I am a writer, editor, and instructor with a background in mainstream journalism leadership. I was a founding editor of Time Inc.'s Sports Illustrated for Kids Magazine, a senior editor at Sesame Workshop, and a contributing writer to This Old House, Working Mother, Money, New Jersey LIfe, and other publications. My personal essays have been published in anthologies, on Substack, and for several years I wrote the “College Bound” column in Montclair (NJ) Local.

I have been an active volunteer for Dartmouth College since graduation, serving five years as Essex County District Enrollment Director and, for more than three decades, as an alumni interviewer. I hold a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Dartmouth, which honored me with its Alumni Award for extraordinary service to the College.

Born in Montclair, NJ, I lived outside the United States for much of my childhood, returning in time to attend Montclair Kimberley Academy for middle and high school.

My coaching philosophy

I believe that students and their families stress needlessly over the college application process. As the parent of three college graduates (one with a grad school degree), I am very familiar with that brand of anxiety. I also know that—with my background in writing and writing instruction, as well as my keen belief in the positive influence of good writing—I can help students address with confidence the essay portion of applying to college.  

I meet each student where they are, with a coaching process that takes into account their particular attitude and approach to writing. By front-loading our time together with a proven brainstorming method, I help them identify a focused topic, list elements of their theme, and add details and introspection to their narrative. To move the writing process along, we talk as often as necessary, and I help each client identify a narrative arc that aims to keep the college admission reader’s experience front of mind.

I’ve learned that the best time to start meeting with a student is when they feel ready. Press me on this, and I’ll suggest we start after the conclusion of junior year, before applications become something they have to squeeze in between the crush of senior-year classes and their extracurricular pursuits. That said, some clients don’t come to me till late in the summer or early in the fall of their senior year. I make myself available throughout the summer months, and, come fall, I’m typically available seven days a week, including evenings. My clients work with me remotely, via phone and Google docs.

One more thing. My business is about supporting students through the writing of their application essays, but I strongly believe I am also teaching them a life skill. Communicating well and in first person—integrating life experiences, education, reflection, and beliefs—is fundamental to connecting with others, whether in school, profession, or life in general. I like to think I’m helping each student find a voice that is uniquely theirs that they can call upon throughout their life.

I have coached the application essay privately since 2006, and I’ve been a workshop leader of writing coaches and students at IMANI, a college advocacy center in Montclair, NJ, where many of the graduates are first-generation college applicants. I’ve also coached high school juniors and seniors through the Paterson, NJ, CDC, and for several years, I taught the creative writing spectrum—from poetry to nonfiction prose—at Columbia University’s Summer High School Program.