Testimonials for The Write Coach
Wiser as parents who had gone through the college application process twice before, when our youngest son wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about writing college essays, we decided to eliminate stress. Instead of college applications becoming a source of family tension, we decided to find him a coach. It was important to us to find a supportive individual who was more than a punctuation and spelling editor. Someone who would support and care about our child’s future.
We introduced our son to Linda and then got out of the way. By asking questions and challenging our son’s ideas, Linda helped him develop his own original essay responses using his authentic voice. Our son loved working with Linda. They established a game plan, and he worked the plan entirely independently. When asked how things were going, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got it.” And did he ever! Accepted by all the highly ranked honors colleges to which he applied, one college noted his submission standing out "as one of the most inspirational among tens of thousands submitted.” Wow! Our son received very significant merit scholarships as a direct result of his work with Linda.
Linda is a truly awesome coach who brings out the best in her students. She does not do their work. She provides a framework and a sounding board. She inspires confidence and self-sufficiency. Her response time is rapid and her charges entirely reasonable. Our only regret was not knowing about her for our two older children.
– Jean Batty, 2023 Bishop Lynch parent
Linda worked with all three of my kids on their application essays. My oldest worked with Linda on her personal statement and supplemental essays for law school admission during a competitive cycle. She is a good writer but still very much benefited from Linda's wise counsel, helping her to draw out her individual story in a way that was efficient but meaningful. My daughter subsequently got into every school to which she applied, and received many scholarships, including ones that were full-tuition rides. She is currently a 3L at a T-14 school, considered among the most competitive law schools for admittance.
My middle daughter is a science and math girl, who is applying for her doctorate in physical therapy (DPT). She is not a strong writer, and while she is a strong student, she really dislikes the whole process of writing and of selling herself. Linda made this onerous process as seamless as it could have been for this daughter. I truly do not think she could have gotten through all the required personal statements and supplemental questions without Linda encouraging her to keep moving and helping her to craft her messaging.
In both cases, the stories and the "voice" of the written work were 100% my kids. Linda helped them utilize their gifts and tell their own stories in a way that was uniquely themselves. I very much recommend Linda as a partner in the process, and I have sent many parents her direction before they began pulling out any hair (on themselves or their offspring)!
– a Plano mom
I applied to eight colleges, each having several different essays and prompts, and at first it felt incredibly overwhelming. Linda helped me organize the process, provided critical feedback on my essay drafts, and guided me on where to revise and refine. She offered a valuable perspective that helped me shape my pieces. Linda was attentive and always quick to respond with insight, which was essential – as I was juggling pressing application deadlines. I will now be following my dream and attending NYU this fall. I would highly recommend Linda as a writing coach.
– Alex, Plano Academy Class of 2019
I have a twin son and daughter who graduated in 2016 and another son who graduated one year later, so my children had many essays to write over a two-year period. They all were very involved in high school activities and applied for many college scholarships. I am so thankful that we met Linda because she made essay writing for college applications and scholarships so much easier. (Parents are not the best ones to review their own children’s essays!) Linda sat down and got to know my kids individually and helped them choose a strong essay topic. My children wrote the essays, and then, through email, with constructive criticism and positive feedback, she helped them transform their experiences into succinct and interesting essays. Linda knows what scholarship committees are looking for, so she pushed each child to expand the essay so that it would be its very best. As a parent, I found that Linda was worth every penny because she worked directly with my students and took the overwhelming process of writing essays and made it extremely manageable. She is very fast at editing and I never felt like I was being overcharged. Each of my children received very large merit-based scholarships. She was so happy for the kids upon the news of the scholarships. I am very appreciative to Linda for the much needed help with essay editing and advice. Having three children graduate from high school and go on to college in two years is expensive. I firmly believe that my kids received much more in scholarships based on the help from Linda.
– Susan Roth, Pilot Point parent
If you are looking for someone to “help” you write your essays (by help I mean do them for you), Linda is not the person to work with. If you are looking for someone who is knowledgeable about what colleges are looking for and has years of experience under her belt, Linda is the person to work with. Being an average writer and having read how important essays are for college admissions, I reached out to my principal, who recommended me to Linda. We worked through the whole writing process, from brainstorming ideas to putting on the finishing touches. Having tried to write a few of the essays by myself at first, I could honestly tell that she made the process much easier. She helped me not only write the nine essays and short answers, but also taught me writing techniques that I’ll use to help me through future writing assignments. I was accepted into the computer science programs at eight out of 11 schools that I applied to such as UT-Austin and Texas A&M, and received large merit scholarship offers from Northeastern, Case Western, Trinity University and SMU. Linda’s help was invaluable, and I feel like I can attribute part of my acceptances to her. I plan to come to Linda in times of need for important essays as I continue my education at The University of Texas at Austin and recommend her to others who are in similar situations.
