Middlebury Grad: Admissions Essays Expert
Middlebury Grad: Admissions Essays Expert

Middlebury Grad: Admissions Essays Expert

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$300/hour
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Introduction
The personal statement represents an opportunity to transport an admissions officer into the student's world so they can see what the student sees, think what the student thinks, and feel what the student feels. Admissions officers already know from their grades and test scores what students can accomplish— with the personal statement, they want to know what makes a student tick. All too many students make the mistake of submitting a reformatting of their resume for their essay. Listing their accolades, a student does nothing to demonstrate their psasion, their value system, what drives them, how they will utilize a college's resources, and how they seek to impact the world in the future. In my process, the student and I join a shared Google doc where I interview the student, riddling them with questions about their lives to reveal captivating stories that encapsulate their character traits, personalities, experiences, passions, and values. Whether the student I'm working with is a racecar driver, a refugee on an H-4 visa, a volleyball fanatic, a film critic, or a precocious biomedical engineer, I always get the student to tell me every detail from a profound moment in their life that serves to demonstrate what they value, how they look at the world, and how they have used their experiences and resources to grow. Then, I edit the document with the student, quickly eliminating redundancies, instances of passive voice, grammatical errors, and vagaries. Usually, within a few sessions, we end with a powerful, polished essay having started from scratch! Supplemental essays offer a similar opportunity for students to share rich details from their lives to demonstrate their passions, worldviews, experiences, and pieces of wisdom. I help students brainstorm, write, and edit every essay which they have to submit in their applications, all with the emphasis of bringing out their personal voice, true stories, and character traits. Through his unique one-on-one interview-style essay counseling, Rob has helped hundreds of students reach their dream schools. Notable acceptances from last two years alone date include Harvard (3.2% acceptance, Yale (6.5%), Johns Hopkins (7.5%), Dartmouth (6.2%), Brown (7.7%), Cornell (10.7%), UIC BSMD (3.0%), NYU Shanghai (7%), NYU College of Dentistry (10%) UCLA (14.6%), and many more! Please reach out so I can share past essays and tell you even more about my process and how I help students every step of the way! Rob Shaw Founder, Fathom Academics
Overview

Current Top Pro

Hired 100 times

Serves Malden, MA

Background checked

1 employee

9 years in business

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2023

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    College Admissions Counseling

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Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

40 reviews

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pro avatar
Manpreet D.
3 weeks ago
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Rob had been helping my daughter since she was applying to colleges in 2022. Now She is in college and he still advises her on various aspects of college education including building up resume and applying for internships etc. Its a great and very professional help and he will work with my daughter for many more years.Thank you Rob.

Details: Completing applications • Writing essays • High school Senior • Once a week • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

College Admissions Counseling
pro avatar
Seim s.
7 days ago
·

Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I am thrilled to share our outstanding experience with Rob ,who has been instrumental in preparing my children for college. His support for Youssef as he navigated the college application process was nothing short of exceptional. Not only did he help him craft compelling essays, but he also guided him through every step until Youssef was accepted into the accelerated 7-year dental program—a dream come true for our family! What truly set Rob apart is his ability to connect with students. He quickly established a genuine friendship with Youssef and our family, creating a comfortable learning environment where my son felt supported and understood. In a wonderful gesture, he even sent Youssef a thoughtful gift upon his acceptance, showcasing his commitment to his students' success. Now, Rob is working with my other son, who is a senior. It’s a pleasure to collaborate with him again. His punctuality, attention to detail, and perfectionist approach ensure that every session is productive and focused. We deeply value his honest and constructive feedback, which has been crucial in guiding our sons toward their goals. I wholeheartedly recommend Rob to any family seeking the very best for their children. His reliability and dedication to excellence make him an invaluable asset in the college preparation journey. Thank you, for your incredible support and for making such a positive impact on our family's future!

Details: Completing applications • Writing essays • High school Senior • Cadence recommended by professional • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

College Admissions Counseling
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Danielle G.
Aug 19, 2024
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

My son (a senior) is not highly motivated to complete the college application process and needed help with his essay. Rob met with my son (2 one-hour sessions). It started as a conversation, which lead to a draft essay and then the final essay. My son is very proud of the end product. So glad I found Rob - he made it a seamless process.

Details: Writing essays • Completing applications • High school Senior • Cadence recommended by professional • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

College Admissions Counseling
pro avatar
David T.
Aug 9, 2024
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I contacted Rob to work with my grandson. It was a prefect fit for my grandson in terms of character. He was able to focus on specific improvements of his college essays. Highly recommend

Details: Writing essays • Completing applications • High school Senior • Once a week • At the pro’s location

College Admissions Counseling
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Shaun G.
Feb 6, 2024
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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Rob helped my high school senior clean up and improve his college application essays. He was very prompt, efficient, and easy to work with. In just a few sessions, Rob helped my teen to dramatically improve the quality of his writing. His essays ended up much more succinct, organized, and coherent in both structure and messaging.

Details: Writing essays • High school Senior • More than once a week • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)

College Admissions Counseling
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Rob Shaw

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