My essay got an A+. It was nowhere close to complete.
A second reader for your college essay. We mark what is unclear, what is repeated, and where the essay explains instead of shows, then return written feedback and a graded rubric within 48 hours.
Notes are written to the student in plain language. We never write or rewrite the essay.
I have always been a resilient person1. When my grandmother got sick during my junior year, I learned to balance hospital visits with school, and it taught me a lot about responsibility2. Every night I sat by her bed and did my homework while she slept. Those months made me who I am today3.
- 1Cut this. The nights by her bed already prove it. Let the reader arrive at the word.
- 2"A lot" is doing no work. What specifically changed? Name one thing.
- 3Every essay ends here. Say what you do differently now instead.
How it works
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Send the essay
Pay $29.99 and upload the draft along with a few details about the student and the schools. It takes about two minutes.
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It gets a full, close read
One reviewer, one essay, read start to finish. Specific sentences are highlighted and commented on, not skimmed in a stack of 150.
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Feedback and a graded rubric arrive within 48 hours
Detailed comments on what to clarify, what to cut, and where the story should carry the point, plus a score on five criteria so the student knows exactly what to do next.
Why this service exists
My high school English teacher graded my college essay a 100%, with no notes, so I thought I was finished. Later, a student at Columbia read the same draft and pointed out what was vague, what was structured for neatness rather than meaning, and where I was telling the reader what to think instead of showing something real. Her edits made the essay measurably better, and without them I may not have received a full-ride scholarship.
A caring teacher grading 150+ essays is not the same as a qualified reader going through yours closely. That close read is what Double-Check Essays exists to provide.
Founder, Double-Check Essays · Read the full story
Why a good essay is hard to get help with
Students now apply to more schools than a decade ago, and with most colleges test-optional, the essay carries more of the decision than it used to. It is the one part of the application still fully in the student's hands in the final weeks. With four years at a private college now able to exceed $300,000, a stronger essay can be the difference between a thin envelope and a scholarship. The essay matters more, and a careful read of it is harder to find.
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1 to 385
Counselors are stretched thin
The average school counselor in the United States is responsible for close to 400 students. A close read of every senior's essay is not possible.
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75 hours
Teachers grade at scale
Half an hour on each of 150 essays is nearly two full work weeks. Most college essays get a completeness check, not a line-by-line read.
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$150 to $300
Private help is priced for a few
Independent admissions consultants commonly charge that much per hour, often with a package minimum in the thousands. Most families are left choosing between too little and too much.
What we provide
One essay, one reviewer, one price. Here is exactly what comes back.
The process
You pay $29.99 and upload the essay with a few details about the student and the schools. A single reviewer reads the full draft start to finish, highlights and comments on specific sentences, and completes the rubric. Within 48 hours you receive an email with two attachments: the commented draft and the graded rubric shown here.
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Highlighted comments throughout the draftSpecific sentences marked as unclear, repeated, or explaining instead of demonstrating, with a note on why.
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A summary of the three biggest fixesWhat to work on first, in plain language, so the next draft is a real step forward rather than a polish.
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The graded rubricFive criteria scored 1 to 5, each with a one-line explanation. A clear answer to "is it ready?"
Turnaround is 48 hours from upload. If we miss it, the review is free.
Not sure it needs a full review? Start with a free first read.
Send the whole essay. Within five days we email back a short verdict: ready, or not yet, and which broad areas to work on. No line edits and no rubric. If the answer is "not yet," the full review is the next step.
About us
A second reader changed my essay and academic trajectory.
When I was applying to college, my high school English teacher read my personal statement and gave it a 100%. I trusted that grade. I had worked hard on the draft, and I believed it was done.
Later, a student at Columbia read the same essay. Their response was different. They noticed places where I had assumed the reader would understand what I meant. They questioned a structure that felt neat to me but did not build toward much. They also marked moments where I explained my qualities instead of letting the story reveal them.
I went back to the draft with those notes beside me. The next version was measurably stronger. Nothing about the experience made my teacher careless. It showed me the limit of asking one teacher to grade essays for a large group of students while handling everything else that comes with a classroom. A recent applicant with time to read closely could give the essay a different kind of attention.
That is the reason Double-Check Essays exists.
A person reads it, not a program.
Every essay is read in full by one reviewer: a recent graduate who wrote a college essay that worked, went through the Common App within the last few years, and gives each draft the time it deserves. No software writes the feedback. No essay is skimmed to hit a quota. The comments come from someone who remembers what it felt like to stare at that draft and who has since learned what admissions readers respond to.
Our founder is an NYU Stern graduate who earned a full-ride scholarship and credits the college essay as part of what made that possible. Every reviewer is a recently graduated college student who knows the system firsthand.
Our expertise comes from firsthand experience with the Common App process. We also learn through direct conversations with guidance counselors, English teachers, and admissions officers. To supplement these efforts, we are always reading current literature about what admissions readers respond to.
Frequently asked questions
Does the college essay really matter that much?
Yes, and more than it used to. Admissions offices consistently rank the essay among the most important factors after grades and course rigor, and with most colleges now test-optional, it is often the largest part of the application that is not a number. It is also the only part a student can still improve in the final weeks. Our founder credits it with a full-ride scholarship.
How long does it take?
The full review comes back within 48 hours of upload. The free first read comes back within five days. During peak weeks in October and December we hold to the same turnaround; if we ever miss it, the review is free.
Do you rewrite or edit the essay for us?
No. Colleges expect the essay to be the student's own work, and so do we. We mark what is unclear, what is repeated, and what to cut, and we explain why. The student makes the changes. That is also what makes the next draft better rather than just different.
What does the rubric grade?
Five things, each scored 1 to 5: whether the essay makes a clear point, whether the structure builds toward it, whether it demonstrates the student's qualities rather than listing them, whether the voice sounds like the student, and whether it answers the prompt. Each score comes with a one-line note explaining it. Anything under 20 out of 25 usually means one more draft.
Is the essay kept private?
Yes. The essay is seen only by the reviewer assigned to it. We do not publish, share, or use essays as examples, and we delete the file 30 days after the review is sent. You can ask us to delete it sooner at any time. Details are in our privacy policy.
Contact
Questions before you send an essay, or something you want us to know about your situation. We reply within one business day.
Or email hello@doublecheckessays.com.