Testimonials
College Application Essay Coaching
“Thanks again for your support and flexibility in working with Deanna and Nathan at the last minute and with quick turnaround. You were able to interpret their thoughts and help them turn those into great essays. We thought your ideas were very insightful and appreciated your guidance.”
Denise, mother of Deanna, Occidental College, Class of 2014 and Nathan, USC Film School, Class of 2014
“I’ll never forget the day I got my acceptance letter from the University of California, Los Angeles. I was surrounded by a group of high school friends that had just found out they did not get in, and I figured it was unlikely that I would be the exception. Now, looking back, I frequently credit Aurora for the admission into my dream school. Completing college applications was an extremely stressful procedure to start, and I felt overwhelmed until I met Aurora. She assisted me in narrowing down my list of universities, and spent countless hours (with me and on her own time) researching them and their individual application processes. She taught me organizational skills that I used throughout my college experience. Thank you again, Aurora, for being a great listener and for helping me craft the perfect personal statement!”
Grace, UCLA, Class of 2015
“Aurora was very helpful in my college application process. Initially, I was quite overwhelmed by the whole process, but Aurora broke it down into pieces and slowly helped me finish my applications. Coming from an immigrant family, my parents and close relatives couldn’t always help me with writing. I am really glad that Aurora was able to be my extra proofreader and see possible improvements in my paper that I couldn’t have seen myself. I really believe that Aurora made a significant impact on my personal statements and I am so thankful for her help.”
Tommy UCSD, Class of 2018
“I really liked the way Aurora worked with me throughout the essay process. The initial meeting felt like a casual conversation talking about different things about myself, and she was able to come up for topics for me to write about. Aurora paid attention to every little detail I wrote about, helping me structure and revise the essay line by line to make sure every aspect fit perfectly. Overall the experience was very helpful and enjoyable, Aurora knows exactly what the colleges are looking for in admissions essays.”
Nick, CalPoly, Class of 2018
“I want to share with you that I have been admitted by NYU! Thank you so much for your help!”
Mia, NYU, Class of 2018
Writing Coaching
“When I was in middle school, I was not confident in my writing skills and I had trouble putting my thoughts onto paper. Aurora came to my house weekly and taught me various writing skills, including grammar and brainstorming techniques. Although I learned a lot about writing and became more confident in my writing skills, what I enjoyed the most about Aurora’s class is how she got me to like writing. Her classes were so relaxed and creative that it allowed me to be myself and confidently write out my thoughts. One of the things that I really appreciate is Aurora’s patience as she proofread my essays. I could tell that she spent a lot of time proofreading my essays until we were both satisfied with the final draft. Thanks to Aurora, my writing improved significantly in a short period of time.”
Tommy, college student
“Ms. Brackett was extremely helpful and attentive to details in helping me reach a higher level of writing. She especially helped me with the structure of my writing, like outlining, free writing, and crafting a strong thesis. After working with her, I felt much more comfortable with a type of analytical writing I had been largely unfamiliar with before.”
Qiqi, 11th grade
“I first met Mrs. Brackett through a CTY online course for writing. She was extremely thorough with her explanations and always gave me amazing advice on how to improve my writing. Even after the course, Mrs. Brackett was always there whenever I needed help in writing contests or assignments. Over the years, she has helped me on numerous projects and our bond and friendship grew stronger. My writing has improved so much thanks to her, and I am so grateful to have Mrs. Brackett as a teacher.”
Joyce, 7th grade
“My writing has improved a lot. I used to have a hard time getting to the point when I wrote. Now I get straight to the point. The writing assignments that we did made it much easier for me to write papers.
I had a hard time finishing books, and Aurora made a reading schedule which helped me to always meet my goals. My attitude towards reading has also changed. When I pick a book I make sure that I know what it’s about and that I’m interested in it. I’m enjoying reading more because I like what I’m reading.”
Giovanna, 9th grade
“I am very impressed. Giovanna’s reading comprehension has greatly improved. Aurora really individualized tutoring so that it works. As a teacher, she is flexible, creative and consistent. She meets Giovanna at her level, identifies what isn’t working and finds new ways to help her achieve. As Giovanna saw herself become more successful she gained confidence and wanted to be even more successful!”
Michele, Giovanna’s mom
“I didn’t know how to write an essay and now I really know. Aurora knows what she’s doing and she’s really nice!”
Harriet, 10th grade
“After working with Aurora, my daughter cares more about writing and pays more attention to her school work. Her writing has more fluency. I’ll find something that she wrote and be impressed. I highly recommend Aurora. She has a calm, quiet presence that is encouraging without pressure.”
Andrea, Harriet’s mom
“Ms. Brackett helped me improve my writing and spelling. I was very happy about my grades compared to before I had Ms. Brackett. I love the way she helps me in funny ways and makes words easy to memorize.”
Grace, 5th grade
“I was amazed that Mr. Brackett saw Grace’s bright potential from the first session. Grace has been gaining lots of confidence about writing and has improved a lot in both writing and reading comprehension. We are so pleased to have Ms. Brackett coaching Grace.”
Irene, Grace’s mom
“When we first contacted Ms. Brackett our daughter Cassy was only a third grader. We knew it was early, but Cassy loves to write and has many creative ideas. Ms. Brackett is very patient with a young writer, and she knows how to approach young kids, thinking from a young writer’s view.
When Cassy was in fourth grade, she was learning 19th century American History. Her school teacher asked students to write a fiction journal, and Cassy enjoyed very much. One day, she got a comment from her school teacher, “powerful descriptions, you could write a book.”
So, Cassy decided to write a brand new story book called Gold Rush Minors. Three kids find themselves “sent” to California and have some very comical yet exciting adventures. Cassy met with Ms. Brackett once a month through Skype. Ms. Brackett guided her to put all ideas together. After seven months effort, Cassy finished her first published book, and just in time for a great Christmas gift for friends and family. That’s was an awesome achievement for a fourth grader, and Ms. Brackett was indeed the most supportive creative writing teacher!
Cassy doesn’t consider Ms. Brackett as merely a teacher, but a writing companion. In her patient way, she doesn’t come across as telling Cassy what to do, but she suggests ways to improve and lets Cassy decide which path(s) she wanted to explore.
Now, Cassy is in seventh grade and she is taking a break from writing books. But if Cassy were to pick up her writing craft again, we’d still consider Ms. Brackett as the top choice for writing instructor for a middle/high school student. Ms. Brackett is appropriate for any age level!”
Ivy, Cassy’s mom