Melissa Amaral
college admission and essay coaching
Welcome!
I know that you have a story. Let me introduce mine.
I help students define and achieve their dreams.
I could tell you that I have over a decade of experience working with hundreds of high school and college students, supporting them as they learn, make decisions, and grow. I could tell you about how I teach, advise, coach, support, and challenge students.
The most important thing I do is ask questions and listen.
You are the expert on you. My job is to help you make sense of your journey -- past, present, and future. I investigate your goals, values, and actions. I look for patterns, themes, and connections. I want to understand you better, and I want you to understand yourself better so that you can make decisions that are aligned with who you are and what you want. I want to help you communicate your value and achieve your goals.
Now that you know a little about my story, let me help you tell yours.
Recent Acceptances
Most Selective/Highly Rejective Colleges
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Grinnell College
Harvard University
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Pomona College
Stanford University
Tulane University
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Los Angeles
University of Michigan
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Washington & Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Williams College
Yale University
.
Highly Selective Colleges
Case Western Reserve University
Florida State University
State University of New York-Binghamton
The University of Tampa
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of Maryland
University of Pittsburg
University of Richmond
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
.
Selective Colleges
Clarkson University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
SUNY College at Geneseo
University of Houston
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Vermont
What is your story?
"Who here knows exactly what they want to do with their life?"
I've asked this question during my training sessions to groups of adult educators. I would look expectantly at the graduate students, college advisors, and administrators, some with decades of experience. No one ever raised their hand.
Grown adults are still growing. They are discovering new interests, learning new skills, and engaging in self-reflection. Their self-concept is still, and always will be, evolving.
If adults struggle to do it, why do colleges expect teenage applicants to articulate their hopes, goals, and purpose in 650 words or less? How can you summarize your experiences and achievements into a one-page resume?
The key is to understand your audience. For whom are you writing?
An admissions counselor is looking for your potential. Do you have curiosity and drive? Will you be academically successful? What positive contributions will you bring to the campus community?
An employer is looking for a solution. They might be looking to save time, money, or effort. What do you offer? How can you show the employer that you have what they need?
You don't need to have all of the answers now, but reflecting on your strengths, values, and interests can help clarify your future goals and lead to a more fulfilling life.
Define, Design, Refine: My Three-Stage Writing Process
Writing can be a daunting task. We've all experienced the weight of uncertainty as we stare at a blank page or screen, unsure of where to start. There are many reasons why people struggle with writing an essay. Perhaps you've experienced some of the following:
Procrastination. We've all done it. Why write in advance when you can write in panic? (Pro tip: We respond to consequences. Break up a task and give yourself a consequence for completing—or not completing—each part.)
Lack of confidence. Maybe you've had negative experiences with writing in the past. If you're afraid your writing won't be good enough, you're less likely to start. (Pro tip: Read more. Study the craft of authors you admire.
Perfectionism. You are so focused on making your first draft look like a polished final draft that you don't give yourself the gift of experimentation and revising. (Pro tip: Recognize that writing is an iterative process. Embrace the opportunity to revise and improve your work, but also be willing to let it go.)
Lack of motivation. Don't feel inspired? Investigate why. Lack of a clear goal or purpose? Lack of interest in the topic? Too easy or too hard? (Pro tip: You probably won't feel motivated until you've actually made some progress. Find a way to get to a small win.)
What if I told you that you can replace self-doubt with confidence, ambiguity with clarity, and stagnation with inspiration? With the right approach, writing can be a fun and rewarding experience. My approach to helping students write is made up of three stages: Define, Design, and Refine.
Define
All writing has a purpose. The purpose of your college application essay is to jolt your exhausted admissions officer out of their reading coma because you have the refreshing qualities, experience, and insights that they can't wait to bring to campus.
The Define stage is all about getting to know the student and their goals on a deep level. We work to define who they are as an individual and a writer, what they hope to accomplish, and who their audience is. We'll also uncover how they feel about themself as a writer, what their current strengths are, and areas for improvement. I provide self-reflection exercises designed to illuminate unexplored realms of their core values, personality quirks, past experiences, and future goals.
We also want to develop empathy for the audience during the Define stage. By understanding who will be reading the final product, we can identify the type of information the audience is looking for and tailor our language and tone to the reader.
Design
The self-discovery process of the Define stage sets the writer up for rich brainstorming in the Design stage. At this point, we consider how we want to approach the writing task. We start off with divergent thinking, a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. We ask ourselves: What is possible to write about? How will we write about it? Are we writing a narrative essay with a protagonist who is facing a formidable challenge or choice? Are we writing a thematic essay that weaves together multiple examples related to a common theme?
Once we have several ideas, we switch to convergent thinking and start to narrow them down. We consider the student's strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and we choose an approach that will be both achievable and rewarding. Ultimately, we identify the key message we want the reader to take away.
Refine
In the Refine stage, we focus on the craft of writing and ensure that their writing is clear, concise, and error-free. In this stage, we focus on three key areas:
Structure: While we begin considering the essay's structure in the Design stage, during the Refine stage we focus on organizing ideas in a logical way. We also work on clear transitions between paragraphs and create an interesting and effective introduction and conclusion.
Style: We discuss how elements such as word choice, sentence structure, and tone can create different effects. We can experiment with different tones and voices until we find the style that most accurately represents the student's personality and voice.
Grammar and mechanics: We identify and correct grammar and spelling mistakes. I aim to help them understand the rules of grammar and mechanics so that they can avoid these errors in the future.
By the end of this process, the student will feel confident in their choices and writing ability. They will have a well-written essay that they can be proud of.
