Start Now With Expert Coaching: School Application Essays & Interview Prep
What's included
Meets on Demand
schedule meetings as needed55 mins
per sessionTeacher support
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Some time during class will be spent for quiet writing and critiquing, but successful students will iterate on their assignments after class.Class Experience
I use proven and effective idea-generating exercises and help the students to think of the content they will use and then I will teach them how to organize those ideas into compelling stories that will make positive and memorable impressions. My ideal student is someone who is serious about using their essays and their interviews to be the strongest parts of their applications. We will meet as many times as you need to on a daily or weekly basis. Typically, the student will know the essay questions to write about and we will work together through each one until they are polished, clear, and leave a powerful impression on the readers. However, if the student doesn't know what essay questions to write about, then I will provide questions from this year's common application and others used last year by top US universities or top private high schools. My style is informal and conversational because that is the most effective way to gather information about students whom I have never met before. Good writing requires a combination of creativity and structure and I am skilled at both. This class will provide the most value to students who are motivated to focus and work on developing their writing skills until the essays are finished. This course will focus on essay writing with individual attention and as often as needed. In contrast, I also teach a group course, "Get Peace of Mind With a Great College Application Essay and Interview Skills!" that meets once per week for 4 weeks.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the traits that colleges want to know about them and gain a better understanding of their own strengths while improving their writing.
Other Details
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Doctoral Degree in Education from Grand Canyon University
Master's Degree from Northeastern University
Bachelor's Degree in English from Gordon College
NEW OUTSCHOOL FAMILIES SHOULD ENTER THE COUPON CODE: DRNATHANTY2020 FOR $20 OFF THE FIRST CLASS!
What classes do I teach?
I teach classes that are meant to help students to be better prepared to live happier lives that are full of whatever opportunities that they will want to pursue. In my longest running courses, I teach students (1) how to write descriptive and memorable application essays for entrance into private high schools or colleges and (2) "what to say" and "what to do" to interview well. The personal essays and the personal interviews are the most important parts of every application because they provide the best opportunities for students to leave a memorable, positive impression of the unique value that they can bring to the schools.
I have received amazing feedback from my previous students and their parents about the 1:1 coaching format that I offer, because the individual attention that I give to each student allows me to customize each class to exactly what the student wants to accomplish in our time together - the student's individual needs determine what we will work on in class. Students rotate in and out of available time slots according to their needs.
Typical focus areas include:
- generating ideas for use in essays and/or interviews
- answering each school's short-answer questions with specific and descriptive examples of the student's applicable strengths
- writing well-structured and memorable essays that will be used in high school or college applications
- editing drafts of essays that the student already wrote for improvements to structure, grammar, punctuation, and message clarity
- discussing how to prepare for interviews (physically and mentally)
- practicing how to answer potential interview questions in mock interviews
- learning what questions to ask the interviewer and what questions NOT to ask
- sharing feedback on what went well in a mock interview and how to improve
Here is a partial list of the schools where my previous students have gained admittance:
Archbishop Mitty High School, CA
Bay Area Technology School, CA
Bellarmine College Prep School, CA
Belmont Hill School, MA
Benjamin Banneker High School, Washington DC
Blair Academy, NJ
Boston College High, MA
Boston University Acaademy, MA
Castilleja School, CA
Commonwealth School, MA
Concord Academy, MA
Crimson Global Academy, New Zealand
Deerfield Academy, MA
Early College Academy at Coolidge High School, Washington DC
Eastside Preparatory School, WA
Episcopal School of Jacksonville, FL
Eton College, UK
Flint Hill School, VA
George School, PA
Groton Academy, MA
Horace Mann School, NY
International High School of San Francisco, CA
Lakeside School, WA
Lick-Wilmerding High School, CA
Menlo School, CA
Mercersburg Academy, PA
Mid-Pacific Institute, HI
Middlesex School, MA
Mount Saint Joseph High School, MD
Phillips Andover Academy, MA
Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
Portledge School, NY
Radley College, UK
St. Andrew's School, DE
St. Francis High School, CA
The Awty International School, TX
The Harker School, CA
The Hotchkiss School, CT
The Loomis Chaffee School, CT
The Madeira School, VA
The Nueva School, CA
The Overlake School, WA
The Packer Collegiate Institute, NY
The Peddie School, NJ
The Rivers School, MA
The Roxbury Latin School, MA
The Taft School, CT
The Ursuline School, NY
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, VA
Tonbridge School, UK
Wellington College, UK
Westtown School, PA
Winchester College, UK
Colleges:
Amherst College
Appalachian State University
Bard College
Brooklyn College
Case Western University
Claremont College
Clark Atlanta University
Duke University
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Georgia Tech University
Harvard University
Indiana University at Bloomington
James Madison University
NC State University
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Penn State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rutgers University
Smith College
Stanford University
Syracuse University
Texas Tech University
Tufts University
Tulane University
UCLA
University of California at Berkeley
University of Cincinnati
University of Evansville
University of Houston
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Rhode Island at Kingston
University of South Carolina at Columbia
University of Southern California
University of Texas at Austin
University of Washington
US Air Force Academy
Wake Forest University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Here are scholarships my students have earned:
Bryan Cameron Scholarship (full ride to any US college)
Chancellor's Science Scholarship (UNC Chapel Hill)
Governor’s Honors Program Scholarship (GA)
Presidential Scholarship (full ride)
UNC Asheville Honors Scholarship
UNC Chapel Hill Honors Scholarship
What is my professional background?
I have a 30-year career that includes higher education, technical, business, and leadership roles in global Fortune 100 companies and market-leading non-profit organizations spanning food manufacturing, high tech networking, and healthcare.
I currently own the development of the most popular cybersecurity college degree programs in the United States.
I have also led corporate internship programs that hire and train current college students and I am well connected with many major universities, so I know what private high schools, universities, and employers look for in top candidates.
My formal educational background includes Doctor of Education degree with concentrations in Organizational Leadership and Organizational Development. My dissertation research explored the experiences of business leaders who used AI in the workplace. I also earned a BA degree in English Language and Literature and an MBA with a concentration in Finance.
I have also served for many years in volunteer public service roles in my community and in leadership positions for large professional non-profit organizations. I regularly advise, consult, coach, mentor, and speak at conferences.
Why do I teach these classes?
I am grateful to have the knowledge and experience that can lead to academic and professional success. I enjoy sharing my expertise in these areas with people who are motivated to learn from me because I believe that it will equip them to lead happier lives and ultimately make the world a better place. Therefore, my teaching philosophy is to equip students with lifelong skills that they can use to build their confidence and give them a competitive advantage as they enter the world outside of their homes.
I teach students from all around the world, so I offer a variety of times to accommodate students from different time zones. If you are interested in working with me, then please sign up for one of my available time slots. If you can't find an opening that works well for you, then please send me an email so that we can look for a day and time that works for both of us.
I look forward to working with you!
Reviews
Live 1-on-1 Lessons
$119
per sessionMeets on demand
55 min
Completed by 70 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-18