Make it stand out.

Let us guide you through the entire college essay process from start to finish!

Get personalized one-on-one attention to help you craft an impressive essay that you will be confident sending to your top school choices.

Our process takes you from brainstorming ideas to a final copy that you can attach to your college applications.

All work is done in class. There is no homework.

 
 

Class Details:

  • Day 1: Brainstorming materials & introductory session to overview the process, read sample essays and help students with identifying topic ideas.

  • Day 2: Individual conferences to discuss topic ideas.

  • Day 3- 8: In-Class Writing days. ALL the work is completed in the live sessions.  There is NO homework!

  • 1:1 conferences during the live writing sessions. This allows students to receive the help when they most need it, spreading it out throughout the entire writing process.

  • Drafts are read each day and will be annotated with very specific suggestions for revisions. This ensures that the draft evolves over time during the six writing days. Each day when the student comes back for the live-session they have precise feedback that enables them to move the draft forward. The program allows two days to write the full draft, two days to make major revisions, and two days to work on fine tuning. Some students will be finished before the final meeting.

  • Final read-through meeting for any final edits.

2025 Schedule

  • Cost:
    $975

    Location:
    Emerson Center
    9 East Common Street
    Topsfield, MA

    *Conferences at 236 Perkins Row, Topsfield

    Schedule:
    Class 1: Tues, April 29: 5 PM - 7 PM

    *Conference: April 30, May 1, or May 3: One-hour individual conferences (scheduled)

    Class 2: Tues, May 6: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 3: Wed, May 21: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 4: Wed, May 28: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 5: Wed, June 4: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 6: Thurs, June 12: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 7: Tues, June 17: 5 PM - 7 PM

  • Cost:
    $975

    Location:
    Trinity Church
    124 River Road
    Topsfield, MA 01983

    *Conferences at 236 Perkins Row, Topsfield

    Schedule:
    Class 1: Mon, June 9: 5 PM - 7 PM

    *Conference: Mon, June 23: One-hour individual conferences (scheduled)

    Class 2: Tues, June 24: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 3: Wed, June 25: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 4: Thurs, June 26: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 5: Mon, June 30: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 6: Tues, July 1: 5 PM - 7 PM

    Class 7: Wed, July 2: 4 PM - 7 PM

  • Cost:
    $975

    Location:
    TOHP Burnham Free Library
    30 Martin Street
    Essex, MA 01929

    *Conferences at 236 Perkins Row, Topsfield

    Schedule:
    Class 1: Mon, July 14: 10 AM - 12 PM

    *Conference: Tues, July 15: One-hour individual conferences (scheduled)

    Class 2: Wed, July 16: 10 AM - 12 PM

    Class 3: Thurs, July 17: 10 AM - 12 PM

    Class 4: Mon, July 21: 10 AM - 12 PM

    Class 5: Tues, July 22: 10 AM - 12 PM

    Class 6: Wed, July 23: 10 AM - 12 PM

    Class 7: Thurs, July 24: 10 AM - 1 PM

Register

About

  • Tracy Stephens, M. Ed.

    Instructor

    For over 20 years, Tracy Stephens has been working with students to improve their writing, both inside and outside of the classroom. She is currently in the English department at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, teaching grades 9 and 12.

    Passionate about the teaching of writing, she has served as a mentor and lead teacher, helping new educators become more effective in their practice.

    Ms. Stephens has worked with hundreds of students to help them develop authentic personal statements that are truly representative of the individual. The strong personal connections she forms with her students allows for easy and honest collaboration during the writing process. Her students have been met with great success in college admissions, most gaining acceptance to their top choice or reach schools.

    Previous employment includes: Lexington High School, The Belmont Public Schools and The Landmark School. She holds a B.A. in English and and M.Ed. in Secondary Education.

Testimonials

  • "Choosing Tracy's writing clinic was one of the best decisions my daughter and I made. She worked closely with her to help fashion the perfect college application essay. Her attention to detail was great and she allowed my daughter to create something that was expertly crafted while still maintaining her own voice. Of the seven colleges that my daughter applied to, she received acceptance letters from each. This is in no small part to the tutelage that Tracy provided my daughter. We considered ourselves fortunate to have worked with her and would recommend her to anyone!"

    -Tina from Peabody, MA

  • "My two daughters used the techniques they learned in Tracy’s course to craft their essays. From brainstorming sessions to polishing the final product, the course made the essay writing process significantly easier. Tracy’s step by step approach works! Their individual voices truly resonated within the final essays."

    -Ellen from Lynnfield, MA

  • "Tracy made an otherwise overwhelming and impossible task of college applications seem manageable. We worked on an one-on-one basis for several weeks leading up to my various deadlines, completing my college essay, common application, and unique applications.

    Tracy helped me answer obscure questions with limited character counts, which required us to be creative and deliberate with every word choice. Tracy’s patience, hospitality (she would always make us tea with lemon!), and deep understanding of the application process made her essential to my success (and sanity) during my senior fall. I was proud of all of my submissions and was accepted to my first choice college!"

    -Jackie from Boxford, MA

  • "Deciding to enroll our son into Tracy Stephen's essay writing course was one of the best decisions we have made so far in the college application process. Because of the one/one coaching, in addition to the group teaching, our son came away with more confidence in his writing. What's more, is that he has a college essay completed and ready to go that he feels proud of. He is excited about sharing with others as it captures who he is as an individual and a student. At the end of the course he said "I really enjoyed that. I think I might want to get more into writing." He has never before had an instructor who brought that out in him. We are Grateful."

    -Catherine from Reading, MA

  • "Having a teacher/professional be there to support our son while trying to figure out what “his story” was to differentiate himself for his college essay was so helpful (and needed). Not only was he able to figure out what to write about, he was given good advice about it and critiqued on how to make it a finished product, all before his Jr year summer even started! This was huge to get it done since he is an athlete and it was tough to find the time. Thank you Tracy!"

    -Lori K. from Lynnfield, MA

  • "The individual attention and small group environment was instrumental in helping my daughter to focus. She didn’t need to work on her essay outside of the scheduled workshops which was super nice, being a hectic time for a high school senior."

    -Tracie from Manchester, MA