- Jonathan Granier, The Einstein School, Class of 2017
I applied to schools such as NYU, UCLA, USC (Southern California), SMU, Loyola Marymount and Chapman University, and Linda helped me through the entire essay-writing process. She helped me brainstorm topics based on the essay prompts and provided valuable perspective, guidance and coaching along the way. She would challenge ideas and push me to fully form my thoughts into compelling and thoughtful sentences and paragraphs. There were times when I would scrap an essay and start over, based on her feedback, but I would always end up with an essay I was pleased with. I was accepted into all the schools to which I applied, and while there are many factors involved in admissions decisions, I am confident my essays stood out and were an important factor in the admissions decision-making process. I would highly recommend Linda for anyone interested in submitting applications that contain memorable and thoughtful essays.
– Nicole Karrmann, Prince of Peace Christian School, Class of 2016
Having Linda as my writing coach was one of the best decisions I have made. When I realized I had to distinguish myself from thousands of others in only about 650 words, I wasn’t sure where to even begin. Linda helped me find the stories that define me. With her expertise and tremendous insight, she provided me the guidance necessary to transform my simple ideas into fully detailed essays. My essays quickly began to feel more concrete, real and complete. She was there to advise me every step of the way, from brainstorming and drafting to editing and proofreading. At the end of the process, I had written a total of five fantastic essays for universities including SMU, Texas A&M, University of Texas and UCLA. Not only was I able to finish all my college essays early, but I realized that I had become a better writer in many aspects. I highly recommend Linda for anyone who is devoted to writing college essays, but needs an experienced helping hand.
– William Mao, Plano Senior Class of '15
I had to write a total of six essays for the U.S. Military Academy and four more for other universities such as Purdue, Texas A&M, University of Texas and Baylor. Linda Leavell knew what each school was looking for, and her familiarity with the process made this daunting task an enjoyable experience. Linda worked with me on grammar, style, points of emphasis and myriad other categories that made my essays acceptance-worthy. As an example of how Linda went above and beyond to make my writing exceptional, she was able to contact a commanding colonel and get his direct opinion of my writing as well as feedback to what else should be included. Operating at the pinnacle of professionalism, Linda was able to help me shape my thoughts into not only coherent essays, but enjoyable ones that would stand out to the collegiate readers. Accepted into each of the four universities I applied to and USMA through the Civil Preparatory program, I credit Linda’s experience and insight to being a major factor in my success.
– Jesse Palmer, Plano West Class of '14
I used Linda during the arduous process of applying to medical school. She was an instrumental part of my success, as she helped me articulate my own thoughts and ideas and streamline them into cohesive, eloquent and succinct essays in under 2,000 words. She is an excellent editor! With her assistance, I was able to achieve my dreams, and now I am a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine!
– Emma
Linda was my editor when I was just starting writing and she helped me find a writing style that I’ve relied on in all my work since. Her edits clarified my work, gave me direction and improved my writing considerably from draft to draft. When I was selected to compete in the Hearst National Writing Championship, I knew I could count on Linda to help me organize my thoughts and help guide me in the competition. Beyond being a great editor, she is an extraordinarily caring individual who makes it a priority to get to know her students. When you work with Linda, you are not just working with an editor. You are working with a coach who cares about your successes both in writing and elsewhere. I’m proud to call her a mentor and friend.
– Charles Scudder, former Dallas Morning News reporter and winner of the 2013 Hearst Intercollegiate Writing Competition National Championships
As my editor, Linda helped shape my writing and journalism career at The Dallas Morning News by always holding me to the highest standards. Whether I struggled with the best way to describe a scene for a story or rushed to get a piece published on deadline, her ability to edit and shape my writing into compelling stories always inspired me to work harder. As a mentor, Linda never hesitated to take the time to sit with me and explain her editing process, pushing me to be a better writer and teaching me the writing techniques she gleaned from years of experience as a reporter and editor. When Linda believes in your potential or skill, you couldn't ask for a better cheerleader. Her constructive criticism and positive feedback create an ideal environment for learning. I owe my journalism career and writing ability to Linda and I think any student would be lucky to have her as a teacher and coach.
– April Kinser, former interactive content producer, KERA/KXT
I have seen Linda work one-on-one with High School students as she coaches them in their writing. She is thorough, kind, and honest. Linda challenges her students to delve deeper into their writing as they achieve their highest potential.
– Ana Rosenthal, Upper School journalism teacher, Episcopal School of Dallas
I’ve known Linda Leavell for more than a decade. From the time that I met her, I’ve been impressed by her clarity of thought and her skill as a communicator and editor. Through her experience leading the Dallas Morning News’ annual High School Journalism Day, she has displayed a passion for mentoring young people. Linda has the ability to take the wet clay of a writer’s imagination and efficiently mold it into great work. If you’re searching for someone to help your student refine his or her writing, I can think of no one better.
