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The Crafted Essay

About: Welcome
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The Art of Writing Your Story for College Admission

  • Are you and your high school student overwhelmed by the college application process?

  • Is your child struggling to find a topic for the Common App essay?

  • Does your teen start the essay only to delete it a few minutes later?


Contact me today to learn how I can help your child to cull an idea and develop it into a concise, compelling and authentic story.

About: About
Antique Typewriter

Sara Diamond, Writing Coach

My clients invite me into their lives to help turn their unique stories into thoughtful and carefully crafted essays.


I began this journey in 2013 when my eldest son embarked on his college search. Hearing from admissions officers at information sessions on various campuses, I keyed in on their tips and pointers for gaining admission. After helping my son refine his Common App essay as well as numerous supplemental essays, I offered my assistance to the children of my friends who were struggling with their essays. The end result was happy teens, appreciative parents and college acceptances. The Crafted Essay was born!

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I love working with students to help effectively express their unique stories for college admissions. With a variety of writing and editing experiences in the publishing and digital worlds, including a stint at Simon & Schuster, I have the necessary skills and critical eye to best guide my clients. I earned both a BA (English) and an MS (Elementary Education) from Hofstra University.


Additionally, I am the mother of three sons, all of whom have successfully navigated the college application process!

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I would love to speak with you about your child and how I can assist with the essay writing experience. 

About: About
Person Writing

My Services

I am a writing coach, specializing in aiding high school juniors and seniors with the personal narrative required for college applications. Through one-on-one sessions, I develop a trusting, friendly rapport with my teenage clients, making the essay writing process a less stressful experience for students and parents alike.

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The Process

Working collaboratively, we determine an essay topic and craft an outline. With direction and support, the student drafts an essay which is then reviewed and edited. The feedback, rewriting and editing process may go through several rounds. The end result is a polished, personal statement ready for submission to colleges. While I am based in Nassau County, New York, I am able to work with students who live in any location thanks to video chatting, document sharing and email.

Graduation

The Results

My clients have been accepted to these prestigious colleges and universities: University of Michigan, Vassar College, Duke University, Cornell University, Caltech, New York University, St. John's University, Northeastern University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Fordham University, Binghamton University, UMass at Amherst, Skidmore College, Roger Williams University, Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania, William and Lee University, Washington University in St. Louis, Stevens Institute of Technology, UConn, The George Washington University, FIT, and Boston University (to name a few).

About: Services

"Sara’s calm, comfortable, and confident demeanor allowed me to sit back while she worked with my daughter on her college essay. When my daughter reviewed the essay with her guidance counselor and her English teacher, we were pleasantly surprised that neither of them had any comments to make to her essay - it was perfect as is! Sara connected with my daughter and helped her to complete one of the most important essays she will ever write. I highly recommend Sara to anyone with a college applicant - she’s the best there is!" - Lori P.


"When someone suggested calling you, I saw a lifeline. I knew my daughter had the ideas. I knew she had the feelings, but she needed help making it come alive, making the reader on the other end KNOW who she is.  YOU were that person. When I read that essay, I cried from the first sentence till about 20 minutes after I finished it. You took her words, and gave them voice and depth." - Barbara R.

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"Sara helped me to create a personal and unique essay that effectively tells admissions officers my story. I had a lot of trouble putting all of my thoughts into words and within the word limit, but Sara showed me how to convey my ideas into a few concise paragraphs." - Sonali P.

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"Sara was extremely helpful with both of my boys as they each struggled with the topic they wanted to write about. Her questioning and guidance helped with the typical difficulty most students have when writing about themselves. She was readily available to meet in our home, at the library, or to speak on the telephone. Her positive vibe was always apparent and helped to ease the boys through this difficult process." - Ilyse Z.

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"My son, Ethan, was so close to finishing his Common App essay. His thoughts and ideas were there but he needed assistance with organization and a final draft. Sara helped him to gather his thoughts and commit to his work. She gave him the confidence he needed to move forward and to feel that his essay was ready for submission. She validated his ideas and provided the constructive criticism he needed. It was just the right amount of encouragement and Sara was there to assist him throughout the process. Sara helped our son over a major bump in the road and we are very grateful to have had her on his team.  Happy to report that our son was accepted to several schools and will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall of 2017." - Leorah H.

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About: Testimonial
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