College Planning
with a current Ivy League student
Hi! My name is Sarah Phillips and I am a current student at Princeton University. Growing up in NYC, I have first-hand, recent experience navigating school admissions processes. I want to share my best tips, strategies, essay dos and don’ts, approach to listing extracurricular activities, assessment advice, and more for applying to top tier U.S. colleges. I’m here to help–please see my offerings.
Services Offered
1
College Essay Writing
Recommended for rising 11th and 12th graders
$100 for 1-hour session
Upon payment, you’ll receive 2 sample essays for the session
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Most schools use the Common Application, which has already released its essay topics for the 2024-2025 school year. The Common App essay allows up to 650 words, and then most schools also ask for a shorter (usually 250 words) supplemental essay that’s specific to their school. During this session, you will:
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review two (2) sample essays (one is the Common App essay and one is school-specific) that resulted recently in successful admissions into Ivy League universities.
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brainstorm 1-2 themes that will thread through your entire application to show (not tell) who you are.
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practice elevating your essay theme with setting, dialogue, and sensory words to connect a reader to your story and avoid a resume list of accomplishments.
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learn dos and don’ts of college essay writing.
2
4-Year Plan
Recommended for rising 9th, 10th, and 11th graders
$100 for 1-hour session
Upon payment, you’ll receive a sample write-up of Activities and Honors/Achievements for the session
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Great advice I received upon starting high school was to make a 4-year plan to connect my academics, extracurriculars, and interests. That advice helped me think big about what I care and am curious about, and then to pursue clubs, activities, internships, and research towards my 4-year plan.
This advice really comes together within the Common Application, where you list and describe your extracurricular interests and work experiences in the Activities section and your academic distinctions in the Honors and Achievements section. During this session, you will:
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review two (2) sample write-ups (one is the Activities section and one is the Honors/Achievements section in the Common App) that resulted recently in successful admissions into Ivy League universities.
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understand the difference between a “well-rounded” student and a “mini-expert” student (or what I’ve heard called your “peak”)
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draft your 4-year plan with 2-3 next steps