First-year, transfer, and law school applicants
College admissions consulting, with your voice in every essay.
Founder-led by Angelika · UCLA graduate · J.D., Loyola Law School
Based in Los Angeles. Working with families nationwide.
The founder
One editor, every client
Proof & Polish is one editor, not an agency. Angelika founded the practice and reads every draft herself.
The roster stays small, so she knows your schools, your deadlines, your draft history. Nothing gets handed off.
The person who plans the strategy is the person who reads draft four.
More about AngelikaCore services
Choose your starting point
College Admissions Consulting
School list strategy, a working timeline, positioning, oversight of every application piece from junior year to submission.
See the consulting pageCollege Essay Coaching
Personal statements and supplements. The student writes; feedback rounds and live sessions sharpen the draft.
See essay coachingTransfer Admissions Consulting
For community college students planning a transfer: term mapping, the school list, essays that explain the path.
See transfer consultingAlso available: resume and activities list review, interview preparation, scholarship applications, summer programs, hourly consulting, academic writing support. See Other Services
Proof
What clients say
Two clients, quoted word for word.
Proof and Polish Co is so professional, efficient, and a life saver. They helped both my brothers polish up their UC essays. Every step of the way they were communicative with timing, reasons for editing, and additional insight as to what Admissions Offices are looking for. They definitely helped play a large role in getting my brother into UCSD. Highly recommend Proof and Polish Co to anyone prepping essays for applications!
Proof & Polish reviewed my cover letter and resume and presented me with a significantly more polished version of both that felt comfortable sending out to employers.
They also took the time to explain all changes based off successful experiences in the professional field. I didn’t just get the benefit of better work product, I learned how to implement her feedback for future cover letters. Highly recommend!!
The working sequence
How it works
- 01
Discovery
A free call about goals, deadlines, the honest state of things. You leave with a recommendation either way.
- 02
Strategy
A written plan for schools, timeline, essays: what happens when, who does what.
- 03
Drafting and coaching
The student writes. Angelika coaches the thinking, the structure, the order of ideas.
- 04
Review and refinement
Written feedback on each draft, then a session to set priorities. Revise, repeat, as many rounds as the piece needs.
- 05
Final submission preparation
Final reads, consistency checks across documents, support through each submission.
The method
What coaching looks like
Coaching is not ghostwriting. Angelika shows you what to cut, what to move, what to make clearer. Every word stays yours. The Academic Integrity Policy spells out where the line sits.
Demonstration written for this site, not client work
Our school was not really doing enough about the amount of waste we produced every single each day, so I decided to start started a recycling club.
Same idea. Fewer words in the way.
After Our school was not doing enough about the waste we produced each day, so I started a recycling club.
FAQ
Questions families ask
Who do you work with?
First-year applicants, community college transfer students, and law school applicants, along with anyone who needs a resume, a letter, or academic writing coached into shape. Parents often make the first contact; the work happens with the student. Start with Admissions Consulting or Other Services.
When should families begin?
Junior year is a common start, which leaves room for strategy before deadline pressure. A later start still works; the plan just compresses. The consulting page shows a typical timeline.
Do you guarantee admission?
No. Admissions decisions rest with each school. The work strengthens what you submit, but it never buys a decision.
Do you write essays for students?
Never. The student writes every word; Angelika coaches, comments, and edits with the student in control of each change. The Academic Integrity Policy draws the full line.
How many revisions are included?
As many as the piece needs. Send a draft, get written feedback, meet to set priorities, revise, repeat. Scope gets set per engagement on the discovery call.
How quickly can you review an essay?
Most documents come back with written feedback within three to five business days. If a deadline is closer than that, say so in your first message. Essay Coaching covers the full loop.
Do you work with transfer students?
Yes. Community college transfer work is a core specialty with its own page, covering strategy, timelines, and transfer essays.
Do you work nationwide?
Yes. The practice is based in Los Angeles and sessions run on Zoom with families nationwide. More on About.
What happens during a discovery call?
Goals, deadlines, the current state of the work. Angelika recommends a next step, with no pressure to continue. Request it through the intake form.
Ready when you are
Send the form, then watch for a reply within 24 to 48 hours with times for a free discovery call.