Meet Our Editing Team
Each editor has been trained to give you quality feedback!
Nina Boord
Accepted to:
Stanford University (Early Action, attending), University of Southern California (Full Merit Scholarship), Vanderbilt (Ingram Scholarship), University of Virginia, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Majors & Interests:
Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Math, Creative Writing, Spanish
Hello! My name is Nina and I grew up in Chicago. I’m currently studying computer science and business at Stanford. I have edited over 400 essays and worked with 50+ students one-on-one to help them tell their stories. Many were accepted into their dream schools, including Harvard, Brown, Yale, and Stanford! Through creative sentence structure and maybe even a little figurative language, my goal is to help you tell your story in a way that will leave admissions officers in awe. Furthermore, I will ensure your writing flows beautifully and reads clearly. I have experience writing essays about difficult experiences and circumstances, and I can help you make sure you are staying true to your story while highlighting your most positive traits.
My advice: Forget about what you think admissions officers want to hear; it will only hinder you. Write from your soul. The essays that stand out are always the most genuine. In some situations, traditional essay-writing “rules” can become flexible, allowing for more creativity. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone or write about a difficult topic. At the same time, however, even topics you think might be “cliche” can absolutely stand out with powerful writing.
I wrote my essays about empowering little girls to pursue STEM, a difficult family situation, and fortune cookies. I also used my favorite Shakespeare quote to illustrate my fascination with technology (super quirky). I can’t wait to work with you!! 🙂
“Nina’s editing style exceeded my expectations. Nina brought up points that I never would have thought of myself, and she included valuable information that will help me with future essays. I can’t believe I was thinking about submitting these essays before getting them looked at—I feel like my chances are now MUCH higher. Before the edits, I wasn’t sure if my essay would stand out, but Nina’s creative ideas, suggestions, and questions gave me a much clearer picture of how I should tell my story. For the supplemental essays, she pointed out how to be much more concise and powerful. While implementing her suggestions, I actually saw my essays transform before my eyes. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone who wants to get into their dream school!”
– Ben from New York
“Nina’s comments were SOO helpful!! I was shocked by how much my common app could be improved. I appreciated how she was honest in her feedback, but also highlighted many things I did well and explained why. My writing now flows so much better–I’m going to implement her tips and tricks into my writing for the rest of my life! I also struggled a lot with showing vs. telling. I knew I was doing a lot of telling but I didn’t know HOW to show what I wanted to show about myself, and Nina left SO many suggestions about how I could do just that!! Thanks to her feedback I am finally submitting an essay that I’m REALLY proud of. She also returned the essay super fast! THANK YOU NINA!! <3”
– Katie from Pennsylvania
“Nina was absolutely amazing. She brought forward questions that I didn’t even think of, as well as adding ways to provide more clarity to my writing. She also helped me with punctuation and provided recommendation sites for my future essays. Nina is so great and I would recommend her to anybody!”
– Miriam from Virginia
“Nina really went in detail in her comments — not only did she fix grammar and improved wording she gave suggestions on how to strengthen the overall message of my essay. I now have a clear idea of how my essay is interpreted by someone who has read many college essays and how to make it as strong as possible. In addition, I really appreciate the positive feedback she included along with her more constructive suggestions. Overall, incredible editing experience!”
– Sophia from Canada
Xander Zurovec
Accepted to:
Harvard University (attending), Rice University, Trinity University (Murchison Scholarship), and The University of Texas at Austin.
Majors & Interests:
Behavioral/Neuro Economics, Economics, Psychology, Global Health and Health Policy, and Percussion.
Hi! My name is Xander Zurovec and I’m a born and raised Texan and avid percussionist from San Antonio! In navigating through the college application process, I realized the importance of conveying a natural, warming, and relatable tone as opposed to aggressively focusing on what I thought my admission officers might want to hear. I was deferred from Harvard REA and subsequently admitted during their regular decision round, so I understand the struggles of lying in the deferral limbo without any clue of where to proceed next and I’m passionate about helping students in that same position of uncertainty. I’m dedicated to helping you discover your natural voice and style, tapping into your nuanced and sophisticated emotions and correctly expressing them within your essays, and crafting your Letter of Continued Interest to show your school why that deferral should be translated into an acceptance! Having edited over 60+ essays for my friends applying to college (who were later accepted to schools like UT’s McCombs Business School, Harvard, and UPenn Wharton), no matter what you’re struggling with, I’ll help you convey your unique personality and warmth within your essays and find confidence in your writing!
