Welcome to Personal Statements!
Are you looking around in bewilderment? Do you have questions? You’ve come to the right place.
Why am I here?
Most likely, because someone forwarded you something I wrote, or you read my memoir, or you find solace and meaning in storytelling that’s longer than 240 characters. Or you’ve been wondering if there might be more to the world than rancor and materialism and cruelty—like kindness, curiosity, humor (occasionally the gallows kind, but still), love of language, nostalgia, and a desire to find some kind of order in the chaos. It’s also possible that you’re here for reasons unclear to anyone but the algorithm, which put 1 and 0 together* and brought you here. No matter the reason, I’m delighted to have you!
*Confession: I have no idea how the algorithm works.
Who are you?
Short version:
I’m a former Stanford admissions officer, independent college counselor, writer, and mother of three grown children. My memoir, The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays, is structured as a series of responses to college application essay prompts. It is not a how-to; if you recall, the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a complicated object, coveted and dangerous at the same time.
Longer version:
I’m a cynical middle-aged woman who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, practically in the shadow of Stanford University, which I understand is a big draw for the 16-18 demographic as well as for their parents.
My parents and I emigrated from the former Soviet Union when I was nine. (Well, technically, they emigrated. I came along.)
After landing in San Francisco and tearfully proclaiming that I would never, not ever learn English, I went on to major in English and get a PhD in Comparative Literature. Then I taught literature and composition to Stanford undergrads, worked in the Stanford admission office, and started a college counseling practice. I wrote a memoir about all of the above, plus the experience of raising three children who struggled with learning differences, anxiety, and depression while many of their peers—and pretty much all of the students I worked with—were loading up on AP courses and enrichment activities. Many of those students were also struggling with depression and anxiety. My takeaway? We need to talk more openly about hard things and get over our collective obsession with prestigious colleges.
I also have strong feelings about the Oxford comma (pro), using silverware as a bookmark (why not, if it’s handy?), and being on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (this is a long-cherished dream and if you happen to know Terry please, PLEASE put in a good word).
What do you write?
Personal statements, literally. I write about little things (getting stuck in an elevator on Thanksgiving, refrigerator turf wars, holding grudges) and Big Things (the weirdness of midlife, disappointment, toxic achievement culture, nostalgia, ADHD, books, TV [yes, I absolutely consider TV a Big Thing]). There are also occasional updates on my second book (currently in progress).
I want to explore how we make sense of the world through narrative, what makes a piece of writing work, and why the right word in the right place is so profoundly satisfying.
What happens if I subscribe?
You’ll receive Personal Statements in your inbox whenever a new post comes out. Because writing can be a lonely undertaking and I’m highly motivated by human interaction (and if I’m being totally honest, by praise, encouragement, and chocolate-covered espresso beans), I implore you to please hit the heart at the bottom (or top) of each post. Or leave a comment! Or share with others! Or all the things!
If you’d like to show your support through a subscription, I will be stunned and grateful, but for now the vast riches of this Substack are free for everyone.
