Help universities understand the real you.

What are the ingredients that tell your story?

  • Big Picture

    Writing is a forgotten child. It doesn’t fit very well onto bubble sheets, and it’s complicated to grade fairly. As a result, the essays we write for school tend to be pretty formulaic and often halfhearted. Yet despite this fact, essays are a critical component in a university application. Make no mistake; this isn’t like anything you’ve written before. A factory-produced essay won’t raise any eyebrows.

  • Perspective

    Application essays draw their power from a simple truth: before reading your essays, universities don’t know who you are. They know things about you – numbers and bullet points – but there’s no personal connection. Essays are a golden opportunity to flip the script, adding depth and nuance to your application. Higher Ground Learning has the experience to not only recognize a good essay when we see it, but also to help you build it, piece by piece.

  • Personal Character

    It’s all about you – the real you. The one that doesn’t ink onto paper easily. Not your class grades, resume items, or test scores. A great application essay transcends the data and brings your unique character to life. When admissions officers finish reading your essay, they should be picturing a person – not a paper.

  • Captivating narratives

    Everyone has stories to tell; we gather them from experiences along the way. Some are about nothing. Some are about everything. The best stories teach us something about ourselves, or about others. Yet somehow, no two stories are quite the same. After all, we tell them in countless different ways – perhaps that’s why they’re so captivating. Whether your story is best told as a campfire tale or commencement address, we’ll help you make it your own.

  • Strong technical writing

    A gem doesn’t shine unless polished! An application essay should be a demonstration of well-developed fundamentals, which means it’s worth getting right. That doesn’t mean you can’t break the rules: many great writers do! However, you should do so on purpose – not on accident. Collaborative editing is a powerful tool to ensure your application doesn’t end up a diamond in the rough.

  • "Eric helped both of my kids develop essays that would stand out by showing how interesting they are, why they should be admitted, and what they would contribute to their future college community. Furthermore, their messages were told in a style unique to each of them and complementary to their individual personalities."

    Parent of Stanford ‘25 and ‘26

  • "HGL takes no formulaic shortcuts in developing keen insights while building remarkable rapport with teenagers. As a parent, I can’t emphasize enough the value of application essays in giving your child every opportunity for success with college admissions."

    Parent of Stanford ‘26

  • "While their scores were impressive, of even greater impact was Eric’s ability to create a meaningful relationship with both of my children and then leverage his understanding of their personalities and achievements to help them find their voice and tell their story. Both of my kids were accepted at their dream school and Eric directly shares in their success."

    Parent of Stanford ‘25

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