Most students approach the college essay as a story to tell. Admissions readers are looking for something different:
evidence of how a student thinks.
That gap — between what students write and what readers are actually evaluating — is where most essays get lost.
Closing it is what I do.
I work with students to find the argument inside their experience: the intellectual thread, the specific occasion, the opening that earns attention. The result is an essay that sounds like them — at their most precise, their most specific, and their most alive on the page.
My approach works because it starts with what admissions readers actually want to read, not with what students think will impress them. Those are different things, and twenty years of coaching has shown me exactly where the gap lives.
• All feedback is written and delivered directly to the student
• Parents get to step back — and stay out of the draft
• Students gain a clearer sense of what they're actually trying to say, and how to say it
I offer self-serve guides, essay feedback, and activity list revision for students applying to selective colleges and competitive programs.
Capacity is intentionally limited. When slots fill, booking closes.
Kristie Schmidt is a college essay coach and a working writer; the two are not separate things.
Her essays have won the International Amy MacRae Award and appear in venues like Grain, Guernica, and Granta. She is currently at work on two non-fiction manuscripts.
She knows what it costs to find the true subject of a piece of writing and she knows what it looks like when a writer is circling it without landing. That's the thing most college coaches can't teach.
They can tell a student that their essay needs more intellectual depth, or that the reflection closes too early, or that the opening doesn't earn attention. Kristie can show them exactly where the argument is hiding and how to bring it forward because she does that work herself, at the level of publication.
She holds degrees from Smith College and Harvard University, trained under a former Cornell Director of Admissions, and has spent twenty years coaching students into highly selective programs.
About Kristie
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PARENT
Digital Products
Self-serve PDF resources for personal statements, activity lists, and application strategy. Instant download.
No access to me required.
Coaching Services
Written feedback for college essays, ssupplementals, and Common Application activity descriptions.
Seasonal availability,
limited slots.
Competition Coaching
Strategic writing coaching for students applying to Scholastic, YoungArts, Iowa Young Writers Studio, Sewanee, and similar programs.
Digital Coaching Offerings
Essay Compass
Activity List Toolkit
The Ultimate Roadmap for Personal Statements
A comprehensive digital guide that breaks down the essay process into manageable, strategic steps. Perfect for students who want to build a narrative that elite colleges notice.
Maximize Your 150-Character Impact
Transform your list of extracurriculars into a powerful data story. This toolkit gives parents and students the exact formulas to use for activity descriptions that pop.
✒
Personal Statement Mastery
Transform a standard draft into a compelling narrative. We focus on structural clarity, emotional resonance, and the unique hook that captures admissions officers' attention.
Strategic Writing Coaching
Empowering your child to find their authentic voice through specialized, asynchronous coaching designed for the high-stakes college admissions landscape.
✎
Supplemental Strategy
Elevate the 'Why Us' and short-answer prompts. Our coaching ensures that every supplemental essay reinforces your child's profile without redundant repetition.
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Activity List Polish
Every character counts. We coach students to describe their impacts and achievements with precision, making the list as powerful as the personal statement.
Essential Tools for Your Success
Empower your journey with curated digital products designed to simplify the college essay process.
What I really appreciated was that you diffused the You helped reveal the writer’s voice rather than let than let them obsess about what they need to write to get accepted.I also loved the way you sometimes suggested that there might be a better way to convey a feeling or sentiment and you prompted them to offer other words to replace what might be a weak passage.In the end, the writing was original, authentic, and well received. And being that both student and parent were on our last nerve, you preserved our relationship and let me just be Mom while you got to be the writing coach.I’m eternally grateful.
SHELLEY., Parent
A La Carte Services
Essay Compass Review
A comprehensive asynchronous double-review of your main personal statement or Common App essay for core narrative strength.
$450
Activity List Toolkit Boost
Expert optimization of your Activity List descriptions to maximize impact and demonstrate depth of involvement.
$275
Short Answer Sprints
Focused review for up to 5 supplemental short answer responses for a single college application.
$350
Final Polishing Phase
A high-level line-by-line review of your completed application package for final clarity before submission.
$195