For parents of high school seniors applying this fall
Get a comprehensive review of the entire shared Common App plus one college's supplements. I'll identify overlooked weaknesses, missed opportunities, and the most important improvements worth making before your child hits Submit.
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By the time students finish their applications, they've often read the same essays and activity descriptions dozens of times. It's difficult to evaluate how the entire application comes across when you're so close to it.
Why it mattersActivities entries are short and read quickly. Vague wording can make a real leadership role look like routine participation.
What I look forResponsibilities, scope, and initiative the current wording hides, and entries that should be ordered or worded differently.
Why it mattersClean writing is not the same as a distinctive picture of the student. A well-crafted essay can still leave the reader unsure who the applicant is.
What I look forWhether the essay shows how this student thinks and what they value, or only describes an experience.
Why it mattersReaders see the application as a whole. When sections point in different directions, a student can seem scattered instead of distinctive.
What I look forContradictions, gaps, and themes that appear in one section but are missing everywhere else.
Why it mattersA short explanation of a circumstance, a pattern in the record, or an unusual commitment can change how other parts of the application are read.
What I look forAnything left unexplained that a reader would wonder about, and whether the section adds something instead of repeating the rest.
Why it mattersA supplement is another chance to show a new dimension of the student. Restating the personal statement wastes that space.
What I look forWhat each essay adds that the rest of the application doesn't already say, and whether it fits that college.
Wondering what a $497 review actually looks like? Explore this 16-page fictional demonstration report to see the depth of analysis, strategic recommendations, and specific feedback I provide.
A 1 minute 50 second walkthrough of the fictional sample report below. Skip to the full report
I look at what the entire application communicates, not just whether individual sections are well written.
See examples of activity reordering, stronger descriptions, essay restructuring, and overlooked opportunities.
Feedback is prioritized so families know which improvements are most important before submission.
Fictional demonstration. Created to illustrate the depth and approach of Admissions Narrative's feedback. Every actual review is personalized and may differ in length, organization, and recommendations.
The sample shows the depth and approach of the feedback. Real reviews are personalized and are not guaranteed to be the same length, order, or format.
Real emails from real families. Tap any one to read it full size.
“We thought our son's Common App was done. Jenny found inconsistencies between his activities list and his personal statement we never would have caught, and the supplement review made his top-choice school's essays so much stronger.”
David P.Chicago, IL
“My son was applying Early Decision, one shot, and I was terrified. Jenny caught that his activities list contradicted the story his personal statement told, and gave us specific rewrites for three entries. We fixed everything a week before the deadline.”
Priya S.Fremont, CA
“I expected notes in the margins. Instead Jenny rewrote two of my daughter's weakest activities entries herself so we could see exactly what stronger phrasing looked like, then we applied the same fix to the rest. That alone was worth the price.”
Karen L.Denver, CO
Illustrative examples from a fictional student application.
“Helped with sound for plays and trained students.”
“Mixed live sound for 6 productions; built a labeled patch guide; trained 4 younger technicians to troubleshoot cues.”
Why the revision is stronger: It replaces vague participation with responsibilities, initiative, and specific contributions.
“Worked with customers and improved inventory.”
“Worked 12 hrs/week at garden center; handled weekend closing, damage log and register; helped onboard 2 coworkers.”
Why the revision is stronger: It shows sustained responsibility and concrete work rather than unsupported claims of impact.
Actual recommendations depend on what the student really did. Every fact, number, and responsibility in an application has to be true and verified by the student, never invented.
The Common App has two layers. The shared application carries over to every college on your list, so reviewing it once can benefit every school. Each college's own program choices, short answers, and supplements are separate, and this package includes one college's.
Carries over to every Common App college on your list.
One school of your choice is included.
This is a strategic review, not line-by-line essay editing. It does not include a live consultation call or unlimited essay rewrites or revision rounds.
Applying to more than one college? Each additional school-specific review is $197 per school. See pricing
I'm Jenny Man, an MIT graduate and longtime MIT alumni Educational Counselor. I've spent more than a decade interviewing students and thinking carefully about what makes an application memorable.
When I review an application, I'm not simply looking for grammar mistakes or polished sentences. I'm looking at how the pieces fit together, what makes the student distinctive, and whether the application gives the reader a clear understanding of the person behind the accomplishments.
I personally conduct every application review. You'll receive my assessment, observations, and recommendations, not a generic checklist.
Jenny ManMIT '08 · 10+ Years as an MIT Alumni Educational Counselor
Admissions Narrative is an independent consulting service. It is not affiliated with MIT or any college's admissions office, and no review can predict or guarantee an admissions decision.
Your materials don't need to be finished yet.
Send the shared Common App and the application materials for one school, using the instructions you receive after purchase.
I personally complete the review and send detailed written feedback within 2 business days after receiving all required materials.
Use the prioritized recommendations to strengthen the application before your child submits it.
Feedback is delivered in writing rather than on a live call, so your family can work through it at your own pace.
Complete Common App Review + 1 School
Each additional school gets the same school-specific review for $197.
After your purchase, you'll receive instructions on where to submit your shared Common App plus the one school you'd like reviewed. Materials don't need to be finished yet: submit whenever they're ready, and you'll have detailed written feedback within 2 business days after all required materials are received.
Your child has already put in the hard work. I'll provide an experienced outside perspective on how effectively that work is coming across, and help identify the improvements most worth making before submission.
Personally reviewed by Jenny · Detailed written recommendations · Two-business-day turnaround after materials are received