Applying to College?
Most college applications will require a personal statement of some kind.
For some applications, this is an open-ended essay prompt where you share a personal experience that helped shape who you are and what you want to do.
For others, it's a series of short essay responses to specific questions.
Either way, these writing assignments present both an opportunity and a challenge. How do you put forward an authentic, meaningful representation of yourself in such a short space? How do you balance the line between presenting yourself positively and not coming across as too confident? How do you ensure that your essay is going to stand out from the crowd?
This series of coaching sessions will help you make a plan that's unique to you and your story.
I don't write the essay for you, and I don't tell you what to write, but I will help you find a story that's worth telling and help you tell it well!
Pricing and Scheduling Information
Price: $120
Scheduling: Once you have submitted the intake form below, Dr. Parrinello-Cason will review the information and send a link for enrollment.
You will get to schedule your sessions as you complete the activities, which means you can take the time you need. You schedule each session individually, so they do not all have to be on the same day or at the same time.
Most participants will complete the series within 4-6 weeks.
What's Covered?
The structure of this coaching series is somewhere between a class and tutoring.
We'll schedule four 30-minute private tutoring sessions with some "homework" before each one to make sure we use our time well.
Here's the general structure (though we can make adjustments for individual needs).
Prior to Meeting 1: Learn what a personal statement is (and isn't) by looking at real-life examples from students who were successful in their applications.
Meeting 1: 30-minute live session to go over your specific essay prompts and talk about what you've learned so far.
Prior to Meeting 2: Learn what a personal statement is (and isn't) by looking at real-life examples from students who were successful in their applications.
Meeting 2: 30-minute live session to go over your brainstorms, select a topic, and discuss drafting strategies.
Prior to Meeting 3: Draft your personal statement.
Meeting 3: 30-minute live session to go over your draft and discuss "Making Stage" changes to topic, content, supporting details, or organization.
Prior to Meeting 4: Make changes to your draft based on feedback in Meeting 3.
Meeting 4: 30-minute live session to go over your draft for "Polishing Stage" changes like word choice, sentence structure, and proofreading.
Meet Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason
Dr. Michelle Parrinello-Cason is the founder of Dayla Learning. She has a PhD in rhetoric and composition, a passion for helping students find their writing voice, and two homeschooling children of her own.
Michelle has taught in a wide variety of settings including six years as a full-time college professor. She has been teaching virtual and in-person homeschool writing and humanities classes for more than seven years.
Michelle believes in meeting students where they are and — as any of her previous students will tell you — believes deeply that there is no such thing as a bad rough draft!