Cole graduated from Berkeley High, earned a BA in English and Creative Writing at Columbia University, and then returned to the Bay Area to teach high-school English. After eight years working 1-on-150 (and loving it), Cole transitioned to 1-on-1 tutoring.
Along the way, he earned an MA in Literature and began writing two young-adult novels. He is a lifelong athlete, an avid reader and writer, a true scholar of the personal essay, a fierce board gamer (especially when matched against his wife), and a member of a large and happy family.
While Cole is a fantastic SAT coach and a great math tutor, his true passion lies with the personal statement. Twenty years after writing his own personal statement (which he thinks got him into Columbia), Cole still devotes the same energy and attention to detail to each and every essay that he works with.
Services
Past Clients
FAQ
The Writing Process
Cole and his wife (also a teacher) live in a sunny Alameda Victorian where he hosts students and their parents. He prefers to work in person, especially for the first session, but he also conferences with students through Skype and edits through Google Docs.
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT/COLLEGE ESSAY
The initial meeting is spent discussing the essay prompt(s), the student's goals, and helping the student discover an impressive topic that he or she is passionate about. Every student has countless fantastic essay topics just waiting to be typed out! The key is to match the right topic and tone with the right school. Stanford and Berkeley, for example, are looking for different qualities in an applicant.
Subsequent meetings are spent revising, and eventually polishing, a student's essay until each and every sentence is a perfect combination of aesthetics and functionality.
Cole has coached over a thousand students through the college application process. He continues to be genuinely interested in discovering and displaying a student's passions--and challenges. Colleges want to admit honest and well-rounded students. They are looking for "the real you," not just an invincible version of yourself. Cole will work with you until your personal statement is the best thing you've ever written.
Literary Analysis Essays and Research Papers
Cole works with students (if time allows) from the initial brainstorming stage through the final revision. If time does not allow, Cole recommends the bolded (and most essential) steps.
(Steps 1 and 2 can usually be completed through Skype in an hour or less.)
Step 1: Discuss the topic and decide on a rough thesis.
Step 2: Create 3-4 topic sentences.
Step 3: Discuss and discover evidence to support the student’s topic sentences. This step is usually completed by the student as homework.
Step 3.1 (if needed): Assist the student in the construction of one or more paragraphs. (Usually this step is reserved for students with writer’s block.)
Step 4: Read the rough draft and provide comprehensive comments and suggestions for improvement (the most important step!).
Step 5: Assist the student with the introduction, conclusion, and provide a final read-through.
Helping students write the perfect personal statement is Cole's specialty, but he also provides other services for helping students improve their academics. Here is a full list of the services he provides.
Essay Tutoring
- Cole's writers produce great essays. He has helped both struggling and gifted writers get into top tier universities.
ACT, SAT, and LSAT Tutoring
He provides one-on-one ACT, SAT, and LSAT tutoring. He has spent 10+ years teaching test-taking strategies, study skills, and general test preparation. Cole scored in the 99th percentile on both the SAT and LSAT.
Academic Mentoring
He is a math and writing tutor for middle and high school scholars. Students who work with Cole on expository writing achieve both immediate and long-term goals.
College Advising
- He has a wealth of knowledge about the postsecondary institutions in this country. He has advice for applicants about where to apply and how to get in.
Past Clients
A great number of Cole's students have been admitted to their ideal university. Here are some testimonials from parents and students:
“He used wisdom and patience to help Anashe's essay. I really appreciated Cole's focus on keeping the writing positive.”
--MB, mother of AB, UC Berkeley
“Our eldest son has been working with Cole since middle school — providing him with support in a number of areas including essay development, SAT prep, and the dreaded Common App personal statement. Over the years, Cole has encouraged our son’s independence as a learner and supported his weaknesses. In many instances, these areas evolved into strengths. Cole’s tutoring provide our son with needed guidance, insight, and sometimes blunt honesty that is challenging, if not impossible, for a parent to offer. With Cole’s help, our son son has grown into a gifted writer, a very strong standardized test-taker, and was last fall admitted ED-1 to his top-choice school.”
--CW, mother of JW
“My son really enjoyed working with Cole! We were a little late getting started with the college essay writing and SAT test prep process. But Cole gave my son a realistic and clear timeline to help get him going. His straightforward approach and honest feedback is just what we needed. I would highly recommend Cole!”
--AM, mother of JM
“Our very intelligent son, Bryan, developed a writing block and became unable to complete an essay on his own. We hired Cole and saw immediate results. On several occasions, Cole worked late into the night with Bryan. All essays received A’s or A minuses. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Cole rescued Bryan’s high school career.”
--Mother of Bryan, The Branson School
“Cole helped my daughter write essays for UCs and for financial aid. He also helped her prepare for the ACT. She got into UC Berkeley!”
--Nancy K
“Cole had a very positive impact on my daughter who was struggling to get started and express herself in a way that really conveyed her unique personality and spirit. He patiently helped her brainstorm several ideas and together they refined one into a polished essay that suits her to a "T." His optimism and encouragement gave her the momentum she needed.”
--Carolyn W, mother of LW
“Frankly, my daughter, who has ADHD, was lost during the application process. Cole helped her write amazing essays in addition to helping her improve her ACT scores.”