– Keith Campbell, former managing editor, The Dallas Morning News
–
We introduced our son to Linda and then got out of the way. By asking questions and challenging our son’s ideas, Linda helped him develop his own original essay responses using his authentic voice. Our son loved working with Linda. They established a game plan, and he worked the plan entirely independently. When asked how things were going, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got it.” And did he ever! Accepted by all the highly ranked honors colleges to which he applied, one college noted his submission standing out "as one of the most inspirational among tens of thousands submitted.” Wow! Our son received very significant merit scholarships as a direct result of his work with Linda.
Linda is a truly awesome coach who brings out the best in her students. She does not do their work. She provides a framework and a sounding board. She inspires confidence and self-sufficiency. Her response time is rapid and her charges entirely reasonable. Our only regret was not knowing about her for our two older children.
– Jean Batty, 2023 Bishop Lynch parent
Linda worked with all three of my kids on their application essays. My oldest worked with Linda on her personal statement and supplemental essays for law school admission during a competitive cycle. She is a good writer but still very much benefited from Linda's wise counsel, helping her to draw out her individual story in a way that was efficient but meaningful. My daughter subsequently got into every school to which she applied, and received many scholarships, including ones that were full-tuition rides. She is currently a 3L at a T-14 school, considered among the most competitive law schools for admittance.
My middle daughter is a science and math girl, who is applying for her doctorate in physical therapy (DPT). She is not a strong writer, and while she is a strong student, she really dislikes the whole process of writing and of selling herself. Linda made this onerous process as seamless as it could have been for this daughter. I truly do not think she could have gotten through all the required personal statements and supplemental questions without Linda encouraging her to keep moving and helping her to craft her messaging.
In both cases, the stories and the "voice" of the written work were 100% my kids. Linda helped them utilize their gifts and tell their own stories in a way that was uniquely themselves. I very much recommend Linda as a partner in the process, and I have sent many parents her direction before they began pulling out any hair (on themselves or their offspring)!
– a Plano mom
I applied to eight colleges, each having several different essays and prompts, and at first it felt incredibly overwhelming. Linda helped me organize the process, provided critical feedback on my essay drafts, and guided me on where to revise and refine. She offered a valuable perspective that helped me shape my pieces. Linda was attentive and always quick to respond with insight, which was essential – as I was juggling pressing application deadlines. I will now be following my dream and attending NYU this fall. I would highly recommend Linda as a writing coach.
– Alex, Plano Academy Class of 2019
I have a twin son and daughter who graduated in 2016 and another son who graduated one year later, so my children had many essays to write over a two-year period. They all were very involved in high school activities and applied for many college scholarships. I am so thankful that we met Linda because she made essay writing for college applications and scholarships so much easier. (Parents are not the best ones to review their own children’s essays!) Linda sat down and got to know my kids individually and helped them choose a strong essay topic. My children wrote the essays, and then, through email, with constructive criticism and positive feedback, she helped them transform their experiences into succinct and interesting essays. Linda knows what scholarship committees are looking for, so she pushed each child to expand the essay so that it would be its very best. As a parent, I found that Linda was worth every penny because she worked directly with my students and took the overwhelming process of writing essays and made it extremely manageable. She is very fast at editing and I never felt like I was being overcharged. Each of my children received very large merit-based scholarships. She was so happy for the kids upon the news of the scholarships. I am very appreciative to Linda for the much needed help with essay editing and advice. Having three children graduate from high school and go on to college in two years is expensive. I firmly believe that my kids received much more in scholarships based on the help from Linda.
– Susan Roth, Pilot Point parent
If you are looking for someone to “help” you write your essays (by help I mean do them for you), Linda is not the person to work with. If you are looking for someone who is knowledgeable about what colleges are looking for and has years of experience under her belt, Linda is the person to work with. Being an average writer and having read how important essays are for college admissions, I reached out to my principal, who recommended me to Linda. We worked through the whole writing process, from brainstorming ideas to putting on the finishing touches. Having tried to write a few of the essays by myself at first, I could honestly tell that she made the process much easier. She helped me not only write the nine essays and short answers, but also taught me writing techniques that I’ll use to help me through future writing assignments. I was accepted into the computer science programs at eight out of 11 schools that I applied to such as UT-Austin and Texas A&M, and received large merit scholarship offers from Northeastern, Case Western, Trinity University and SMU. Linda’s help was invaluable, and I feel like I can attribute part of my acceptances to her. I plan to come to Linda in times of need for important essays as I continue my education at The University of Texas at Austin and recommend her to others who are in similar situations.
