Margo Bartsch

Margo Bartsch founded College Essay Coach in 2004 to apply her marketing and brand development expertise to college admissions essays and application strategy for undergraduate, graduate, transfer and prep school applicants. She works with students on college list development, ACT essay preparation and test prep, activities and honors resumes within Common App guidelines and admissions or alumni interview practice. Her writing philosophy is that every essay needs a compelling theme and a clear organizational structure, because readers remember how a story makes them feel more than its specific details. She focuses on helping students identify a big idea that differentiates them and connects with the reader, making writing an engaging life skill even within strict word and character limits. The Chronicle of Higher Education profiled College Essay Coach as the lead story in its April 27, 2007, special issue on Admissions and Financial Aid.

Margo graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Economics and an MSJ from the Medill School of Journalism with a concentration in International Advertising. She was recognized as a Northwestern Luminary in January 2008. She has served as an adjunct professor of business at Champlain College, where she received the Francine Paige Excellence in Teaching award, and has taught a January Term in Economics at Middlebury College. She has also earned national recognition in international advertising, including a Silver EFFIE in 1995 from the American Marketing Association and an ECHO Leader Award from the Direct Marketing Association. Her professional background includes work in Japan and extensive travel across Asia, the South Pacific, Mexico, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Margo is a contributing writer on college admissions trends for The Charlotte News in Charlotte, Vermont. She works one-on-one with students either in her Shelburne, Vermont office or via remote conference calls with out-of-state students. She lives in Shelburne with her husband and daughter and invites students and families to bring all their questions to the process, emphasizing that every question is welcome.

Services Offered

• College essay coaching for undergraduate, graduate, transfer and prep school applications
• Development of compelling themes and structures for personal statements
• College list research and development
• ACT essay preparation and test prep support
• Activities and honors resume creation within Common App formats
• Admissions and alumni interview preparation
• Writing coaching as a life skill using branding and marketing principles
• Guidance on word and character count constraints