Helping students build thoughtful futures.

Every student approaches college with different strengths, questions, and aspirations. I work closely with students to help them discover who they are, find colleges where they'll thrive, and tell their story with authenticity and confidence.

As a Yale graduate, former attorney, and longtime humanities teacher, I bring over 13 years of experience helping young people think deeply, write clearly, and make thoughtful decisions.

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The college application doesn’t begin with the application.

Students and families often think of the college application as something that happens during senior year.

In reality, it’s the final expression of years of experiences, choices, questions, relationships, and growth.

By the time a student sits down to write an essay, they aren’t creating a story.

They’re learning how to tell the one they’ve already been living.

Whether it’s restoring a locomotive, leading a team, performing music, or working in a lab, meaningful experiences become meaningful applications only through reflection.

Experiences

Reflection

Growth

Clarity

Story

Who I Work With

Every stage of high school brings different questions and different opportunities for growth.

The college application isn’t built in a single year. As students grow, so do the questions they’re asking themselves, the interests they explore, and their plans for the future. My role is to help students navigate those questions with intention and confidence and to meet them wherever they are on their journey.

Freshmen

Freshman year is a time to explore. Together, we’ll look at interests, courses, activities, and experiences that help students begin to discover what excites them without the pressure of having everything figured out.

Discover interests
Build confidence
Reflect

Who are You?

Sophomores

As interests take shape, students begin making more intentional choices. We’ll explore opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to find patterns of genuine interest and build on strengths.

Explore leadership
Find academic challenges
Summer planning
Story collection

What Matters to You?

Junior year is when experience meets strategy. We’ll begin to develop a balanced college list, prepare thoughtfully for the application process, and start the essays to ensure that every part of the process reflects who the student has become.

Clarify college priorities
Connect experiences into a coherent story
Develop a clear writing plan

Where Will You Thrive?

Juniors

Seniors

How Do You Tell Your Story?

Now it’s time to communicate all that growth through essays, activities, interviews, and applications that are authentic, compelling, and reflect who the student has become.

Create essays
Refine every application detail
Prepare for interviews
Navigate decisions with confidence
Transition thoughtfully to college

Every student’s path is different.

Whether we’re working together for four years or four months, my goal is the same: helping students make thoughtful decisions, communicate who they’ve become, and move into college with confidence.

Reviews

Margaret is an absolutely exceptional asset to anyone applying to colleges. Brainstorming and getting started are the most difficult parts of this intimidating process. Luckily, Margaret helped me identify meaningful stories to help demonstrate my strengths and growth. Once I had ideas and rough drafts, Margaret took the time to help clarify my ideas. With her help and structure, I submitted essays I was proud of to countless colleges and was accepted into many notable schools, including UCSD, Scripps College, Smith College, and, of course, the University of California, Berkeley, where I currently attend.

My time spent with Margaret was essential to the quality and completion of my essays, especially as someone who occasionally struggles with deadlines.

— Monelle, UC Berkeley

Margaret was absolutely instrumental in my receiving a full-ride scholarship to a top liberal arts college. She went above and beyond in supporting me during the college application process. She taught me about QuestBridge, a scholarship program that helps high-achieving, low-income high school seniors match with top universities. I am eternally grateful for her guidance and cannot recommend her skills in aiding students with college applications enough!

— Jade, Vassar

Margaret is an incredibly talented, patient, and kind coach — and person. She was so helpful throughout the college application process, especially when it came to brainstorming and finding a strong central theme that connected my different life experiences. At the same time, she was honest about what information distracted from the main message, which made my essays much stronger. She is an expert at cutting down essays to meet strict character and word limits without losing their meaning or voice.

Most importantly, she was endlessly patient and willing to read countless revisions of the same essay. Margaret also knows the secret to writing impactful and memorable UC essays; with her guidance and support, my essays helped me gain acceptance to UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis. I am so grateful to have worked with her during my senior year.

— Prasanna, UCLA

Margaret not only helped me with essay writing, but she also taught me how to craft my narrative. It was through the hours she spent coaching me and posing questions to deepen my story that I created the personal narrative I still refer to today.

Anyone who chooses to work with Margaret would be lucky to have her as a coach and to get to know her as a person! She approaches every student’s story with care and authenticity.

— Lucía, Harvard

Margaret helped me tremendously throughout my college essay writing journey. She gave amazing advice on story flow, grammar, and organization. She patiently critiqued my drafts multiple times, offering valuable feedback with each revision. With her guidance, I was able to finish writing my essays early in September. I am extremely grateful to have had such an incredible coach and mentor reviewing my college applications.

