Pro-Bono Admissions Consulting & Virtual Writing Center
Expert writing advice and coaching, pro bono, from someone on the inside.
The most successful applications are those crafted as if you already belong. That confidence can be especially difficult to convey when you are part of a minority group that has historically been shut out of pursuing higher education.
I specialize in helping students in minority groups (in particular women, BIPOC, Latinx, first-generation, and LGBTQ+ students) craft their written application materials that speak to their strengths, individuality, and personal journey to advanced-degree programs.
Planning, Organization, & Strategy
I assist in what I call “boots on the ground” strategizing. I consult with you individually about your personal and professional goals, what programs would be the best fit for those goals, and how to juggle various program and differing application materials. I can also assist in time management, making it possible for you to work on your materials while still working a full-time job.
Principles of Professional Communication
Communicating with faculty, graduate program directors, and potential academic advisors is one of the most important facets of applying to advanced-degree programs—making the cold email a difficult genre to crack. I consult with you on word choice, tone, and phrasing on the sentence level so that you can make the best first impression possible.
Storytelling & the Statement of Purpose
Telling your story in application documents, like the elusive personal statement, is a crucial part of the application process, especially because admissions committees will be reading dozens, if not hundreds, of similar applications. To guide you through this process, I use my background as a college English literature and writing instructor to clarify your goals and purpose.
Testimonials
ERIN M.:
Alex made me feel capable of getting into my top choice program, and I did, and I would not be here today without her guidance, coaching, and mentorship. Even though Alex’s field is very different from my own, her knowledge of higher education was indispensable to my application process. “The hidden curriculum” would have remained hidden without her.
Erin M. is currently working on her Ph.D. in linguistics. Read more about my long-term work with Erin by clicking here.
PATRICIA WEIDLER:
Alex is an incredibly gifted mentor and writing coach. The feedback she has given me on my personal statements and cover letters goes above and beyond that of anyone else I’ve ever worked with. Her tireless attention to detail, patience, and unique insight into the application process helped me write the powerful personal statement that got me into graduate school and I could not be more grateful for all of her support.
Patricia recently graduated with her master’s in Classics from Florida State University with honors. In addition to entering the graduate program of her choice, Patricia also received several competitive funding packages, an unusual situation for a majority of prospective MA students. She is now teaching high school Latin at the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA.
MARI TREJO:
Alex supported me by helping piece together my scattered thoughts into a piece of art for my PhD scholarly essay. She was committed to teaching me strategies to craft how my research interest, my professional goals, and my personal accomplishment will demonstrate my passion for the immigrant Latino population’s health. Alex inspires me with all her successful achievements in teaching, writing, peer-review publications, and public engagements.
Mari was recently admitted to the PhD program in Nursing Practice at Texas Woman’s University and will begin her advanced graduate study in the fall 2020 semester. She will use her subject position as a Latinx woman to research the long-term effects of COVID-19 in Latinx communities across Texas.
Have Questions?
Alexander Lowe McAdams 