how much to charge for college essay

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How Much Does it Cost to Write My Essay?

Nayreth garcia.

• Cost & Pricing

Content Writer At Gradehacker

• Updated June, 2024

If you are thinking about working with an academic writing service but aren’t sure how much it costs to write your essay, here you’ll find our pricing guide and what factors influence the cost.

How Much Does it Cost to Write my Essay?

The starting cost of an essay writing service can range between $10 to $80 per page , depending on the company you want to work with.

Here at Gradehacker, prices are $55 or $60 per page.

Factors that affect the price are:

• Level of education
• Number of pages
• Time until deadline

In this blog post, you’ll find more information on why each of these factor impact the cost of your paper and what else this essay writing service includes.

Get the essay help you deserve

Submit your request, get in touch with our team, and get an AI-free quality paper sample that meets all your rubric requirements

You can also find this information in our video:

This guide was created to help you clearly understand how the pricing for our essay service works if you are an undergrad or graduate student. Not only will you know exactly what you will pay , but you will also understand all the factors taken into account for a legitimate and honest experience with an essay writing service.

You can also use our pricing calculator to get a faster-estimated price. Just fill out the fields that meet your specific need.

6 Factors That Affect Gradehacker's Pricing

Sometimes cheap essays can cost you a bad grade, which is worse than paying a few extra bucks. College essays can’t be generalized and automated since they are actually custom papers.

Each has its own requirements and instructions depending on:

• The variety of topics
• Type of your essay assignment
• Your academic career

So we believe having an automated standard price is not the best approach for getting a high-quality essay.

That’s why we are going to share with you the process Gradehacker uses to decide the price of essays based on students’ academic writing requests!

• The Level of Your Class (Undergrad, Graduate or Nursing)
• Number of Pages
• Spacing Format (Single vs. Double Spaced)
• Time Until Deadline

To ensure you can be confident and empowered to decide whether our reliable service with expert writers is a good fit for you, let’s go into more detail about each of these variables.

Is your essay for an undergraduate, graduate or nursing class?

Whether your first essay sample is more than 5 pages or you are coming back for more, our starting price per page is $55 for an undergrad essay sample and $60 for a graduate or nursing essay reference.  

This is extremely important as the topics and level of research for an undergraduate level are not as demanding as it is for a graduate level ; that’s the main reason the price is different.

Let’s say you need an essay about the digestive system, an introductory undergraduate biology assignment.

In that case, the topic complexity will be more simple than for a graduate class.

Now, what if you get the same subject for a master’s class? Obviously, the topic complexity and amount of research for sources that your essay will need will be higher.

That’s why the final price of an essay in Gradehacker will differ depending on the degree level you are pursuing.

How many pages does your essay need?

For our essay writing service, we have a starting fair price per page, as mentioned above. This means that the more pages your essay has, the lower the cost per page.

There will be tiered discounts per page after certain milestones, such as needing more than 4, 7, or 10 pages.

Sounds good, right?

With our paper writing services, you can rest assured that your work will be handled by experienced writers who deliver high-quality content on time and within your budget.

Is your essay single or double-spaced?

Now, let’s keep thinking about that digestive system essay topic.

Depending on the spacing formatting, the number of pages will vary even if it has the same amount of words.

Here’s an example:

If your essay needs to be written in a double-spaced format, your document will have 8 pages . But if your college paper is single-spaced, the number of pages would be slightly over 4.

Think about it as some sort of optical illusion experience. You may think there is less content because your document has fewer pages, but it’s about the same if you compare the word count.

Our professional paper writers will help you effectively convey your ideas and meet your word count requirements while maintaining the desired formatting.

What happens after you submit your request?

• Confirmation
• Meet your consultant
• See in real-time how your sample is being written
• Review your reference until it's up to your standards

What if your essay’s requirements are in terms of word count and not pages?

If your essay has a specific word count and not a number of pages, our Student Success team can still figure out the best reasonable price for you!

For our academic writing services, we have an internal tool that allows us to convert a specific word count to pages. This tool also considers other important aspects to reach an accurate page number.

Here’s the link to the site Wordcounter and we invite you to use it so you can see exactly where we get the page numbers. Just enter the font used, the spacing of the paper, and the font size.

In this sense, let’s suppose you have a 975-word complex assignment due soon. We put this into Wordcounter, which would tell us that those 975 words equal 4 pages of double-spaced content, with Time New Roman font size 12.

As you see, Wordcounter is a helpful internal tool that helps us determine the page count based on word count, font size, and spacing, and it also allows us to assess the cost associated with different kinds of papers accurately.

What happens if your essay’s requirements are given as a range of pages?

If your essay has a range of pages instead of a specific number, we find the average between the minimum and the maximum pages allowed.

We do this to ensure the best results for you so that you don’t receive any work with just the minimum requirements.

In our experience, we have found that going over the minimum is always beneficial for students to get high-quality papers. That’s why we provide the average pricing when you have a wide range of pages.

So, for example, you need an argumentative essay with a minimum of 6 pages and a maximum of 12 pages; we would calculate the average between these two limits. 

In this case, it would be 9. Therefore the price of having that essay on time will be offered based on those 9 pages.

With our paper writing services, we don’t want to offer you cheap essay references.

We strive for reasonable prices where you can trust you’ll have direct communication with our highly skilled writers and top-notch papers.

Do you need your paper in 72 hrs or less?

Based on our experience as a professional essay writing service, we know there’s always the possibility of needing a last-minute essay.

Maybe you forgot or thought you could squeeze it into your schedule, but life got in the way of the deadline.

You can always submit a request for review in these cases to find out if the short time frame will work.

Our team will review it, and if accepted, which is usually the case , an express service premium of 15% is added to the final price.  

This premium is due to having to prioritize these last-minute types of essays that have a limit of 5-6 pages , but you’ll be able to have your flawless papers on time.

For example, let’s say that under normal circumstances, your essay has a price of $150. If you need it in 72 hrs or less, the price will end up being $172.50

Now that you know all this, you can see that this detailed pricing chart makes sense.

We prioritize time delivery and student-friendly prices. We understand the significance of meeting deadlines and offer the assurance that your essay will be delivered within the specified timeframe.

Is my essay sample plagiarism-free?

The answer to this question will always be YES .

When purchasing an essay service, hundreds of students feel understandable anxiety about the authenticity of the content or sources their essay could have.

Many of them think plagiarism risk is extremely high, and we recognize it’s a problem for many essay writing services platforms .

By trusting Gradehacker, you’ll get an original custom-made essay reference exclusively written for you and your requirements.

We ensure our work is completely original by checking the paper’s formatting, grammar, spelling, and plagiarism.

We also run the assignment through a plagiarism checker and send you a report that shows the percentage of content that could count as plagiarized.

Most professors accept essays with a plagiarism score of 30% or less , but we believe that is entirely too high and thus aim to have less than 10%, with most of our custom papers having less than 5%!

And if issues like this one concern you when you’re considering hiring an essay writing service, we have a guide on how to avoid their most common problems, and that includes how you can ensure to receive plagiarism-free papers!

Is my essay sample AI-written?

No. Everything we create is ALWAYS written from scratch.

We are aware that because of the rise of AI writers, it has become very common to find essay writing services that use them to deliver cheap papers that are low-quality and filled with plagiarized content.

That’s why we commit to making your investment worth it and delivering the quality you deserve.

While our team recognizes the value of AI writers such as ChatGPTT or QuillBot, these are seen ONLY as tools that can speed up the research and outline process.

NOTHING you will receive will be written by an AI.

You can verify this with the plagiarism report we’ll include with your final sample.

What is my guarantee?

To make you feel confident about our work with you, we have multiple guarantees to ensure your academic success.

Access your document from the go

By working with us, you access our assignment management platform.

Here, you’ll see all the assignments we’ll help you with, including their deadlines and a link to the Google Doc where your assigned writer will work on your sample.

Yes. You can see in real time how your reference is coming to life.

Unlimited revisions

After you receive your sample, feel free to review and ensure that it’s up to your standards and clearly follows the requirements.

In those strange cases where the reference you get does not follow what you requested, you can leave your comments directly in the document or get in touch with your writer to let them know what suggestions you have.

You have unlimited revisions and we won’t stop until what you have in your hands is of the quality you deserve.

AI-Free work

As we explained above, AI papers are a huge concern for college students looking for help.

That’s why we commit to always delivering an original sample that was written by a real human.

You will verify this with our next guarantee.

Plagiarism report

Every reference that we deliver will include a plagiarism report to ensure that your paper is 100% original.

Our samples will have less than 10% of plagiarism and be completely custom-made to meet your assignment requirements.

Two days in advance

If you submit your request with a reasonable timeframe and we confirm this before we start working with you, we’ll deliver your sample ready for your review two days before your final deadline.

This guarantee applies to most requests made at least five days in advance, but it may not apply depending on complexity level and collaborative standards.

How can I communicate with my assigned consultant?

You have multiple ways of contacting your academic expert.

• 1-1 virtual meetings
• Phone calls
• Comments on the document

How quickly can I get assistance after making a request?

After you have submitted your request, we will communicate with you via email or text message as soon as possible.

We will get in touch in 24 hours or less.

In case you send your request over the weekend, we’ll contact you on Monday with all the information you need to know and the next steps to continue.

Why is working with Gradehacker's essay writing service an investment?

Money-wise, our tutoring service is a financial investment because you get a faster return on college while regaining more time to focus on your other responsibilities.

With our academic support, you can save semesters of complex assignments and tuition costs as you progress faster through school.

Imagine what a salary of $100k per year could represent in your family’s life a few years earlier than expected.

And trust us, as the first year of your next job position goes by, you’ll have already seen a return on your investment. After that, it’s all yours to enjoy.

Second, working with Gradehacker is a time investment because you get to experience what it’s like to get the best grades while prioritizing and optimizing your focus on your job and family.

With our team, you don’t need to spend 15 hours per week reading through the class material and feeling stuck whenever you have to write anything.

Student life is difficult, so worrying about a perfect essay shouldn’t feel like the end of the world when you can get help from a team of professional writers and study consultants with many years of experience.

We are the guarantee that lets you put focused attention into your life , knowing that you are partnered with experts who are 100% dedicated to helping and guiding you to become the professional you deserve to be.

Transform your adult college journey

Book a 30-min coaching call for free and find the personalized support and mentorship you deserve!

When life keeps asking for more and more of you, looking for alternatives for your academic assignments is not only smart but needed.

We hope you have a clear picture of how our pricing works and feel ready to submit your request to get help with your paper.

And if you still have doubts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! You can book a meeting with our team with no compromise or cost! 