— Leah, Cal Tech

Margaret helped me so much throughout my college application cycle. She was kind, patient, and truly cared about my work and the process. She helped me feel more confident about my work by offering diligent, helpful critiques on each draft she reviewed, in a considerate, open-minded way, while still making sure my work reflected my voice. I truly couldn’t recommend her more.

— Liv, NYU

More reviews

College Admissions

Students I’ve worked with have been admitted to these colleges and universities

Amherst College | Arizona State University | American University | Barnard College | Boston University | Brandeis University | Bryn Mawr College | California Institute of the Arts | California Institute of Technology | Cal Poly Humboldt | Cal Poly Pomona | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | Cal State Long Beach | Cal State San Marcos | Carleton College | Carnegie Mellon University | Case Western Reserve University | Chapman University | Colorado College of Mines | Columbia University | Cornell University | Drexel University | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Fordham University | George Washington University | Georgetown University | Gettysburg College | Grinnell College | Han University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) | Harvard University | Harvey Mudd College | Haverford College | Howard University | Kenyon College | Lewis & Clark University | Loyola Marymount University | Mt. Holyoke College | New York University | Northeastern University | Northwestern University | Oberlin College | Occidental College | Otis College of Art & Design | Pitzer College | Point Loma Nazarene University | Reed College | Rutgers University | Rhode Island School of Design | Rochester Institute of Technology | San Diego State University | Santa Clara University | Sarah Lawrence College | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Scripps College | Smith College | Stanford University | Syracuse University | Tufts University | Tulane University | United States Air Force Academy | United States Military Academy | United States Naval Academy | University of Arizona | UC Berkeley | UC Davis | UC Irvine | UCLA | UC Merced | UC Riverside | UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Cruz | University of Colorado Boulder | University of Oregon | University of Pennsylvania | University of San Diego | University of San Francisco | University of Southern California | University of Virginia | University of Washington | Vanderbilt University | Vassar College | Washington University in St. Louis | Wellseley College | Willamette University | Yale University

Amherst College

Arizona State University

American University

Barnard College

Boston University

Brandeis University

Bryn Mawr College

California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of Technology

Cal Poly Humboldt

Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cal State Long Beach

Cal State San Marcos

Carleton College

Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western Reserve University

Chapman University

Colorado School of Mines

Columbia University

Cornell University

Drexel University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Fordham University

George Washington University

Georgetown University

Gettysburg College

Grinnell College

Han University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)

Harvard University

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Howard University

Kenyon College

Lewis & Clark University

Loyola Marymount University

Mt. Holyoke College

New York University

Northeastern University

Northwestern University

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Otis College of Art & Design

Pitzer College

Point Loma Nazarene University

Reed College

Rutgers University

Rhode Island School of Design

Rochester Institute of Technology

San Diego State University

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Scripps College

Smith College

Stanford University

Syracuse University

Tufts University

Tulane University

United States Air Force Academy

United States Military Academy

United States Naval Academy

University of Arizona

UC Berkeley

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UCLA

UC Merced

UC Riverside

UC San Diego

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Cruz

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California

University of Virginia

University of Washington

Vanderbilt University

Vassar College

Washington University in St. Louis

Wellesley College

Willamette University

Yale University

Services

Development & Admissions Coaching

For Students Beginning in 9th or 10th Grade

$5,000

One fee. Ongoing coaching through high school, including the complete admissions process in junior and senior year.

The strongest college applications aren't built during application season. They're built over time.

This program is designed for students who want to approach high school with intention—not because every choice has to be perfect, but because meaningful experiences grow from curiosity, reflection, and thoughtful decisions.

Together, we’ll:

Discover genuine interests and emerging strengths
Make intentional academic and extracurricular choices
Plan summers and enrichment opportunities
Reflect on experiences as they happen
Build confidence and independence over time
Create a strong foundation for college applications

Admissions Coaching

For Students Beginning in 11th or 12th Grade

$4,000

By junior and senior year, students have accumulated experiences. Now it’s time to make sense of them.

Together, we’ll:

Build a balanced college list
Identify the themes that connect a student’s experiences
Develop essays that reflect the student’s authentic voice
Create a coherent application narrative
Stay organized through every deadline
Evaluate admissions decisions and prepare for the transition to college

Individual Coaching Session

Two hours — $400

For students who need focused support with one aspect of the admissions process or would benefit from an experienced second perspective.

Common topics include:

Essay brainstorming
Essay feedback
College list review
Application strategy
Interview preparation

Complimentary Consultation

30-45 Minute Introductory Conversation With Student and Family

A chance for us to get to know one another, discuss your student's goals, and determine what kind of support would be most helpful.

Let’s begin the conversation.

Every family’s needs are different. Some students work with me throughout high school, while others come for focused support during the application process. Together, we’ll decide what level of guidance best fits your goals.