Looking to improve your writing? Looking to write the college admissions essay in order to present your best self? With the college essay most likely playing a major role in admissions, it will be great to get started early!
**In person meetings available. I am also available to meet via Zoom.
My blackout dates (unavailability) June 6-16. June 19-22. July 7-11. July 27-Aug 2.
**After Aug, some weekends, and after 4 pm on weekdays.
Single, 1 hour meeting: $80 (these are good for students who have drafts written and would like professional eyes to look over the paper).
Three meeting sessions: $240 (total) (these sessions take the student from generating ideas to finalizing the paper)
**$210 for students who have taken my SAT/ACT prep courses
1st meeting: organizing prompts (many are similar), engaging ideas, and coming up with a loose outline
2nd meeting: discussion of 1st drafts, revisions (additions and deletions--and sometimes "u-turns")
3rd meeting: generally divided into two 30 min meetings.
editing and final revisions
finalization and word count
More meetings can be scheduled beyond the 3 in the package above.
Testimonials:
"Mr.Tastor was so helpful during my college application process. He helped me brainstorm, refine, and polish my essays- which ultimately helped me get into college. He really took the time to understand my story and figure out what I wanted to say authentically. Beyond being helpful, Mr. Tastor was genuinely kind and patient. Whether I was stuck on a sentence or reworking an entire draft he was always there with insight and support. If you’re looking for someone who’s not only skilled but also cares deeply about helping others succeed, I can’t recommend Mr. Tastor enough." --Ava, student GBHS class of '25, will attend Texas Christian University, Nursing direct admit
"Mr. Tastor helped me write an essay that was authentic to who I am and what I wished to portray to my college of choice. From the very beginning of my experience with him, he made me feel comfortable and seen with the theme I wanted to write. Throughout the months of me constructing my essay, he left specific and constructive notes to support my writing and build from what I already had written. He really got me to portray a life lesson that I learned from, and I will continue to learn from to show colleges who I am, and who I will be on campus. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to write an essay which truly represents their authentic selves! He’s the best! " --Kathryn, student GBHS class of '25, will attend Cal Poly, SLO, Veterinary Sciences
"While the college application process can feel overwhelming and stressful, I always felt secure and confident with the help of David Tastor. I appreciate his unwavering commitment and dedication in aiding me through this process. David can conceptualize the beautiful depth and intricacies we have as humans and certainly helped me visualize that into my writing. I am beyond grateful for his patience, support and flexibility throughout the entire college application process."--Noah, transfer student, Sierra College class of '24, UC Berkeley, Urban Planning
"Working on my college essays with Mr. Tastor not only made the process so much simpler and less stressful, but he helped me gain confidence in my writing and myself. Mr. Tastor’s transparency and emphasis on staying true to yourself, rather than confiding to the “rules” in articles or books that encourage students to skew their experiences or write superficially, ultimately helped mindset and the overall application process immensely. If you have the opportunity to work with Mr. Tastor, I cannot recommend taking it enough!"--Chloe W., student Whitney HS class of '23 Cal Poly, SLO, Business
"I am beyond thankful for Mr. Tastor’s help during my essay writing process. Not only was his guidance and knowledge invaluable, but his understanding of the college process helped settle my nerves on numerous occasions. I was able to go back and forth with Mr. Tastor, writing my ideas and then working together to fine tune the details and assure I was meeting all of my application requirements. Working to get into my dream school with someone to help edit my work into its best form and overall be a guide through the stress of college applications, made the process so much smoother for me. So, I will continue to be deeply thankful to Tastor for his help." --Alyssa S. student, Granite Bay HS class of 2023, Stanford, Communications
"We cannot thank Mr. Tastor enough for helping our daughter through the essay writing process for her admission to Stanford!. He went above and beyond. His unwavering support is truly amazing. It is obvious he cares so much about helping his students achieve their goals. We have no words to express our gratitude and really could not have done it without him." --Andrea S., mother of student, class of 2023, Stanford
"Reaching out to Mr. Tastor for help with my college essays was the best decision I could have ever made. Through his honest and motivating feedback, clear explanation, and attention to detail, he helped me write essays that I could be confident in submitting. I will be going to UCLA in the fall for nursing, and I really could not have done it without the positive impact Mr. Tastor left on my writing." --Heba B, Granite Bay HS student, class of 2021, UCLA, Nursing, direct admission
"Ciara got into UCLA and is thrilled! Thank you for giving her essays the once over. It gave her the confidence she needed to submit essays that were true to herself. It paid off and she is ecstatic! Thanks for your help!" --Alexandra M., mother of student, class of 2021, UCLA
"I just wanted to say how much we appreciate you taking the time to give Ashley advice on her college application essays. It was really helpful and made a huge difference in her essay being basic or really showing a school who she is. And it helped because Ash got accepted to her dream school and is going to be a Trojan this fall at USC!" --Stacie A., mother of student, class of 2020, University of Southern California
"Thank you so much for all of your work with our daughter on her SAT essay writing. The clarity of your teaching helped her understand the expectations and approach to the SAT essay. And, your hands-on lessons were invaluable. Her essay scores before and after working with you were measurably different. We believe your work with her positively impacted her admission to several top 15 colleges. Thanks again!" --Stephanie T., mother of student, class of 2020, Cal Tech
"Mr. Tastor was always encouraging and confident in me. His explanations were clear and easy to follow. He truly pushed me to do the best I could and the end results showed it. I am so thankful for the help he gave me." --Kate, Granite Bay HS class of 2020, attends Cal Tech, Mechanical Engineering