Early in her senior year, Rebecca, a former student of mine, swung by my classroom to catch up. Rebecca had it all -- a strong GPA, compelling letters of recommendation written from her science and humanities teachers, and healthy number of extracurriculars to boot. On top of all that, she was a good writer.
Out of curiosity, though, I asked to look at the Common Application essay. It was good for sure, but she still needed to "find her voice", and certainly, other parts could have been better. So, I took out my green pen and marked it up with comments, margin notes, and general observations. I gave it back to her and, strangely, she returned the next day, seeking out additional feedback.
Right then and there, I thought, if one of the strongest students in her graduating class could get writing support to improve her chances of admission into the college of her dreams, so could many others.
After having met with Rebecca, GreenMark was born.
I've taught students who know how to "do school." That is, they're attentive in class, cooperative with their peers, hard-working out of school, and outstanding academically. Where they can often trip up, however, is with grade school writing and one of the most crucial components of the college admissions process: the essay.
By the time students reach senior year, they have little-to-no control over their GPA, their letters of recommendation, and their extracurricular activities. What they do have control over is writing compelling essays they can be proud of, regardless of a college admission committee's decision making.
GreenMark works with students on the writing process. It offers one-on-one tutoring and group instruction on idea generation, theme development, drafting, polishing, and reviewing. GreenMark won't write your essay. You will. But it will go over your essay with a fine-tooth comb so that by the end of the process, the green marks go away and teachers or admissions committees are blown away by the essay.