The Close Read: College Essay Intensive
End-to-End Essay Support from a Team of Admissions Specialists
What are admissions officers looking for in a personal statement? In one word: authenticity. The personal statement is a student’s chance to show their genuine self—beyond the numbers and on-paper credentials—to admissions officers. There’s simply no formula or one-size-fits-all approach that will produce a dynamic personal statement.
Build the Foundation of a Standout Application.
A Week That Changes Everything
The Close Read is Command Education’s college essay intensive program, guiding students to craft a standout Common Application personal statement in just five days. Designed for students who want a competitive edge, The Close Read empowers students to establish a strong narrative foundation for their college applications.
Over the course of five days, our Senior Mentors get to know each student as a person first, asking the kinds of questions that help students see their own story from a new angle and activate the creativity and curiosity that are hallmarks of every winning essay.
Through every stage of the draft, mentors offer iterative, hands-on feedback that sharpens the essay line by line. Students benefit from the consistent, one-on-one support of a dedicated mentor and the expertise of an entire team of second readers, admissions specialists, and team leads who ensure that the essay is compelling and polished.
By the end of the week, students leave with a polished, compelling personal statement that sounds unmistakably like them and reflects their story and strengths to admissions officers.
The Close Read
Scope of Support
Establish a narrative hook that will anchor their entire college application
Brainstorm and write a compelling Common App Personal Statement
Receive intensive, iterative feedback on every stage of their draft
And discover how to stand out at top schools across the country
Guidance that’s as personalized as the essay itself.
The Close Read provides exactly this kind of personalized attention. Students are multi-dimensional, and so is our approach to crafting the Common Application personal statement. Rather than handing students a generic outline, we work with each student to develop their unique story and application narrative, ensuring that their personal statement reflects who they truly are.