I help students tell the truest version of their stories, with clarity, creativity, and confidence.
I’m Dr. Emma Winsor Wood, a writer, editor, and longtime teacher of storytelling. For the past decade, I’ve taught creative writing, personal narrative, and composition as a professor at universities across the country. I’ve also helped over a hundred students craft vivid, reflective, deeply personal college essays that resonate with admissions officers while staying true to who they are.
I believe in a warm, humane approach: listening closely, asking the right questions, and shaping students’ ideas into essays that feel honest and alive. My background as both a published author and a professor gives me a rare lens into how young writers learn—and how to help their stories shine.
I hold degrees from Harvard, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and UC Santa Cruz, and I’m also the co-author of The Complete College Essay Handbook. My poetry and prose has appeared widely in literary journals. Students I’ve worked with have gained admission to a wide range of top-choice colleges from Harvard and MIT to the University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, and UCLA.
My Approach
Student-centered & story-driven: I believe every student has a story worth telling and work .
Collaborative: My work is based on building relationships so students feel comfortable and supported.
Ethical: I never write essays for students, only with them.
Inclusive: I’ve worked extensively with students of varied identities, backgrounds, and learning styles, including neurodivergent students.