However, if you want to explore other essay-writing companies or want to learn what tips you can use to write outstanding essays, check our these blogs:

PaperHelp Review 2023: How Good Is This Paper Writing Service?

Edubirdie Honest Review 2023 | Everything You Need To Know

EssayPro Review 2023: The Essay Writing Service Under The Scope

How to Write a Research Paper | The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

PapersOwl Review 2023: Legit or Edubirdie Scam?

Write an Essay From Scratch With Chat GPT: Step-by-Step Tutorial

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• 14 Best College Essay Services for 2024 (40 Services Reviewed)

Research conducted by Emily Kierkegaard , PhD, and expert-reviewed by Kevin Wong, PrepMaven Co-founder

Not sure which college application essay coaching and editing service is the best? We compared the top 40 services, created in-depth reviews for 14 of them, and narrowed it down to the 4 best that will help guide you through the process of writing amazing college application essays.

What is the Best College Essay Service?

• PrepMaven  – best college application essay service overall
• College Essay Mentor  – best for individual consultants
• The College Essay Guy  – best for unlimited essay assistance
• College Vine  – best of the big platforms

The best of the rest:

Individual essay consultants:

• College Essay Editor  – small editing team
• Allison Karpf  – former English teacher helping students
• Your College Vision  – former journalist with more affordable rates
• The College Guru  – good on paper but unresponsive
• Sofia Zapiola – budget-friendly application assistance

Mid-size teams:

• Lotus Learning  – focus on health sciences

Large platforms:

• Study Point  – larger platform with mystery editors
• Ivy Select  – larger platform with mystery editors
• Empowerly  – larger platform with mystery editors
• BeMo  – expensive and aggressive with wrong expertise

Schedule a college essay consultation

Best College Application Essay Services in 2024

#1 – prepmaven.

Our Verdict — Best College Essay Assistance Overall Price: $79–349/hour (minimum $510 package) PrepMaven’s one-on-one college essay assistance is the best option overall. Founded by brothers and Princeton grads Greg and Kevin, almost all of PrepMaven’s essay coaches have Ivy-League experience, primarily from Princeton and Harvard. All essay coaches also undergo a thorough training program in PrepMaven’s methods, developed by professional writers with deep understanding of the college admissions process, for helping students to discover the most compelling stories for their essays. Unlike other services, PrepMaven offers college essay assistance at several different price points. At the most accessible rate, students can work with current Ivy-League undergraduates who specialize in writing and have recently aced the college application process. At higher rates, students can work with coaches who are both Ivy-League grads and professional writers (screenwriters, journalists, editors) with many years of experience helping students to craft compelling essays. Interested students can even work directly with founders Greg and Kevin, who have over 15 years of experience helping students through the entire essay-writing process. PrepMaven’s services combine many of the best features of other good options into one, and it’s hard to beat their experience.

Sign up for PrepMaven’s college essay help now

Any student wanting college essay help, at any point in the process, with a range of budgets.

At a glance:

• Cost: $79–349/hour (minimum $510 package)
• Writing coach qualifications: Princeton graduates and professional writers (or current Princeton students); all trained

What we like:

• Ivy League experience —most of their writing coaches are Princeton grads or current students, with some from Harvard and other Ivies
• Different pricing options to meet different families’ circumstances
• More flexible and greater capacity to take on new students compared to individual consultants

Sign up for PrepMaven’s college essay help

#2 – College Essay Mentor

Our Verdict — Best of the Individual Consultants Price: unknown but high Some college essay consulting services consist of just one expert. Of these individual essay consultants, Chris Hunt at College Essay Mentor is our favorite. He combines writing experience as a journalist for the Economist and the Wall Street Journal with personal experience as a graduate of Dartmouth. However, he only works with a small number of students each year, and students need to apply to work with him — he only accepts students with top grades and test scores who are already strong applicants for top schools. Chris offers the option for one-time written feedback, but this only gives big-picture generalizations. (And written-only feedback is always limited.) In order for help with the essay process, students need to purchase a complete essay package.

Students with top grades and test scores who want to work with a one-person business, who have a sizable budget, and who are ready to get started early.

• Cost: $210 for a one-time written essay feedback (big picture only), then $110 per draft feedback; pricing for essay process packages unknown
• Essay coach qualifications: professional journalist, Dartmouth grad
• Professional writing experience as a journalist
• Extensive experience working with college applicants
• Partners with Debra Felix, former Director of Admissions at Columbia, for full application review

What we don’t like:

• One-on-one work is limited to very high-achieving students, who need to apply with a resume : “I limit my one-on-one work to students who I believe will be strong applicants to elite universities. As a rule, this means having high grades in challenging classes, a test score of ACT 34+ or SAT 1500+, and substantial activities outside of the classroom.”
• Works with a limited number of students (60 per year), so often no availability
• All-or-nothing packages don’t allow students to work with Chris for just a few hours or for part of the essay-writing process
• Secretive about pricing (he’ll only give pricing details once he’s reviewed the student’s resume and agreed to work with them), but we expect the minimum cost of working one-on-one to be several thousand dollars

#3 – The College Essay Guy

Our Verdict — Best for Unlimited Essay Assistance Price: $4900 for application to 3 schools, $8050 for application for 10 schools We’re fans of Ethan Sawyer, the original “college essay guy”— his book, College Essay Essentials , is a great guide to the essay-writing process. Ethan doesn’t work directly with many students these days, but he now has a team of consultants who help students follow his principles. Their assistance is really all-or-nothing — they prefer to work with students from the very beginning of the process, and their minimum package is $4900, which includes assistance with essays for three schools. If students are applying to ten schools (a more realistic number for students aiming at competitive colleges), the fee is a hefty $7400.

Students who want unlimited help through the entire process, who have a sizable budget.

• Cost: $4900 (supplemental essays for 3 schools) – $7400 (supplemental essays for 10 schools)
• Essay coach qualifications: mix of Ivy grads and former teachers, some writers/screenwriters; all trained
• Great free resources about the essay-writing process
• Their Matchlighters Scholars Program gives back to the community by providing admissions consulting for select qualifying students
• All-or-nothing packages have a high minimum fee and don’t work for students who want just a few hours of feedback or help with just part of the process

#4 – College Vine

Our Verdict — Best of the Big Platforms Price: $140–180/hour There are plenty of large platforms with large stables of part-time tutors and coaches available to work with students. Of these big platforms, we think CollegeVine has the best offerings. Compared to other large companies, CollegeVine provides more information about their tutors, and students can pick individual tutors to work with from their roster. However, this model is really just a way of finding individual tutors to hire. Tutors don’t receive any training and don’t share a common approach, so it’s a mixed bag. Their rates are fairly high for part-time tutors who don’t have specific expertise and training in college essay consulting. Because CollegeVine is really just a marketplace where individual tutors can find students, the quality and price will vary widely.

Students who want to work with a big company, or those who want a quick session or two to go over their essays.

• Cost: Typically $140–180/hour
• Essay coach qualifications: no specific qualifications, but a few are Ivy League graduates
• Possible to select individual editors to work with from their roster.
• Easy to schedule ad-hoc sessions with a tutor through the website.
• No training or common approach for tutors
• Editors are part-time , with no option to work with full-time college admissions experts
• Relatively expensive for this level of expertise

College Essay Editing Alternatives (that Didn’t Make the Cut)

Individual essay consultants, #5 – college essay editor.

Our Verdict — Small Editing Team Price: Roughly $5,950 for applications to 10 schools College Essay Editor comprises two graduates of Stanford. This means that they have personal experience applying to highly competitive schools. One member of the team also has a college counseling certification, which is a good background for college essays. Based on their website, they appear to focus on the editing and proofreading phase of the essay-writing process. This can be helpful to students, but we recommend working with a service who can help students to uncover their values and brainstorm really great material that allows them to really shine—and if this doesn’t happen at the beginning of the process, it’s much harder to add in later on.

• Cost: $195/1000 words for proofreading, $495/1000 words for 3 rounds of editing and proofreading, or $595/1000 words for unlimited rounds of editing and proofreading; for the purposes of comparison, complete applications to 10 competitive colleges would be around 9,650 words, or $5950.
• Writing coach qualifications: Stanford graduates, one of whom has college counseling certification
• Editors are graduates of Stanford University , and one is a member of NACAC, the national association of college counselors
• They focus on editing and proofreading only , not on the crucial earlier steps of brainstorming and strategy
• Small team with very limited availability
• All asynchronous editing so you won’t be able to cultivate a real relationship with your essay coach.

#6 – Allison Karpf

Our Verdict — Former English Teacher Helping Students Price: $385/hour or $3850 package for application to one school Another option for students looking to hire an individual consultant is Allison Karpf. Allison is a former high school English teacher and a graduate of UC Berkeley who also holds a Masters of Education from Stanford. Her rates are definitely on the higher side, especially for someone who doesn’t have a professional writing background, but she does have extensive experience working with students to craft their essays.

• Cost:  $385/hour or $3850 unlimited counseling (includes supplemental essays for one college)
• Essay coach qualifications: former high school English teacher; Berkeley grad, Stanford MEd
• Lots of experience helping students improve their college essays
• Very quick to respond to client requests
• No professional writing experience or Ivy-Plus undergraduate experience
• High rates relative to other options
• Limited availability , since she works alone

#7 – Your College Vision

Our Verdict: Former Journalist with More Affordable Rates Price: $180/hour, or packages starting from $3500 Laurie Lande is another individual consultant who helps students through the essay-writing process. She comes recommended by other consultants like Chris from College Essay Mentor . Laurie did not herself attend a highly competitive school, so she doesn’t have that personal experience of going through the selective admissions process, but she does have a professional writing background as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong.

• Cost: $180/hour or packages starting at $3500
• Essay coach qualifications: journalism background
• Affordable pricing , relative to other options
• Not a graduate of a highly selective school

#8 – The College Guru

Our Verdict — Good on Paper but Unresponsive Price: unknown Yet another individual essay consultant is Geanine Thompson from The College Guru. Geanine attended Dartmouth as an undergraduate and also holds an MBA from Duke. She also has a professional writing background as an assistant book editor at Berkley Publishing Group. Like Greg and Kevin at PrepMaven , she combines experience in the business world and at Wall Street firms with experience in education.

• Cost: unknown
• Essay coach qualifications: former assistant book editor; Dartmouth grad, Duke MBA
• Dartmouth graduate and former book editor
• Not responsive to emails and client requests

#9 – Sofia Zapiola

Our Verdict — A budget-friendly, personal essay editor. Price: $80/hour Yet another individual essay consultant is Sofia Zapiola, who offers a mix of essay editing and college application counseling services.

