“Turned a collection of ideas into a powerful story.”- S.R., Accepted to Yale University

“I reached out to Yelena just a few weeks before my early application was due, and she was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was always eager to help, and her lightning fast responses made scheduling meetings a breeze. Yelena’s ability to help turn a collection of ideas into a coherent, powerful story without losing authenticity is very impressive, and she provided me with tools I will continue to use throughout my life. The passion Yelena has for what she does is awe-inspiring, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with her!”

“Brought my writing to life.” - M.M., Accepted to Princeton University

“Yelena was so insightful and an absolute delight to work with––not only did she help with the mechanics of my essay, she took the time to get to know me personally in order to add a special touch. I credit her with bringing my writing to life in addition to reading well on paper! Thank you for your editing magic - I'm oh so grateful for you, Ms. Shuster!" -M.M., Accepted to Princeton, Duke, UNC & USC

“Helped take abstract ideas from my head into a memorable essay.” -Sam, Accepted to Harvard University

“Hello Ms. Shuster, I'm writing this email to let you know that I got into Harvard EA! Thank you so much for your help and guidance throughout the process with the essays these past weeks. Without your help, I don't think I would've ever gotten here. I know I've said this a lot, but I feel like the essays have gotten so far, all with your invaluable help.”

“Through countless e-mails, Yelena helped me take the abstract ideas that were in my head and put them on a sheet of paper. And Yelena helped me through the complex challenge of putting my lived experience into a format that other people could understand. Yelena also helped me by bringing me a new perspective for my essays. As someone writing an essay about myself, there were a lot of details that I assumed that a person who was reading the essay would know. However, Yelena helped me include more details in the essays to make the writing tighter. Within the timeframe of several weeks, my essay went from a somewhat forgettable story to a memorable and impactful snapshot into my life as a person and a student. Without Yelena's help and support throughout the process, I am sure that I would have never been accepted to Harvard University."

“Provided strategy to tell my story in the best way possible.” -Adam, accepted to Northwestern & Cornell as a Transfer

“Yelena was easy to work with, fast at responding, and provided helpful and honest feedback. She gave me not only grammar and sentence structure suggestions, but also objective feedback on content and a strategy to tell my story in the best way possible. Because of her, I was able to avoid numerous faux pas and mistakes that could have ruined my application. She helped me refine my tone and convey my best self while being authentic. It was super worth it, I highly recommend getting an outside perspective and Yelena is a great person to do that.”

“Because of Yelena, a great deal of stress has been lifted.” -Jonathan, accepted to Brown, Pomona & more

“Yelena takes a thoughtful and comprehensive approach when editing her student's essays. She values the stories of her those she works with and has a talent for amplifying the key components of the stories to make sure that the unique character of each student shines through. Her phone calls and detailed revisions are just examples of the lengths she is willing to travel for her students. She made sure my voice was always coming through in my essays.

“I now have work that I am proud of sharing with others. I have received numerous compliments from teachers and mentors not only on how well-written my essays were, but how much the story I tell reveals about me. Yelena provided me with more certainty than ever before about the college application process. I am glad to have worked with someone who actually cares about the success of those she works with, because she herself knows how difficult applying to college can be. She knows how much an individual’s experiences and interests matter. I would recommend Yelena to just about anyone looking for help with the application essays. She is caring, smart, and devoted. She will not let you down, she surely went beyond my expectations. Because of her, a great deal of stress has been lifted off my shoulders when I think about my college essays.”

“Yelena enabled me to reflect deeply on my life experiences.”-Rod, accepted to Stanford University

“The edits and feedback I received from Yelena enabled me to reflect deeply on my life experiences and their effects on my motivations. Because of this, I was able to write a concise essay that was truly unique to me. Yelena's help allowed me to create a clear, dynamic story that played a huge role in getting me into a top-tier university.”

"Actually takes the time to get to know her students." -BA, accepted to Yale & University of Pennsylvania

"I have worked hard throughout high school to prepare myself for the application process to get into my dream schools. But when senior year came and the time to start applying to colleges arrived, I didn’t know where to begin with my personal statements. I’ve always heard that you can literally write about anything in your essays and it will be fine. But anything doesn’t always show the best qualities in me.

"That’s where Yelena came and turned things around. Torn between topics, Yelena helped me brainstorm powerful events in my life that helped illuminate my strong characteristics that reveal who I am as a person while also making my statement impactful. She is extremely gifted in noticing significant features about a person just through her writing process. The fact that she actually takes the time to get to know her students before helping us with our work shows her determination to make our essays well written while leaving a great impression on the admission officers. She believes that every person has something amazing to share and she works hard to help us show that. With her help, not only did I come out with an incredible essay but I also learned more about myself and my values. I cannot thank her enough for her tremendous help. Thanks so much for everything! I appreciate all you have done for me. You have done so much to help me through my college applications!"

"My essays went from bland to authentic." -JT, accepted to Cornell University

"I sought out Yelena's help just one week before my application was due. Although I considered myself a proficient writer, I was having difficulty tailoring my writing to express my personal identity and my interest for Cornell University. Yelena worked with me over the phone and inspired me to consider the bigger picture and to incorporate a more creative narrative for my essay. She also kept me motivated and focused, providing a timeline of due dates. In just a couple of days, my essays went from bland mediocrity to a vivacious and impactful assortment of words. Yelena helped me eliminate extraneous phrases and wording that didn’t aid the overall momentum and suggested the practice of nighttime journaling to spur creativity and insight. She also helped me incorporate shorthand (like "Cornellian" and "A&S") to give my supplement an additional level of authenticity. Although my stats were competitive for Cornell University, I’m convinced that Yelena's input and editing are the main reason I was admitted."

