Suzanne Daw Editing
Essay Editing & Coaching
Expert editing for college applications and academic writing in the humanities — precise, personal, and thoughtfully delivered.
About Me
My experience spans legal writing, classroom teaching, and one-on-one work with students at every stage of the writing process. As an English teacher, I worked directly with students on their college personal statements. I've guided all three of my own children through the college essay process and have worked with students through my personal network.
Education
Relevant Experience
I like to tailor what I do to accommodate each student's style of working and the ways in which they would like to be supported. For some, that means beginning with a meeting and coaching them through brainstorming, discussing ideas generated and getting started. Other students are not looking for a discussion about their work, but seek a second opinion on a completed essay through written feedback. This situation may arise when a student has already worked with a different writing tutor but has some doubts about the final product and wants reassurance or suggestions to improve it.
I enjoy working with high school and college students on any kind of writing they may be struggling to complete. My goal is to help students build confidence in their writing and to develop greater capacity to evaluate their own work, so that they are able to do for themselves what I do for them initially. Once students are able to produce and refine a draft independently, good editing remains an essential part of the process. That is my greatest strength, and it is a service that is valuable to even the best writers.
My feedback includes line-level edits and suggestions, but they are exactly that. I am offering my perspective, not a directive. Students should feel free to take what resonates and leave what doesn't.
I am honest with my feedback and try to deliver it in a way that makes the experience comfortable and productive. Some students need a gentler, more gradual delivery of feedback and others welcome a more direct and critical read on the first pass and are ready to digest multiple comments. I like to learn from students and their families what works best.
Services & Pricing
Because I like to tailor my services to what each client needs, my pricing varies depending on the time and level of support involved. The ranges below reflect typical engagements, but I am always happy to discuss what makes sense for your specific situation.
For students who want a second opinion on a completed draft, pricing starts at $125 for essays up to approximately 1,000 words (a college personal statement, typically 650 words, falls within this range). This covers one read of the draft and written feedback, plus a brief 10-minute intro call if helpful. It's designed for essays that feel close to done — for ongoing revisions, virtual discussion, and multiple rounds of feedback, see Comprehensive Coaching below.
For students who want comprehensive support beginning anywhere from brainstorming through final-stage revisions, pricing ranges from $225–325 for essays of approximately 1,000 words, depending on the extent of support a student needs.
A student who arrives with a fairly well-developed draft but needs suggestions, feedback, and edits to refine the content, voice, and structure into a final version will fall toward the lower end; a student starting from scratch, or one whose essay fails to showcase the growth and personal attributes essential to a strong personal statement, will receive brainstorming exercises and guidance toward a stronger foundation, and will fall toward the higher end.
I aim to provide only the amount of support a student needs and wants, which can include, but is not limited to, getting to know the student, developing prewriting exercises tailored to the student if necessary, and reviewing and providing written feedback with suggestions and line edits.
Students who would benefit from a slower, more scaffolded process, and therefore are not at a final, polished draft after two rounds of feedback, will receive additional support at a fee to be discussed based on scope.
I also work with students on supplemental essays, academic writing, and creative writing projects — pricing is tailored to the piece's length, complexity, and the support requested. Reach out to discuss your specific project.
Single essay: $100 | 2-essay package: $150 | 5-essay package: $375 | each additional essay beyond 5: $70
Academic essays and memoir/creative writing pieces are priced individually based on the nature of the assignment, length, research involved, and support requested — reach out to discuss your specific project.
In Short
Pricing adjusts based on the length and complexity of the piece, the level of support requested, and the number of rounds of feedback involved. I will always discuss scope and pricing with you before proceeding.
Rates above reflect updated 2026–27 pricing. Clients who begin work with me before August 15, 2026 will be honored at prior pricing for the full engagement.
See the Work
A selection of finished personal statements and before-and-after examples, shared with student permission.
View SamplesGet in Touch
To get started, email me at the address below. We can arrange a complimentary 10-minute Zoom to discuss your needs, or if you prefer, just send me a description of what you're working on and we'll go from there.
suzanne@suzannedawediting.com