• Cost: $80/hour
• Essay coach qualifications: M.A. from Harvard; certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego.
• Individual approach, budget-friendly rates, commitment to working within families’ budgets.
• Very few testimonials, so it’s difficult to evaluate how effective she is.

Mid-size Teams

#10 – lotus learning.

Our Verdict — Expensive for Tutor Background Price: $165/hour Founded by a Harvard grad who is a former teacher and veteran of the publishing industry, Lotus learning offers college essay help in the Boston area. They have a small team of tutors, mostly recent grads from good but not Ivy-Plus colleges, and mostly with focus in health sciences.

• Cost: $165/hour (minimum 8 hours)
• Essay coach qualifications: tutors are recent grads, but not Ivy-Plus schools
• Reasonable pricing with flexible packages
• Essay editors aren’t graduates of Ivy-Plus schools and don’t have professional writing experience

Large platforms

#11 – study point.

Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: Rates Between $60 and $120/hr Study Point is a larger essay editing service. They claim to have several decades of experience helping students to craft their college essays, but they do not give information about who their essay coaches are and what qualifications they might have.

• Cost: $60-120/hr, depending on tutor experience
• Essay coach qualifications: unknown
• Larger company with several decades of experience
• Unclear who the essay coaches are
• Lack of statistics about their results

#12 – Ivy Select

Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: unknown Ivy Select makes a lot of big promises on their website about having the best college essay consultants in the business, but they offer no information on who these consultants are, or on their backgrounds. They also brag that each consultant “only” works 20 students in one application cycle, but in our experience, that’s quite high.

• Long list of impressive (but anonymous) testimonials
• Only work with “top students”
• No information on their website about who the editors are
• Each essay coach works with up to 20 students at one time

#13 – Empowerly

Our Verdict — Larger Platform with Mystery Editors Price: High, from $6000/year Empowerly has over 60 college counselors who each work with an average of 5 students per year, in order to have more time to devote to each student. Their counselors come from “different educational backgrounds,” and while they do not provide specific biographical details we can assume that most of their essay coaches did not attend highly selective schools.

• Cost: typically from $6000/year
• Essay coach qualifications: college counselors
• Counselors work with just a few students per year
• You have to upgrade to “Empowerly Elite” to guarantee a counselor with a more selective educational background
• No professional writing experience

#14 – Prepory

Our Verdict — Expensive but with Good Expertise Price: $325/hr Prepory is a college application and career counseling service that offers a comprehensive program for college applications at any stage of the process (including as early as 9th grade). They make a lot of impressive claims about the expertise of their coaches, but it’s quite difficult to actual find much information about their essay coach qualifications.

• Cost: $325/hr
• They have a comprehensive college application program that begins as early as 9th grade.
• Limited information about essay coaches
• High prices

Top 40 College Essay Services Considered

• College Essay Editor
• The College Essay Guy
• College Vine
• College Essay Mentor
• Study Point
• Allison Karpf
• The College Guru
• Lotus Learning
• Summit Prep
• Sofia Zapiola
• Ivy Global / New Summits
• College Essay Solutions
• Your College Vision
• Essay Edge*
• ServicEscape*
• PapersForge*
• QuickWriter*
• JustEditMyEssay*
• JustDoMyEsssay*
• ExpertWriting*
• SpeedyPaper*
• GradeMiners*

* A number of services will edit essays directly for students, or even write portions of the essay for students. We do not condone this. Admissions officers can tell when essays have been written or edited by adults and this can have severe consequences. We have excluded these services from our reviews.

Why are college application essays important?

Can a great college essay alone get you into Harvard?

No. You’ll need your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities (as well as letters of recommendation and interview) to be outstanding.

But can a mediocre essay be the reason you didn’t get into Harvard?

Yes. There are thousands of amazingly-qualified students who graduate from high school each year. Great grades and test scores might be a prerequisite for admission to a competitive college, but they alone aren’t enough.

College essays are a key component of a student’s application . When done well, they transform a collection of numbers—GPA, class rank, SAT or ACT scores , number of AP classes taken, AP scores—into a glimpse of a real, individual person.

Essays do many things. Good college essays can highlight extracurricular achievements which otherwise would be overlooked in a sterile list. Strong essays often indicate the student’s future plans —how they plan to leave a mark on their college campus and on the world. They can shine a light on unique challenges that a student may have had to face on their journey.

College admissions officers only have a few minutes to spend on each application. College essays need to be original, interesting, and memorable . They need to grab the attention of the admissions officer and persuade them that this is the student out of hundreds or thousands of other similarly-qualified applicants who should be admitted.

College admissions essays are usually unlike any other kind of writing that students have done before. They’re a combination of memoir and marketing pitch, and they need to be creative but also highly strategic. That’s a tough assignment!

What’s more, students are left to figure this assignment out on their own. A thoughtful and generous high school English teacher may provide guidance or offer to read essays and give feedback, but these teachers are responsible for many students, and they’re (usually) not experts in admissions strategies.

There’s another reason college essays are especially important from 2024 on. After the recent Supreme Court decision, the application essay has become one of the main ways that you can communicate how your racial identity has affected your life.

In fact, the New York Times published an article about how important it can be for students to discuss race in their college application essays!

Why work with a college essay service?

You may want to consider a college essay service if:

• You have no idea where to start in order to write your college application essays
• You feel overwhelmed by all of the different ideas you have and don’t know what would be the most strategic for college admissions—and what topics to definitely avoid for college essays
• You don’t know how to craft a compelling stor y
• You’re not sure how to edit and refine what you’ve written
• You have a hard time keeping yourself on track and want an external structure to hold you accountable
• You’re tired of conflict between students and parents about college essays
• You’re aiming at a competitive college (not just the Ivy League!) and know that you need your essays to be outstanding
• Your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars aren’t exceptional, so you need your essay to make your essay stand out from the pack
• You’re unfamiliar with the US college admissions process (a common situation for international students and first-generation families in the US)

Any of these are strong reasons to consider working with a college essay service!

It’s also worth remembering that a lot of the free advice on college’s website isn’t always very clear. For example, NYU’s admissions Senior Assistant Director of Admissions says that “There is no right or wrong way to answer as long as your answer is genuine to you.”

While that’s true, that doesn’t offer much guidance on how to actually write the essay!

Though many college applicants might not mention it, more and more students are using professional college application consultants. Research at the University of Chicago has shown that over a quarter of high-achieving seniors employed private specialists to help with the college application process.

In fact, according to NPR , some companies are even offering college admissions counseling to their top employees as an incentive–that’s just how important professional help can be in the current landscape of college admissions.

It’s important to note that a good college essay service will not write your college application essays for you . This is unethical and illegal. That’s not just coming from us: take it from a school like Princeton, whose website insists on the importance of writing your own application essays.

A good college essay service will guide you through each step of the process , teaching you how to self-reflect and write well while sharing insider insight about admissions strategy .

What makes a good college essay service?

We strongly believe that students need to write their own college essays , and we do not condone plagiarism or “buying” a college essay.

However, writing college application essays requires a completely new set of skills that is rarely taught in high school!

Writing a personal essay is much more creative than simply writing a good paper for English class. It requires a compelling narrative and a great deal of writing craft . A good essay service will teach how to do this kind of writing.

There are many college essay services that will provide only written feedback to students, usually in the form of comments added to an essay draft. (Remember, it’s important that students write their own essays, so avoid any college essay service that will make edits directly to an essay document .)

Written comments can be an effective component of good essay coaching. However, writing college essays is a deeply personal process , and it’s incredibly difficult to guide a student through the process of self-reflection, brainstorming, and planning purely through written comments.

In addition, a great college essay coach will teach students how to do this entire process of brainstorming, planning, outlining, writing, and revising . It’s difficult to learn why an essay coach is advising certain changes through written comments alone.

For these reasons, look for a college essay service with live, one-on-one services , not just written feedback. These days, it’s easy to work with the best college essay consultants in the country over Zoom!

Students need to reflect on their goals, their passions, and what drives them to be the person they are. This requires a great deal of self-awareness and self-analysis . An experienced college essay coach can help draw these ideas out of students through tested introspection techniques and brainstorming exercises .

On top of all of that, students need to be cognizant of which traits and accomplishments will be most appealing to colleges , and which stories will be cliche and boring. Personal statements and supplementary essays need to fit together to tell a cohesive story, and they need to work together with the rest of the student’s application (extracurriculars, grades, and other accomplishments).

In other words, there’s a great deal of strategy here! An experienced college essay service can help students decide how to present themselves in the best possible light .

Furthermore, most students don’t know how to edit effectively . A really top-notch college essay service will also teach students how to edit their own writing —how to reorder sections for better flow, cut unnecessary words to meet a word count, eliminate passive verbs, and make their writing vivid and exciting. Our students are routinely amazed by how transformative this step can be, and how much they learn by doing it together with the essay coach.

Finally, the best college essay services can also help students to make a writing plan and keep them on track , so that parents don’t have to be involved directly.

Ready to work on your college essays? Schedule a free 15- to 30-minute consultation with Jessica or one of our founders.

Best overall: PrepMaven’s tutors offer the highest quality at the best price. With three tiers of tutors, they make it easy to work with an Ivy League undergraduate for as little as $79/hr. Or, families can work with education professionals or Ivy League graduates from $150/hr. PrepMaven’s track record means that you can be sure every hour is being spent productively, so that you can expect real results from the work.

Best for individual consultants: College Essay Mentor. In theory, College Essay Mentor would offer an unparalleled level of individual attention and guidance: his website boasts of some very impressive results. You might find it hard to actually schedule with him, however, since he’s very selective about his clients.

Best for unlimited essay assistance: The College Essay Guy might not offer that personalized attention you get from live, face to face essay coaching, but they do offer unlimited essay editing for up to 10 schools (if you’re comfortable paying a hefty package price).

Best of the big platforms: College Vine will always be a bit of a gamble. Because it’s a tutor marketplace, your results (and costs) will really depend on how lucky you get with your consultant. From our research, however, many of their essay coaches look to have solid track records.

Ready to work on college essays with one of our experienced writing coaches? Schedule a free test prep consultation with Jessica (Director of Tutoring) or one of our founders to see what would be the best fit for your family.

It’s always best to start early and not wait until the last minute to write your college essays! Remember that essays can be used to earn scholarships as well as college admission, so a few months of writing now can pay off with up to $300,000 in tuition saved later. 

We work with students at all stages of the writing process, from I-have-no-idea-what-to-write to final edits. To start working with an Ivy-League writing coach today, set up a quick free consultation with our team.

