College Admissions Counseling & Essay Coaching
Each application season, Eric works personally with a small number of students — 6 to 7 families per cycle — guiding them through the college application process: application strategy, building a balanced college list, and above all, writing essays that showcase their authentic voice and resonate with admissions officers.
Counselor Biography
Eric Tipler has over twenty years’ experience working with teenagers as a teacher, writing coach, and independent educational consultant. His students have been admitted to the country's most selective colleges and universities, including all eight Ivy League schools. His book on the process, Write Yourself In: The Definitive Guide to Writing Successful College Admissions Essays, was published by Simon & Schuster.
Eric is based in New York and works with families across the country and overseas via Zoom.
Educational Philosophy
“I believe deeply that ‘the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.’ My approach is to help each student discover and pursue their own distinctive passions, both inside and outside of the classroom. Not only is this path best both developmentally and humanistically, it’s also the best preparation for applying to highly selective colleges. The ultimate goal is to help each student discover and gain admission to a college where they will flourish.”
How it works
1. Introductory call. We start with two free consultation calls — one with the parent, one with the student — to explore where your student is in the process and whether we're the right fit.
2. A clear plan. You receive a service guide with options and time estimates, from pre-college counseling in grades 9-11 to focused personal-essay coaching to full application support. You'll know the scope and the investment before we begin. I never exceed an estimate without first checking with you.
3. The work. Your student and I meet one-on-one. I coach them through the entire writing process — brainstorming, drafting, revising — and through the strategic decisions: what to highlight, where to apply early, how to build a balanced list with meaningful options.
Each completed essay is 100% the student's own work. I teach students to write, providing suggestions and detailed feedback at every stage of the process, but I don't write for them. It’s a clear ethical line as an educator, and it's also why the work lasts: my students consistently report that they finish this process as better writers, which pays off in college and beyond.
Services offered
Pre-College Counseling — Academic mentorship throughout grades 9-11, focused on building skills while discovering and pursuing one’s unique passions, both inside and outside the classroom.
The Personal Essay — Comprehensive support on the Common App personal essay, academic résumé, application narrative, and themes.
The Foundation — Everything in The Personal Essay, plus supplemental essays for 2–3 schools.
The Strategy — Profile evaluation, college selection, list-building, and EA/ED/REA strategy.
The Full Package — Full support through the entire application process, including supplemental essays for 12–15 colleges and the UC Personal Insight Questions.
A detailed service guide is available on request.
What families say
Common Questions
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Students can begin pre-college counseling as early as the spring of eighth grade.
For college applications, students should start writing their essays the summer before senior year, although I take students later in the fall as space allows. For admissions planning and strategy, a pro tip from past parents is “Start planning a year in advance!”
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Yes! Most of my students are remote, via Zoom. I've worked with students from across the U.S., with extensive experience in the NYC, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Palm Beach metro areas. I’ve also worked with international students in Europe and Latin America.
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Good question. In fact, my book has a section on writing effectively and ethically in the age of AI. Short version: admissions officers can increasingly spot generic, AI-flavored essays (recent research at Cornell confirms this), and the surest way to stand out is an essay only your student could have written. That's what we work on.
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I’m proud that my students have gone on to attend not only the top-ranked schools in the country, but schools that are the ideal fit for them as individuals.
Recent students have matriculated at:
The University of California, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, The University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, New York University, The University of Pennsylvania, Pomona College, Princeton University, University of Southern California, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, Yale University
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Yes, I currently have openings for the Class of 2027 and beyond.