"Unleashed my creative side." -AK, accepted to Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)

"I got into Columbia!!! Thank you so much for helping me with my essays and bringing them to perfection!! I don't think I’ve ever been proud of any piece of writing as my Common App essay... Being a STEM-related student, I've always had trouble with writing. Yelena knew exactly what to do so that I could freely and clearly speak my mind in my essays. She guided me through creative directions so we could find the write one for me. Her knowledge of how the admissions essays work allowed for us to focus on the important aspects of the essay and leave out the fluff. In addition, Yelena made my essays very interesting with bits of (effective) humor and storytelling that made my essays stand out. Overall, Yelena was able to unleash the creative side of my writing and add life to my otherwise monotonous essays. Thank you again!!!”

“Knows how to create moving narratives.” - Allyson, accepted to Georgia Tech, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB & more

“As a high school senior who has never written personal essays, I was terrified of college applications. Since day one, Yelena has been committed to helping me develop powerful essays. From responding to emails or texts promptly, to sending back edits on or before scheduled, she exudes professionalism. Her expertise in writing is also reflected in every single one of her edits, from structure, to line-by-line analysis, to overall impact. What makes Yelena exceptional, however, is her guidance throughout the essay writing process. She doesn't only care about bringing essays to perfection; she also cares about my success as an applicant overall. It gives me great confidence knowing that Yelena has my back in the college application process. Getting into top universities would be her victory as much as it would be mine. I cannot recommend Yelena enough to anyone. She is a professional and caring writer who truly knows how to create moving narratives. I am sure that anyone who chooses to work with her will be far more than satisfied."

"Excellent inutition helped illuminate my strengths." -Octavio, accepted to Williams, Middlebury, & Connecticut College

"Yelena helped illuminate my strengths on my personal statement, breaking my habit of cutting myself short. She used her excellent intuition to select compelling scenes, asking questions that allowed me to elaborate on my defining moments. She also helped cut my repetitions, maximizing the use of space on the very limiting word count. I'm extremely grateful for Yelena's help for she is one of the reasons why I'm able to have the opportunity to attend a top liberal arts school on the opposite of side of the country from where I live."

"I got personal compliments from 2 admissions counselors!"—Raina, accepted to Smith College, Clark University, Mount Holyoke & more

"This year I got into all 8 of my top choice schools—and it is all thanks to Yelena. My essay was a mess when she began working with me. I had no clue what I was going to write about, or how I was going to do it alone. With Yelena, all my worries were whisked away. She was so willing to help in any way she could, and was patient every step of the way. We began with a comprehensive phone call where we talked for an hour or more about my life story and Yelena actually helped me narrow down a topic—which initially seemed like an impossible feat.

"Following this, she helped me develop an outstanding starter which I know grabbed the attention of admissions counselors and made them want to read more. After writing multiple drafts, Yelena even went above and beyond and compiled three different drafts into one impactful narrative by frankenstein-ing them together. She edited, deleted cliches and unnecessary material, and helped think up new lines for dramatic effect. All along, Yelena was sweet, compassionate, and determined to make my essay as best as it could possibly be. By the end of our journey, I truly felt my essay encompassed my personality and life experiences in less than 600 words. It is something my teachers, family members and friends were all astounded by.

"I even received two personal compliments about it from two different admissions counselors at top colleges. I know my essay played a huge role in my 8 college acceptances and I am eternally grateful for all of Yelena's help. I could not have done any of this without her and I appreciate it so much.  I highly recommend her services and hope you consider working with her—she's an angel from college admissions heaven."

"Took my writing from good to near perfect." —Beto, accepted to UCLA, UC Berkeley & more

"I am a high school senior who will be attending UC Berkeley next fall. My academics and leaderships made me a competitive candidate, but my personal insight questions, edited and shaped by Yelena, is one of the top reasons I will be attending the #1 public university in the world next fall. In terms of my writing, I had strong arguments; however, they were not so coherent and well structured. Then, Yelena came along and took my writing from good to near perfect.

"Her amazing work even caught the attention of school officials as I was asked to read my personal statement during a school assembly. Thanks to Yelena, I believe that grades and academics do not reflect a person's qualities as well as a well-written essay. She has the power to turn a potential applicant into an admitted student, take my word for it. I definitely recommend Yelena to individuals who need feedback or additional support in the application process. You will not regret it. The results speak for themselves, the professionalism is on point, and the feedback is off the charts. I am really thankful for her service and I am keeping her in high consideration for future academic endeavors."

"Went line by line for a far superior personal statement!" —Jackie, accepted to UC Hastings Law School with scholarship

"I reached out to Yelena with just 2.5 weeks until my early admission deadline.  I had already written a Law School Personal Statement, but my gut told me it could be better.  What I didn’t expect was for Yelena to encourage me to start from scratch! Yelena explained that my essay wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t impactful. My personal statement was telling more than showing and the story itself didn’t highlight my skills effectively. Still, I didn’t think I could write a better statement in just two weeks time, but Yelena set out a path to success. We started by brainstorming new ideas and discussing strengths and weaknesses from my original statement."

"Once a main idea was in place, Yelena helped develop an outline. From there, we set deadlines and turnaround times on both ends to ensure we were on target. Yelena’s notes were thoughtful, diligent, and thorough. She went line by line and explained where and why things worked and how they were useful. Even though we were across the country from each other, she was available by phone, text, and email which made communication seamless. I ended up with a personal statement that was far superior to the original one I had written. I would absolutely recommend Yelena’s services and wish I had enlisted her sooner. I already have her in mind to help my niece with her undergrad admissions essay."