Schedule a free college essay consultation

Top College Essay Posts

• Qualities of a Successful College Essay
• 11 College Essays That Worked
• How to Answer the UC Personal Insight Questions
• How Colleges Read your College Applications (A 4-Step Process)
• How to Write the Princeton Supplemental Essays
• The Diamond Strategy: How We Help Students Write College Essays that Get Them Into Princeton (And Other Ivy League Schools)
• What is the College Essay? Your Complete Guide for 202 4
• College Essay Brainstorming: Where to Start
• How to Write the Harvard Supplemental Essays
• How to Format Your College Essay

Emily graduated  summa cum laude  from Princeton University and holds an MA from the University of Notre Dame. She was a National Merit Scholar and has won numerous academic prizes and fellowships. A veteran of the publishing industry, she has helped professors at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton revise their books and articles. Over the last decade, Emily has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

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The Write Stuff: 4 College Admissions Essay Editing Services Reviewed

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Looking for good news about the college admissions process these days? You won't find much of it. Not only has the cost of attending college doubled on average since the 1980s, but also it's gotten considerably harder to get in. The majority of colleges in America have witnessed a plummeting acceptance rate as the number of student applications has exploded. Fifty years ago you had a 20 percent shot at getting into Harvard (all things equal, of course). Now the Crimson's acceptance rate is about 5 percent. In the last 10 years alone, the acceptance rate at many major universities has been cut in half . It's almost enough to make a kid consider trying out for the rowing team .

As if applicants didn't have enough to stress about, colleges have been making it more onerous to apply—requiring additional interviews, recommendations, and SAT Subject Tests. But the most burdensome of them all is an old standby: the application essay.

Essay requirements vary widely from school to school. The 150-plus members of the Coalition for College (which includes Harvard and Vanderbilt) requires a single 500-word essay selected from prompts such as "Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution." Those with eyes on the University of California system must write a whopping four essays, with prompts such as "Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced."

Students can reuse essays with other colleges if the prompts are similar enough—or if the schools happen to be members of the same application partnership—but you'd be surprised how seldom this occurs. My daughter found that out the hard way, when she learned that she'd have to write 12 separate essays to cover just five schools.

What's a kid to do who doesn't have parents who both work full-time as writers and editors? Just run their essay through Microsoft grammar check and hope for the best? Good luck. The acceptance rate at the University of Chicago has dropped 81 percent in the last 12 years. It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to know that if you don't put your best foot forward, you may as well not even bother.

All of this led me to the curious world of online editing services. While you can hire a consultant to help guide your child through this overwhelming maze, these consultants are expensive and much of their work involves managing the complex application process, figuring out which colleges are a good fit, and brainstorming essay topics. If you just need help whipping an already written essay into better shape, an online editor might be a better (and much cheaper) fit.

To be sure, some of these services are exorbitantly expensive. Services like EssayEdge and TopAdmit can run you close to $200 for editing a single essay of fewer than 400 words. I've seen prices as high as $379 after various upsells. Word for word, that's more than what my editor at WIRED makes. (Hi, Mike!)

The good news is there are plenty of more affordable options available. I tested four of them, all reasonably priced and seemingly legitimate. Most of these services charge based on a combination of the word count of the original essay and the turnaround time required. I used the same raw essay from my daughter as a test piece for each of the four services, and requested the slowest turnaround time each of them offered to minimize the cost. I submitted her 383-word raw essay at the same time to each of the services, on a Wednesday afternoon. I gave all the services minimal guidance with my submission, noting only (when prompted) that this was a college application essay. All four of the services allow you to upload a Microsoft Word document and receive a red-lined and comment-filled Word document in return.

When I received the revised essays, I reviewed them along with my wife (also a professional writer) and my daughter, the author. The reviews were done blind, without indicating the source of any of the edits, and we all rated each essay on a 1 to 10 scale. I also threw in a copy that I roughly edited. For the sake of comparison, the raw essay scored an average of 4.8, while my edit garnered a 6.9.

Here's what the various services cost, and how well they performed.

Note: When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read more about how this works.

Total price: $13.91, 48-hour turnaround promised. Edit received within 24 hours.

Scribendi offers seven different turnaround time tiers, but its 72-hour and one-week turnarounds were the same price as the 48-hour turnaround. A four-hour turnaround was quoted at $28.53. Scribendi returned both a changes-tracked version of the document and a "clean" version with all edits accepted. Scribendi's edit was not just the fastest, it was incredibly thorough—almost nitpicky—with 16 comments or prompts to the writer suggesting avenues for additional content or revisions that were beyond the scope of a simple edit. Oddly, the final edit didn't resonate with readers, who largely felt it was somewhat awkward and clunky in its overall flow. That said, the editor's notes and the service's overall speed were a big plusses.

Readers' rating: 5.0

Total price: $13.90, three-day turnaround promised. Edit received after two days.

Elite Editing has an Advanced Editing service for $40, but the $13.90 plan I chose offers only "basic editing," which doesn't include "suggested rewrites to eliminate awkward phrasing, repetition, passive voice, etc." and "taking into account your original assignment." Three days is the standard turnaround; one-day turnaround for the Basic Editing plan would have cost $19.90. The site crashed when I checked out, but my payment and submission both went through successfully. As promised, Elite's edit was indeed basic. Its editor made the fewest changes of any of the services and left only three comments, one of which was about whether the use of indentations and double-spacing was appropriate. While Elite's edits were correct, they weren't terribly deep—although that was enough to propel it to a second-place finish from the readers.

Readers' rating: 5.7

Total price: $15.32, five-day turnaround promised. Edit received after four days.

Wordvice has eight different pricing tiers, with rates as low as 4 cents per word for a seven-day turnaround, though that tier was limited to materials longer than 3,000 words. The five-day turnaround tier was only marginally more expensive. When I received Wordvice's edited document, I was offered an upsell for a "second look" (basically another edit) for 30 percent off. Wordvice's embedded commentary was nearly as thorough as Scribendi's, though Wordvice was less obsessive over grammar and more focused on overall clarity. Turns out that was the right move: Wordvice's edit was the overall favorite of the quartet, and the finished draft reads cleanly and clearly.

Readers' rating: 6.3

Total price: $31.33, seven-day turnaround promised. Edit received after four days.

Scribbr initially quoted a price of $25.36, but I shelled out an extra $6 for both the "structure check" and "clarity check" options, despite not really understanding what those were. Prices include a 2 percent surcharge for using a credit card. For those in a hurry, 24-hour turnaround doubles the price. Scribbr seems more focused on editing academic coursework essays than admissions essays, with a relatively formal structure applied to its edits (removing contractions completely, for example). Editor's commentary was sparse, though on target. This draft was the most divisive of the services, earning high marks from my wife but very low marks from my daughter, who thought it stripped the writing of her voice.

Readers' rating: 5.3

Any good college essay has to end with a conclusion, so here are a few takeaways. First, all of the services sent back essays that were, on average, felt to be an improvement over the original draft, with all of them catching numerous spelling and grammatical errors—so students with no professional editing help may do well to consider them, especially given how affordable these services are. That said, also remember that when you engage with an editing service, you're really engaging with a single (anonymous) editor who you won't ever meet or be able to interact with. That editor won't have any level of understanding of the writer's personality beyond what's on the page, and quality will necessarily vary from one editor to another, even within a given editing service.

Further still, remember that editing quality is always going to be subjective, just like any piece of writing. Except for this story, of course. It's amazing.

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Getting College Essay Help: Important Do's and Don’ts

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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• College Application

College Essay Advisors: 5 Reasons You Need One

How can college essay advisors help me boost my chances of getting into my dream school and succeeding once accepted? This is a common question. Whether you are trying to get into one of the best undergraduate business schools or you're unsure of what you want to study in college, you will most likely need to write a personal statement or a common app essay for your application. Essays are a challenging part of the college application process, and they play a significant role in the admissions committee's decision. This post will go over everything you need to know about college essay advisors and how they can help you through this difficult process and beyond.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 6 min read

As colleges become more and more selective, being an intelligent, well-rounded student is no longer enough to guarantee college admission. SAT scores, IB or AP classes, GPA, and extracurriculars still matter, but college essays and letters of recommendation have started to carry more weight for many schools. In other words, the college essays portion of the college application is now more important than ever, so hiring a college essay advisor is worth considering.

Essentially, they are college advisors who can help you with as little or as much as you want when it comes to writing your personal statement or college essays . That can include, but is not limited to the following:

Helping you grow your skills as a writer, researcher, and critical thinker "}]" code="timeline1">

Some people are able to write a good essay by themselves or with the help of friends and family, so you don’t need one to get into college. Still, we highly recommend that you get one for a variety of different reasons that we explain better below:

College is competitive

We’re probably not the first ones to tell you this, but we’re going to mention it again because that’s what this really boils down to. The college admissions landscape is getting more competitive every year, so students need a strong application that stands out from the crowd to gain an admissions letter—especially from top colleges. Even the easiest Ivy League schools to get into are seeing an increase in the number of applicants they get every year, but their acceptance rate is either the same or lower. There is even more pressure to have a great application when you consider the fact that most colleges in the US have a rolling admission system.  

That’s where college essay advisors come in handy. They have an in-depth understanding of the world of college admissions. Not only have most of them gone through the process themselves, but they have helped other students go through it. They actually know what schools are looking for as opposed to just assuming what’s competitive. They are also trained to decipher all the “admissions talk” on college websites. Advisors are simply better suited to help students put their best foot forward, especially for college essay writing.

Do you need to write a common app essay? Here are some tips to write one that will impress admissions committees:

Writing college admissions essays is challenging

Writing these essays is a challenge for people who have done it before, let alone a prospective college student who’s still trying to figure out how to create their high school resume . Unfortunately, we are very rarely taught about writing academic essays or personal statements in school, so even gifted writers or A+ English students don’t automatically have the tools needed to write an essay that will impress the college admissions committee.

If you’ve ever watched a show with high school seniors getting ready to apply to colleges, you’ve probably watched the scene where an admissions expert comes to give a talk about college applications and mentions that they’re tired of reading the same kind of personal essay. We’re trying to say that, unfortunately, without guidance, students are just not that original when it comes to college applications. They are often too focused on writing what they think the admissions board wants to hear, which shows in their final essay.

On the other hand, good college essay advisors have gone through this process multiple times. They will have the tools and strategies necessary to brainstorm great, original topics for college essays and the experience needed to make the final essay as strong as possible.

Learning lifelong skills

The personal statement or supplemental college essay is the first in a string of many academic papers that students will have to write while they complete their degree. After gaining admissions, students can start learning how to write better essays as time goes by, but working with a qualified college essay advisor will give students a solid basic knowledge of essay writing. A good advisor will not write the students’ essays for them. Instead, they will walk them through the entire process – from brainstorming to drafting and polishing - and give the students strategies that they can use to strengthen their essays. Thus, giving students the tools to be better critical thinkers and writers. These abilities will come in handy during college and beyond.