“Xander was extremely helpful in that he didn’t just stop at editing my grammar mistakes and offering better vocabulary, but also explained how I could better answer the prompt! It was clear that his edits were to help me craft the perfect essay! I would 100% recommend Xander to everyone!!”
– Srinidhi from the U.S.
“I appreciated how Xander had detailed comments for every sentence of my essays along with a paragraph at the end that detailed the main themes and improvements I could make. 100% would recommend!”
– Jason from the U.S.
“Xander will provide you with incredibly thorough feedback to take your story to the next level and enhance your emotional depth. His notes will address WHY changes are necessary and HOW revisions can be made. He will happily suggest new ways to phrase sentences and draw connections between your points. If you need help self-reflecting, making your essay more personal, or adding depth to your essay, Xander is a perfect fit. With his feedback, you will have a much clearer sense of direction and new ideas to make your essay shine!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
Divya Mehrish
Accepted to:
Stanford University (attending), Columbia (John Jay Scholar); UPenn (also recruited by the Kelly Writers House); Georgetown; Northwestern; Johns Hopkins; UVA; Scripps James E. Scripps Scholarship); UC Berkeley; UCLA; UC Santa Barbara (and the specialized College of Creative Studies); UC San Diego.
National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholar Award, Coolidge Presidential Scholarship Senator (top 3%), Scholastic Writing Awards National Medalist (top 0.78%)
Majors & Interests:
Symbolic Systems, Creative Writing, Chemistry, English, History, Communications/Media Studies, Journalism, French, Italian, Russian Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, Comparative Literature, Medical Humanities, Data Science.
Hi! My name is Divya, and I am a prospective Symbolic Systems and Comparative Literature double major at Stanford from NYC. I am a published writer, and my work has appeared in journals across the U.S. and U.K. With extensive editing and writing mentorship experience as well as a passion for learning across disciplines, I love to help students highlight their authentic selves and their genuine voices as well as their interdisciplinary curiosities! I am skilled at spotting individual details that need to be modified as well as analyzing the essay as a whole for overall flow. I have been supporting hundreds of students applying to college and graduate school programs through essay editing and 1:1 consultations for over two years as a manager at another college consulting service. I wrote my essays about resilience, discovering my love for writing, medical humanities, political polarization, and my fascination with Russia and Slavic literature.
Who are you? Your essay is the one chance you have of speaking directly to a college admissions officer and sharing your story. What do you want them to remember about you? Make sure to let your real self and your authentic voice shine through. Don’t try to sound different or to write what you think a college wants to hear. They want to hear YOU! Claim the “I” voice and own your personal story.
“Diyva was expectional. Her focus on precision and concision helped elevate my short answers even more. Her edits were not only helpful for my answers but allowed me to learn more about writing in general. Her in-depth feedback helped guide me in the right direction and shifted my focus to making a more cohesive application. I got accepted under Stanford’s REA and I truly could not have done it without Divya.”
– Ariana from Nevada, Stanford University REA Admit
“Divya was more than I could’ve ever asked for in an editor! She commented on everything possible, and left me with confidence in my essay. She told me what fit and what needed work, with conclusive explanations for everything. Worth every penny! Divya definitely created a helpful environment that has completely changed my ability to write.“
– Senna from California
“Divya did an amazing job editing my essay and she was very clear on how to make it more concise but meaningful. I was really struggling to find a way to connect my passions to specific examples in my own life. Also, she was very helpful when it came to the flow of my essay, which was another concern of mine.”
