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What We Do

College Admissions Counseling
High school students and their families need accurate, timely information from a trusted source as they navigate the college search and application process. BMC provides clients expert guidance, and the information and support needed to navigate the process efficiently and effectively. The process of formally applying to college should start the summer after 11th grade, but planning for it starts much earlier.
Read more about college counseling
Essay Coaching
Having read thousands of personal statements over the course of our careers as counselors, writing teachers, authors, and admissions officers, the easiest explanation is that we just “know” when we read a compelling essay! We help applicants unlock their stories and tell them in the most memorable ways. We've even written a book about it. We also offer essay coaching and editing services to help students and other IECs navigate the essay process efficiently and effectively.
Read more about essay support
Graduate School Admissions Counseling
Our primary focus areas are business, law, public policy, education, psychology, international relations, English, fine arts (including artistic portfolio support), and music but we love branching out and lending our expertise to related fields. Our graduate school admissions services are customized to fit each client and where they are in the process.
Read more about grad school counseling
Early Career Counseling & In-College Advising
Mapping out a "career strategy" early on can be especially helpful as students seek out internships and other pre-professional opportunities the summer after they graduate high school and into college. We provide early career advising, resume development and editing, and teach students how to take advantage of the advising services once they arrive at college.
Read more about career advising
What We Do

The Complete College Essay Handbook:

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing the Personal Statement and the Supplemental Essays

Hi. If this were a podcast, this would be the part where we’d say, in our distinct voices: “I’m Brittany.” And then: “I’m Emma.” We’ve been working together to guide students through their college applications since 2016. After a few years, we realized our process was not reflected in any of the essay materials we found elsewhere, so we decided to write it down. What started as internal documents for our students eventually turned into a book and we are writing to announce that…

[drumroll]

The Complete College Essay Handbook is now available on Amazon! 

It’s a no-frills, practical guide that will give students the confidence and know-how they need to craft the best essays for every single school on their list—in less time and with less stress. The Complete College Essay Handbook walks students through:

  • What makes an essay stand out, drawing on sample essays by real students to illustrate main points
  • Brainstorming activities to find the best topics for the personal statement and supplemental essays
  • How to write the two central components of every application essay: scene and reflection
  • Editing and revision—including techniques to cut down or expand an essay to hit the word limit
  • The four types of supplemental essays and how to decode the different essay prompts, using actual essay questions
  • The strategy behind a well-rounded set of application essays

We are excited to get our expertise and years of experience into the hands of as many students as possible, for the upcoming college essay season.

If you have feedback—or just want to say hi—email us at brittemmaessays@gmail.com. 

Thank you for your support! – Brittany & Emma

From The Blog

The Two Most Important Letters in College Admissions
Brittany Maschal 0
The Two Most Important Letters in College Admissions
March 14, 2023
Could not agree more with Rick Clark's recent post about institutional priority. It's something we talk about a lot with families and that needs to be taken seriously in the college admissio...
Read More
Writers and Photographers: Sign Up For a jGirls+ Teen Staff 2023-2024 Application Q&A Session
Brittany Maschal 0
Writers and Photographers: Sign Up For a jGirls+ Teen Staff 2023-2024 Application Q&A Session
March 11, 2023
Serving as a teen staff editor or photographer is an exciting opportunity to contribute to jGirls+ Magazine and have a hands-on, creative position at a digital publication.  Help build a pow...
Read More
College Admissions Regular Decision (RD) Notification Dates
Brittany Maschal 0
College Admissions Regular Decision (RD) Notification Dates
March 10, 2023
RD results start to roll out in March, with most released by early April. College Kickstart tracks release and tentative notification dates and includes last year's for reference. Stay up to...
Read More

Special Programs

Calling All Artists!
Artistic Portfolio & Statement Of Purpose Programming

We are excited to welcome Justin, a UCLA grad and practicing artist, who will lead our work with students applying to arts programs.

To develop a high-quality portfolio of approximately 10-15 artworks, students will embark on a course of 15 one-hour-long meetings focused on technical proficiency, experimentation with a variety of mediums and practices, and a continued focus or theme. 

Justin’s course begins with a review of the student’s interests and background in the arts and continues through personalized assignments. Included are routine progress check-ups, constructive critiques, and the provision of relevant historical materials.

For a more detailed outline of the course or information regarding how we help students draft their artist statement of purpose, please email us or call 609-618-3584.

 

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Complete Your Common Application Essay in One Week! 

Want to get the most important piece of writing in your college application completed efficiently and effectively? 

In one week of focused work with an essay expert, you will be able to check a very important college application item off your list: the Common Application essay.  

More specifically, in this program you will: 

  • Attend a live session to learn what makes a successful Common Application essay.
  • Complete our specialized brainstorming process, working with an essay expert 1:1 to decide on the most unique approach to your essay. 
  • Draft your essay and receive detailed, targeted feedback to take it from a rough draft to a polished final essay—in four days!

You’ll also get access to sample personal statements by real-life students we’ve worked with (and who have gained admission to selective colleges and universities!).

When is this program offered?

  • This course is offered on-demand! Let us know your preferred week, and we will reach out to you with our availability. If we are not available for your preferred week, we will work with you to find another time that fits both of our schedules. 

Who should sign up for this program?

  • Juniors and seniors who are ready to write their Common App essay (aka the personal statement) and who have a significant chunk of time each day to dedicate to it over the course of one week. This means they have time every day, for seven days, to work on their essay. 

How do I get more information and pricing?

 

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Interview Prep

Colleges interviews have moved online, and we are offering interview prep sessions via Zoom and Google Meet this summer and fall.

Practice with a parent or friend, or practice with us, but never go to an interview unprepared! Learning how to interview is a skill for life, not just for the college process. Email us if you are interested in learning how to ace your virtual interview.

 

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Purpose Projects

Colleges love seeing students take part in meaningful, self-directed work.

We help students in grades 9-11 create purpose projects—a project they design and implement (with our help!), which taps into their interests and talents (the things they love, that bring them joy, that they want to study in college, or that they feel could best help their school, community, or the world). A purpose project is connected to a deeper purpose and has tangible outcomes that the student sets.

Past projects from our students include writing a children’s book, completing a literature review or book challenge, creating a trailer for a documentary (and founding a non-profit, a school club, an app), spearheading an innovative volunteer event, fundraising for an organization in a creative way (selling artwork, an Etsy shop, etc.), and hosting a yearly beach clean-up. The possibilities are endless!

Email us if you are interested in learning more.

What Our Clients Say

From start to finish the greatest feeling as a mother was knowing that my daughter had the best team supporting her through each piece of the college application process. Lucky to know my son will have that same support.
Parent, New Jersey
Parent, New Jersey
You were the best support system during a difficult yet exciting time. You helped me tremendously with all aspects of the application process and were always there to remind me that things would work out the way here were supposed to, and you were so right! I am so happy with where I ended up and I could not have done it without you.
UVA Student, New Jersey
UVA Student, New Jersey
Brittany was incredibly helpful in supporting my daughter’s college application process…from college selection to application deadlines to essay topics and final review. It was comforting to have an extremely knowledgeable sounding board to guide us through the stressful college admissions process.
Parent, California
Parent, California