As an experienced college essay consultant, Pamela instructs high school seniors and transfer students on crafting original personal statements for the Common Application. During weekly one-on-one sessions with individual students, she offers guidance on determining a suitable writing topic, developing a detailed outline, and building a final essay through successive drafts. Her goal is to help prospective college students take their work from concept to completion, resulting in a final version that is ready for submission.
Below, you can find testimonials from recent students and parents, as well as the names of institutions to which these students have received acceptances.
“Current high school juniors are worried about what the admissions process will look like in the fall… I think we’re going to see a big shift towards what I would call softer application elements, like essays…”
— New York Magazine
Testimonials
Students
“Pam helped me focus my Common App essay to have a message that conveyed everything I was having trouble putting into words. She tied together my story and helped my ideas flow and transition into one another perfectly. She helped me showcase who I am as a person and as a student with eloquent language that left everyone who read my essay teary-eyed. My voice as a writer was exemplified, and she gave me helpful tips that I still find myself using in my current papers. I give Pam credit for helping me get into prestigious universities.” –Leah Markworth (California)
“Working with Pam was extremely helpful in my college essay writing experience. I didn’t really know what I wanted to write about, but she listed all my options for each prompt and help me come up with the best idea. Even when I was struggling to find what I really wanted to say, she helped me get through my writer’s block and took the time to go over everything with me. Overall, I had a great experience and I am so grateful about how my essay turned out.” –Gabby Weissman
“Mrs. Brill helped me edit my college essays, making all the points I was just trying to express come across perfectly. I went onto reuse the essays I worked on with her numerous times…the prompts we completed together made applying to my more difficult schools an overall easier process.” –Alexa Shekian
“Working with Pam was the best possible thing I could have done to help me with my senior essay. She made the entire brainstorming and writing process much easier, and helped me whenever I felt a roadblock in my writing. Pam was extremely open and flexible with my vision and ideas, and without her help my essay wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is.” —Jack Marlow
“Pamela was wonderful to work with. She was very compassionate about my essay and very sensitive towards the subject matter. She gave me great ideas to improve my essay and was very professional.” –Anthony Balderas (Illinois)
Parents
“I just wanted to share how great our experience was working with Pamela on my son’s college essay. She was such a huge help throughout the whole process—not just with editing, but really helping him figure out what he wanted to say and how to say it in a way that felt true to who he is. From the very first session, Pamela made my son feel comfortable and supported. She asked thoughtful questions, gave clear and helpful feedback, and really encouraged him to dig deeper into his ideas. The final essay was still 100% his voice, just much more focused and polished. What I appreciated most was how calm and positive Pamela was. The college process can be stressful, but she kept things low-pressure and always made my son feel confident in his work. And it was so quick! In just a few weeks he was done and ready to submit his essay to the schools on his list. I’d definitely recommend Pamela to any student looking for help with their college essays. She really made a difference for us!” –Lindsay Joyce
“Pamela was a pleasure to work with for the college essay writing procedure. From brainstorming an idea to editing the final copy, my daughter found her feedback constructive and helpful. I would definitely recommend her services.” –Paula Rizzoni
“Pamela Brill turned the stress of college essay writing into ease by building the confidence for my son to write a unique and compelling essay. She allowed him to fully use his voice and story to shape his response. I highly recommend using Pamela’s services at the start of any college essay writing.” –M.G.
“We are so thankful that we connected with Pamela Brill the summer between 11th and 12th grades. She masterfully worked with my son to craft a wonderful college essay. He had no idea of anything going into their first session together. After one meeting, Pamela had asked all the right questions to put my son on the right path. In just three weeks, his college essay was complete and ready for submission before the first day of senior year. That is a HUGE pressure off during a very exciting time. We highly recommend Pamela!” –Laura Holden
“Pamela was a fantastic tutor for my son. She helped him write an excellent college essay in just a few sessions. Her guidance was invaluable. She was available any time he needed help with additional essays for applications.”—Debbie Ronan
“Essay writing is not my daughter’s strong suit, and she was nervous about the process. Pam walked through some ideas with her of how to start and helped with a general outline of her topic. Within a couple of sessions, my daughter had not only written a wonderful essay, but was very proud of her work. I definitely recommend Pam to help ease the college essay writing process.” –Joanna Wolk
“I saw a big improvement in my son’s essay after meeting with you. I also appreciated how quick you were to add Alec to your list of students you were helping. SUNY New Paltz was a reach school on his list. I have no doubt the essay made an impact, and because of all your help he got accepted.” –Lisa Gibbs
“Pam worked with my son on his college essay and I liked that it was his work and writing… with guidance from Pam that helped organize his thoughts while maintaining the authenticity of his own work. I highly recommend Pam and will be seeking her out again for the next one!” —Carrie Quinn
“We used Pamela’s services to help my daughter organize her ideas for her college essay. Pamela was able to offer excellent guidance on restructuring my daughter‘s essay so that it would be more impactful. My daughter met with her several times and was good to go. We were very happy with Pamela’s services and would highly recommend her!” –H. C.