– Vivian from Massachusetts
Izumi Vazquez
Accepted to:
Harvard University (attending), Stanford, Brown (Program in Liberal Medical Education), UPenn (Ben Franklin Scholar), Rice (Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars + Trustee Distinguished Scholarship), Cornell (Likely Letter), Duke (Likely Letter), UT Austin (CNS Scholarship + Health Science Scholars Honors), Northeastern (National Recognition Program Scholarship + Honors Program), Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt (Early Admission via MOSAIC Program), Emory (Early Admission), Case Western (University Scholarship), Baylor (Academic Scholarship), UTSA.
Coca-Cola Scholar, National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Awardee, National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar.
Majors & Interests:
Medical Humanities, History of Science, Global Health, Health Policy, Health Equity, Medical
Journalism, Psychology, Creative Writing, Ethnicity/Race/Migration, Spanish.
Hi! My name is Izumi Vázquez and I’m a Pinterest-obsessed dog lover born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I’m a sophomore at Harvard College pursuing a concentration in History of Science and secondary in Global Health and Health Policy on the pre-med track.
Having applied to 20 colleges my senior year, I’ve written my fair share of essays and grew tremendously as a writer in doing so. I successfully navigated the college application process with the support of pro-bono mentorship programs and extensive research (250+ hours) on how to strengthen my reflective writing skills and ability to effectively storytell. In addition to writing my college essays, I’ve also edited 40+ essays for and mentored FGLI students applying to colleges and programs such as LEDA and QuestBridge pro-bono. At Harvard, I’ve taken writing-intensive courses that have further refined both my writing and editing skills.
As an aspiring physician who applied and was accepted to BS/MD programs, I’m also knowledgeable about medical school interviews and curating genuine essays that will showcase your commitment to medicine.
Through trial-and-error, I learned how to effectively and engagingly relay the motivations, passions, and aspirations behind my extracurriculars and interests through my writing. I know first-hand how difficult it can be to brainstorm and write college essays, and I would love to use my experience to help you grow from self-reflection and become a master of storytelling!
Fun fact: I have recorded a second of my day every day for over a year 🙂
“I don’t think I could recommend Izumi enough. After sending her my Stanford short takes and supplemental essays, I was prepared for a few minor changes and comments. However, Izumi goes DEEP into your essay and finds not only the basic grammatical errors and ways to cut down your word count, but comments that delve into how changing the structure (or even content) of your essay can make you a stronger applicant. Besides over 100 comments/revisions, she leaves overall comments at the end of all her edits. What really sets her apart is that when she suggests a content or structural change, she explains WHY and gives you ideas on how you can reframe that part. And, although she most definitely doesn’t hesitate to give you suggestions and revisions when you need it, she also builds you up and points out parts of your essay that you did well! As if that wasn’t enough, she also looks at the essays cohesively in an effort to ensure you stand out as a person with your whole package. I can’t thank her enough!!!”
– Olivia from Virginia
“Izumi’s edits are incredibly personalized and very helpful! Rather than telling you what could be improved, Izumi shows you how to improve your writing with specific examples, easy-to-follow and practical essay structures, and even shares examples from what she has done in the past. Writing formats, phrasing, word choice, and an overall encouraging final comment—Izumi provides you with all!”
– Anonymous from Canada
“I absolutely loved Izumi’s feedback! I sent her a BS/MD essay and my Common App essay, both of which had great feedback. Izumi gave me advice on how to restructure sentences and provided me with specific examples. I also liked how she gave me detailed examples of questions I should be thinking about when writing reflective portions of my essay. Overall, I saw a huge difference in my essays after following Izumi’s edits and would definitely recommend her!”
– Keerthana from Ohio
“Izumi knows exactly what it’s like to write many different college essays for the most competitive schools. Oftentimes, students will share a story without answering the “so what?” Izumi will help you discover the answer to this question by providing detailed feedback to effectively convey your personal journey. She will inspire you to both evaluate and elaborate on the significance of your experiences/story and clarify any unclear details. Also, she has great insight on writing essays for medical programs!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
“Izumi is an amazing editor! I have gotten my second service from her and she gives clear, thorough, and positive feedbacks in my essay. She gives me examples and or question to answer topics/sentences that could do better, and this was extremely helpful for me. Thank you, and looking forward to continue getting my essays revised from you as I continue applying for nursing schools this year.”