--Melinda E; AE committed to UCSB
“I am absolutely ecstatic, as I got into Berkeley with a declared major in Physics! Cole, thanks so much for your help.”
--David F, UC Berkeley
“Last November, I read great reviews about Cole Filipek while browsing online. After one phone call to him I was convinced that he would be the perfect coach to proofread and critique my daughter's essays before she submitted her college applications. She met him a few times and also connected through Skype. Cole is an amazing tutor and made sure my daughter worked diligently on her essays in a timely manner. She was less stressed and got into many top colleges. I highly recommend Cole because he is very professional, has a positive attitude, and loves his job.”
--Meera R; LR committed to Case Western
“In 2015, my daughter applied to many schools. We used several writing tutors before we met Cole. I only wish that Cole was the first tutor I contacted. They worked successfully together for many hours. He helped her brainstorm and edit her essays, and he made sure that her essays were top quality. With Cole’s help, she got into her top choice schools, including Georgia Tech, Case Western, and RPI.”
--AK, father of AK
“Cole has been a vital part of our son’s learning experience over the last 4 years. From the get go, Cole established a fantastic working relationship with our son and our family. Over the years, Cole has developed a keen understanding of our son’s learning strengths and challenges. He pushes our son to be a more thoughtful writer and he is helping him master a full range of topics including Spanish and Science in addition to English and History. Not only is Cole incredibly dependable, but he keeps our son focused on key learning priorities for the duration of their tutoring hour. We appreciate Cole’s direct communication style and how he challenges our son to invest more time and thought into his academics. As parents, we’ve come to rely on Cole’s sound advice about school selections and academic and extra-curricular choices.”
--Sarah L, mother of AL
“Cole worked with both my sons during the summer and fall of their senior years in high school. He relates very well to kids of that age, they looked forward to working with him, and the results were excellent. My eldest son was accepted at a number of "reach" schools, I think in large part because of his strong essays. Cole not only helped with the writing but also choosing topics and working toward a deadline. I have two more younger kids and will definitely have them work with Cole when they apply to school.”
--Kevin C
“Cole and Esteban worked at school and in our home. After a year of tutoring with Cole, Esteban was a better student, a better writer, and was much more organized. Now he's helping Carlos as well.”
--LP, mother of Esteban P and Carlos P
“Cole helped me understand math better! He's a great tutor!”
--Kevin M, Laney College
“Hi Cole,
I hope you are having a good weekend. I wanted to let you know that I just received an acceptance letter from Stanford. I am really excited about this opportunity.
Thank you for all your help with the ACT, the essays, and continuing to push me out of my comfort zone when we talk about poems. You have been a huge help.”
--WR, Stanford
“Mays improved a lot during his time with Cole. We are very thankful for Cole's hard work!”
--EG, mother of Mays
“Cole tutored several of our 8th graders during the 2014-2015 school year with the After School Program. He helped them practice their essay writing, complete their math homework, and hone their studying skills. I know that all of his students went on to good schools and several had their pick of where to go. What made students happy to work with Cole was that he was approachable and friendly while he helped them. Though the results were definitely what parents look for, what leaves a lasting impression with me was that his students were happy to spend time with him. Many students expressed joy and excitement before going to their tutoring sessions, though they would be working on homework and essay writing. A few of his students would come back from their session with him and show me their newly tuned essay with pride. He helped many of his students find a love of learning, and gave them inspiration to take more agency in their learning. Cole is a great tutor!”
--Caroline Jones, After School Program Coordinator, St. Paul's Middle School
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Cole really that good at personal statements?
A: He has enough tips, tricks, advice, and editing acumen to get his students through any number of admission essays, supplementary materials, and scholarship applications.
Q: How much are his tutoring services? Can you explain the pricing schedule?
A: He charges per hour and prices based on need. He also offers essay and college guidance packages that will cover a student through the entire application process.
Q: Will he help students online or through email?
A: Yes, but Cole believes that in-person interaction and discussion is the best way to produce flow and faciliate deep thinking. Results are not guaranteed for online help.
Q: How many sessions does it take to complete one 500-word essay?
A: It depends on many factors. Cole recommends multiple revisions (and even multiple editors). A great personal statement takes time. Many students submit a personal statement that is less than their best effort because they skip the necessary revisions and/or write their essays at the last moment.
Q: Will Cole write an essay for me?
Absolutely not. Your original words and thoughts are far more unique, interesting, and desireable than those of the tutor.
Q: When should my student begin writing his/her personal statement?
A: Cole recommends that the process be commenced during the summer before one's senior year.
Q: Does he guarantee that the student will get into [school of choice]?
A: No. However, Cole guarantees that you or your loved one will produce an excellent essay.
Q: Will Cole provide workshops for teachers or for large groups of students?
A: Yes and yes; he has strategies and scaffolds for large and small groups. Get in contact with him for more information.
About This Website
This website was put together and is maintained by Gorlan Yuen, a former student of Cole's. He received personal statement mentoring through Cole and attended UC Berkeley from 2010 to 2014. He has dabbled with various web technologies and is now spending most of his time studying and working with Big Data.
