For ADHD students, the stepping stones to a completed writing task appear piled high on top of each other like a chaotic, impenetrable wall. There is no clear step-by-step path—only overwhelm.

Implementing the same keywords leads to homogeneity—the exact opposite of what schools want in a college admissions essay.

Recently, a parent and longtime client of mine texted me a question: "Do you know anything about keywords in college application essays?"

I frequently wonder how my middle and high school students manage to do so much in a day. What sort of super power do they have that I don't?!

In NYC, countless professional writers have side gigs as writing tutors or coaches…but their writing successes don’t always make them the best guide for your student.

As a middle and high school teacher, though, I found myself feeling increasingly disconnected from myself.

I’ve seen how these four skills can build student confidence and transform their writing.

I’ve never forgotten Mr. R’s patient guidance as he walked me through the essay basics.

Four years in, I was at a crossroads. I wanted to carve my own path as I worked with young people, earned a comfortable living, and followed my dream of writing—but I wasn’t sure how to do it all.

Voice is connected to personal experience and our ability to make meaning of that experience. In other words, it’s what makes us human.

A sense of panic set in as I realized that somehow, I knew almost nothing about essay writing.

The abyss is not specific to professional writers—students experience it, too, often getting stuck before they’ve even started a writing assignment.

I tell students that in writing, voice includes details and perspective of our lived experiences, and the meaning we make from them.