– Janrick from Washington
Skylar Clark
Accepted to:
Northwestern University (graduate, currently attending),
UC Berkeley (undergraduate), University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science, New York University.
Majors & Interests:
Communications, Rhetoric, Sociology, Digital Humanities, English, Comparative Literature, and Political Science
Hi there! My name is Skylar and I’m from Los Angeles, California. I recently graduated from the University of California Berkeley in Spring, 2021, and I am currently pursuing my PhD in Communications with an emphasis in Rhetoric, Public Culture and Media at Northwestern University. From poetry to academic essays to research, writing fascinates me because it has allowed me to ask and answer complex questions about my inner self and the outer world. The same rings true for college application essays, which are definitely an exercise in self-articulation and storytelling.
During both my undergraduate and graduate application cycles, I wrote, edited and revised dozens of application essays for myself and my peers, many of which were targeted toward college admissions, masters programs, scholarships, fellowships, and internships. I also accumulated hours of experience in tutoring, essay revision, and argumentation while working as a paid writing tutor at the UC Berkeley Student Learning Center Writing Program, where I offered personalized virtual and face-to-face support on academic writing assignments.
If there’s one thing I’ve found that academic and application writing share, it’s the difficulty they pose in owning your unique voice and perspective. When writing college application essays, that translates to communicating who you are in a concise but genuine narrative that balances depth with brevity. It’s my mission to help you reflect on both your writing skills and your experiences in tandem, so that expressing your ideas on paper becomes akin to better understanding yourself and your values (which is exactly what we want for the admissions committee to see in your work!). I hope to draw from my own knowledge of creative, academic and application writing to help you cultivate your storytelling potential!
“Skylar will help get your essay in the best shape possible. Through her valuable feedback, she will illuminate parts that need to be changed, taken out, or expanded upon – and provide you with ways to do so. She explains her reasoning and thought process in detail, so you will have a strong sense of guidance while revising. Her thought-provoking questions will give you ideas of how to flesh out your story and emotions, perhaps in ways you never considered before! Plus, she’s got a keen eye for cutting down words to fit everything under the word count!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
“Skylar targeted precisely what was worrying me about my Activities/Awards list. She provided great insight and gave me an outside perspective of someone looking into my activities. She helped me cut down my character count very efficiently, and I’m excited to add things I didn’t get to in my initial first draft. I feel way more confident in my Activities list now that I’ve gotten trusted feedback on it, thank you!”
– Bouchra from California
“Thanks to Skylar’s recommendation and revision I think my essay is channeling to the right path.”
– Andrew from New York
Avery Hansberger
Accepted to:
Harvard University (attending), Yale, Princeton, Brown, Stanford, Duke (Likely Letter), UPenn (Ben Franklin Scholar), UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego (Chancellor Scholarship), UNC- Chapel Hill, UC Irvine (Regents Scholarship), Bard College.
Elks Most Valuable Teen National Semifinalist, National Honor Society National Finalist, Burger King National Scholar
Majors & Interests:
Theater, Media, Entertainment, Environmental Science and Public Policy, Economics.
“Avery will help you develop your narrative so that each component is interconnected and cohesive. He is skilled at pointing out where your words lack in substance, and he will provide notes to give your words more weight and value! With his feedback, you will realize how to polish your essay so that each sentence contributes to the overall theme. Admissions officers really care to learn about your journey, not just the destination. Avery will help you do just this!“
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
Sascha Agenor
Accepted to:
Dartmouth College (attending), Duke University (Likely Letter), Rice University (University Investment Grant), USC (SCA for Film), New York University (Tisch Scholarship, Tisch Talent Identification Scholarship, Dean Scholars Program for film at Tisch), Boston University (University Scholar), Emory University, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Irvine (Director's Scholarship), UC San Diego, University of Florida, Florida State University.
Majors & Interests:
Sociology, Film, Digital & Visual Arts, Political Science, English, African American Studies, Computer Science, History, Social Justice & Activism.
