*** Still accepting HS seniors applying to enroll in Fall 2025.***
New to Thumbtack, Experienced in the Application Process!!
Hi There!
My name is Ali, and I’m a Stanford University graduate with a passion for college application consulting. I graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in English Literature and a 3.8 GPA, as part of the Class of 2020.
I pride myself on my unique ability to crack the college application process by helping students to show up as their best, most vibrant selves in their writing. Common App Essays, Supplementary Essays, and other written parts of any college application are CRUCIAL segments that act as opportunities to show admissions committees the parts of your personality that make you stand out. Unfortunately, too many students are not using these written supplements to best showcase themselves.
In my 3 years of experience working as an independent college essay consultant, I have noticed a pattern of bright students coming in with drafts of what they THINK admissions officers want to hear, accidentally dampening their own unique personalities and stories in the process. The first drafts of their essays often seem just like everyone else’s. However, I know firsthand that the key to standing out to an admissions committee is great, detailed writing, that allows the applicant’s personality to shine. So together, the student and I work to find their unique writing voice, often editing together on a shared document during a video call. I don’t rewrite essays alone, which would erase the student’s voice completely. I work together with students to make sure that their essays stay unique to them, but also have the polish and power of an expertly-written, persuasive story, where each anecdote leaps off the page.
If you have drafts of your essays, we can work on revising. We’ll make sure that you’re saying what you want to say, not only in a clear and effective way, but in a way that engages the reader, and emphasizes your individual attributes as a candidate. After reading your writing, no admissions officer should be able to confuse you with any other applicant.
Or, if you have nothing written yet, and aren’t sure where to start, we can begin the process together. I love helping students brainstorm what to write about through a journalistic interviewing process (which just feels like getting to know each other) that allows me to see how we can position your unique profile to achieve the most success in the college admissions process. After settling on a topic, we outline the piece’s structure, and then get into writing at the sentence level — always together.
It’s not too late to put your best foot forward in the college application process — the way to do so is by letting your unique voice shine through your writing. Let’s work together to make you unforgettable within your applications by emphasizing the most unique parts of your student profile, and your personality in general, so that you become a total catch to even the most selective admissions teams.
As a tutor, I bring empathy, a sense of humor, and a story-seeker's mind and listening ear to my process of working with students. I am personable, upbeat, and genuinely get to know my students in order to best help them shine in their college applications. Hopefully, along the way, working together can make the application process transform from a stressful to-do into an empowering process of self-discovery.
I have availability this application season, and all school year, both in-person in Los Angeles, and also online.
Please reach out with any questions. I’m looking forward to working together!
Ali