Additionally, writing a college admission essay is more than writing a regular school paper because it requires a lot of self-reflection. Writing a personal narrative with the guidance of an expert can allow students to stop and think about themselves as a person and what they want from college and the future.

Advisors save you time, stress & money

Applying to colleges is a long and complex process. A big part of that process is essay writing. Not only is it time-consuming, but it can get overwhelming, really fast for the student and those around them. During this time in a students\u2019 life, emotions are typically at an all-time high, and arguments may erupt at any point. Working with a professional will help alleviate the enormous pressure on their families by allowing them to share the burden with somebody else who has a lot more experience with this particular kind of load.  ","label":"Stress","title":"Stress"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Personalized feedback

Often, students rely on their own skills and the help of high school guidance counselors, but while those are valuable resources, they’re simply not enough. High school guidance counselors work incredibly hard and do their very best. Still, they simply cannot prioritize individual students and provide the same kind of personalized feedback that a private advisor can. A private college essay advisor will be able to spend more time with individual students and guide them through the process in a way that is specific to the students’ needs and goals, instead of general assumptions or the school’s best interest. 

Would you like some more advice on how to write a stellar college essay? Check out this infographic:

Much like any other valuable service, college essay advisors cost money. There is, unfortunately, no way to get around that. The cost of a college essay advisor will depend on many different things. Like the exact services you need, your location, and the advisor themselves, of course. On average, advisors charge about $150 per hour, and comprehensive package fees range from as low as $1000 to a high of $10,000.

Hiring a college consultant can be a significant cost, especially for students with limited resources. However, the right college essay advisor is worth every penny for all the reasons that we mentioned above. You have to keep in mind the fact the fact that the services of a college essay advisor can also save you money. The skills that you learn while working with them will come in handy throughout college and afterward as well. Furthermore, it is far more expensive to apply to multiple colleges a second time. 

Tip: College admissions consulting firms will typically offer this college essay drafting and reviewing as part of an application review bundle. The bundle would include help with college admission essays and other parts of the college application, which can get tricky for prospective students and their loved ones. Furthermore, the companies may have different payment options for these bundles, like installments or payment plans.

Tips for choosing the right college essay advisor

If after further reflection you decide that a college essay advisor is a good investment, you should take the time to search for the right one for you. After all, you will be paying them your hard-earned money and trusting them with helping you while you take a crucial step in your academic journey. So, to help you, here are five tips to help you choose the right college essay advisor:

Most good advising firms or private advisors will offer a free initial consultation to determine if the service they provide is right for you, especially if their fees are relatively high. These initial consultations are as much for them as they are for you. It's your opportunity to ask as many questions as you need and determine if they can do what you need them to do. They also get a chance to tell you if and how they can help you. Thus, you both walk away from the conversation, knowing if you are a good fit. You should check if they offer this first strategy call and take advantage of it. Find out what their service will consist of and set the expectations right from the start. "}]">

Applying to college is a lengthy, complex, and often overwhelming process. One of the main reasons for that is that students are not taught how to write personal statements or admissions essays in high school. With college admissions getting increasingly competitive and essays becoming a more important part of the application process, the cost of a college essay advisor could be worth it for you. Make sure you follow the guidelines outlined above to find the advisor for you.

College essay advisors are admissions specialists who guide and advise students to write personal statements or college admissions essays.

They help applicants brainstorm topics for college application essays. They also help them draft, edit and polish those essays to make them as compelling as possible. In doing so, they teach students to be better writers.

You do not need one, but we highly recommend getting one as they will significantly improve your essay, thus increasing your chances of college admission.

The average is around $150 an hour. Package deals can cost anywhere from $1000 to $10,000 depending on the services required.

We do not doubt that you are a great writer, which will make this process easier for you, but college admissions essays are about more than just good word choice. You need to know your audience, and no one knows admissions committees like admissions consultants and college advisors.

Guidance counselors can provide a lot of great advice. Unfortunately, they usually don't have the resources to give individual students the personalized feedback needed to write the best essays possible. On the other hand, college essay advisors can actually prioritize individual students and help them write a compelling admissions essay.

Take the time to research the advisor. Check their website for their qualifications, success rate, and success stories. Check their Trustpilot reviews as well to find out what past students have to say.

Yes, you may, and we do recommend that you do. We offer our services online to help you from almost anywhere in the world. Reach out to our team to discuss how we can help you.

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Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

Find the right college for you.

Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.

Want to know how to draft an essay for your college application ? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing.

Tips for Essay Writing

A typical college application essay, also known as a personal statement, is 400-600 words. Although that may seem short, writing about yourself can be challenging. It's not something you want to rush or put off at the last moment. Think of it as a critical piece of the application process. Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor.

1. Start Early.

Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible.

You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better.

2. Understand the Prompt and Instructions.

Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.

3. Create a Strong Opener.

Students seeking help for their application essays often have trouble getting things started. It's a challenging writing process. Finding the right words to start can be the hardest part.

Spending more time working on your opener is always a good idea. The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of your piece. The introductory paragraph is what piques the interest of the reader, and it can immediately set your essay apart from the others.

4. Stay on Topic.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep to the essay topic. If you're applying to 10 or more colleges, it's easy to veer off course with so many application essays.

A common mistake many students make is trying to fit previously written essays into the mold of another college's requirements. This seems like a time-saving way to avoid writing new pieces entirely, but it often backfires. The result is usually a final piece that's generic, unfocused, or confusing. Always write a new essay for every application, no matter how long it takes.

5. Think About Your Response.

Don't try to guess what the admissions officials want to read. Your essay will be easier to write─and more exciting to read─if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about your subject. Here’s an example: If all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, it may be a good idea to avoid that topic, unless during the pandemic you had a vivid, life-changing experience you're burning to share. Whatever topic you choose, avoid canned responses. Be creative.

6. Focus on You.

Essay prompts typically give you plenty of latitude, but panel members expect you to focus on a subject that is personal (although not overly intimate) and particular to you. Admissions counselors say the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

7. Stay True to Your Voice.

Use your usual vocabulary. Avoid fancy language you wouldn't use in real life. Imagine yourself reading this essay aloud to a classroom full of people who have never met you. Keep a confident tone. Be wary of words and phrases that undercut that tone.

8. Be Specific and Factual.

Capitalize on real-life experiences. Your essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement meant so much to you. But resist the urge to exaggerate and embellish. Admissions counselors read thousands of essays each year. They can easily spot a fake.

9. Edit and Proofread.

When you finish the final draft, run it through the spell checker on your computer. Then don’t read your essay for a few days. You'll be more apt to spot typos and awkward grammar when you reread it. After that, ask a teacher, parent, or college student (preferably an English or communications major) to give it a quick read. While you're at it, double-check your word count.

Writing essays for college admission can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. A well-crafted essay could be the deciding factor─in your favor. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have no problem creating memorable pieces for every application.

What is the format of a college application essay?

Generally, essays for college admission follow a simple format that includes an opening paragraph, a lengthier body section, and a closing paragraph. You don't need to include a title, which will only take up extra space. Keep in mind that the exact format can vary from one college application to the next. Read the instructions and prompt for more guidance.

Most online applications will include a text box for your essay. If you're attaching it as a document, however, be sure to use a standard, 12-point font and use 1.5-spaced or double-spaced lines, unless the application specifies different font and spacing.

How do you start an essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

You can start with openers such as relevant quotes, exciting anecdotes, or questions. Either way, the first sentence should be unique and intrigue the reader.

What should an essay include?

Every application essay you write should include details about yourself and past experiences. It's another opportunity to make yourself look like a fantastic applicant. Leverage your experiences. Tell a riveting story that fulfills the prompt.

What shouldn’t be included in an essay?

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

How can you make your essay personal and interesting?

The best way to make your essay interesting is to write about something genuinely important to you. That could be an experience that changed your life or a valuable lesson that had an enormous impact on you. Whatever the case, speak from the heart, and be honest.

Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

Related Articles

Related topics.

How to Write Your College Essay: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Getting ready to start your college essay? Your essay is very important to your application — especially if you’re applying to selective colleges.

Become a stronger writer by reviewing your peers’ essays and get your essay reviewed as well for free.

We have regular livestreams during which we walk you through how to write your college essay and review essays live.

College Essay Basics

Just getting started on college essays? This section will guide you through how you should think about your college essays before you start.

• Why do essays matter in the college application process?
• What is a college application theme and how do you come up with one?
• How to format and structure your college essay

Before you move to the next section, make sure you understand:

How a college essay fits into your application

What a strong essay does for your chances

How to create an application theme

Learn the Types of College Essays

Next, let’s make sure you understand the different types of college essays. You’ll most likely be writing a Common App or Coalition App essay, and you can also be asked to write supplemental essays for each school. Each essay has a prompt asking a specific question. Each of these prompts falls into one of a few different types. Understanding the types will help you better answer the prompt and structure your essay.

• How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges
• Personal Statement Essay Examples
• How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity Essay
• Extracurricular Essay Examples
• Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay
• Diversity Essay Examples
• Tips for Writing a Standout Community Service Essay
• How to Write the “Why This Major” Essay
• How to Write a “Why This Major” Essay if You’re Undecided
• How to write the “Why This College” Essay
• How to Research a College to Write the “Why This College” Essay
• Why This College Essay Examples
• How to Write The Overcoming Challenges Essay
• Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

Identify how each prompt fits into an essay type

What each type of essay is really asking of you

How to write each essay effectively

The Common App essay

Almost every student will write a Common App essay, which is why it’s important you get this right.

• How to Write the Common App Essay
• Successful Common App Essay Examples
• 5 Awesome College Essay Topics + Sample Essays
• 11 Cliché College Essay Topics + How to Fix Them

How to choose which Common App prompts to answer

How to write a successful Common App essay

What to avoid to stand out to admissions officers

Supplemental Essay Guides

Many schools, especially competitive ones, will ask you to write one or more supplemental essays. This allows a school to learn more about you and how you might fit into their culture.

These essays are extremely important in standing out. We’ve written guides for all the top schools. Follow the link below to find your school and read last year’s essay guides to give you a sense of the essay prompts. We’ll update these in August when schools release their prompts.

See last year’s supplemental essay guides to get a sense of the prompts for your schools.

Essay brainstorming and composition

Now that you’re starting to write your essay, let’s dive into the writing process. Below you’ll find our top articles on the craft of writing an amazing college essay.

