Frequently Asked Questions

No, and that's on purpose. Your statement and CV have to be yours. Committees read them to understand how you think and what you'll bring to their program, and a statement someone else wrote can't do that honestly. It also tends to backfire: faculty notice when the person they meet in an interview doesn't sound like the statement they read.

What I do instead is help your own writing work. I review your drafts, leave detailed comments on what a committee will notice, and talk you through how to make your research, fit, and readiness clear. You do the writing, and you end up with materials you can stand behind in any conversation with faculty.

I can't promise admission, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Admissions depend on things no coach controls: how many students a program can fund, which faculty are taking students that year, and who else applies.

What I can change is how clearly a committee sees you. I spent ten years inside UC graduate admissions watching how applications get read, weighed, and decided. I help you apply to programs where you're a real fit, show that fit clearly, and avoid the mistakes that quietly sink strong applicants. That's what moves your odds, and it's where I focus.

It depends on what you are getting. A coach who only proofreads your essays is probably not worth much. A coach who understands how admissions decisions are made can change which programs you target, how you approach faculty, and whether you end up funded. That can shape years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars.

I will also tell you honestly if I don't think coaching is what you need. The goal is your strongest application and your best outcome, not selling you something.

Larger engagements, like support through a full application cycle, are scoped on the free call. Every applicant comes in at a different stage with different needs, and the right support for a first-time applicant is not the same as for someone reapplying after a rejection. On the call we talk through where you are, what you're up against, and whether coaching is even the right move for you. If it isn't, I'll tell you that too.

This is close to the heart of why I do this work. The process assumes you already know how it works, which puts first-generation and underrepresented applicants at a disadvantage that has nothing to do with their ability. A lot of what decides who gets in is unwritten. I make it written.

Cost shouldn't be what keeps you out. I reserve a small number of reduced-rate spots each cycle for applicants who can't otherwise access this kind of support, and the Hidden Curriculum Access Award opens once a year in early spring. You can also start small with a single review instead of a full package. If cost is your concern, raise it on the free call. It won't be held against you.

My coaching work and my program work are completely separate. I never contact a program on behalf of an applicant, I never ask about any applicant's file or decision, and nothing a program shares with me is used in my coaching. My role with your program is to strengthen your process, not to influence any individual outcome.

No. Reviewer calibration sessions use a composite sample application that I build, so no real applicant's materials or private information are ever involved. If you'd like to work from your own rubric, I'll review it with you, but your applicants' files stay with you.

Your staff know your program better than anyone. What I bring is ten years of doing that same work inside the UC system, across more than one campus, plus an outside view that's hard to get from inside a department. I've seen what makes reviewers disagree, where strong applicants drop out of the funnel, and which small changes to a website or process make the biggest difference. I work alongside your team, not in place of it.

It depends on the service. Reviewer calibration works best November through January, before your committee starts reading. Cohort workshops fit wherever your students are in the cycle, often spring or summer for students applying in the fall.

The founding partner rate is open to the first three programs that book a Cohort Workshop, Reviewer Calibration Session, or Applicant Funnel Review through February 28, 2027.*

I can bill by department invoice, purchase order, or honorarium, whichever works best for your office. A W-9 is available on request. If your procurement process needs anything else, let me know and I'll make it work.

*2027 rates may change in 2028.