Work directly with Ken.
1-on-1 college essay coaching, start to finish — every session with Ken himself, never a delegate. Harvard Ed.M. and MFA. 1,550+ five-star reviews.
“Within just two lessons he helped me turn my Common App personal statement into something I was genuinely proud of. I was accepted to both UT Austin and UC Berkeley EECS!”
— Sitara
What the essay actually has to do
At the top of the applicant pool, grades and test scores stop being the deciding factor. Once past the academic threshold, admissions officers are looking for one thing: who you are, how you think, and what kind of student you’ll be on their campus.
The essay is the only part of the application where you control the answer — and it weighs more than most students realize for exactly that reason.
Most essays fall flat for the same reason: no one explains the job. The essay’s job is to make an admissions officer, buried in a thousand files, stop and think I want this kid here.
“For my son’s college essay, Kenneth did in one hour what I’d been paying others to unsuccessfully do in ten.”
— Heidi, parent
What you get when you work with Ken
This isn’t editing. Ken works through the thinking first — finding the real story, deciding what to build — before a single word of a draft exists. By the time a draft is written, it’s usually close, because the foundation is already solid.
- Every session directly with Ken — not a team coach, not an associate, not ever a handoff
- Brainstorm to final draft: the complete arc, start to finish
- The EssaySecrets™ framework applied to your student’s specific story and schools
- Voice preservation — the essay sounds like your student, not like what an essay “should” sound like
- Supplemental essay strategy for each school on the list
- Activities list and additional information guidance included in every package
- Direct email access to Ken throughout — he reads and replies to every message himself
Who this is for
Ken’s 1-on-1 work is for students applying to selective colleges who want certainty — not just “good enough,” but an essay they’re genuinely proud of, written in their own voice, that does its job.
- Students targeting top-25 schools where the essay matters most
- Students who know they have a story but can’t figure out how to put it on paper
- Students who’ve tried on their own — or with another coach — and still don’t feel confident
- Parents who want an expert they can trust, not a service they have to manage
- Families who understand that the essay is an investment, not an expense
“My daughter had been working with a coach much of the summer, but after one lesson with Kenneth, she said she learned way more with him. He was caring, engaged, and committed to helping her find her voice.”
— Isabel F., Odessa, FL
“I already knew who I was and what I stood for. What I didn’t know was how to make an application show it. That’s what the process gave me.”
— K.Y., admitted: UC Berkeley School of Law
“Great to have a strategy and ally in these stressful college planning days.”
— Queen
Why Ken specifically
Ken trained as a writer (MFA, Creative Writing) and an educator (Ed.M., Harvard). That combination is rarer than it should be. Most college essay coaches are former admissions officers who know what the gate looks like, or teachers who know how to give feedback. Few have spent serious time studying narrative and how learners actually learn.
After 3,600+ hours one-on-one, he noticed that the essay is not the assignment — it’s the output of a thinking process the student has never been guided through. Fix the thinking process, and the essay writes itself.
And it’s always Ken. Every session, start to finish, no exceptions. No team, no associate, no handoff — ever.
“He works hard to keep my messages sounding original while also addressing what admission officers want. Uses a very straightforward and effective teaching style.”
— Qing F., Simsbury, CT, admitted: Cornell
How it works
The process is the same for every student — clear, predictable, and built so the essay is done well before deadlines.
- Start with a conversation. Email Ken directly. Tell him about your student — schools, timeline, and where things stand. He reads every message himself and will be straight with you about what’s feasible.
- Brainstorm and find the story. The first sessions go deep into the thinking — not what happened but what it means and why it matters to admissions. This is where most students discover their essay is completely different from what they expected.
- Build the draft together. Once the foundation is solid, drafting goes fast. Ken reviews each version with specific, actionable feedback — not vague encouragement.
- Polish to done. Final sessions refine the voice, tighten the language, and make sure every sentence earns its place. You leave with an essay that sounds unmistakably like your student.
“Ken was highly efficient and helped her finish a month ahead of the deadline. Her confidence grew as a result.”
— Antoinette R., Brooklyn, NY
Packages and pricing
Single payment per package. No hourly meter. No surprises. Work directly with Ken — not a delegate — from first email to final draft.
Common App Main
$2,400
- Personal statement (650w), 1-on-1 brainstorm to final
- Activities list + additional info guidance
- Every session directly with Ken
UC Package
$3,000 / $1,500 add-on
- All 4 UC Personal Insight Questions (350w each), coached 1-on-1
- Strategy across all 8 prompts to pick your strongest 4
- Covers all 9 UC campuses
Main + up to 3 Schools
$4,775
- Everything in Common App Main
- Supplementals for up to 3 schools
Main + up to 6 Schools
$6,950
- Everything above + supplementals for up to 6 schools
- Most popular package
Main + up to 10 Schools
$9,850
- Everything above + supplementals for up to 10 schools
Start with a conversation →Limited spots each cycle. When the calendar’s full, it’s full.
Work directly with Ken, the founder. At comparable services, that price gets you an assigned team coach — their founder is $14,925. Single payment per package.
Common questions
Always Ken. Every session, start to finish, no exceptions. There is no team, no associate, no handoff — ever. He reads every email, runs every session himself, and reviews every draft personally. If his calendar is full, he will tell you directly.
It’s not editing. Ken works with your student through the thinking first — brainstorming, finding the real story, deciding what to build — before a word of a draft exists. By the time a draft is written, it’s usually close, because the foundation is already solid.
Most Common App Main engagements run 3–5 sessions. Multi-school packages typically add 1–2 sessions per school for supplementals. Ken sets the pace with you at the start and keeps things moving so you finish well before deadlines.
Most students finish their Common App personal statement in 2–4 weeks. Multi-school packages typically take 6–10 weeks. Starting earlier means more breathing room — but Ken has worked with students on tight deadlines too.
Yes. If you start with a smaller package and decide to add schools, you can upgrade — you’ll only pay the difference between packages.
EssaySecrets™ ($497) is the self-paced course — the same strategic framework Ken uses. The 1-on-1 packages bring Ken into your specific material: your student’s stories, drafts, and school list, with live sessions and direct feedback.
The 1-on-1 coaching packages do not have a refund policy — Ken does not offer refunds on coaching work that has begun. The EssaySecrets™ course ($497) has a separate 14-day refund policy.
Ready to start?
Tell Ken about your student — schools, timeline, where things stand. He reads and replies to every message himself.
Start with a conversation →Founder-led 1-on-1 — from $2,400. Limited spots per cycle.
Prefer to start on your own? EssaySecrets™ — the complete strategic framework, self-paced, from $497.