I coach students to write authentic and memorable college essays that stand out from the crowd.

The College Essay Challenge

Hello. My name is Craig Buddo, owner of Throughline College Essays.

Let’s talk about the challenges facing today’s high school seniors as they undertake their college application essays.

Popular and selective colleges are year-by-year ever more competitive to gain admittance to.

Outstanding GPAs and advanced coursework are almost a given for these schools. At the University of Georgia, to take one example close to home, 87% of the Class of 2027 had a GPA of 4.0 or above.

With grade differentials flattening out, and in-person interviews increasingly rare, the personal statement offers a precious and final opportunity to bolster an application.

Approached in the right way, the essay is the best opportunity to demonstrate an applicant's individuality and unique strengths — the qualities colleges are looking for in a successful incoming class.

So, everyone knows the stakes are high. But students (and their well-intentioned helpers) likely have almost no experience writing the kind of reflective personal narrative colleges are looking for.

In 650 words, an ideal essay should demonstrate at least some of the personal qualities colleges know are predictive of successful students. It should be true to the student’s own authentic voice and experience, and it should be memorable enough to engage an admission reader who may have read dozens of other essays that day.

With guidance, every student can reflect on an experience or event in their life which could make for an outstanding essay. And write that essay in a relaxed and confident manner, free from stress and second-guessing.

“Quantitative factors such as transcripts and test scores only tell part of the story; a personal statement can provide context and truly show why a certain student is a better match than other clearly capable applicants.”
— Tamara Siler, Deputy Director of Admission, Access and Inclusion, Rice University

How I Can Help

Every student and family situation is unique. I offer three levels of service to reflect this.

Essay Review

For students who’ve already written a draft of their Common Application essay or personal statement. This service provides a detailed and informed review of theme, structure, writing style, and potential red flags, plus one round of subsequent editing and proofreading. Simply upload your document into the Essay Review Tool on this site or email a Google doc for fast turnaround.

Standard Service

Wow Writing Workshop has been operating since 2009 and has shepherded thousands of students through the application essay task. They pair a dedicated essay coach with an intuitive web-based program that guides students from blank page to an original and effective application essay in 10 incremental steps.

After writing an essay with them myself, I was so impressed with the program I’ve partnered with Wow to offer their online portal and proven coaching methods to Throughline students.

Enhanced Service

For students who would benefit from a greater level of one-on-one coaching and project management, this service offers open-ended brainstorming, essay-development, editing, and proofreading of the personal statement and all supplemental essays for up to three colleges. We’ll work together for as long as it takes to produce outstanding and original application materials that will make you competitive at even the most selective schools.

“Why is this essay strong? It is personal, it gives details and emotions, and it gives insight into the person. It is also well written, shows that the student is able to stretch out beyond her comfort zone, and that she is not afraid to grow and learn. And lastly, I now know a great deal more about the student.”
— David Graves, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Georgia
 

My Qualifications

I have a BA in American and English Literature from the University of East Anglia in England and I spent a year abroad as a Fulbright Exchange student at the University of Texas at Austin. I have more than two decades of experience as an editor and writer, including stints in book publishing, technical editing for corporations such as Intel and adidas, and as a freelance writer for publications in the UK and US covering everything from finance to fly fishing.

In parallel with my professional life, I also have a deep connection to academia. My wife is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Georgia and between us we’ve attended or worked for 10 universities in the US and Europe. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and while in Philadelphia I worked in the Penn Office of Graduate Admissions and edited essays for graduate students in the Schools of Education and Social Work.

I’ve completed training and bootcamps from some of the leading thinkers in college essay advising, including Ethan Sawyer of College Essay Guy, Kim Lifton of Wow Writing Workshop, and Cyndy McDonald of the UCLA College Counseling Certificate Program. I’m a volunteer for ScholarMatch, a nonprofit group that every year guides first generation and low income students through the entire admissions process.

 
“The throughline is an invisible thread that binds your story together. It comprises those elements that are critical to the very heart of your tale.”

Take the Next Step!

Schedule a Free Consultation with me today.

I love meeting new students and their families, and answering questions about the college essay process. A 30-minute consultation is completely free, with no commitment.

Get in touch using the contact form, call me at 267-455-2862, or email me at clbuddo@gmail.com.