About Dr. Gabriel Mehlman
I am an English PhD, former UCLA instructor, and highly experienced college essay coach specializing in essays for selective colleges and universities. For the past seven years, I have helped students craft Common App essays and supplemental essays that are vivid, strategic, and unmistakably their own.
My students have been accepted to Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, MIT, Caltech, Chicago, the UCs, USC, Michigan, and many other top colleges and universities. In the 2025 cycle alone, my students earned admission to Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, USC, NYU, UCLA, Berkeley, and Emory, in addition to a range of other selective schools.
Before becoming an independent coach, I earned my MA and PhD in English from UCLA, where I taught for a decade. My writing has appeared in academic and literary journals, and I have also coached and written admissions-related material for the College Essay Guy team and boutique counseling services in Los Angeles.
My work is not about producing polished but generic essays. It is about helping students find a distinctive personal story, structure it powerfully, and develop a voice that feels specific, intelligent, and authentic. Whether a student is beginning with scattered ideas, a rough draft, or a nearly finished essay, I help them move toward writing that is more personal, memorable, and effective.
I work with students applying to highly selective colleges, the UCs, liberal arts colleges, honors programs, and specialized programs. I also work with applicants to medical school, law school, and other graduate programs.
My approach is rigorous, collaborative, and practical. I help students clarify what they want to say, understand what the essay needs to accomplish for selective admissions committees, and revise toward the strongest possible version of the piece—without losing the student's own voice in the process. I also provide steady support and clear accountability throughout what can be a stressful, high-stakes process.
What Families Say
"Gabriel helped me refine my commonapp and supplemental essays, which contributed to my admission to Harvard. His feedback demonstrated a wealth of experience in the field, so I would highly recommend."
— Adrian, Student
"My child has been working with Gabriel on her college essays for the past five months, and it has been such a positive experience. From the very beginning, Gabriel explained his approach with students, which helped my daughter feel comfortable right away. He’s also been great about replying to my messages promptly and patiently answering any questions. Trust me, I have a lot of questions as a first-time parent going through this process, and he always made me feel heard and supported. My child was initially reluctant to work with a tutor, but after her first session with Gabriel, she realized it wasn’t as bad as she thought. After a few more sessions, she even began looking forward to them. She also really appreciates how straightforward and direct Gabriel is. It helps her understand exactly what she needs to work on and how to improve. With Gabriel’s support, she has learned a lot about herself as a writer, and she always leaves their meetings feeling more confident and encouraged. She has mentioned many times how much he has helped her write more clearly and effectively. I’ve read many of her essays (the ones she was willing to show me!), and they feel so authentically her. Watching her growth has been incredibly rewarding. One moment that really stood out was just a few days before she submitted her EA applications. She suddenly started doubting one of her essays. She had read it so many times that she couldn’t see it clearly anymore. Gabriel made time to meet with her on short notice and helped her revisit her original thinking. That reassurance was exactly what she needed, and she was able to submit everything with ease. We are truly grateful for Gabriel’s guidance and would gladly recommend him to any family looking for a tutor who is kind, thoughtful, straightforward, and genuinely invested in helping students shine."
— Meiying, Parent
"Gabriel has been an exceptional tutor throughout my college application process. He guided me thoughtfully through my UC PIQS and provided detailed, constructive feedback on my UC PIQs. I especially appreciate how open-minded and attentive he has been. He always taking the time to listen to my ideas while offering insightful suggestions that strengthened my writing without changing my voice. His support has made a real difference in my applications, and I’m truly grateful for his guidance."
— Tanish, Student
"Gabriel did an excellent job working with my daughter on all of her essays. He pushed her to think deeply and come up with ideas that were truly meaningful, while also guiding her to express them clearly and effectively. He had her rewrite each essay until they reached the level expected at top universities like Stanford. Gabriel also provided invaluable support with her supplemental essays, making sure her voice came through while keeping the writing polished and compelling. We are very happy with how the essays turned out and highly recommend Gabriel to any family looking for expertise and guidance in the college application proces"
— Rupa, Parent
"Gabriel instantly connected with my son to better understand him as a student navigating the application and essay process. He was able to help my son transform his essay and supplementals to better reflect him as a person and student. Highly recommend Gabriel to anyone looking for guidance and expertise in the college application process!"
— William, Parent
"If you're looking for a writing tutor who’s honest, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to helping you improve, I would most definitely recommend Gabriel. He offers wise, thoughtful critiques--always constructive and geared toward making your work the best it can be. He's an excellent writer with a sharp eye for detail and clarity, and he’ll challenge you in the right ways."
— Kaitlyn, Student
What I Offer
- Provide a comprehensive introduction to college essay writing for those beginning the process. This clear, nuanced discussion will allow us to establish a shared understanding for creating essays that speak with power to admissions readers.
- Brainstorm Common Application essay approaches and determine the strongest, most original directions. As we brainstorm, I will help you identify and develop a unique topic and approach to the essay—one that inspires you, and one that will inspire a reader.
- Provide close guidance during the first draft process. We will work closely on the writing you produce, exploring, editing, planning and reviewing revisions, as we move towards a strong first draft.
- Edit and revise drafts to create an amazing, polished piece. Working through drafts to arrive at the polished jewel is critical.
- Offer close guidance on supplemental essays. We will work through individual schools' supplementals, creating a portfolio of strong essays for each school. This process will involve thorough discussion and planning of individual essay questions. We will also work to identify 'core' essays that can be adapted for multiple schools.
- Edit and revise supplemental essays. As with the Common App essay, editing and revision will allow us to truly reach our ceiling.
- Work with on activities lists and additional written materials. The activities list is a vital part of the process, and the proper selection and phrasing can make a difference for an admissions committee.
- Draw from my range of written resources to supplement our sessions. These include school-specific guides, sample essays from successful applicants, and essay-topic-specific guides.
- Provide clear action items to keep you on track. After each session, we will establish clear steps for you to take before the next session.
- Develop your confidence, skills, and vision as a writer. Our work together will pay dividends well beyond this process. You will emerge with finer and more creative writing skills, an ability to clearly articulate your experience, thoughts, and feelings in writing, and meaningful insights into your experience and what matters most to you.
- Build a meaningful mentoring relationship. Our time together will allow us to get to know one another, develop a rapport and sense of trust, share moments of laughter, and feel a mutual sense of accomplishment in our results.
