Zach Glassman
He/Him
Zach Glassman

About

I’m a writer. Not a college guidance counselor, not an expert on admissions—a writer. For the last twelve years, I’ve been devoted to writing fiction. Back in the day, I also wrote screenplays, a webseries, comedy pieces, and two parody novels I self-published. After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in psychology, I completed an M.F.A. in creative writing at Boston University. Over more than a decade of studying fiction line by line and holding myself to an exacting standard, I’ve learned how to tell a story. What I have to offer is expertise in writing and a perspective that isn’t limited by the confines of the college admissions process. While I can give you a few general pointers about the broader application process, a strength of mine is that I have a rich personal and professional life outside of this field. Throughout college and graduate school, I’ve studied a range of subjects, including computer science, statistics, neuroscience, filmmaking, literature, and ps...

Zach helped students get into:
Harvard University
Harvard University
Zach helps with…
College Applications & Essays
School-Specific Supplemental Essays
Berkeley
7 years of experience
Harvard University – BA | Psychology with a minor in Computer Science
Boston University – MFA | Creative writing- - fiction
Psychology
Film and Photography
Computer Science
Creative Writing
English Literature
Fun Facts
🖐
Describe yourself in five words
Curious, blunt, driven, kind

🙏
Best piece of advice
Don't mix metaphors

💭
Dream job
Psychoanalyst

📚
Favorite book
The Brothers Karamazov

📓
Favorite subject in school
English

🪄
Hobbies
Reading fiction, watching foreign films, cooking curries

My process

In my view, the purpose of essays is to tell the college something they don’t already know from your other materials. By the time they read your essay, they know your grades, your interests, and your activities. But colleges don’t admit a transcript or an activity list—they admit a person. Someone they believe will contribute to their campus. Generally speaking, this means they want students who will get out of their dorm room and be pleasant to be around. When I sit down with a student, I ask myself: what do I find most appealing about them? What are their strengths? How can I help them communicate those strengths on the page? Also, what they are looking for depends on what kind of applicant you are. For example, for students with a strong background in STEM it’s generally (but not always) ill-advised to write about your love of astrophysics or quantum mechanics. ***FAQ***Do I need a “hook”?

No. Many students get distracted searching for an attention-grabbing headline. What will make your essay strong is depth and detail. If you work on it enough, you’ll find material that the reader finds compelling. How can I help?I can catch your comma splices and fix your grammar, but what is most valuable is my understanding of story structure and narrative - the core of any strong essay. I will help you identify the story you want to tell and use classic storytelling techniques to make it sing. How does the process work?My process adapts to the student’s needs, but I’ll explain how I prefer to work. First, I like to spend 1-2 sessions getting to know the student, interviewing them. It’s essential that I understand not just what you study in school but what you value, what motivates you, and the little things that distinguish you from your siblings, neighbors, and classmates. It’s also important that you feel that I understand you and respect your values. After that, my preference is to attack the personal statement quickly, getting through the first two to three drafts as quickly as possible to discover the real story you want to tell. Once we are moving, I like to spend the first forty minutes of each session reviewing your work, giving you many, many edit suggestions and comments, and then the last twenty planning for what you are going to tackle next.

Recent reviews

5.0(7 reviews)

“Working with Ethan on my son's college essays was a very pleasant and rewarding experience. He provided invaluable guidance to present the stories in more profound ways. He also helped making changes to make the essays more polished. We also enjoyed his unflappable style. We strongly recommend Ethan to anyone looking for an essay editor. "

Min B.

“Oh. My. Golly Gosh. Ethan was the BEST reviewer I've ever had in my life. I mean, I've had reviewers look over my essay before (expensive ones too), but working with Ethan has been LIGHTYEARS away from any experience I've had with anyone. I came in with an essay I thought was pretty polished, but instantly, it was like Ethan was looking into the future, at a version of the essay that was yet to be, and I just immediately saw the vision when he explained it to me. When I say this man was COOKING, you must believe me. He. Was. Cooking. Every single tonal inconsistency, awkward phrase, wordy sentence, I mean -- in the first 7 minutes, I could see all the holes in my essay that I previously missed and after the first hour, I was looking at an entirely different essay. If a magic genie gave me three wishes, I'd wish for an extra ten sessions with Ethan, then an extra one on top of that, and then maybe world peace. If you ever need anything written ever, like, literally anything, Ethan is THE guy to do it for you. "

roy l.

“I've had other people edit some of my daughter's other essays, but this was by far--like leaps and bounds--more thorough, helpful and thoughtful than the other comments. Ethan clearly thinks about the big picture and how to create a cohesive story. He gave us lots to think about. Very impressed. "

Erika T.
Berkeley
7 years of experience
Harvard University – BA | Psychology with a minor in Computer Science
Boston University – MFA | Creative writing- - fiction
Psychology
Film and Photography
Computer Science
Creative Writing
English Literature
Fun Facts
🖐
Describe yourself in five words
Curious, blunt, driven, kind

🙏
Best piece of advice
Don't mix metaphors

💭
Dream job
Psychoanalyst

📚
Favorite book
The Brothers Karamazov

📓
Favorite subject in school
English

🪄
Hobbies
Reading fiction, watching foreign films, cooking curries
Tips for success
1. Prepare for your first session
Plan out the questions and topics you'd like to discuss. If you'd like to work together in the long term, discuss expectations for each other.