- Jonathan Granier, The Einstein School, Class of 2017
I applied to schools such as NYU, UCLA, USC (Southern California), SMU, Loyola Marymount and Chapman University, and Linda helped me through the entire essay-writing process. She helped me brainstorm topics based on the essay prompts and provided valuable perspective, guidance and coaching along the way. She would challenge ideas and push me to fully form my thoughts into compelling and thoughtful sentences and paragraphs. There were times when I would scrap an essay and start over, based on her feedback, but I would always end up with an essay I was pleased with. I was accepted into all the schools to which I applied, and while there are many factors involved in admissions decisions, I am confident my essays stood out and were an important factor in the admissions decision-making process. I would highly recommend Linda for anyone interested in submitting applications that contain memorable and thoughtful essays.
– Nicole Karrmann, Prince of Peace Christian School, Class of 2016
Having Linda as my writing coach was one of the best decisions I have made. When I realized I had to distinguish myself from thousands of others in only about 650 words, I wasn’t sure where to even begin. Linda helped me find the stories that define me. With her expertise and tremendous insight, she provided me the guidance necessary to transform my simple ideas into fully detailed essays. My essays quickly began to feel more concrete, real and complete. She was there to advise me every step of the way, from brainstorming and drafting to editing and proofreading. At the end of the process, I had written a total of five fantastic essays for universities including SMU, Texas A&M, University of Texas and UCLA. Not only was I able to finish all my college essays early, but I realized that I had become a better writer in many aspects. I highly recommend Linda for anyone who is devoted to writing college essays, but needs an experienced helping hand.
– William Mao, Plano Senior Class of '15
I had to write a total of six essays for the U.S. Military Academy and four more for other universities such as Purdue, Texas A&M, University of Texas and Baylor. Linda Leavell knew what each school was looking for, and her familiarity with the process made this daunting task an enjoyable experience. Linda worked with me on grammar, style, points of emphasis and myriad other categories that made my essays acceptance-worthy. As an example of how Linda went above and beyond to make my writing exceptional, she was able to contact a commanding colonel and get his direct opinion of my writing as well as feedback to what else should be included. Operating at the pinnacle of professionalism, Linda was able to help me shape my thoughts into not only coherent essays, but enjoyable ones that would stand out to the collegiate readers. Accepted into each of the four universities I applied to and USMA through the Civil Preparatory program, I credit Linda’s experience and insight to being a major factor in my success.
– Jesse Palmer, Plano West Class of '14
I used Linda during the arduous process of applying to medical school. She was an instrumental part of my success, as she helped me articulate my own thoughts and ideas and streamline them into cohesive, eloquent and succinct essays in under 2,000 words. She is an excellent editor! With her assistance, I was able to achieve my dreams, and now I am a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine!
– Emma
Linda was my editor when I was just starting writing and she helped me find a writing style that I’ve relied on in all my work since. Her edits clarified my work, gave me direction and improved my writing considerably from draft to draft. When I was selected to compete in the Hearst National Writing Championship, I knew I could count on Linda to help me organize my thoughts and help guide me in the competition. Beyond being a great editor, she is an extraordinarily caring individual who makes it a priority to get to know her students. When you work with Linda, you are not just working with an editor. You are working with a coach who cares about your successes both in writing and elsewhere. I’m proud to call her a mentor and friend.
– Charles Scudder, former Dallas Morning News reporter and winner of the 2013 Hearst Intercollegiate Writing Competition National Championships
As my editor, Linda helped shape my writing and journalism career at The Dallas Morning News by always holding me to the highest standards. Whether I struggled with the best way to describe a scene for a story or rushed to get a piece published on deadline, her ability to edit and shape my writing into compelling stories always inspired me to work harder. As a mentor, Linda never hesitated to take the time to sit with me and explain her editing process, pushing me to be a better writer and teaching me the writing techniques she gleaned from years of experience as a reporter and editor. When Linda believes in your potential or skill, you couldn't ask for a better cheerleader. Her constructive criticism and positive feedback create an ideal environment for learning. I owe my journalism career and writing ability to Linda and I think any student would be lucky to have her as a teacher and coach.
– April Kinser, former interactive content producer, KERA/KXT
I have seen Linda work one-on-one with High School students as she coaches them in their writing. She is thorough, kind, and honest. Linda challenges her students to delve deeper into their writing as they achieve their highest potential.
– Ana Rosenthal, Upper School journalism teacher, Episcopal School of Dallas
I’ve known Linda Leavell for more than a decade. From the time that I met her, I’ve been impressed by her clarity of thought and her skill as a communicator and editor. Through her experience leading the Dallas Morning News’ annual High School Journalism Day, she has displayed a passion for mentoring young people. Linda has the ability to take the wet clay of a writer’s imagination and efficiently mold it into great work. If you’re searching for someone to help your student refine his or her writing, I can think of no one better.
– Keith Campbell, former managing editor, The Dallas Morning News
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