College admissions consulting & essay coaching
Clear strategy for your applications. Your voice in every essay.
Founder-led by Angelika · UCLA graduate · J.D., Loyola Law School
Based in Los Angeles. Working with families nationwide.
The founder
One editor, every client
Proof & Polish is one editor, not an agency. Angelika founded the practice, and she reads every draft herself.
She keeps the client list intentionally small. A limited roster means she knows your schools, your deadlines, your draft history. Nothing gets handed off.
For a family, that is the point of founder-led. The person who plans the strategy is the person who reads draft four.
More about AngelikaCore services
Choose your starting point
College Admissions Consulting
The full engagement: school list strategy, a working timeline, positioning, oversight of every application piece from junior year to submission. Application strategy leads the work.
See the consulting pageCollege Essay Coaching
Personal statements and supplements, written by the student, sharpened through feedback rounds plus live sessions.
See essay coachingTransfer Admissions Consulting
For community college students planning a transfer: term mapping, the school list, essays that explain the path.
See transfer consultingAlso available: resume plus activities list review, interview preparation, scholarship applications, summer programs, hourly consulting, academic writing support. See Other Services
Proof
What clients say
Two clients, quoted word for word.
Proof and Polish Co is so professional, efficient, and a life saver. They helped both my brothers polish up their UC essays. Every step of the way they were communicative with timing, reasons for editing, and additional insight as to what Admissions Offices are looking for. They definitely helped play a large role in getting my brother into UCSD. Highly recommend Proof and Polish Co to anyone prepping essays for applications!
Proof & Polish reviewed my cover letter and resume and presented me with a significantly more polished version of both that felt comfortable sending out to employers.
They also took the time to explain all changes based off successful experiences in the professional field. I didn’t just get the benefit of better work product, I learned how to implement her feedback for future cover letters. Highly recommend!!
The working sequence
How it works
- 01
Discovery
A free call about goals, deadlines, the honest state of things. You leave with a recommendation either way.
- 02
Strategy
A written plan for schools, timeline, essays: what happens when, who does what.
- 03
Drafting and coaching
The student writes. Angelika coaches the thinking, the structure, the order of ideas.
- 04
Review and refinement
Written feedback on each draft, then a session to set priorities. Revise, repeat, as many rounds as the piece needs.
- 05
Final submission preparation
Where applicable: final reads, consistency checks across documents, support through each submission.
The method
What coaching looks like
Coaching is not ghostwriting. Angelika never writes for you; she shows you what to cut, what to move, what to make clearer, while every word stays yours. The Academic Integrity Policy spells out exactly where the line sits.
Demonstration written for this site, not client work
Our school was not really doing enough about the amount of waste we produced every single each day, so I decided to start started a recycling club.
Same idea. Fewer words in the way.
After Our school was not doing enough about the waste we produced each day, so I started a recycling club.
FAQ
Questions families ask
Who do you work with?
First-year applicants, community college transfer students, and law school applicants, along with anyone who needs a resume, a letter, or academic writing coached into shape. Parents often make the first contact; the work itself happens with the student. Start with Admissions Consulting or Other Services.
When should families begin?
Many families begin in the student’s junior year, which leaves room for strategy before any deadline pressure. A later start still works; the plan just compresses. The consulting page shows a typical timeline.
Do you guarantee admission?
No. Admissions decisions rest with each school, so no consultant can promise an outcome. The work strengthens what you submit; the results disclaimer says this plainly.
Do you write essays for students?
Never. The student writes every word; Angelika coaches, comments, and edits with the student in control of each change. The Academic Integrity Policy draws the full line.
How many revisions are included?
The revision loop runs as needed: send a draft, get written feedback, meet to set priorities, revise, repeat until the piece is ready. Scope gets set per engagement on the discovery call.
How quickly can you review an essay?
Most documents come back with written feedback within three to five business days. If a deadline is closer than that, say so in your first message. Essay Coaching covers the full loop.
Do you work with transfer students?
Yes. Community college transfer work is a core specialty with its own page, covering strategy, timelines, plus transfer essays.
Do you work nationwide?
Yes. The practice is based in Los Angeles, and sessions run on Zoom with families nationwide. About has the full picture.
What does consulting cost?
Pricing depends on timeline, scope, plus what you want help with, so it is shared after you reach out. Every service page carries pricing guidance, and the discovery call is free. Start at Contact.
What happens during a discovery call?
You talk through goals, deadlines, the current state of the work. Angelika recommends a next step either way, with no pressure to continue. Book it through the intake form.
Ready when you are
Send the form, get a reply within 24 to 48 hours, then book a free discovery call.