Fees & FAQs

Once I buy time, how do we proceed?

That depends on your needs, which we’ll be able to discern during your initial consultation. For now, please refer to the Services page.

How much time will I need?

As you proceed through your list of schools the process generally gains speed.

For business school applications, as a rough estimate, I usually tell people that the first school will take three to five hours. The first application is almost always the most difficult simply because clients have to get their minds organized for the types of answers and presentation of information the schools are looking for and, also, because they don’t have a lot of information in mind for the essays. Depending on the circumstances, the resume and/or letters of rec might add to this amount of time; in other cases they don’t.

Different applicants work at different speeds. However, subsequent schools are almost always faster because clients have a better understanding of what schools are looking for and, even better, they can recycle some of the information from the first application, particularly for the “goals” essay. 

For other graduate school programs, budget for roughly five hours. A statement of purpose requires quite a bit of information and given that different programs have different word limits you will need to create several versions of this document, which is time-consuming. Some programs also require a research plan/proposal or something similar. Since this document is entirely separate from the statement of purpose, you basically start all over again (i.e.; no recycling) and it will take a bit more time.

How long does a session last?

Sessions can happen over Skype or just by email. Regardless, the time you spend is up to you. I am very flexible but I generally bill in a minimum of fifteen minute increments. However, if every now and then you need me to review a brief item that takes just a few minutes, I probably won’t charge anything. Between sessions, I am happy to answer incidental emails at no charge as long as they remain at a reasonable volume and are not excerpts from essays or other documents we are working on.

I’m not overly obsessive about time and my main goal is for your application to look great. I earn my money in bulk packages and my business thrives because of referrals from past clients. Thus, I have no incentive to constantly squeeze clients for money or become petty about charging for tiny increments.

Days off and Hours of operation

• I generally take Friday and Saturday off

• My hours are flexible but I don’t like to work before 8:00 AM PST or after 8:00 PM PST

• I travel a few times a year and this can disrupt my schedule temporarily but never for longer than the length of a flight. I will make announcements of my travels well in advance. During the slow seasons I might disappear on my bike for days on end (possibly longer) but will never leave a client hanging.

November - December US Holidays

I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve/Day. If no one sends me work on those days then I’ll happily eat and drink like any other person but I’d rather work then and celebrate later.

Guarantee

If we agree to work together I guarantee the following:
1. I will be readily available for appointments, so long as I have at least 24 hours notice
2. I will turn all work around within 24 hours
3. If you find that you need more hours than included in your initial package, I guarantee I will be available
4. Simply put, I am your partner in this process

What if my plans change or I don’t use all of the time I purchase?

Sometimes, a client will wish to delay his or her application and counseling until the following year. I will honor the time the client has already purchased for one year from the date of purchase.

For all other cases, if a client is not 100% satisfied with my work after two weeks of paying I will refund all the unused time, minus any fees I might have incurred in receiving payment (i.e.; the percentage PayPal charges). However, if the client’s deadlines fall within this period this offer is not in effect.

Beyond that, I do not offer refunds. We will thoroughly talk through your needs and I will advise you on your purchase of my services accordingly. Since my business runs on referrals I have no incentive to guide you to over-purchase.

Privacy

I work alone and guarantee 100% privacy.