Get into your dream schools by crafting winning essays.
Private, one-on-one college consulting. We turn your real experiences into an application that stands out — to the UCs, the Ivies, and everywhere in between.
The real problem
Most students don't have a writing problem. They have a throughline problem.
Admissions officers read thousands of applications. Strong grades and a long activities list tell them you can keep up — they don't tell them who you are, or why you'll be remembered.
What doesn't work
Listing more activities. Big words and dramatic openings. Five essays that each tell a different, disconnected story. It reads like effort, not like a person.
What does
One clear idea that runs through every part of your application, told in plain, specific language that's unmistakably yours. That's what officers remember when they're deciding.
How we work
The Throughline Method™
A simple, three-step process that finds the thread in your story and carries it through every essay you submit.
Find the thread
We dig into your life — not just the résumé — and pull out the one idea that ties your whole story together. This becomes the spine of your application.
Build the essays
Every piece — each UC personal insight question and your Common App essay — points back to that thread, so a reader finishes your file knowing exactly who you are.
Refine until it's ready
Line by line, we cut the filler and sharpen the truth until each essay sounds like your clearest, most confident self — not a thesaurus.
Programs offered
Three ways to work with me.
Whether you want hands-on help building your whole application or you want to learn the craft yourself, there's a path for you.
Private Essay Coaching
- 4 UC PIQ essays + Common App, fully refined
- Brainstorm, diagnostic, and school list
- Activity audit + internship coaching
- 1-on-1, end to end
1-on-1 Mentorship
- Six 30-minute check-in sessions
- 4 months of direct access for you and your child for advice and feedback
Art of College Essays
- Weekly live calls
- Real admitted essays from the Ivies, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, broken down line by line
- Frameworks for crafting winning essays you can use yourself
- Live Q&A — leave every call unstuck
Who it's for
Built for students who are serious about their application.
UC applicants
Turn four personal insight questions into one connected portrait.
Common App students
A main essay and supplements that work together, not against each other.
Juniors getting ahead
Start early, find your angle, and walk into senior year already ahead.
Seniors in the crunch
Deadlines close? We move fast without losing what makes you you.
Results
A track record students trust.
Across recent admissions cycles, students I've coached have earned spots at top schools across the country.
Admits to top universities (including UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, and Rice University)
85% of students admitted to at least one of their top-choice schools
One-on-one work with every single student — no exceptions
You work directly with me — no handoffs.
I'm Sohail, a UC Berkeley grad in business and data science. I've spent years helping students find the story underneath their application and tell it well. No call centers, no junior associates — every session is one-on-one.
I keep my roster small on purpose. That means real attention on your essays, honest feedback, and a clear plan from our first conversation to the day you hit submit.
Book a free consultation →Testimonials
"For the first time my essays actually sounded like me. Sohail helped me figure out what I was really trying to say. He created a clear-cut plan to help me stay on track and ultimately get into UC Berkeley and my dream schools."
"Every time we tried to help our son with his essays it turned into an argument. Sohail took that whole weight off our shoulders — he kept him on a schedule, gave him honest feedback, and the essays still sounded like our kid, just clearer. Worth every penny for the peace of mind alone."
"He pushed me to be specific and honest, and that's exactly what made the writing stronger."
Let's find your throughline.
The first consultation is free. We'll talk through where you are, what you're applying to, and how I can help — no pressure, no obligation.
Prefer email? Reach me at sohailattari@berkeley.edu