personally and thoughtfully recommend the best consultant based on your profile.

We start our work by getting to know you in depth. With the help of our Student Profile Questionnaire, we ask relevant questions about your academic profile, challenges, and admissions goals. To gain a deeper understanding, we also ask thought-provoking questions to get your insights about your formative years, personal interests, hopes, and dreams.

Your questionnaire is personally reviewed by our Head of Admissions, a Harvard and Yale graduate with 10+ years of counseling experience. They have worked closely with all the consultants on our team and understand their areas of specialization and track record. Based on your answers, our Head of Admissions matches you with the best consultant to help you reach your goals.

Our matching process is carefully designed and consistently leads to successful consultant and student matches; as a result, reassignment is virtually never necessary. However, if the need for a reassignment arises, we are happy to accommodate such a request.

Chantine A.

Dominique r., shahrukh m., pricing tiers.

The Full Essay Coaching and Essay Review services are priced by number of essays.

To choose the right tier, identify the number of essays you would like to work on and select the corresponding option. We recommend fitting multiple essays into one package to save!

*We can also help you with the Common App activities list. All you need to do is count it as an essay.

(or a total of up to 650 words)

$595 full coaching

$195 review only

(or a total of up to 1000 words)

$995 full coaching

$295 review only

(or a total of up to 1500 words)

$1375 full coaching

$435 review only

(or a total of up to 2000 words)

$1735 full coaching

$565 review only

(or a total of up to 2500 words)

$2075 full coaching

$685 review only

(or a total of up to 3000 words)

full coaching

$795 review only

(or a total of up to 3500 words)

$900 review only

(or a total of up to 4000 words)

$1000 review only

(or a total of up to 4500 words)

$1098 review only

(or a total of up to 5000 words)

$1194 review only

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The flexibility and availability offered to me by my selected tutor as well as her willingness to work with me until we perfected the things needed for my college journey. I would Highly recommend prepscholar to anyone looking for help or improvement in high school.

I really liked the personalized support for my essays and how my consultant took the time to understand me as a person to know how to best reflect myself in my essay. She was also very understanding when I needed more time to work on the draft before another round of revisions

Many of the people that reviewed my essay told me the same thing: show don’t tell. However, they never explained what they meant or how to accomplish that. Lily was really nice and helpful in demonstrating what I needed to change instead of just saying it needed improvement. She was also really nice!

Through the consulting sessions, Laura was able to hone in on Mike’s true values, and the best positioning to colleges.  She helped pick the best activities and way to word the activities on the applications.

After many sessions, the application and essay writing became more natural for Mike. I’m glad to say that his voice fully shines through the essays. His consultant just helped him cut out unneeded information, and help hit the word limit and make the most important points. Shewas an expert at knowing how to position clubs and activities as well.

My consultant did an excellent job helping me tell my story. Over our first week, he provided very helpful feedback on my topic ideas and quickly identified a concept that ended up leading to a well-formed essay. He was also very helpful and encouraging throughout the process, and he provided accurate and specific feedback that helped me create an essay that felt very true to myself. Paradoxically, the essay we created together felt much more genuine than any of the attempts I had made at drafting an essay on my own beforehand!

Prepscholar’s personalized approach to the admissions process is invaluable. Eric’s “show, don’t tell” philosophy is practical and proven. Allen and the Prepscholar team embody this essential value with their own degrees and educational accolades. I trust them with my collegiate future. I would suggest that anyone needing guidance through the admissions process do the same.

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177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis, how to write a perfect “why this college” essay, free expert-led college admissions advice webinars, watch replays & register for upcoming webinars, have more questions, call or email us to talk with one of our expert academic advisors today: 1 (866) 811-5546, to speak to an advisor, call us at +1 (866) 811 5546 or have us call you:.

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College essay writing liveonline bootcamp, craft your best essays to perfect your application with detailed feedback from our college admissions team..

Write the Perfect College Essay

Colleges are looking for students who will add meaningful value to their community. In this bootcamp we will teach you how to deliver this message. We will:

Review what admissions readers like to see in your essays

Identify a topic for your personal statement and provide feedback on drafts

The Princeton Review is offering a variety of access lengths including a 12-month access period.

Brainstorm ideas for common supplemental essay prompts

Strategize how to organize essay requirements and outline a writing schedule

Preview the Common App and share tips for completing a strong application

How it Works:

Classes are 1 hour of interactive learning, followed by 30 minutes of dedicated work time, office hours and 1-on-1 time with the instructor.

Students will be assigned homework to complete and return.* Instructors will review and provide notes prior to the following meeting.

Assignments will include an essay brainstorming worksheet and three drafts of your personal statement essay.

College Essay Writing LiveOnline Bootcamp Schedule:

May 18th 6:30-8:30 pm edt, may 25th 6:30-8:00 pm edt, june 1st 6:30-8:00 pm edt, june 8th 6:30-8:00 pm edt, june 15th 6:30-8:00 pm edt, response time: within 1 business day.

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