"Hi! I'm Joanna. I specialize in helping students craft compelling, well-structured essays for school and in coaching rising undergraduate and graduate applicants through every stage of the admissions process. Over the past few months, I’ve guided a wide range of law and medical school candidates through the process of writing and editing their personal and perspective statements.

I earned my M.F.A. in creative writing and English from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where I also won the University’s Outstanding Teaching Assistantship Award and started publishing in nationally renowned journals. I’m a winner of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Writing, a recipient of the Iowa Book Prize, and a former professor of writing at Penn State and Franklin & Marshall College. Before going full time, I worked as an adjunct professor at the City University of New York and as a visiting writer in schools and community centers.

In all my work with students, I draw on a sensitivity to experience developed over years of working with diverse populations. The breadth of my background enables me to see beneath the surface and thus gently push students to explore ideas they may not know they already have.

In addition to individual coaching, I teach a private course for international students focused on crafting the written material required for university and grad school admission (including ivy league). Along the way, my rising undergraduates especially learn critical writing skills for college.

I also teach all kinds of writing to neurodiverse primary, middle, and high school students. By tailoring instruction to individual needs, fostering confidence, and inspiring a love of learning, I ensure that that they enjoy the experience while exceeding their own expectations as well as those of the people who care for them.

My students are knocking it out of the park! I look forward to hearing from you." less...