Gates College Essay & Application Support | 20-Hour Lesson Bank

$3,200.00

This 20-hour flexible lesson bank is shared between Isabelle and Oliver and may be used as needed throughout the college application process for:

Common App/personal statement brainstorming, drafting, and revision
Supplemental essay brainstorming, drafting, and revision
Essay topic selection and development
Application strategy and planning
Activities list and application review
seesions may be also used for SAT preparation or academic support, if needed

20-Hour Reduced Friends & Family Lesson Bank: $3,200
Effective rate: $160/hour

Hours may be divided between Isabelle and Oliver according to their individual needs and application timelines.

Payment Options

Zelle preferred
Credit/Debit Card
PayPal/Venmo
Apple Pay/Google Pay

Policies

Lesson banks are prepaid and non-refundable.
Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or schedule changes by text or phone. Missed sessions or late cancellations without emergency circumstances may be charged in full.
Sessions are typically held individually online via Google Meet, with collaborative materials shared as needed.
If additional support is needed after the 20-hour bank is completed, additional hours may be added at the applicable reduced package rate.

This 20-hour flexible lesson bank is shared between Isabelle and Oliver and may be used as needed throughout the college application process for:

Common App/personal statement brainstorming, drafting, and revision
Supplemental essay brainstorming, drafting, and revision
Essay topic selection and development
Application strategy and planning
Activities list and application review
seesions may be also used for SAT preparation or academic support, if needed

20-Hour Reduced Friends & Family Lesson Bank: $3,200
Effective rate: $160/hour

Hours may be divided between Isabelle and Oliver according to their individual needs and application timelines.

Payment Options

Zelle preferred
Credit/Debit Card
PayPal/Venmo
Apple Pay/Google Pay

Policies

Lesson banks are prepaid and non-refundable.
Please provide at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or schedule changes by text or phone. Missed sessions or late cancellations without emergency circumstances may be charged in full.
Sessions are typically held individually online via Google Meet, with collaborative materials shared as needed.
If additional support is needed after the 20-hour bank is completed, additional hours may be added at the applicable reduced package rate.

August 25, 2026

The Ultimate Guide to College Auditions: How to Stand Out and Get In

Performing arts college auditions are about more than talent. They involve choosing the right schools and material, preparing a strong prescreen, handling the live audition, and keeping track of deadlines. Curtis Eames breaks down the process with insights from Broadway performer and audition coach JT Horenstein.

November 21, 2025

To SAT or ACT — And Why “Test-Optional” Doesn’t Mean “Test-Doesn’t-Matter”

SAT and ACT testing may be optional — but timing isn’t. Test-optional policies changed how families talk about standardized testing, not how colleges use scores when they’re submitted. A strong score can still strengthen an application, help with scholarships, and give students confidence. So when should students start preparing — and should they take the SAT or ACT at all? Here’s how to think about it calmly and strategically.

February 24, 2025

Conquer AP Classes: Student's Guide to Academic Triumph

The key is to actively engage with the material. Don't just passively write; try to summarize the information in your own words. Ask yourself questions: How does this connect to what we learned last week? What are the implications of this concept? The more you wrestle with the material, the better you'll understand it.

February 14, 2024

Navigating Snow Day Chaos: Lisa's VIEWPOINT!!

The real problem is complicated. We as a country have to prioritize child care, NOT by putting more onto schools. I'm generally a solutions-oriented person. But I don't have one here. I'd love to say that workplaces have to allow for last-minute cancellations and accommodate families. But what to do about the jobs where that can't happen? If we had better solutions, people might not be griping about the meteorologists "getting it wrong."

January 4, 2024

Tailoring Your College Journey: Key Criteria for Success

The most critical thing to consider when looking at colleges is the match between college and student.

Finding a college that offers a major you want is great, but chances are your interests and major could change before you graduate- what is the most popular major at UCLA? “Undeclared!” Of course, we “market” clients based on current interested fields of study, but you you should ensure the school is a good fit and feel for your needs, not just academics.

April 28, 2021

The Pitfalls of Teaching Math: Rules Without Intuition

When people hear that I enjoy math, they cringe, usually responding with an anecdote about how it was their least favorite subject in school. One time in high school, my friend sat next to me while I did a calculus project. Upon seeing the assignment, she remarked that it “looked like the most miserable thing in the world.”

January 18, 2021

Independent Reading: The Secret Sauce of Success

Part of my work involves tutoring admissions tests. Most students aim for that top-scoring echelon, usually in the 97th percentile or above. As we chip away at strategies, question types, and tailoring plans of attack, I continually emphasize that the frosting on any preparation cake is simply this: reading independently. This is a discussion that occurs with every student, not just SAT and ACT prep clients and takers of secondary school admissions tests.

September 11, 2020

Decoding Fall Learning: A Teacher's Unfiltered Analysis

When students return to school in Somerville, we will be fully remote. At the high school, we will be remote until we move into the new building. Grades will count as they always have. Attendance will count as it always has. However, there are far more social-emotional supports than there were. The first week or so with kids will focus heavily on community building and less on academics before we move toward more rigorous learning. The staff has been trained to provide rich instruction virtually…

August 4, 2020

Summer in the Upside Down: Navigating Virtual Learning

The reference to the creepy alternate universe in “Stranger Things” is not only apropos to today’s mutated reality (things are stranger, to say the least) but also harkens to a recent era without ubiquitous internet, cell phones, endless streaming TV content, etc.