Hi! I’m from Miami, Florida. I wrote my Common App essay on social justice in the film industry and how that ties in with my identity as a woman of color. My goal with essay editing is to ensure that your creativity comes alive and that you stand out! I’m perfect for uncommon essay structures as I’ve had experience with writing news articles, short stories, screenplays, poems, and have won several essay writing contests. I also specialize in essays for film school! Overall, I can easily identify redundancy and help you rephrase/enhance your essay structure and language for flow, clarity, and originality purposes. Additionally, I will comment about what I get from you as a person, and how you can better tell your story! I work quickly and my comments are always thorough.
Fun fact: I have four pets- a rabbit, a cat, and two dogs!
“I loved how Sascha was able to make so many suggestions all while keeping my voice and writing style in the essay. She thoroughly explained her reasoning behind any edits she made and also brought up things to consider that I never would have thought about. It was good to have fresh eyes read over it, especially someone who isn’t necessarily from my area as I know that’s what it will be like when admissions officers read my application. Thanks for your help!”
– Charisse from California
“She made suggestions that I never considered. Love the insight that she has!”
– Cohan from Texas
“Sascha has an in-depth understanding of storytelling, as reflected by her experience with filmmaking and her fabulous college essays that I was lucky to review! For essays both big and small, she knows how to craft an engaging opening hook that will strike the interest of the college admissions officers. She will clearly point out any disconnects in your story and provide valuable advice to fill in the gaps. And when she comes up with new ideas to enhance your essay, she’ll be sure to share them with you!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
Allison Hartley
Accepted to:
UC Berkeley (attending), Northwestern University, Cornell University, Rice University, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, USC (full Trustee Scholarship), Fordham University (full Fordham Recognition Scholarship), Cal Poly SLO.
National Merit Finalist.
Majors & Interests:
Bioengineering, Journalism, Materials Science & Engineering, English
Hey! I’m Allison from Saratoga, California. I wrote my Common App essay on how bringing together my interests in social justice, journalism, and music made me realize just how much I have to learn from the people around me. In another successful essay, I dove into what medieval pigs can teach us about neuroscience and the law. Writing my personal essays helped me weave my seemingly disparate curiosities into snapshots of how I think, and I’d love to help you do the same.
My interests eventually brought me to UC Berkeley, where I’m studying Bioengineering and Journalism. I love breaking down the magic of my lab group’s engineering research into chunks that excite other people, too. From the nerdiest EE/CS essay to the poetic English supplement, I’d love to help you bundle your energy, knowledge, and curiosity into an essay that will excite your application reader. With my journalism chops and extensive experience writing and editing personal essays, we’ll make every word count in your essays.
“I can’t even begin to describe how amazing Allison was. She looked over both my common app, USC essays, and UC PIQ’s so many times and always provided the best feeback on how to provide more clairty and context. Her ability to expand upon every sentence is truly brilliant. You can tell she is extremely passionate about helping students write the best possible essays for their dream colleges. Again, Allison is truly the best and I’d recommend her again and again and AGAIN!”
– Miriam from Virginia
“Allison did an amazing job editing and providing feedback on my essay. She was able to point out mistakes and ideas that I would’ve never caught or thought of. I already had my draft done but I had trouble cutting out information because I knew some parts needed to be deleted but I couldn’t point out where. Allison helped with that and wow! She also asked questions that I could answer and add to my essay to make it more detailed, so it’s more “showing” than “telling”. I would recommend this service to anyone who needs any type of help on their essays.”
– Eva from New Jersey
“Allison is amazing! Her feedback is so insightful and thought out and truly improved the quality of my essay. I would 100% recommend her to anyone who is looking to add extra “spice” or clarity to their essays!”
– Marya from Texas
“With all of Allison’s writing experience, it’s clear she has a way with words. Having edited many of her college essays, I am fully confident in her ability to help you craft eloquent sentences that allow your personality to shine through. Allison will also encourage you to showcase emotional intelligence (a quality that admissions officers love!) by further engaging in self-reflection, identifing deeper meanings, and avoiding overused phrases. Her feedback will help you strengthen your insights to impress the AOs!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
Kwame Ocran
Accepted to:
Stanford University (attending) & Ohio State University.