“My son Dylan worked with Pam on the momentous task of writing a college essay. Pam was extremely helpful from the beginning without ever being pushy. She understood intuitively the direction that my son wanted to go with his essay and guided him without overpowering his own voice. I would highly recommend Pam for anyone whose kid is starting the journey with college essays.” –Nadja Genc
“Pamela worked with my son for a few weeks on his college essay. He had an idea, but needed guidance to be able to put it into the best possible writing. Pamela was easy to reach, set up appointments and to work with. My son received multiple scholarships from multiple schools. I will definitely be using her again with my next son and would highly recommend.” –Mairead Reardon
“I would highly recommend Pamela Brill. Not only did she make the essay writing easy and less stressful for my daughter, but did it in a way so it was also not so overwhelming for her. Ms. Brill is very professional and was exceptional at making my daughter feel comfortable. She helped get the essay written in three sessions. My daughter was accepted to all the colleges she applied to. It was an amazing experience for both myself and my daughter.” –Danielle Wotzak
“We used Pam for my nephew and son. Both had a great experience working with her. She helped brainstorm ideas and kept them both motivated to finish their essays.” –Stacy Rosenfeld
“When seeking additional help for my son’s college essay, I turned to a Facebook group that discussed the application process. Every other comment were parents recommending Pamela Brill. They stated how wonderful she was with college essay writing and how she really helped their child. I immediately contacted her and she messaged me right away. She worked with my son Anthony to improve his essay. She would meet back with him weekly until the essay was polished and ready to be submitted. She gave him great ideas and really understood what colleges look for in an essay. I am thankful that I found those recommendation that led us to Pamela. I know that her ideas helped Anthony get accepted into his dream schools.” –Georgia Balderas (Illinois)
“Pam was great to work with for our son’s college essay. She helped him take his own personal ideas (and push him to get deeper) to create an essay that he was proud to submit with his college applications. This was a challenging year to apply to college and we felt that this essay spoke to his true self and ultimately get those acceptance letters from his top choices! —Lara McKenna
“One of the most daunting parts of the college application process was writing an essay for admissions. Pam Brill helped both of my daughters every step of the way from the beginning idea and theme, to outlines and rough drafts. Both of my daughters felt confident and proud of their college essays and were admitted to the college of their choices. I highly recommend Pam for helping your son or daughter!” —Krista Waldhauer
“Our experience with Pam was wonderful! She really helped my daughter organize and reflect on what to write her college essay about. Pam was able to make a very stressful time easy! I highly recommend her services! She does not disappoint!” –Megan Hudak
“Pam was such a big help to our daughter who was at an impasse with another essay coach and completely stressed out. Within a short amount of time, Pam was able to turn things around and help our daughter complete the essay she had envisioned.” –Lisa Herrera
“Pam worked last summer with my son to write his essay for his college admission applications. Aside from developing an essay that he was proud to submit, accomplishing this over the summer before senior year was one of the smartest decisions of the whole college application process. Pam’s experience was an invaluable asset because although my son had an idea about what he wanted to write, he was stuck on how to fully develop the idea into an essay that would meet college admission committee criteria. Pam was able to guide him and keep his essay focused and authentic. Most of all, his level of stress regarding this process drastically declined after their first meeting. As a parent, engaging Pam’s expertise in this area made a process that could have been a huge struggle between parent and child, a very pleasant, stress-free experience.” –Karen Lutz
“I highly recommend Pam Brill for any student looking for assistance with his or her college essays. Pam worked with my daughter on her common application essay as well as her supplementals, and my daughter had an excellent experience. Pam helped her brainstorm topics and come up with creative ways of expressing her thoughts. My daughter loved working with her and ended up with excellent essays and many college acceptances! Pam definitely made a potentially stressful task much easier to handle.” —Lisa Crosley
“My son worked with Pam Brill on his college essay. She was very accommodating with his schedule. He had written a draft on his own, but it really wasn’t coming together. She was very helpful, providing suggestions for editing his essay down to the proper length and highlighting important parts. We will use Pam again for our younger sons.” –Christine Arthur
“We were so thankful for the assistance that Pam offered. She is extremely professional, knowledgeable and helpful. She somehow managed to take the stress out of the whole process and gently guided our son in the right direction, from brainstorming topics to finalizing the essay. I highly recommend Pam!” —Kathy Fitzpatrick
“Pamela provided my daughter with her experienced guidance in writing her college essay. She gave a perfect amount of support and examples to provide her with the confidence she needed to pull her ideas together and finish a successful essay. We felt it was the finishing touch to her high school accomplishments and gained her the college acceptances she sought after. Pamela is a tremendous asset and even made meeting up easy and flexible!” —Kelli McAllister
“My daughter (an IB English student) was at a loss as to what to write for her college essay. She struggled for weeks, rejecting every suggestion we offered. After reading recommendations on the Northport High School Parent Facebook Group, I turned to Pam for help. I am grateful she was able to help my daughter identify a topic, but more importantly, to find her voice. When my daughter walked out after the first meeting, I noticed was how relieved she looked. Worth every penny. Happy to report, she was accepted to her reach school!” —Barbara G.
Students Have Been Accepted to…
(Eastman School of Music)
Pamela Brill 