This winter, I worked with Dara on her admissions essay to the USC School of Social Work, which was her first choice. The personal statement was the hardest I've seen by far: Dara had the daunting task of addressing five separate questions into one cohesive essay. Because of the required length and multiple nuances she needed to address, this was trickier than your typical admissions essay. We focused on rewriting the outline so her most appealing anecdotes stood out, shortening unrelated tangents so her theme was clear throughout the essay, and focusing on a thematic narrative instead of a chronological approach. Luckily, it worked!

"Yelena provided my essay with the perfect pair of fresh eyes. She shined a light on all of the blind spots, showing me which content I needed to highlight more or less. And the best part? The revision process was conveniently done online via a Google Doc. Yelena gave lengthy and straightforward comments that were 100% helpful. Without her guidance, I'm not sure if my essay would've had the same impact."

—Dara, accepted to the USC School of Social Work

UPDATE: Dara just found out that she received the Dean's List Scholarship and is now a "Dean's Leadership Scholar." It's the most prestigious and highest financial scholarship in the school of social work! "I had to fill out a short application, but they looked at my admissions essay as well. Just want you to know!! Thanks again!!" she wrote. WOOOOOOT, GO DARA!!