• Where to Begin? 3 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises
• Creating the First Draft of Your College Application Essay
• How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay
• What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Write About In My College Essay?
• 8 Do’s and Don’t for Crafting Your College Essay
• Stuck on Your College Essay? 8 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Understand how to write a great hook for your essay

Complete the first drafts of your essay

Editing and polishing your essay

Have a first draft ready? See our top editing tips below. Also, you may want to submit your essay to our free Essay Peer Review to get quick feedback and join a community of other students working on their essays.

• 11 Tips for Proofreading and Editing Your College Essay
• Getting Help with Your College Essay
• 5 DIY Tips for Editing Your College Essay
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be?
• Essential Grammar Rules for Your College Apps
• College Essay Checklist: Are You Ready to Submit?

Proofread and edited your essay.

Had someone else look through your essay — we recommend submitting it for a peer review.

Make sure your essay meets all requirements — consider signing up for a free account to view our per-prompt checklists to help you understand when you’re really ready to submit.

Advanced College Essay Techniques

Let’s take it one step further and see how we can make your college essay really stand out! We recommend reading through these posts when you have a draft to work with.

• 10 Guidelines for Highly Readable College Essays
• How to Use Literary Devices to Enhance Your Essay
• How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your College Applications

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• College essay

How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples

The college essay can make or break your application. It’s your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students.

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

• A unique, personal topic
• A compelling, well-structured narrative
• A clear, creative writing style
• Evidence of self-reflection and insight

To achieve this, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time for brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through every step in the process of writing a college admissions essay.

Table of contents

Why do you need a standout essay, start organizing early, choose a unique topic, outline your essay, start with a memorable introduction, write like an artist, craft a strong conclusion, revise and receive feedback, frequently asked questions.

While most of your application lists your academic achievements, your college admissions essay is your opportunity to share who you are and why you’d be a good addition to the university.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

What do colleges look for in an essay?

Admissions officers want to understand your background, personality, and values to get a fuller picture of you beyond your test scores and grades. Here’s what colleges look for in an essay :

• Demonstrated values and qualities
• Vulnerability and authenticity
• Self-reflection and insight
• Creative, clear, and concise writing skills

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

It’s a good idea to start organizing your college application timeline in the summer of your junior year to make your application process easier. This will give you ample time for essay brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

While timelines will vary for each student, aim to spend at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing your first draft and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Remember to leave enough time for breaks in between each writing and editing stage.

Create an essay tracker sheet

If you’re applying to multiple schools, you will have to juggle writing several essays for each one. We recommend using an essay tracker spreadsheet to help you visualize and organize the following:

• Deadlines and number of essays needed
• Prompt overlap, allowing you to write one essay for similar prompts

You can build your own essay tracker using our free Google Sheets template.

College essay tracker template

Ideally, you should start brainstorming college essay topics the summer before your senior year. Keep in mind that it’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic.

If you want to write about a common essay topic, such as a sports injury or volunteer work overseas, think carefully about how you can make it unique and personal. You’ll need to demonstrate deep insight and write your story in an original way to differentiate it from similar essays.

What makes a good topic?

• Meaningful and personal to you
• Uncommon or has an unusual angle
• Reveals something different from the rest of your application

Brainstorming questions

You should do a comprehensive brainstorm before choosing your topic. Here are a few questions to get started:

• What are your top five values? What lived experiences demonstrate these values?
• What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you?
• What challenges or failures have you faced and overcome? What lessons did you learn from them?
• What makes you different from your classmates?
• What are some objects that represent your identity, your community, your relationships, your passions, or your goals?
• Whom do you admire most? Why?
• What three people have significantly impacted your life? How did they influence you?

How to identify your topic

Here are two strategies for identifying a topic that demonstrates your values:

• Start with your qualities : First, identify positive qualities about yourself; then, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
• Start with a story : Brainstorm a list of memorable life moments; then, identify a value shown in each story.

After choosing your topic, organize your ideas in an essay outline , which will help keep you focused while writing. Unlike a five-paragraph academic essay, there’s no set structure for a college admissions essay. You can take a more creative approach, using storytelling techniques to shape your essay.

Two common approaches are to structure your essay as a series of vignettes or as a single narrative.

Vignettes structure

The vignette, or montage, structure weaves together several stories united by a common theme. Each story should demonstrate one of your values or qualities and conclude with an insight or future outlook.

This structure gives the admissions officer glimpses into your personality, background, and identity, and shows how your qualities appear in different areas of your life.

Topic: Museum with a “five senses” exhibit of my experiences

• Introduction: Tour guide introduces my museum and my “Making Sense of My Heritage” exhibit
• Story: Racial discrimination with my eyes
• Lesson: Using my writing to document truth
• Story: Broadway musical interests
• Lesson: Finding my voice
• Story: Smells from family dinner table
• Lesson: Appreciating home and family
• Story: Washing dishes
• Lesson: Finding moments of peace in busy schedule
• Story: Biking with Ava
• Lesson: Finding pleasure in job well done
• Conclusion: Tour guide concludes tour, invites guest to come back for “fall College Collection,” featuring my search for identity and learning.

Single story structure

The single story, or narrative, structure uses a chronological narrative to show a student’s character development over time. Some narrative essays detail moments in a relatively brief event, while others narrate a longer journey spanning months or years.

Single story essays are effective if you have overcome a significant challenge or want to demonstrate personal development.

Topic: Sports injury helps me learn to be a better student and person

• Situation: Football injury
• Challenge: Friends distant, teachers don’t know how to help, football is gone for me
• Turning point: Starting to like learning in Ms. Brady’s history class; meeting Christina and her friends
• My reactions: Reading poetry; finding shared interest in poetry with Christina; spending more time studying and with people different from me
• Insight: They taught me compassion and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle; even though I still can’t play football, I’m starting a new game

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

Regardless of your essay’s structure, try to craft a surprising story arc or original insights, especially if you’re writing about a common topic.

Never exaggerate or fabricate facts about yourself to seem interesting. However, try finding connections in your life that deviate from cliché storylines and lessons.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and they typically spend only a few minutes reading each one. To get your message across, your introduction , or hook, needs to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read more..

Avoid starting your introduction with a famous quote, cliché, or reference to the essay itself (“While I sat down to write this essay…”).

While you can sometimes use dialogue or a meaningful quotation from a close family member or friend, make sure it encapsulates your essay’s overall theme.

Find an original, creative way of starting your essay using the following two methods.

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

Begin your essay with an unexpected statement to pique the reader’s curiosity and compel them to carefully read your essay. A mysterious introduction disarms the reader’s expectations and introduces questions that can only be answered by reading more.

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

Illustrate a clear, detailed image to immediately transport your reader into your memory. You can start in the middle of an important scene or describe an object that conveys your essay’s theme.

A college application essay allows you to be creative in your style and tone. As you draft your essay, try to use interesting language to enliven your story and stand out .

Show, don’t tell

“Tell” in writing means to simply state a fact: “I am a basketball player.” “ Show ” in writing means to use details, examples, and vivid imagery to help the reader easily visualize your memory: “My heart races as I set up to shoot一two seconds, one second一and score a three-pointer!”

First, reflect on every detail of a specific image or scene to recall the most memorable aspects.

• What are the most prominent images?
• Are there any particular sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this memory?
• What emotion or physical feeling did you have at that time?

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

You don’t have to share a huge secret or traumatic story, but you should dig deep to express your honest feelings, thoughts, and experiences to evoke an emotional response. Showing vulnerability demonstrates humility and maturity. However, don’t exaggerate to gain sympathy.

Use appropriate style and tone

Make sure your essay has the right style and tone by following these guidelines:

• Use a conversational yet respectful tone: less formal than academic writing, but more formal than texting your friends.
• Prioritize using “I” statements to highlight your perspective.
• Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice.
• Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace.
• Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

You should end your college essay with a deep insight or creative ending to leave the reader with a strong final impression. Your college admissions essay should avoid the following:

• Summarizing what you already wrote
• Stating your hope of being accepted to the school
• Mentioning character traits that should have been illustrated in the essay, such as “I’m a hard worker”

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

The full circle, or sandwich, structure concludes the essay with an image, idea, or story mentioned in the introduction. This strategy gives the reader a strong sense of closure.

In the example below, the essay concludes by returning to the “museum” metaphor that the writer opened with.

Option 2: Revealing your insight

You can use the conclusion to show the insight you gained as a result of the experiences you’ve described. Revealing your main message at the end creates suspense and keeps the takeaway at the forefront of your reader’s mind.

Revise your essay before submitting it to check its content, style, and grammar. Get feedback from no more than two or three people.

It’s normal to go through several rounds of revision, but take breaks between each editing stage.

Also check out our college essay examples to see what does and doesn’t work in an essay and the kinds of changes you can make to improve yours.

Respect the word count

Most schools specify a word count for each essay , and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit.

Remain under the specified word count limit to show you can write concisely and follow directions. However, don’t write too little, which may imply that you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Check your content, style, and grammar

• First, check big-picture issues of message, flow, and clarity.
• Then, check for style and tone issues.
• Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Get feedback

Get feedback from 2–3 people who know you well, have good writing skills, and are familiar with college essays.

• Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your content, language, and tone.
• Friends and family can check for authenticity.
• An essay coach or editor has specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and can give objective expert feedback.

The checklist below helps you make sure your essay ticks all the boxes.

College admissions essay checklist

I’ve organized my essay prompts and created an essay writing schedule.

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me and reveals something different from the rest of my application.

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of telling.

I’ve shown positive traits and values in my essay.

I’ve demonstrated self-reflection and insight in my essay.

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

I’ve revised my essay , checking my overall message, flow, clarity, and grammar.

I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Congratulations!

It looks like your essay ticks all the boxes. A second pair of eyes can help you take it to the next level – Scribbr's essay coaches can help.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do college application essays still matter.

When reviewing college applications, admissions officers see a lot of statistics—test scores, GPA, class rank, etc. Admissions officers can infer a lot of things about you from these items, but these stats don’t effectively show who you are as a person. For this reason, essays are an important component of your application. Compelling essays showcase your writing skills, creativity, and reveal things about you that may show admissions staff that you’re a good fit for a specific college.

Who can help me with writing my essay?

A college essay tutor or editor can help students build a compelling essay that aligns with their college admissions goals. At KD, our college counseling team helps in a variety of ways: brainstorming topics, finding their voice, shaping a story, correcting grammar and spelling mistakes, rewriting for other colleges, and much more.

How many words does my essay need to be?

Word count for personal statements and supplemental essays can vary from college to college. However, several U.S. colleges will accept the Common App®, which recommends 400-600 words for the personal statement (sometimes called the general college application essay). Supplemental essays are typically shorter but can vary by college. When applying, follow directions as closely as possible for each application to maximize your admissions odds.

