“I always came out of our meetings reassured and remotivated by his experienced, tailored advice. Within 2 weeks, I submitted a portfolio that Dr. Benjamin guided me through, and I am happy to say that I will be attending New York University Tisch's Dramatic Writing program this fall!”

“I successfully told my own unique narrative and felt confident with using my writing to apply to selective universities. Ultimately, I was admitted into the selective Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Thank you so much!”

“Dr. Benjamin taught me to be critical of my own writing, and to expand my creativity. His in-depth feedback and constant support allowed me to finish my essays ahead of schedule, which made the writing process stress-free. One of my favorite supplemental essays was within a 100-word limit; this supplement supported my application to Tufts University, where I will be attending this fall.”

"He consistently located points of improvement within my writing that I likely would not have recognized on my own and encouraged me to experiment with different iterations of my essays. His thoughtful guidance...led to my acceptance at my first-choice college, the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science."

“Not once through this process did Dr. Benjamin ever make me feel bad about what I was showing him…he helped me craft an amazing essay that I felt confident about and that got me into my dream schools, including Occidental College, where I will be attending in the fall. I couldn't have done it without him, and for that I am eternally grateful!!” 

(Full testimonials below.)

I am a seasoned writing tutor with more than 10 years of experience helping students develop their personal voices through writing. I specialize in helping students craft compelling college personal statements. I have also worked with students on graduate school personal statements, writing portfolios for MFA programs, and other writing projects. Sessions begin with students setting their own goals for our work together, and may include generative writing prompts, discussion of model texts, and collaborative workshopping. 

Students who I have worked with have been admitted to the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, and many others. Many students have been awarded significant merit-based scholarships.

I am available to meet in person in the Philadelphia area and by Zoom. For information about rates and packages, please contact me via email at danielbenjaminphd@gmail.com or via the form below.

Full testimonials:

"Dr. Benjamin's thoughtful feedback and belief in my writing helped me shape my essays into something I was truly proud of. When I started the college process, I was truly so scared because I thought I wouldn’t have a chance at my top schools. With Dr. Benjamin’s guidance, my essays stood out. I’m absolutely thrilled about going to Georgetown. The admissions officer for Georgetown told my college counselor that my application was the best one she had read all year!”

“I requested Dr. Benjamin's help with a college writing portfolio approximately 2 weeks before its due date. He responded quickly, worked efficiently, and gave great feedback while being very supportive. Given my prior experience with Dr. Benjamin as a teacher and reviewer of my summer program applications, I am very grateful to keep an ongoing connection with him as I grow as a student. As an aspiring young writer, I always came out of our meetings reassured and remotivated by his experienced, tailored advice. Within 2 weeks, I submitted a portfolio that Dr. Benjamin guided me through, and I am happy to say that I will be attending New York University Tisch's Dramatic Writing program this fall!”

"I'm very grateful to have worked with Dr. Benjamin during the fall of my senior year on my college essays. His help made it a much less stressful process. He consistently located points of improvement within my writing that I likely would not have recognized on my own and encouraged me to experiment with different iterations of my essays. His thoughtful guidance allowed me to submit an application that I believe represented my abilities as a student well and has led to my acceptance at my first-choice college, the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science."

“Dr. Benjamin taught me English in my junior year of high school, and his guidance transformed my writing that year. I was fortunate to learn that he also helped students with their college essays. I began working with him on my personal statement and supplements the summer before my senior year. Dr. Benjamin taught me to be critical of my own writing, and to expand my creativity. His in-depth feedback and constant support allowed me to finish my essays ahead of schedule, which made the writing process stress-free. One of my favorite supplemental essays was within a 100-word limit; this supplement supported my application to Tufts University, where I will be attending this fall. I am beyond grateful for Dr. Benjamin’s help, and would absolutely recommend his expertise.”

“Despite never being the brightest English student, Dr. Benjamin's guidance was a revelation for me. As his student in his high school English class, I found myself captivated by the subject in ways I never imagined. When I discovered that Dr. Benjamin offered private assistance with essays, I jumped on the opportunity and I am so glad that I did. In our one-on-one sessions, Dr. Benjamin didn't just refine my ideas; he transformed my entire approach to writing. With patience and efficiency, he made the writing process exhilarating. His ability to help me infuse my personal statement with the passion I have for the topic shone through the writing. I ended up getting into my top choice university, Boston University, where I applied as an early decision applicant. Dr. Benjamin's impact on my academic journey cannot be overstated.”

“I met with Dr. Benjamin privately over several weeks leading up to submitting my college essays. He helped me tailor my responses to answer the prompts in a creative, concise manner. Under his guidance, I successfully told my own unique narrative and felt confident with using my writing to apply to selective universities. Ultimately, I was admitted into the selective Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Thank you so much!”

“I started working with Dr. Benjamin for my college essay towards the end of my junior year. Originally we came up with some basic ideas for my topics. At the start of my senior year though, we started meeting together privately for more help. When I first came to him, I had no idea what I wanted to write about. We started off with getting rid of my old ideas and talking through some new ones. Eventually I found a topic I loved and wrote a really really rough draft. Not once through this process did Dr. Benjamin ever make me feel bad about what I was showing him. With each meeting, his insight became more detailed and he would give me certain tasks to help add more detail while shortening my wording, like writing free writes. Overtime, he helped me craft an amazing essay that I felt confident about and that got me into my dream schools, including Occidental College, where I will be attending in the fall. I couldn't have done it without him, and for that I am eternally grateful!!”

“My sister recommended I work with Dr. Benjamin as he helped her write her applications. I was working on applications for summer research programs, and I needed to write many short essays expressing my interest, experience, and motivation for research. Dr. Benjamin responded quickly to my email, and our appointments were highly productive. He helped me organize my essays, express my interests and ambitions, and made the application process much smoother and less stressful. I will be reaching out to Dr. Benjamin in the future for help with graduate school applications.”