Whether you need help brainstorming ideas, want feedback and edits on drafts or simply want to improve your writing skills, our dedicated team of writing coaches can help.
Why Get Writing Help?
At Options Solutions, we recognize that writing plays an important part in the application and scholarship process for Canadian, US and UK universities. The sheer volume of work required for competitive programs is overwhelming. Students seek our assistance for a variety of reasons. For many students, this is the first time they are asked to conquer the challenging task of writing about themselves. For other students, it is their first attempt at true academic writing. Business and Engineering programs in Canada are becoming increasingly selective. Many universities, including Queen’s and UBC, require writing samples from ALL students. Students applying to the UK and to the US recognize that the personal statement or essay is the most subjective aspect of the application process. The writing portion of applications demonstrates who a student is beyond his/her marks and is often the tipping point of admission. Effective writing matters.
What We Believe About Writing and Adolescents
Writing is a process, and is often a scary one for teenagers. We believe good writing is possible through coaching, modeling and many, many drafts. Due to fears of plagiarism, many students are no longer taught the process of writing, and many schools overlook grammar, mechanics and sentence structure as powerful writing tools. We look to help students write personal, appropriate, effective and “WOW” pieces for their applications, but we also take great pride in increasing their understanding and skills as writers. As a result, many students experience an increase in their English marks due to the lessons they learn in working with our writing coaches and in our workshops.
What We Do
We follow your lead. Some students come in empty handed and leave directed and motivated to begin. Others come several drafts in and are looking for help refining their work. Our consultants and writing coaches help brainstorm appropriate topics, help plan an outline for an essay, and help draft documents to get the ball rolling. We also assist with editing to ensure students stay on topic and answer their essay prompts concisely and effectively, focusing on content, style and accuracy. We specialize in turning drafts into polished pieces.
Why Us?
We have created and pioneered this service in Canada. We don’t use formulas; instead, we help students maximize their personal and writing strengths. We constantly communicate with post-secondary admissions contacts to understand what they are looking for in the writing supplements. Last year, students who used our writing services gained acceptance to some of the most prestigious programs and universities including Brown, Cal Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Claremont Mckenna, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, John Hopkins, NYU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UPenn, USC, McGill, McMaster, Queen’s, UBC, U of T, Western, Durham, Imperial, King’s, LSE, St. Andrews, UCL, University of Edinburgh, and UWC Atlantic.
We also helped students earn over six million dollars in renewable scholarships including: three full-rides to US universities, three Schulich Engineering Scholarships, four Queen’s Chancellors Scholarships, and a Sauder School of Business Dean’s Entrance Scholarship.
If you need help with your writing, we offer both group sessions and individual appointments. Our writing coach Marisa Grizenko is available for individual appointments from Monday to Friday between 12:00 and 8:30 PM at both our West Vancouver and South Granville offices. Our Writing Workshops will continue through January; check our calendar for specific dates.
To book a session or if you have any questions, call (604) 922-8456 or e-mail info@options-wp.chhdev.com.
