Admissions essays, personal statements & more, written with you — not for you.

College, graduate, and scholarship applications. Twenty-five years of crafting admissions essays on your side.
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Who is Kairos for?

Most of my admissions clients are high school seniors writing the Common App, supplements, and Personal Insight Questions; college students applying to graduate programs (law, medical, MBA, and academic doctoral programs); scholarship applicants; and international students working in English as a second language.

Some are first-generation college applicants whose families don’t have a roadmap. Some have parents who’ve been through this before but want a second set of eyes.

All of them have something true to say about themselves — the work is helping them say it in writing that admissions officers will remember.

What I work on:

  • Common Application personal statements
  • Personal insight questions
  • Supplemental essays for individual schools
  • Graduate school personal statements (law, medical, MBA, and others)
  • Scholarship essays and “Why us?” responses
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Services & Pricing

Single EssayMost Affordable

$ 50

per projectStarting at $50.

A polished revision of one essay you’ve drafted — Common App, supplemental, scholarship, or graduate personal statement. Includes a structural pass, line edits, and a 30-minute revision conversation.

Best for: students with a draft who need a strong second pair of eyes.

Full Application PackageMost Popular

$ 150

one school portfolioStarting at $150

Complete coaching across one application — personal statement plus all supplemental essays for one school, or a graduate program’s full essay requirements.

Best for: families who want to outsource the writing-help logistics for one high-stakes application.

Multi-School PackageMost comprehensive approach

$ 250

complete application portfolioStarting at $250

Tackle the whole admissions season. Coaching across multiple applications — typically four to eight schools’ worth of essays.  Your price will be a custom quote based on the total essay count.

Best for: students applying widely, especially to highly selective programs.

Hourly CoachingMost Flexible

$ 50

hourlyStarting at $50/hour

Let’s discuss a specific payment plan for your needs. Sliding-scale rates available for families with demonstrated need because everyone deserves the chance to have their story told. Let’s find a plan that works for you.

Best for: unique situations or ongoing writing support.

Why work with me?

A teacher first. I spent twenty years in high school and college classrooms — chairing English departments, piloting AP courses, coaching speech and debate — before I became a full-time writer. I was named a national teacher of the year in philosophy and a distinguished educator by my school district for seventeen consecutive years.

Teaching is the foundation of everything I do now: I know what applicants actually sound like, and I know how to help them say something true about themselves by a deadline.

A real writer. I currently serve as executive speechwriter for a university leader, drafting speeches and op-eds for boards, donors, and national audiences. Before that, I worked as a speechwriter in Washington, D.C. The same craft that goes into a high-stakes keynote goes into a high-stakes admissions essay — and admissions officers can tell.

An honest partner. I won’t write the essay for you, and I won’t help you sound like someone you’re not. What I do is help you find the moment in your life that the essay should be about, and then help you write it in your voice at its best. That’s the kind of help every well-resourced applicant gets from a parent, teacher, or counselor. It’s the kind I’m here to provide.

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Testimonials

“

"Don was instrumental in reviewing, editing, helping in revision of my non-fiction book. No keener eye for detail, correctness, and tenor than Don. He worked with hundreds of college-bound students, including my own sons. I recommend him with the highest degree of testimony. Nobody better out there."

Geoff PNobody Better
“

How it works

1. A free 20-minute conversation. Tell me what you’re applying for, when it’s due, and where you are in the process. I’ll tell you what kind of help would actually be useful.

2. A written quote within 24 hours. Scope, timeline, and total cost. No surprises later.

3. We start with the story, not the page. Before we write, we talk about what your essay should actually be about — the moment in your life that’s worth six hundred and fifty words. Most students walk into this conversation thinking they know; most leave with something they hadn’t considered.

4. Drafting, in your voice. I help you write it — sometimes through structured conversations, sometimes through edits on what you’ve drafted. The words on the page are always yours.

5. Revisions until it’s right. Two rounds of substantive revisions are included on most projects, plus all the small tweaks. The goal is the right essay, not a quota of edits.

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FAQ

Will my essay sound like me, or like you?

Like you. That’s the whole point. My job isn’t to put my voice on top of yours; it’s to find your voice at its best and make sure that’s what reaches the page.

Can admissions officers tell when an applicant had help?

They can absolutely tell when an essay was written for a student — and they reject those essays routinely. They cannot tell when a student was coached well. Coaching is what every well-resourced applicant gets from a parent, teacher, or counselor. The line is whether the essay is the student’s voice, sharpened, or someone else’s voice, faked. I only do the first.

Do you work with international students and ESL writers?

Gladly. Twenty years in classrooms taught me that the students with the most interesting stories often have the hardest time getting them onto the page in English. The goal is never to erase your voice — it’s to make sure the reader hears what you actually mean.

What's your typical turnaround?

One to two weeks for a first draft on most essays, faster when the deadline requires it. If your application is due soon, please let me know up front—I have limited rush capacity for students with short timelines.

Do you offer payment plans or financial assistance?

Yes. As someone who grew up without many of the resources required for college, this is very important for me.

Sliding-scale rates are available for families with demonstrated need. Tell me your situation when you reach out, and we’ll work out something fair.

More Questions?

See the full FAQ or send me a note.

Speech Coaching

For students preparing scholarship interviews, graduate-school admissions interviews, or thesis defenses, speech coaching is also available — including for international students working in English as a second language.

With years of experience as a college and high school speech and debate coach and time preparing executives for big moments, let me help you prepare for your kairos moment!

Let's start with a conversation about what you want to achieve.

A free 20-minute conversation, no pressure. If we’re a fit, we’ll talk about scope, timeline, and pricing. If we’re not, I’ll tell you that too — and often suggest someone who is.

Let's start our conversation today!