College
and Graduate
School Advising

Personal writing is hard. But the tools that I've honed for memoir writing apply just as equally to application essays.

A high-performing college essay or personal statement can be a distinguishing factor when everyone has high test scores and GPAs. It’s one element of a confusing and stressful process that you can control.

You don't have to do it alone.

Advising Packages

  • The Essentials:

    What’s Included:

    ✓ 2 sessions

    ✓ Minor edits between sessions

    ✓ 1 in-depth edit of the final essay (up to 5 pages)

    Investment: $300

    Book a Free Consultation
    photo of man writing

  • The Standard:

    What’s Included:

    ✓ 4 sessions

    ✓ Minor edits between sessions

    ✓ 2 in-depth edits of the final essay (up to 10 pages)

    Investment: $500

    Book a Free Consultation
    photo of a stack of books and glasses

  • The Premium:

    What’s Included:

    ✓ 6 sessions

    ✓ Intensive research into target schools or programs

    ✓ Guidance for networking with faculty and students at target schools

    ✓ Up to 3 in-depth edits of the final essay (no page limit)

    Investment: $1,000

    Book a Free Consultation
    photo of Joshua Doležal Writer. Coach. Editor. reading on his couch in front of bookcase

You’re
in the
right place if…

✓ You want your application essay to stand out from the crowd.

✓ You struggle with creative storytelling.

✓ Your writing is wordy.

✓ You don’t know how to customize a college essay or personal statement to your target audience.

photo of a stack of books with glasses

Get the Workshop

Boost Your
Personal Statement
or College Essay

Great storytelling alone might not get you into Harvard. But when you are applying to schools that could admit 10x as many applicants as they currently do without sacrificing academic quality, every distinguishing factor counts. A high-performing essay can be a game-changer. 

    • Build and leverage audience awareness.

    • Cast a magic spell on your reader with your storytelling (and avoid breaking that spell).

    • Replace common anecdotes with unforgettable scenes and images.

    • Establish high stakes and suspense.

    • Turn generic summaries into individual characters.

    • Show your stories rather than “telling” them.

    • Investment: $10

What Clients have said
about working with Josh

  • "Josh's feedback on my writing helped make my application essays much stronger and made me feel more confident. His suggestions helped me develop a compelling narrative that blended my personal story with my professional experiences and this significantly strengthened my PhD application."

    — Gabe, PhD Candidate in Biosciences

  • "Josh can help people who have never felt successful putting their story to paper, and he can also help those who want a fresh take on how they present themselves to the world in writing. His abilities to meet individual needs and draw out focused, thoughtful inquiries are his greatest attributes as a coach."

    — Matthew, PhD Candidate in Musicology

photo of Joshua Doležal Writer pdf, How to write a high-performing personal statement or college essay

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