Astrid

Student

Kathleen helped me so much with writing both my personal statement and another essay. Going into the first meeting, I didn't know what to write about or how to make it appealing to college admissions counselors. At the end of that day, not only did I know what story I wanted to tell, but I was excited about getting started. Throughout our time, she helped me make edits to my essays, recommended interesting and creative ideas for additional paragraphs, and pushed me to think about new perspectives and different ways to phrase my ideas. One of my favorite parts about working with her is that she guided me to explore my own thoughts, rather than telling me what to write about. Having Kathleen assist me with my college essays was an enormous help, and they would not have been nearly as good without her.

Mount Holyoke College, class of 2027

Harmony

Parent

My daughter's school counselor recommended Kathleen to us for help with her college essay. After our initial meeting with Kathleen we were certain that she was the right choice to help my daughter. Kathleen was outstanding with the brainstorming process as she helped draw out possible topic ideas. We greatly appreciated how much Kathleen was committed to making the personal essay an authentic representation of my daughter's voice. Kathleen kept my daughter on track by communicating with her directly and taking charge of seeing that she met the deadlines that were set along the way. By doing this she alleviated a great deal of stress not only for my daughter but also for myself and my husband. Kathleen managed to turn what seemed like a very daunting task into an unexpected pleasurable process. In the end my daughter had a wonderful addition to her college applications that revealed a bit of herself that wasn't reflected in grades and extra curricular activities. We wholeheartedly would seek out Kathleen's help again.

Champlain Valley Union High School, 2023      


Kirsten

Student & Parent

Kathleen Carey and her company, Find Your Story, is truly an exceptional and unique resource for anyone wanting to convey their thoughts or ideas in written form. Kathleen possesses an incredible gift for helping individuals find their voice and translate thoughts into compelling narratives. While she is clearly equipped with writing expertise, her gift is her capacity to connect with her clients on a profound level. Her sessions begin with conversations to get to know you as a person and understand what drives you and makes you you…. what is the story you seek to tell. She has a talent for identifying underlying currents that run beneath the surface of your ideas that you may not notice as clearly as she can. Her knack for understanding your perspective and shaping narratives puts you, the writer, at ease. This way of brainstorming and organizing thoughts allows you to begin to put them on paper where she guides you with feedback and suggestions until your writing is a solid, creative, compelling, unique reflection of what you hoped to convey.

In 2018, Kathleen worked closely with my son when he needed to write his college essays. He struggled with confidence and began their sessions without really knowing what he wanted to convey. Kathleen created a safe and encouraging space for him to explore ideas and authentically express himself. She even walked outside around the neighborhood with him while they discussed ideas as she quickly picked up that moving helped ease his anxiety and helped him to be able to process. Her guidance enabled my son to craft essays that were not only well-written but also deeply personal, which ultimately played a crucial role in his successful admission to every school to which he applied.

Seeing how helpful Kathleen was for my son, I chose to elicit her help to assist me in writing my essays for nursing school two years later. I was able to see firsthand how Kathleen gently draws out your thoughts and ideas and essentially highlights the essence of who you are and what you want to convey. Her suggestions for edits were always thoughtful, honest, and spot on. I was accepted at all three schools I applied to. During my first week at UNC School of Nursing, I had a professor pull me aside and share that they were one of the readers of my admission essays which really stood out. They said they made a point to remember my name so they could find me and put a face to the essays.

I highly recommend Kathleen Carey and Find Your Story should you ever need help crafting a piece of writing. It is clear that she can work magic with all ages and abilities. You will not be disappointed. She is worth every penny and more.

UNC School of Nursing

Tim

Parent

The college application process can be challenging, not only for the students, but for parents as well. With our busy schedules it can feel somewhat overwhelming to provide the necessary support and guidance our kids need to ensure they represent themselves in their personal essay as best they can. Kathleen made life easy for us. She applied her expertise in this area so that our son was able to enjoy the process and ultimately write an essay that undoubtedly impacted his acceptance into his number one choice for college. We are so happy and fortunate to have made the decision to hire Kathleen and I would highly recommend her to anyone whose child is applying to college. We couldn’t be more proud of our son and can’t thank Kathleen enough for her assistance in paving the way to making his dreams come true.

