Drafting a college or scholarship application essay can be intimidating, but you don’t have to do it alone! If you’re curious about Get Schooled’s essay review service, read below to learn more about how it works and what you can expect from us! 

We offer so much more than just free essay review! Create an account to start exploring our resources that have supported over 1 million young people since 2010 in reaching their college and career goals. 

Is Get Schooled’s essay review service legit? 

Yes! Launched in 2017, our free college and scholarship application essay review service has helped thousands of students across the world revise and polish their essays and personal statements for submission. There’s no catch or secret terms and conditions, and we never share or sell student data. 

Is Get Schooled’s essay review service free?

100% of our resources and services, including college application and scholarship essay review, are completely free. 

Why does Get Schooled review essays for free?

If you’re new to Get Schooled, hello! 👋🏾 We’re a nonprofit organization that helps young people get to college, find first jobs, and succeed in both. Everything we do is centered around the idea that students–particularly Black, brown, first-generation, and immigrant students–deserve free access to resources that help them plan for the future. Read more about our values and how we do what we do.

How does essay review work? 

Once you submit your essay(s), our reviewers will get to work! They’ll set up your essay in a Google Doc, leave personalized and specific feedback, and email it back to you within 7-10 days. If you do not receive your essay after 14 days, please email [email protected] or resubmit your essay. Please note that we cannot review essays that are submitted via email–they must be submitted through our website. 

What kind of feedback will I receive on my essay? 

Feedback will vary based on the essay we receive. We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to our essay reviews, since we believe that our feedback should be just as personal to you as your essay is. Generally, though, we look out for things like:

Prompt

We’ll offer feedback about the prompt you’ve chosen. Does the prompt you chose best help you tell your story? Does your essay address the entire prompt? 

Length and word count

We’ll give feedback about the length of your essay–whether it’s too long or short based on the prompt you’ve chosen and the required word count (if applicable). 

Grammar, punctuation, and sentence flow

We’ll identify present issues with spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Additionally, we’ll point out sentences or sections that are lengthy or harder to follow, offering tips for better flow and readability.  

Storytelling

Storytelling is a very important component of a college application essay! We identify whether you’re showing your story through specific details and examples, or just telling. We offer ideas for how to best lean into storytelling to draw your reader in and really understand what was at stake in your story.

Personal growth

This is one of the most important elements of your essay! Regardless of the prompt you choose or the story you’re telling, your essay should demonstrate personal growth and share hopes for the future. We’ll look for indicators of both within your essay and offer advice on how to best reflect on these things in your writing. 

Can I submit other types of essays beside my college application essay?

These are the types of essays we are able to review:

• College application essays
• Personal statements
• Supplemental college application responses
• Scholarship application essays and personal statements 

We only review essays being submitted to undergraduate postsecondary institutions (two- and four-year colleges, universities, and trade schools). We do not review high school or college class essays of any kind.

How many times can I get my essay reviewed? 

As many times as you’d like! We’d love to work with you to finalize your essay(s) for submission. You can submit multiple essays or drafts at once, or resubmit your essays after each round of feedback you receive from us. 

Do I have to be in the U.S. to have my essay reviewed?

While students do not need to be based in the U.S. at the time of submission, they must be applying to a college or university in the U.S. For example, if you’re based in Mumbai but are applying to a college in New York City, we can review your essay!

Who is reviewing my essay?

We have an awesome team of essay reviewers with backgrounds in student support and advising. They make our essay review service possible and we are so grateful for the ways they support students like you in achieving their college goals! Learn more about them 👇🏿

Sierra

I've had a lot of personal and professional experiences related to navigating the college and career search, and I am passionate about passing along the knowledge I have gained from these experiences. I believe that higher education should be accessible to all who want to pursue it, and I'm always looking opportunities to remove barriers that people may face in their pursuit. Fun facts about me: I'm a big fan of reality TV and have two cats!

How long have you been an essay reviewer? 2 years

Where you went to college/what your degree is in: Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Colorado State University; Master's of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Washington University

What excites you most about Get Schooled? I love all the resources Get Schooled has available! It can be so overwhelming and confusing to navigate higher education and job searching, so I love that Get Schooled provides this support for FREE.

Micaleah

Micaleah Parker has enjoyed working with high school students in several different roles for the past 16 years. She started her career in Admissions at Lee University, where she received her Master of Science in School Counseling. She has served as a school counselor in a small rural town, a private K-12 school, and also a large, diverse high school with over 1,700 students. During her time at Lee, she also served as Assistant Director of Recruitment and worked with high school students all over the U.S. She just recently completed six years with GEAR UP Tennessee. Now a College Access Counselor at Bradley Central High School, she serves over 400 seniors alongside an incredible team. As a first generation college student, she loves helping students and families through the college selection process and watching students succeed after high school.

How long have you been an essay reviewer? Since summer 2024

Where you went to college/what your degree is in: Lee University - BA - Communications MS - School Counseling

What excites you most about Get Schooled? I love Get Schooled because of the student focused approach! Everyone who works for GS has the student's best interest in mind and truly wants to see students succeed. My favorite part about reviewing essays, is getting to read about student experiences all over the U.S.!

Anjola

Anjola is a lifelong adventurer with a desire to see people flourish in their gifts and talents. With a background working in College readiness/advising, Early careers technical recruiting and Finance, she utilizes her skillsets to be a bridge and resource to people navigating new academic and career chapters. When she is not advising or analyzing data, she can be found painting and creating artwork or writing poetry.

How long have you been an essay reviewer? 4 years

Where you went to college: University of Houston

What excites you most about Get Schooled? I am moved when I see first hand and experience the stories of students who are impacted by the support and resources they receive from us at Get Schooled, as they navigate their joinery in figuring out life after high school.

Rachel

Rachel brings a wealth of expertise in writing, editing, and college admissions guidance to her role as a college essay reviewer. With a background in education, program management, and college and career coaching, Rachel understands the unique stories and perspectives each applicant has to share. Dedicated to making the college application process less daunting, Rachel is committed to helping students confidently put their best foot forward. Born and raised in New York, Rachel loves spending time with friends and family, exploring the city, doing yoga, biking, hiking, and reading when she's not helping students achieve their goals.

How long have you been an essay reviewer? 5-10 years

Where you went to college: University at Buffalo- bachelor's in Human Services; University of Brussels- Masters in Education Science

What excites you most about Get Schooled? I love how accessible and resourceful Get Schooled is for students around the country to receive support with college and career success.

Brandi

Brandi Smith-Peel is a dedicated College and Career Readiness expert with over eight years of experience supporting first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. As a Transition Advisor in Nashville, TN she leverages platforms like Mainstay to create personalized engagement strategies that drive student success. Brandi is passionate about educational equity and uses her expertise to guide students and families through the complexities of college admissions, financial aid, and post-secondary transitions.

How long have you been an essay reviewer? Since summer 2024

Where you went to college: Purdue University/Human Development and Family Studies and Spanish

What excites you most about Get Schooled? Get Schooled covers almost every process of the college application and financial aid process. They are a one-stop shop that answers questions for parents, students, and even other counselors. I also love that you can get your questions answered many different ways using the webchat, text service, the articles and more.

How can I get started?

Submit your essay for review here or by clicking the button below. Note: you must create a free Get Schooled account. 

How else can Get Schooled help with my essay? 

Check out our resources about college and scholarship applications here, and text #Hello to 33-55-77 to chat with one of our text Advisors if you have any questions!