What format do college application essays use?

Your college application essays will not follow the same formal structure that is expected with high school research papers or persuasive essays. In other words, you won’t need to come up with a thesis and support it with evidence. Instead, personal statements typically tell a story in a creative way. Students don’t often encounter this type of creative writing with their high school assignments, which is why many students find it quite challenging.

KD’s college counseling team is well-versed in teaching students how to craft compelling college admissions essays, and we’ve helped hundreds of students use the essays to strengthen their applications.

What do I write in a personal statement?

A student’s personal statement should tell a story that only he or she can tell. In other words, it needs to reveal something unique about the student’s experience that connects to the chosen essay prompt. With that being said, it’s typically a challenge to do this in a unique way, and there are certain topics that students should avoid.

Read more about choosing a college essay topic , and if you need additional help, consider signing up for a college counseling program .

How do I make my essay stand out?

Our advice is don’t play it safe. Be real. Be yourself. Finding your own unique voice and using that to tell a story about yourself is typically the best move when it comes to writing a good personal statement. Of course, that is easier said than done. Working with a college essay tutor can help guide you in the right direction. Most admissions essays sound like thousands of other admissions essays, and our experienced college counseling team staff can tell you which topics are generic and which align best with your application.

For more advice, read about these steps for how to write a powerful college essay .

How much do college essay consultants charge?

The cost of working with a college essay consultant or editor varies depending on a student’s needs. Families can choose to pay by the hour for one-on-one help or purchase a program that guides students through the entire college application process. For a more accurate description of pricing, explore KD’s college counseling program options or sign up for a free consultation to discuss specific needs with a member of our college counseling team.

When should I start writing my college essays?

Many students start working on their application essays during summer or fall of senior year, but some students begin as early as spring semester of 11th grade. However, there are many factors that may prevent a student from starting at that time, such as extracurricular involvement, a challenging course load, admissions testing, etc. But remember, college applications are time-consuming, and it takes a lot of work to build one that stands out.

To find out when is the best time to start, families can schedule a free consultation to discuss individual admissions goals with our team.

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How to Price Your Writing Services

By Jennifer Xue

Writing professionally is one of the most flexible careers out there. You can work from anywhere in the world at any time of the day or night. In addition, you can make anywhere from $10 to thousands of dollars for your work, depending on your rates.

If you charge at the higher end of the industry rates, you can expect to make a good living and, most likely, you can do work as a writer full time without having to keep a day job. However, pricing is more of an art than a science, which explains why some writers' rates are too low and they're unable to turn their passion into a full-time career.

It takes more than what you "want" to price right. Here are several tips on how to build confidence in pricing, types of freelance writing rates, and how to start charging the rate.

The Mindset

Types of freelance writing rates, charging the rate, ready to price.

Working on your own takes a lot of courage. As a freelance writer, you're both an expert in the trade and an entrepreneur: the buck starts and stops with yourself.

If you're like most writers who prefer writing instead of marketing, I bet you also do not like pricing your services.

However, embracing your entrepreneurial side is crucial to making a good living from writing. Also, be prepared to negotiate for better rates . For this, start with adopting the so-called "entrepreneurship mindset." What is it?

First, acknowledge that your finances depend on how you market and price your works.

This is the heart of being an entrepreneur. You're on your own, literally. Also, you feel good about it because it shows how confident you are about your skills and ability to make a good living out of writing.

This "feeling good" (a.k.a. self-acceptance) about being an entrepreneur and not a hobbyist serves as the fundamental philosophy of your one-person business. It is the basis of why you're charging a right amount of money for your services. Writing is a hard-earned skill, just like other trade skills.

Second, recognize that your services have financial values.

If you're the "artsy-creative" type, most likely you don't think much about money, until you need it to buy something. Well, change this mindset, if you want to be successful.

Your works (articles, ebooks, reports, etc.) have financial value to your clients. In other words, they asked you to write, with an intention to make more money either directly or indirectly. Thus, it's a natural consequence for them to pay you well. Keep this in mind whenever you send out price quotes and invoices.

Third, with the right pricing strategies, you can earn more with the same amount of workload.

This means you can live and enjoy life better without having to increase work hours. Isn't it awesome? The key is being creative in finding clients .

Charging the right rates or increasing them is like having a salary raise. And you'll be feeling better appreciated by clients.

In general, you can charge freelance writing services by project (flat rate), by the hour, by word, by page, and monthly retainer fee. I choose the rate type depending on the type of work that need to be done and the clients.

There are pros and cons of each type:

By the project

If you already have expertise in a specific type of assignment, charging by the project is probably the best. This way, you can finish it up quickly, but still earn handsomely. Charging per hour would place you at a disadvantage as most likely it only requires a couple of hours to complete.

By the hour

This could be your best bet when the project requires many human hours to complete. However, most clients are cautious about paying hourly, so you'd need to show accountability for proving the hours worked. I refrain from accepting hourly-paid projects.

By the word

It's one of the best metrics to charge your writing services. It's fair to both clients and the writer, as you'll only be paid for the words you've typed. However, be cautious about "how the clients count the words." Is it based on the accepted final draft or the revised published version? Whenever possible, ask the client to use "whichever is greater" to be fair to you.

By the page

It must be clear in advance what constitutes a "page." State the page size, font type, font size, character spacing, and line spacing (single, 1.5, or double) before agreeing to write. Once you and the client have agreed, find the approximate word count per page, so you can multiply it with your current price per word and come up with the rate per page.

Retainer fee

It's ideal for long-term clients. However, you want to be clear about the monthly workload beforehand. For instance, if you charge $500 per month for four blog posts, be clear about the word count per post. Any excess words or additional works will be charged separately, which must also be stated in advance to avoid misunderstandings and disputes.

Each project is unique, which requires special handling. Thus, when charging for each project , you'd need to consider all the factors individually. Of course, if you've done similar projects for the same client, you can use the past price rates or have them adjusted to the new project.

First, monetary value to the client.

Most writers don't consider how much money the project would potentially bring to the client. Well, if you write for businesses, your works are essential to bringing new leads and, eventually, close sales. For instance, if you're asked to write a business white paper, most likely it will be used for lead generation. Thus, it's common to charge $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the research and work hours involved.

Second, the level of research involved.

A client probably "just" needs a blog post, but no two blog posts are identical. Ask the details of the project, such as the topic and the specifics, before starting. Who is the audience? Is it for the public or specific personas? Does it require a technical understanding of specific concepts? How familiar are you with the technical concepts?

How many hours would you need to spend in researching the concepts? What's the word count? In-depth articles sometimes include 3,000+ words, so you want to charge accordingly. A blog post may cost anywhere from $100 to $3,000, so you must perform due diligence before agreeing to accept the assignment.

Third, total hours needed to complete it until publication.

Be honest about the total hours you need to research, write, and revise the article. If the topic is something you're familiar with, you might be able to reduce research time.

However, how about the client? Are they easy or hard to work with? I've encountered a client who changed the article more than five times. Make sure to cover the revision hours so that you don't spend too much time on one project.

In conclusion, pricing your writing services requires a deep understanding of your research, writing, and typing skills, as well as the topic, its level of depth and the client's work style. You need to be honest about your financial expectations and overall skills, too. Once you've found the "right" rates, you can enjoy the full benefits of being a professional writer.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Jennifer Xue

Jennifer Xue is an award-winning e-book author with 2,500+ articles and 100+ e-books/reports published under her belt. She also taught 50+ college-level essay and paper writing classes. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, Fortune, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Business.com, Business2Community, Addicted2Success, Good Men Project, and others. Her blog is JenniferXue.com. Follow her on Twitter @jenxuewrites].

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Before we meet, students use the jumpstart questionnaire to relax and recall experiences in their comfort of their own home. Students also complete a jumpstart contact form to help us stay in touch.  You’ll receive a 13-page handout with tips and five sample essays.

Session one:

Students learn what colleges are looking for in the college essay, and get all their questions answered.  Time is spent interviewing the student and discussing their questionnaire as a way of getting to know him/her, reviewing helpful handouts with sample essays, teaching essay writing tips, and brainstorming best topics.  Usually at the end of the first session, the student has one or more essay ideas. At the end of each session, we outline goals for the next session and confirm the calendar date of our next meeting.

This first appointment is perfect for a student who needs help selecting an essay topic or desires a thorough and professional evaluation of essay drafts.

About half of all Essay Coaching students walk in not knowing what they want to write–or should write–on an admissions essay.  That’s OK!

Writing a strong college application essay is rarely taught in school, but is thoroughly covered in the first Essay Coaching appointment. All questions are welcomed…and answered! Students walk out relieved, knowledgeable, with essay samples, and usually with a strong idea for their own essay.

The other half of Essay Coaching students walk in with a draft, but aren’t sure of how it will affect a college admissions officer.  Those students walk out with helpful feedback generated through a game and a discussion. Students wondering is this essay good enough? find this first appointment stress-relieving and helpful.

After session one:

Students write!  They can type on a phone, ipad or computer, handwrite in a book, or dictate speech-to-text into a phone.

Session two:

At  the second session, the student will bring essay drafts, ideas, or may write during the session. Often we will simultaneously view their draft on a google doc.  We will play a game to evaluate the writing as a college admissions officer would, discuss how to expand ideas into an essay, and may outline the essay.  The other three sessions are spent editing the essay together and starting to brainstorm and draft additional essays.

After session two:

After session two: For college-specific essays, we encourage students to do their research.  Students need to ask themselves what they know about the school, its courses, professors, classes, and their intended major if they have one.  They can do this by reading websites, talking with students, faculty, alumni or college counselors.Students will continue to edit their essay drafts based on our session insights.

Sessions three to five:

During sessions three to five we will review college-specific essay drafts and continue to polish the common application essay.

Questions we ask at Essay Coaching before delivering one-on-one feedback.

• What did I learn about this student from reading this essay?
• Was I interested and/or impressed with what I learned? Did I learn about qualities that might help this student to enjoy, participate in and graduate college?
• Could I follow this essay, especially the timeline? Did any parts of the story confuse me?
• Was there anything mentioned that I was curious to hear more about?
• Does the essay seem as impressive as the student I read about in the questionnaire or met on a zoom?
• When I try to envision the student and his/her story, what images from the essay do I see, what phrases do I remember?
• Were there any obvious grammatical errors?
• Were there any sentences or paragraphs that were not needed or should be moved?

Remember : Application essays show what you care about, and what you’ve done about it. Colleges read these essays to envision you graduating from their college.