LEDA Scholar, QuestBridge Scholar, The Gates Scholarship, Amazon Future Engineer, Horatio Alger Scholarship.
Majors & Interests:
Computer Science, Engineering, Writing (songwriting, scriptwriting, fanfiction, poetry), Music, Semiotics/Semiology, Languages (French, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Twi, Yoruba, Spanish +), Race & Culture, Identity, Media (anime, pop culture, telenovelas, Kdramas, Thai dramas, Nollywood), Fashion.
Fun Fact: I read fan-fiction and mangas, and I’m currently helping one of my friends create a storyboard for a T.V. show idea. I’m also up really early in the morning, so my turn-around time can be extremely quick (depending on time zone).
“Kwame was a brilliant editor! I was blown away by the amount of detail and thoroughness he utilized in his feedback. He made specific overall suggestions on grammar/syntax, but also provided extensive feedback on each essay individually and asked prompting questions that helped me truly examine how I could elevate my storytelling. I would highly recommend Kwame if you seek extremely authentic, detailed feedback!”
– Miranda from Texas
“Kwame has lots of experience using unconventional writing styles and structures to craft college essays. No matter what format your essay is written, he pays keen attention to the overall message the essay intends to convey. This is especially useful because a stellar college essay should always point back to its overarching theme. Kwame will provide thorough notes to make every part of your essay more intentional. He will also help you flesh out the significance of your story to let your personal values shine!”
– Dyllen Nellis, Stanford University
“Kwame superbly edited my essays with line by line details, and provided insightful and thorough suggestions on how I could improve or further develop my ideas. Overall, I’m really happy with Kwame’s edits and suggestions!”
– Sue Yuan from London
Dyllen Nellis
*I am not editing essays offline, but my team members are excellent and eager to assist you!
*If you would like to work with me live on Zoom, please visit the private coaching page 🙂
Accepted to:
Stanford University (attending), USC (Iovine & Young Academy Scholarship), UCLA, UC San Diego, New York University (Tisch Scholarship), Fordham University, Marist College, The College of New Jersey.
Majors & Interests:
Human-Centered Design and Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Personal Growth & Development, Education, Digital & Visual Arts, Computer Science, Performing Arts
What’s up! I’m Dyllen from Los Angeles, California. My mission is to help students effectively convey their personal values, experiences, and potential through well-crafted essays. My college app process led to amazing self-discovery and a clearer understanding of storytelling; I want to help you do the same. After getting accepted into every school I applied to, I have spent every year since researching college essay strategies, creating educational content on YouTube, working directly with students, and offering a comprehensive online college essay course with all my best advice.
My team of editors and I work off of the same system: we push you to dive deeper with your storytelling and self-reflection through thought-provoking questions. We will help you craft a thematically cohesive essay and suggest ways to draw connections between ideas. You may be familiar with my face, but be sure to also check out the rest of my team, because they are each pretty rad.
“Dyllen has the eye of a storyteller. For my Common App essay, which ultimately became one of my UC PIQs, Dyllen helped clarify different moving parts of my essay to become one cohesive narrative. By asking a number of probing questions, identifying confusing syntax, and pointing out opportunities for me to tie my complicated story together, her feedback made sure I presented myself in the best way possible Because of Dyllen, I was able to show who I was and who I became in my story, and this is a skill that not many people can do well. But Dyllen can! Compared to other services, Dyllen’s is affordable and focuses on capturing who YOU are as an individual. Using her feedback and watching her videos allowed me to create an application that I was proud of!”
– Clara, UC Berkeley
“One of the most important decisions I made during my college application process was getting Dyllen to help me brainstorm essay ideas and later on edit two rounds of my Common App essay. Her feedback helped me understand where my writing was strong and where I needed to go back to the drawing board so that I could craft the strongest application possible. I cannot thank her enough and recommend her to any and everyone! She has helped me achieve my goal of attending Stanford, and I know she can do the same for you!”
– Melany, Stanford University