Work directly with Ken. No teammate, no delegate.
A Harvard Ed.M. with 1,550+ five-star reviews coaches every essay himself, start to finish. When the calendar is full, the calendar is full.
Harvard Ed.M.
1,550+ five-star reviews
3,600+ hours
Students into Harvard, Yale, Columbia & Stanford
Common App Main
$2,400
- Common App personal statement (650w), coached 1-on-1 brainstorm → final
- Activities List + Additional Info guidance
- Every session directly with Ken
Start with a conversation
UC Package
$3,000 / $1,500 add-on to Common App purchase
- All 4 UC Personal Insight Questions (350w each), coached 1-on-1
- Strategy across all 8 prompts to pick your strongest 4
- Covers all 9 UC campuses
Start with a conversation
Limited 1-on-1 spots each cycle.
When the calendar’s full, it’s full.
Main + up to 3 Schools
$4,775
- Everything in Common App Main, plus supplemental essays for up to 3 schools
Start with a conversation
Most Popular
Main + up to 6 Schools
$6,950
- Everything above, plus supplementals for up to 6 schools
Start with a conversation
Main + up to 10 Schools
$9,850
- Everything above, plus supplementals for up to 10 schools
More than 10 schools? Let’s talk.
Start with a conversation
Prefer to start on your own?
EssaySecrets™
$497
- The framework behind the 1-on-1 work, on your own time
- One payment, every kid in your family, 14-day refund
Get EssaySecrets™
Work directly with Ken, the founder. Elsewhere, that price gets you an assigned team coach — their founder is $14,925. Single payment per package.
Common questions
How many sessions does this take?
It varies by package and student, but most Common App Main engagements run 3–5 sessions. Multi-school packages typically add 1–2 sessions per school for supplementals. Ken sets the pace with you at the start and keeps things moving so you finish well before deadlines.
What’s the timeline from first email to done?
Most students finish their Common App personal statement in 2–4 weeks. Multi-school packages typically take 6–10 weeks depending on how many schools and how quickly the student works. Starting earlier means more breathing room — but Ken has worked with students on tight deadlines too. When you email, tell him your earliest deadline and he’ll be straight with you about what’s feasible.
Can I add more schools after we start?
Yes. If you start with a smaller package and decide to add schools, you can upgrade — you’ll only pay the difference between packages. Just let Ken know when your list changes and he’ll adjust the plan.
What exactly does “coached 1-on-1” mean — is it just editing?
It’s not editing. Ken works with your student through the thinking first — brainstorming, finding the real story, deciding what to build — before a word of a draft exists. The sessions combine strategy, coaching, and feedback. By the time a draft is written, it’s usually close, because the foundation is already solid.
Is it Ken in every session, or will I be passed to someone else?
Always Ken. Every session, start to finish, no exceptions. There is no team, no associate, no handoff — ever. He reads every email, runs every session himself, and reviews every draft personally. If his calendar is full, he will tell you directly. He will never pass you to someone else.
What’s the difference between 1-on-1 coaching and EssaySecrets™?
EssaySecrets™ ($497) is the self-paced course — the same strategic framework Ken uses, built into modules you work through on your own timeline. The 1-on-1 packages bring Ken into your specific material: your student’s stories, drafts, and school list, with live sessions and direct feedback. Most families who do both start with EssaySecrets™ to build the foundation, then bring Ken in for the refinement.
Is there a refund policy?
The EssaySecrets™ course has a 14-day, through-Lesson-4B refund policy — if you complete through Lesson 4B within 14 days of purchase and it’s not right for you, you get a full refund, no questions asked. The 1-on-1 coaching packages are not covered by this policy; Ken does not offer refunds on coaching work. Any questions about terms can be addressed directly when you reach out.