South Burlington High School, 2018

Colton

Student

I really enjoyed the time I spent with Kathleen! She was a pleasure to work with and was a huge help with my college application. She kept me focused and on task and made sure that my essay gave the admissions counselors a true picture of who I am as a person. I would have struggled to get it done without her help and it definitely would not have been as good as it came out. Thank you Kathleen!

Savannah College of Art and Design, Class of 2022

Zach

Student

Kathleen was incredibly helpful and personable. She was always accessible and helped me meet a very tight deadline with ease. Her creativity and ability to wordsmith helped me shape my ideas into something I was truly proud of.  10/10 would recommend.

Master’s program/Carleton University, Ottawa Ontario, Class of 2020

Jane

Student

I loved working with Kathleen on my college essays.  During our meetings, she started by asking me simple questions about myself that I could comfortably answer.  We slowly expanded into broader topics that made me practice the reflection aspect necessary in a personal statement.  She could instantly tell when I seemed more interested in a certain subject and was able to direct me with more questions.  Instead of starting by choosing one essay question, we began with a topic that I was truly interested in and adjusted it to answer one of the questions later.  This approach worked for me because I didn’t feel like I had to fit my thoughts into any particular criteria.  Kathleen guided me through this process while allowing me to write in my own voice and create something that I was proud of in the end.  

Macalester College Class of 2021

Amanda

Student

Working with Kathleen took an immense amount of pressure out of the college essay writing process! She helped me stay on track, often emailing me with reminders about which essays we had to work on. Kathleen helped me shape my essays into beautiful pieces of creative writing that showed who I was, instead of just telling who I was. We only met five or six times in person, but we stayed in contact throughout the several months, emailing drafts and revisions back and forth. It was so helpful to have someone to bounce my ideas off of and to edit my writing. I am so thankful to have had her expertise during this stressful time.

University of Michigan Class of 2020

Parent

Kathleen was extremely helpful with the college essay process.  She worked with our daughter from start to finish and it was very beneficial to have someone with an unbiased opinion and someone who could give her guidance but at the same time make sure that the essay stayed true to the student.  We were very pleased with the outcome of all the essays!  Thank you Kathleen!

Champlain Valley Union High School, 2016

David

Student

I had the idea for my essay for a while and as a pretty independent kid, I didn’t particularly want much help. But when I received your edits, I really appreciated how you took the time to understand what I was trying to get across. I liked how you did not try to completely rewrite my essay but instead, you provided smaller edits, rewording and suggestions for addition or subtraction of ideas while staying true to the ideas that I had.  Some others who helped me tried to re-write huge chunks and it really took away from the personal aspect of my essay. I commend you for the way you respected what I was writing. I liked the way your edits were different and it allowed me to pick and choose from the feedback you provided, using some of it directly and being inspired by other suggestions to write new pieces. Ultimately your suggestions were a huge help in the essay writing process and I truly believe you helped to make my essay stronger while respecting my ideas and what I wanted to write about. Thank you so much for taking your time to help me out and assist me in the college process!

College of the Holy Cross, Class of 2020

Joy

Parent

We can't thank you enough for your help with our son’s essay on such short notice. He has submitted the Common Application to five schools so far and he told me that his personal statement was how he wanted it and he's very happy with it! We really appreciated your input and expertise. Thank you so much for your time and precision and for making the whole process incredibly simple and so helpful.

Rice Memorial High School, 2016

Kaitlin

For me, high school was a confusing time when it came to college applications and thinking about potential career paths. Writing had never been a strong quality of mine, especially when it came to explaining what I wanted to do with my life at eighteen. In this process I was blessed to have Kathleen by my side every step of the way; she helped me turn spoken words into written sentences. She not only assisted me with my application but was also a huge emotional support system, constantly reminding me of the little spark I had. With an amazing talent and big heart, Kathleen helped me get to where I am today!

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Class of 2018

Jason

When preparing for college, I worried that my writing skills would prevent me from being accepted to the schools that were at the top of my list and I had little confidence that my essays would match what I wanted to say. By working with Kathleen, I was able to write the essays that perfectly conveyed my thoughts and my plans for the future. The help that Kathleen provides her clients goes much further than just applying to college.  I have been able to implement the skills that she taught me in the work that I have done in college and I know that her support helped me to become a top performer in my class.

University of Vermont, Class of 2016