Who you'd be working with
Jake Beckman. Independent college counselor in New York City, working with students nationwide. A one-person practice: no hand-offs, no junior staff, and you get my number. More about how I work
The personal statement and supplements, from blank page to final draft.
Most college essays sound the same. Not because students are the same, but because everyone is drawing from the same pool of advice, the same example essays, and increasingly the same AI tools. Admissions officers read thousands of these. The generic ones blur together within seconds.
The fix is not fancier writing. It is a better story, told plainly. My job is to help you find the material that only you have, then get out of the way of your voice. When we're done, the essay should sound like you on your best day, not like me, and not like a template.
Long, unhurried conversations about your life. The best essay material almost never comes from the obvious highlights. It hides in the small stuff.
You write. I respond with real feedback, not rewrites. We go as many rounds as the essay needs, and we keep your voice intact the whole way.
Structure, clarity, and the last-mile polish. Then we pressure-test it: does this say something about you that the rest of the application cannot?
The personal statement. The main Common App essay, from first brainstorm through the final read.
Every supplement. The why-us essays, the short answers, and the weird prompts, each one tuned to the school it's for.
The activities list. 150 characters per activity is its own kind of writing. We make every one count.
A word on AI. I will never write your essay, and neither should a chatbot. Colleges are getting good at spotting it, and it defeats the purpose. Your voice is the asset here.
Seniors often start here. If the essay is the only thing keeping you up, let's talk about that first.
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Jake Beckman. Independent college counselor in New York City, working with students nationwide. A one-person practice: no hand-offs, no junior staff, and you get my number. More about how I work
Free strategy calls. No pitch, no pressure, just a plan.
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