Are you a kid from a low-income family applying to college? I’m a writer-editor & former Harvard admissions interviewer. This fall I’ll give free college essay feedback to kids who can’t afford it. (Independent from my NYTimes work.) Send me your essay [email protected]

I’ll help as many kids as I can. Not sure if 5 or 5000 kids will reach out but if it’s more essays than I can read on my pandemic weekends, I can probably find friends who’d be willing to offer feedback too. (If you are a pro writer/editor who would like to help, email me too!)

I give feedback on 1-2 essays a year when parents ask me as a favor. I could probably charge $5000. The kids whose parents know me are already in great shape. It is so unfair.

So this is an experiment to see if I can reach kids who actually need help but wouldn’t know who to ask

I am doing this because when I applied to college I didn't have anyone to ask for help and didn't know how to find someone—I got so lucky. You only realize how much access you didn't have when you make it into an arena that does have access, and try to fix that a little.

I've spent years interviewing kids applying to Harvard from NYC; the inequality is devastating. So many kids from underprivileged backgrounds are already managing family finances, care-givers... Whereas other kids are manufacturing & performing hardship.

Every year I get furious with myself for only being able to assess these kids; It would be so easy for me to help them but it's the wrong context. All I can do is wish them good luck and give them a score. It feels so wrong. Would rather use my time to help instead of judge.

Here are some simple essay prompts I’d suggest (they make interesting conversation in an interview):

How do you spend your time after school & on weekends? WHY?
How do you get to school? WHY?
Do you have a job? WHY?
Do you have a hero? WHY?
It’s the “why” that writes the story