Five-appointments Package Includes:

• Solving the College Admissions Puzzle:  A Guide for Students and Families about College Selection, Essay Writing, and High-Stakes Testing , by Debbie E. Merion, M.S.W, M.F.A, John B. Boshoven, M.A., M.S.W and Geraldine Markel, Ph.D. – Gold Medal Winner of the 2014 Global Ebook Awards.
• Essay Coaching Handouts Package

Package deal with five sessions:

Sign up for a fall package price of $1150.

For the student who needs help selecting an essay topic, and structuring, writing, and editing the essay.

The five-appointment package covers the average number of appointments it takes to write one winning essay, but one student wrote eight essays during her five sessions!

Purchase a success package now.

Dear Ms. Merion, I want to thank you for your expert advice and suggestions for my college essays last fall.  I feel like I am often misunderstood, so it really helped that you took the time to get to know me, to ensure my voice was shining through with enthusiasm, visual imagery, and clarity in my writing.  I was fortunate to be accepted to Harvard, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, Caltech, and my top choice, MIT — and I’m sure my essays and your guidance played a part in this.  I am beyond excited to move to Cambridge this fall to study at MIT.  Thanks again, and I hope you continue to share your talents with kids like me. –R.T. MIT Class of 2022

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How Much to Pay Someone to Write Essays: Tips before Paying

Pay Someone to Write Essays

Essay writing is an everyday business that has been gaining popularity in the academic corridors. However, with a burden of assignments and a lack of time, many graduates prefer to hire someone to write an essay paper at a cost.

This creates an open field where many writers offer their services to eager students to get their assignments done. With many providers of writing services, there is a variation in the prices charged to write an essay. So, what is the correct amount to pay?

The average amount to pay someone to write your essay is between $12 and $35 per page, depending on the paper’s urgency and the assignment’s technicality. Most writers charge up to $12 for simple essays that have a longer deadline while charging up to $35 for technical orders whose deadline is urgent and within a few hours.

The cost really depends on several factors that we will discuss in detail later in this article. Before that, I must note that you need to be careful when you are charged anything lower than this. This is because no quality writer will charge anything less than $12.

At the same time, no legit essay writing service will charge way more than $35 because it is way too high. A price of $35 is higher than the target market can afford. The market in this case is students.

The cool thing about the price for cheap college essay services because the writers are open to edits and unlimited revisions. If the clients need several changes in the documents, they are flexible to make edits to the customer’s satisfaction. Let’s dig in.

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Why People Opt to Pay Essay Writers

Offering an essay writing service to your client comes at a cost. You are at liberty to charge an essay based on several factors.

That said, you should have the advanced skill to handle any order that comes your way so that you do not produce shoddy work.

Many people opt for professional essay writing services because they want to enjoy premium quality. The essays from such professionals are of outstanding quality.

Additionally, most of such articles are 100% original and unique. Be sure that you will not be duplicating someone’s work.

Besides, by hiring someone to write you an essay, the chances of getting your work on time are high.

Some can write top-notch content within hours or days and get the feedback to you on time. Still, these essays are usually free of grammatical and spelling errors.

People Also Read : How to Cheat in Online Exams: Proctored Exam, Tests or Quiz

Factors that determine the Cost of an Essay or Paper

Pricing your essay paper depends upon several factors. You must consider such elements while negotiating with your potential client to strike a balance. Generally, the standard way of pricing for any paper is by involving the following components:

1. The Urgency of the Paper – Deadline

Not all essay papers ought to get delivered in the same timeframe. Some can take months, weeks, days, and others may require hours.

For instance, if the paper is exceptionally urgent to a tune of six hours, you must be ready to pay for more.

That is because the essay writer needs to suspend other duties and focus on that paper within the time limit. Essay writing is a complex work when subjected to a short time frame.

The main disadvantage of short time frames is that mistakes and errors may occur. If the writer is conversant in the field, be sure to make minimal mistakes.

Many writers charge expensively when you give them such orders with strict deadlines that require just some hours. 

On the other side, you can opt to charge averagely if the deadline is for a few weeks. That is because you are not under pressure to deliver that work. You have ample time to research and give to the expectation of your client.

Lastly, if the deadline is for a month or so, you have an option to charge less than shorter deadlines.

The essay writer can write the paper and have adequate time to revise and correct any visible error without feeling the pressure.

The trick that comes with such orders is that you should also write them in advance and take more time to revise and make any meaningful amendments as per the client’s wishes.

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2. Your Level of Study for the homework

The level of study is a vital aspect that one should price any order. There are different levels of analysis to factor in your services.

First off, we have college-level diplomas and undergraduate degrees. Given such tasks to write a specific essay on their level, we expect that you charge lower. 

On the other hand, you should charge higher when you are handling master’s level projects.

That is because they are so involving and require extensive research.

For that matter, such projects are time-consuming and tedious.

Charge the essay according to the level to appear professional.

Last but not least, a PhD essay will command high rates from the writer. That is because you must perform comprehensive research and come up with practical and helpful information to prove your facts.

Just like a master’s level, it also requires more time for the writer to research and gets the right points about a specific topic in focus.

3. The Technicality of the assignment

Some essays are easy to write without demanding much effort from the researcher. As such, the student expects the writer to charge lower because one will not scratch the head looking for more materials to make them appear complicated.

Also, some of the topics that you may be researching are available readily on different platforms.

Surprisingly, some essays are difficult to develop and construct into valuable and meaningful forms. You need to perform complex and extensive research and come up with an accurate conclusion that is devoid of errors.

Some may include performing some mathematical calculations and developing intricate formulae before resolving to a certain point.

Given a task that is not too technical, you should charge less. If you are handling a technical paper, charge more since you will require more effort to make it acceptable in the end.

People Also Read : How to Introduce an Author in an Essay: Tips for MLA and APA

4. Editing vs. Writing Task

Some assignments from students may come in two formats. Firstly, it may just be to edit existing work and do some meaningful changes to make it acceptable.

Editing requires less research as the writer may be eliminating some grammatical and spelling errors and other mistakes.

Additionally, editing may be to change facts and tailor them to agree with the demands of the topic in question. Overall, you will charge less when editing since little effort is what you require to make matters done.

Interestingly, writing from scratch can be time-consuming. You have to perform thorough research before you align those facts into a usable form.

Unlike editing, writing will consume more time since you have to write each and every part of the context. For that matter, you have to charge higher since it is time-consuming and involving.

5. The Spacing of the Paper

Spacing is another fact that one should never overlook when dealing with essay writing tasks.

Each client may come with varying instructions regarding spacing. You should see if the customer prefers single spacing or double spacing.

If you are using the single-spacing format, you should double charge the essay. The main argument behind such a rule is that a single-spaced page is the same as two double-spaced pages. Ensure that you stick to this rule and make a kill.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Anxious readers are ever looking for answers on different aspects. This section will be highlighting some of the common questions that you expect from the market.

How much to charge for essay editing?

Essay charging is dependent on several factors. Firstly, before you charge for your essay, consider the urgency of the task.

If the deadline is near, then you should make the charges higher.

Additionally, determine the level of study. If you are dealing with a Ph.D. content, then charge higher than an undergraduate or a master’s level project.

More importantly, if the paper is too technical, it calls for higher rates and vice versa.

Lastly, know if the project is for editing only or developing it from scratch.

If you are writing from scratch, then charge higher than when you are just editing.

Do Essay Writing Services Really Work?

Indeed, essay writing is a common way of assisting college students in handling their assignments through outsourced services.

The writer must have extensive knowledge in the field and deliver quality work, which should challenge the supervisor. You can read a related discussion that essay writing services do work if they are run professionally and provide quality work.

Essay writing is a thriving business around the world. Some people opt for it because they may be handling other issues such as family and work affairs. However, you must seek the services of a reputable organization or person to avoid shoddy work.

People Also Read : Can you use References in the Introduction paragraph of an Essay

Are you still unable to determine how much to charge or pay for an essay writer? The cool thing is this piece has been giving you a clue of the facts you may focus on to determine the pricing.

This write-up is for you if you want to stay updated on the key things that determine how the essay writer should charge a student. Overall, the information above is a must-know to understand how organizations are pricing coursework.

Though getting such services is not illegal in several institutions , ensure that you get a good writer who has vast experience in such a particular field.

With over 10 years in academia and academic assistance, Alicia Smart is the epitome of excellence in the writing industry. She is our managing editor and is in charge of the writing operations at Grade Bees.

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• Select the service from the "choose service" select list.
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How Much Does It Cost for a Writer to Write Your Essay?

Write My Essay

At CollegeEssay.org , you will get quality essays at reasonable rates. We charge only $15-$35 for a one-page essay without any hidden charges and offer discounts to every student.

Factors that Determine How Much is an Essay

Several factors can determine the cost of an essay. This includes

Academic level: Essays for higher academic levels, such as master's or doctoral programs, typically require more research, time, and effort.

Deadline: Generally, the shorter the deadline, the higher the cost. This is because writers need to work faster and prioritize their projects over other work.

Word count: The length of an essay will also determine its cost. The more words required, the more time and effort it takes to write, so it will be more expensive.

Therefore, it is important to keep these factors in mind when you pay for an essay.

The best way to get a cheap essay is by ordering it in advance. This way, you will get the best rates and save your time doing any other important task.

Cost for Essay Editing Services

Determining the cost of essay editing services can depend on several factors:

The first factor is the level of editing needed. If the essay requires more comprehensive editing, including restructuring, correcting grammar, and formatting, it will cost more.

Another factor is the length of the essay. Longer essays will require more time and effort and hence, will be more expensive than shorter ones.

Additionally, the deadline is another factor that can impact the cost. If the deadline for the editing work is tight, the cost may be higher as the editor will need to put in more effort.

If the essay requires a specific format, such as APA or MLA, the editor will need to be familiar with the format requirements. This can increase the cost of the editing services.

Finally, the type of essay also affects the cost of editing services. Essays that require technical or specialized knowledge, such as scientific or medical papers, may cost more than those in general subjects.

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After receiving your completed paper from us, you can request revisions and corrections as needed without having to pay any additional fees.

This service is particularly useful for students who may need additional assistance refining and improving their writing. Or for those who want to ensure that their work meets the highest standards of quality.

With CollegeEssay.org , you can rest assured that your paper will be thoroughly checked and revised. We ensure that it meets your expectations and the requirements of your assignment.

Can I Pay Someone to Write My Essay for Me?

Yes, you can easily pay for a reputable writing service by simply requesting them to “ write my essay ” for me. However, make sure the writing service is reliable and doesn't steal your money or risk getting a bad grade.

CollegeEssay.org is a reliable company that cares about every student who needs help with their essay, research paper, case study, or term paper. Our professional writers are so well-versed and educated in all subjects. They will be able to write you a stellar college paper from start to finish.

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