Mr. Greg Gagliardi has been teaching English and journalism in New Jersey for 25 years. During that time, he has been named runner-up to National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year, won the NJ Golden Quill Award for lifetime achievement, and has received accolades from Disney, Cornell University, the College of New Jersey, the University of Rochester, Reader's Digest Magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer, among others. The newspaper he advises has won hundreds of state and national awards in the past two decades, including many that place aspects of it at the very top in the country. A Boston College graduate, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee of his former college newspaper and serves as a state director for the Journalism Education Association. He is a member of Mensa and takes pride in having memorized the location of nearly every college and university in America (not on purpose, really). He has read and edited thousands of college essays and tutored hundreds of students in SAT and ACT prep as well. He uses his insights as a teacher -- from being a part of the other end of the college process -- to help students in ways that others may not be able.
Most colleges will reveal that the college essay is more important than it has ever been. With less emphasis on standardized testing -- and many schools even declaring such testing optional -- admissions representatives truly need ways to learn more about applicants. The main ways for that to happen are through college recommendations and essays. It's not just a matter of evaluating writing quality; it's more about presenting a side of yourself that the rest of the application does not and cannot show.
There are various levels to the College Essay Classroom program. Gagliardi works with some students for four years and others for four days. When you request more information, he will explain the programs and processes and help you decide what is best for you.
Includes:
- Help with COLLEGE SELECTION through Zoom, e-mail, phone and text messaging. Throughout the duration of your package (which begins when you order and ends at the conclusion of the application year), you will always be able to reach me to discuss schools.
- Help with all ESSAYS AND SUPPLEMENTS, from the earliest stages of brainstorming to the final stages of polishing. Whether you have two essays to write or twenty, I will make sure they best represent you and give you the greatest chance to stand out. We can meet weekly via Zoom to accomplish tasks. You can submit and resubmit essays to me as many times as you want through GoogleDocs. I know what it’s like to have a busy schedule, so this allows us to work at all times of the day.
- Help with APPLICATIONS from start to finish and, if necessary, appeal letters. It’s not the end of the story to receive a waitlist spot, deferral or even a rejection. The same goes for financial aid. I will help you to navigate everything that happens after a college makes a decision.
With this option, I will make sure your primary Common App or Coalition essay is the best it can be. As the most important essay you will write, you want to make sure it helps you to stand out, so we will work both synchronously and asynchronously until it's done. I will also help you with your Common App Activities List, where every character matters, and will proofread all areas of your Common App from start to finish to ensure there are no errors.
Gagliardi has been tutoring for the English and writing portions of the SAT and ACT for more than 20 years and now does so nationally via Zoom. If you are interested in any kind of tutoring in any subject, let him know -- and if he can't do it, he can make recommendations from his tutoring network who can!