College Admissions

With over 15 years of working with Top 20 college applicants, I am an expert in identifying the areas where everyone needs help: telling their story in way that makes them stand out. When you're up against other Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Yale applicants, there is more to personal statements and supplemental essays than merely being outstanding. Your story has to stop the jaded admissions folks in their tracks and make them say, 'Wow! That's who we're looking for!" That's where I come in. I take a deep dive into getting to you know, your story, what makes you tick and what motivates you. With the help of our curated conversations, custom guides and 90-minute brainstorming sessions, I will help you squeeze out every last ounce of your potential and make it sing on the page. Working in this way is painstaking and time consuming, but my results speak for themselves. Each year, I get 90+% of my clients into at least one of their top 3 dream schools. This also means that I cannot take on many clients (usually 25-28 per application cycle). My clients get admits to the Ivies, UC Berkeley, Stanford, UT, UMich, UNC, MIT, Duke, and many even receive scholarships. With so much personal attention given to each applicant and their multiple applications, it is impossible for me to maintain my high level of success if I take on more than 25-28 clients per year. This means three things: 1.) My schedule fills up quick 2.) I am by no means the cheapest consultant out there (in fact, I am on the more pricey side) 3.) The experience--and results--you have with me (yes, me, Avi...not some junior consultant) will be second to none. It's also worth noting that roughly half of my clients each year are those that had disappointing (and in some cases nightmarish) experiences working with other consultants. The most common complaint I hear from these disgruntled applicants is that the overpriced packages they were pitched didn't match the quality of the service. In short, they didn't feel like the consultant took a vested interest in their success, limiting their face to face time while discouraging them them from applying to top-tier schools. This way, the consultant looks like a big hero when you get admitted to schools you would have likely got admitted to without their "help". My specialty is Top 20 undergraduate universities for high schoolers. In both cases, my job is to get you interviews at, and admitted to, schools that in some cases you have no business getting accepted to, and in other cases getting you scholarship money for your No. 1 school. Otherwise, what's the point, right? If I can't raise the stakes for you, what am I getting paid for? Background: Born and raised in New York City, I take a non-nonsense approach to consulting. We are going to work together for months, sometimes a full year, together, so I like to set the tone for an honest, direct style of communication that leads to winning applications, not inflated egos. To do this successfully, I have to part coach, part mentor, part drill sergeant and part therapist. But mostly your fearless leader in navigating the tricky terrain of college apps. I will hound you for draft deadlines, insist on better revisions and deeper reflection even when you feel it's "good enough". And I will keep you on a structured schedule so you don't feel overwhelmed. Lastly, in certain cases I won't be "nice". If I feel you're capable of better, I'll let you know. If something could work better in an application, I will point it out. I will not spare your feelings, we're here to win this admissions game. I have coached this game for going on 20 years. I am a former Admissions reader at Berkeley and writer for the LA Times. I have a receding hairline and a mean left hook (former boxer). I value honesty over flattery and ambition over modesty. Let's make this happen. Together.

Welcome to my profile! With a diverse academic background from prestigious institutions like Harvard, NYU, and UC Berkeley, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to college admissions coaching. As a Senior Personal Statement and Supplemental Essay Coach at Oriel Admissions and a Writing Instructor at Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America, I've guided 60+ students to craft compelling narratives that stand out in the competitive college admissions process. My experience as a Creative Writing Faculty at NYU and English Faculty at Central Piedmont Community College further enriches my ability to help students express their unique stories effectively. Let's work together to make your college application shine—reach out to start your journey today!

Erika was born and raised in Washington Heights, New York City. She currently serves as an education consultant to school districts across the United States to ensure all high school students have access to the most rigorous coursework. She attended Dartmouth College for her undergraduate studies where she studied Sociology, African American Studies, Human Development and Education. She completed a teaching residency with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education while teaching World Geography and History at an all-boys school in Baltimore. She has independently assisted students through the college application process for the past seven years. “I believe every person has a riveting and unique story to tell. My job as a college coach is to find that story alongside students who may need an extra push to find the courage and verbiage to do so. I enjoy the early stages of ideation the most because I am consciously reminded of how promising our future is given students’ life stories. The reflection students are able to have through this process reveal bits of themselves they may have never taken note of before, and to me that is the beauty of storytelling and finding yourself.”

I help applicants build targeted college lists, develop authentic personal narratives, and navigate admissions decisions with confidence and clarity. Every applicant receives personalized, strategic guidance grounded in both firsthand and advisory experience navigating competitive admissions. I’ve advised numerous undergraduate applicants both formally through a consulting company and independently. I’ve helped students earn 80+ acceptances to highly selective colleges and universities, including but not limited to Harvard, Penn, and Princeton. I also bring firsthand experience navigating competitive admissions, having personally earned acceptances to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Carnegie Mellon, and Tulane, along with a four-year, full-tuition Army ROTC scholarship, full room-and-board awards, thousands of dollars in national and local merit scholarships, and congressional nominations to the U.S. Air Force and Military Academies. Let’s work together to turn ambition into acceptance!

I didn't take the traditional path into the Ivy League. I transferred in. I was admitted to two Ivy League schools as a transfer applicant and graduated from Cornell. Transfer admissions is its own game, and most admissions advice ignores it. You're not being judged on who you were at 17. You're being judged on what you've done since, why you need to leave, and why this school specifically is the right next step. The applicants who win tell a clear story of growth and fit. The ones who lose write a better version of their high school essay. I know the difference because I lived it. I can help with: - Transfer applications from start to finish, including school strategy, timing and positioning - The "why transfer" and "why this school" essays, where transfer applications are won or lost - Turning your first-year record, activities and circumstances into a compelling story - First-year applicants who want an unconventional perspective on standing out - Planning around pre-professional paths like finance, consulting and business

I have had 5 years of admissions coaching with both domestic and international students. Prior to coaching, I had 4 years of graduate admissions experience as a recruiter, director and regional director of admissions for multiple universities. I have helped students to achieve their goal of receiving acceptances at elite universities and private institutions such as Brigham Young University.

With nearly two decades of experience in writing and editing, I specialize in guiding high school seniors through the college application process. As an Admissions Coach at College Essay Builder, I worked closely with students to develop compelling essay ideas and refine drafts into standout final products. My freelance work has helped students gain admission to prestigious institutions such as the BYU, University of Oxford, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and San Diego State University. I lived in in the multicultural and multiethnic country of Qatar for eight years where language and communication were at the forefront of life. Having coached many students to success, I'm here to help you craft a unique and powerful application. Let's connect and make your college dreams a reality!

I have experience as an admissions interviewer for both Penn and Harvard. I've also spent the past 8 years as a mentor to high-potential high schoolers attempting to get into top 20 undergrad programs. We can work together to identify your safety, target, and reach schools, drafting strong essays that help you stand out to admissions boards. My students have received acceptances to: Brown, Columbia, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania (Penn), University of Washington, Stanford, Smith College, Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt.

When applying to college, my goal was to get into an Ivy League school. Throughout high school, I taught myself what I needed to do to achieve this, seeking resources and guidance everywhere I could find. Now, having attended, multiple top universities, I can use my extensive experience to guide others through the challenging but extremely rewarding process. I can advise on topics including developing a strategy for successful admissions (starting early in high school), preparing competitive application packages, and prepping for standardized testing and other requirements. Successful applications include Cornell University, Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and Rice University, among others. Please reach out, I am happy to help!

As a former Harvard Admissions Officer, Berkeley Application Reader, College Counselor (at a top 5 independent school in the US), and a Coca-Cola Scholar Application Reader, I have read 1000s of applications and helped 100s of students through the admissions process.