A Finished, Polished Personal Statement Before Senior Year Starts
Three 1:1 sessions, unlimited written feedback, and a proven five-stage process that takes your student from blank page to submission-ready essay
Your student has studied for all the tests, done the test prep, and showed up to all of the practices/rehearsals/volunteer shifts…
but the essay is where they get stuck.
You already know the personal statement matters. What nobody told you is that it requires a completely different skill set than anything your student has practiced in school. They have written dozens of analytical essays, but they have never been asked to write vulnerably about themselves, under pressure, on a deadline. Most students either freeze, churn out something generic, or wait until the last minute.
You know any feedback you try to give will either get dismissed or turn into an argument. And the school counselor managing 300 students is amazing but simply doesn't have the bandwidth. So the empty Google Doc sits there.
The personal statement is your student's chance to set themselves apart from others who have the same GPA, test scores, and extracurriculars but who haven't lived the same life. You know they’re going to need support.
Summit's Summer Personal Statement Sessions
A focused, expert-guided process that gets your student's personal statement done — and done well — over the summer, so they walk into senior year with the hardest part behind them.
Your student works 1:1 with one of our co-founders through five structured stages: brainstorming, rough draft, revision, refinement, and final polish. Between live sessions, every draft gets detailed written feedback returned within 48 hours. The process is designed to take two weeks of focused work.
By the end, your student has a finished essay that sounds like them — specific, authentic, and ready to submit.
This is not a grammar check. It is a structured, teacher-guided process that helps your student figure out what they want to say, and then say it in a way that actually lands.
What’s Included:
✓ 3 Private 1:1 Zoom Sessions — at each critical stage of the writing process
✓ The College Essay Starter Kit — Six on-demand video lessons covering essay requirements, sample essay analysis, and 10+ brainstorming activities to surface original topic ideas before the first meeting
✓ Start-to-Finish Essay Development — From first brainstorm through final draft, including multiple rounds of revision
✓ Detailed Written Feedback via Google Docs — Thorough, line-level comments on every draft, returned within 48 hours
✓ Unlimited Email Support — Ongoing guidance and answers throughout the entire process
How It Works
Five Stages. Two weeks. One Finished Essay.
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Pre-Work: Your student completes the College Essay Starter Kit, which contains 40 minutes of video lessons and 10+ guided activities designed to surface meaningful, original ideas. They come to their first session with real material to work from.
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Live Zoom: Student and advisor collaborate to shape brainstormed ideas into a structured draft with a clear arc. After the session, unlimited email feedback keeps progress moving.
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Live Zoom: Together, we work through personalized, line-level feedback and continue to strengthen key moments, tighten the narrative, and make sure every detail aligns with what your student actually wants to say.
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Live Zoom: This session focuses on voice, authenticity, and storytelling — the difference between an essay that's fine and one that's memorable.
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Fine-tuned language, corrected errors, and a final review to make sure the essay is polished, cohesive, and ready. Unlimited email support continues until everyone is confident in the final product.
This is for your student if…
They are a strong student who has never had to write about themselves, and the personal statement is asking them to do exactly that
They would respond better to a trusted outside adult than to feedback from a parent
You want the personal statement finished before senior year starts — not hanging over their head through September, October, and beyond
This is not the right fit if…
You are looking for someone to write the essay for your student (we will not do that)
Your student needs full application support, including determining their college list, writing supplementals, testing strategy, and more (We do that too - book a call and we can discuss!)
You are looking for the lowest price — we are not the cheapest option (nor are we the most expensive) and we are not trying to be. We spend an industry-leading amount of time supporting student writing, and our price does reflect that investment in your student.
What Families Are Saying
— Emma, Class of 2026 StudentShe read me her essay and it sounded amazing! It brought tears to my eyes as she was beyond happy and proud of her essay and feels it's ready to submit. I can't thank you enough. Beyond grateful.
— Jessica, Class of 2026 Parent— Maria, Class of 2026 ParentI was having problems coming up with ideas to write for my college essay. Jacklyn held brainstorming sessions that allowed me to come up with amazing ideas that I then cultivated into essays.
— Aaron, Class of 2026 Student
Pricing
The Summer Personal Statement Sessions are a flat fee of $1,500.
That covers everything: the College Essay Starter Kit, three private Zoom sessions, unlimited written feedback on every draft, and email support until the essay is done. No hourly billing. No surprise add-ons.
Please note: Personal statement sessions are limited and fill on a first-come, first-served basis.
FAQs
Who will my student work with?
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Every student works directly with one of Summit's co-founders — Maggie Finn or Jacklyn Angell. Both are current high school teachers with twenty-five combined years in the classroom. Before starting Summit, they guided hundreds of students through the college essay process as part of their English curriculum. They know what strong student writing looks like, they know how to push a teenager to do better work without killing their confidence, and they know the difference between an essay that sounds coached and one that sounds real. No handoffs. No subcontractors. Just us and our decades of expertise supporting students to put their best selves forward.
How long does the process take?
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When you sign up, you choose a two-week session window that works for your student's summer schedule. All five stages — brainstorming through final polish — happen within that two-week period. We return all written feedback within 48 hours, and there is no cap on the number of drafts or rounds of revision. Your student can send as many drafts as they need, as often as they need, and every single one gets detailed, line-level feedback. Two weeks of concentrated work with an expert advisor produces a stronger essay than two months of scattered effort on their own.
What if my student doesn’t know what to write about?
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That is why we built Stage 1! The College Essay Starter Kit includes 40 minutes of video lessons and 10+ brainstorming activities specifically designed to help students who have no idea where to start. By the time they sit down for their first Zoom session, they have real ideas to work with.
Will the essay sound like my student?
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Yes. That is non-negotiable for us. We are both members of the Independent Educational Consultant’s Association (IECA) and adhere to strict professional ethics. We do not ghostwrite. We do not over-edit. We do not use AI to generate or rewrite any part of your student's essay. And if your student submits a draft that was written by AI, we will know — and we will call it out, because an AI-generated essay will not survive an admissions review. We ask the right questions, give honest feedback, and guide your student to say what they actually mean in their own voice. Both Maggie and Jacklyn are experienced teachers — they know how to make student writing stronger without stripping the personality out of it.
Can we add more support later?
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Yes. We offer full application support for families who want help with supplementals, college list building, and the full application process. Personal Statement Session clients receive priority consideration for available spots. Book a free call and we can walk you through the options.
Is there a payment plan?
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Yes. The $1,500 fee is split into three weekly payments of $500.