THE
AUDIT
The Admissions Narrative Audit
Your student's complete application, read the way an admissions committee reads it.
The Audit opens August 1.
The Approach
When an admissions reader opens an application, they're asking one question: is there a real person here? And they form an answer in the first sixty seconds.
Most students who get passed over in holistic review aren't the ones without accomplishments. They're the ones whose application didn't tell the story of who they are — a strong essay disconnected from a generic activities list, genuine independent work described in language that makes it sound like a homework assignment, a technically clean essay devoid of the student's voice.
The Audit is a holistic read of your student's complete application materials — from someone who has been in the room where the decisions get made, and can tell you honestly what an admissions reader will see.
I read every application in sequence — personal statement, activities list, supplemental essays, optional portfolio — the way a committee reads them. The question underneath it all: is this application telling the full story of who this student is?
VOICE
Is this personal statement written by a real, specific teenager? Does their perspective land in the first thirty seconds — or has it been edited into something safe, competent, and forgettable? If the voice is already there and working, I'll tell you that clearly so you can stop touching it.
THE ACTIVITIES LIST
Students with independent creative work almost always describe it in language that buries what they actually did. The work is real. The problem is how it's described. I translate these entries into language that makes the actual work visible, without adding anything that isn't there.
THE SUPPLEMENTS
Are the supplemental essays actually answering the prompts? Is the full portfolio of essays repeating itself? Does the optional creative supplement feel like an extension of the application — or a disconnected project that arrived from somewhere else? I read each one against the prompt and against the rest of the file — and tell you what's landing, what's repeating, and what's missing.
ACROSS THE APPLICATION
Where is the application getting in its own way? Where is the student hiding behind formal academic language? Where does the voice go flat? Where are they performing a version of themselves they think the school wants? I name it specifically and give your student concrete direction on how to let their actual character surface.
What You Receive
THE AUDIT FEEDBACK
A written document that opens with what an admissions reader actually sees when they open your student's file. Then section by section: a voice read of the personal statement, suggested rewrites for the activities list entries that are underselling your student, a prompt-by-prompt read of each supplement, and a direct assessment of where the application is getting in its own way. It closes with a prioritized list of what to do next, ordered by impact.
THE WALKTHROUGH
A screen-recorded video walking you through the feedback — around 20 minutes. I narrate what I found and what I was thinking as I read. Watch it together with your student and rewatch it any time. No scheduling required.
I'm not fixing commas or rewriting paragraphs. I'm also not trying to make the application look like something it isn't.
More importantly: I'm not here to over-engineer this. The students who end up in front of me have often already been edited to within an inch of their personality. If your student's writing is doing what it needs to do, I will tell you that directly so you can both stop second-guessing it and submit.
About the Reader
Nearly a decade in art school admissions — reading applications, reviewing portfolios, and making final decisions as Director of Admissions at The University of the Arts. A recent cycle as an outside reader for George Washington University. Several years teaching writing at the high school and college level, including working directly with juniors and seniors on their college essays.
I know what it looks like from both sides — in the classroom where the work gets made, and in the committee room where the decisions get made. So when I open your student's file, I'm not just reading for craft. I'm reading for whether the real version of this student is on the page — and whether it's going to land with the person making the decision.
BFA Film/Video · MA English · Former Director of Admissions · Former GWU Outside Reader · Secondary Teaching Certification
More about Kate →BOOK YOUR AUDIT
Book through Luma. You'll receive a confirmation right away with a link to share your materials.
SUBMIT YOUR MATERIALS
Personal statement, activities list, and any supplemental essays. Optional: portfolio or creative supplement link.
IN YOUR INBOX
Seven business days later, the Audit feedback document and walkthrough video arrive together. No scheduling required.
The Details
Price
$650 Founding Rate — through Labor Day (standard rate $750 beginning September 8, 2026)
Timeline
Delivered within 7 business days from when you submit your materials
Availability
August 1 – December 1. Most families book after summer drafts exist and before the EA/ED push.
Materials
Personal statement, activities list, supplemental essay drafts. Optional: portfolio or creative supplement link.Drafts don't need to be polished.
CANCELLATIONS
Full refund if you cancel before submitting your materials. No refund once I've received your file.
THE LIVE CALL — $150
A 30-minute call post-delivery. Most families don't need it — the document and video are built to stand on their own. But if you want talk through a specific decision, or you're up against an EA/ED deadline, it's there. Booking link included with your Audit Feedback.
The audit opens August 1.
Leave your email and I'll reach out when booking opens.
You're on the list. I'll be in touch when booking opens.
Also From The Studio
The Audit reads what you've made. The Workshop and Residency are where you make it.
The Workshop
For the student who wants to write personal essays — and needs to figure out what they actually have to say. Writing-as-thinking is how you get there.
Learn more about The Workshop →The Residency
For the student who has a project — a documentary, a photo essay, a podcast, a graphic novel — and wants a dedicated creative community and studio structure to actually build it.
Opens Spring 2027 →