Writing Coach

College Solutions is a private college counseling firm that works with clients to find the right fit college. To us, the right fit includes the right social, academic, and financial aspects of the college search process. Fit is the foundation of what we do. 

Authenticity is also critical to what we do. Writing coaches help our students communicate who they are through the art of the written word (i.e., personal essays). Each coach works individually with students as they prepare personal statements, supplementary essays, and other written pieces. 

Our coaches will work alongside our team of counselors, who will also train and teach coaches procedures and specific subject matter regarding college essays. All of this work is done remotely, and there is flexibility with the overall workload. Training begins in March, and the coaching cycle commences in May with training and finishes in mid-January. The heaviest workload occurs between June and November, especially during major application deadlines: October 15, November 1, November 30, December 15, and January 1. 

Essential Duties

  • Attend several training meetings via Zoom and have appropriate material prepared for each session

  • Follow the College Solutions method of providing feedback and encouragement to each student

  • Identify students’ unique writing strengths and weaknesses and build their curiosity and confidence in their abilities

  • Provide concise written feedback on each draft to help students identify and communicate writing necessities (content, theme, structure, grammar)

  • Provide overall guidance on the quality of writing, ensuring essays are concise, engaging, readable, and appropriate for the prompt

  • Evaluate drafts of students’ essays regarding tone, content, flow, humor, structure, and language/grammar

  • Return feedback to students within a 48-hour period

  • Prepare and provide frequent updates on student progress to counselors

  • Keep accounts of progress with each student to provide appropriate feedback

  • Perform other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and abilities

  • Must have strong attention to detail and the ability to adhere to deadlines to aid students in hitting their target dates

  • If not already familiar, must develop a strong understanding of the role of each essay in the college admissions process and how each essay would be evaluated

  • Must be able to coach students

  • Must have a strong understanding of editing functionality in Google and Word

  • Must be efficient with time and the editing process

  • Exceptional interpersonal skills which positively benefit interaction with students and staff

  • Must have high ethical and professional standards

  • Ability to exercise good judgment and self-control

  • Must have excellent organizational, oral, and written communication skills, with the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through written communication

  • Enthusiasm, trustworthiness, personal integrity, and honesty

  • Must be detail-oriented, able to plan, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

  • Ability to work autonomously and understand when a superior should be involved in decision-making

  • Good decision-making skills, with the ability to analyze information, evaluate results, and implement the best solution to problems or challenges

  • Must be able to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet the 48-hour draft turnaround deadline

  • Self-motivated and dedicated to keeping up to date with new trends in technology and applying that new knowledge to your job

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree or higher is required

  • 1-3 years of editing, speechwriting, copywriting, or teaching experience is preferred

  • Proficiency in word processing is required

  • Computer skills, with working knowledge of the Google and primary Microsoft Office programs

  • Ability to successfully pass a background check and other pre-employment screening

Salary and location

The writing coach position is fully remote. The salary is $22 per hour.

To Apply

To apply for the writing coach position, please send your resume to Maggie Leahy, Vice President of Operations, at maggie@collegesolutions.com with “Writing Coach” in the subject line.

Sarah DohlComment