Our Proprietary Two‑Pass Review Approach
If you are familiar with our review model, please go to "Order Your Essay Review" at the bottom of this post to place your order.
Our method is the result of years of refinement and mirrors how selective colleges evaluate essays: two independent reviewers, two distinct perspectives, one polished final product. Our proprietary process helps students elevate their writing while preserving their unique voice.
First Pass — Creative & Structural Review
Two trained creative writers (from institutions such as Stanford, Penn, Duke, Brown, Vanderbilt, and Villanova) independently review your essay for:
clarity of story
voice and tone
narrative structure
specificity and reflection
emotional resonance
avoidance of clichés and generalities
You receive detailed inline comments plus a summary explaining what works, what doesn’t, and how to strengthen the essay.
Second Pass — Technical & Presentation Review
A different reviewer, who does not see the first‑pass comments, performs a full editorial review:
grammar, syntax, and flow
clarity and conciseness
sentence‑level refinement
punctuation and formatting
plagiarism check
final polish for submission
This independence is a defining feature of our proprietary system. It ensures the second pass is unbiased and focused solely on the quality of the revised draft.
Turnaround Time
48 hours for the First Pass
48 hours for Second Pass
Faster turnaround available during peak season (Aug–Oct)
Who Reviews Your Essays
Our reviewers include:
creative writers trained at Stanford, Penn, Duke, Brown, and Villanova.
experienced editors with deep knowledge of college admissions writing
a lead counselor (Rajkamal Rao) who oversees operations using 30 years of management consulting, creative writing, and editorial experience.
Every essay is reviewed by real humans who understand what admissions offices look for and who were themselves accomplished in their writing skills to obtain admission to elite institutions.
What Types of Essays We Review
We review all major essay types:
Common App Personal Statement (650 words)
Texas A& M Main Essay (ApplyTexas Topic A)
University of California Personal Insight Question (PIQ) essays
Supplemental and short-answer responses from all colleges
Scholarship essays
Honors program essays
Graduate school Statements of Purpose (SOPs)
Resumes (expanded‑form and activity lists)
Pricing
If you are familiar with our pricing, please go to "Order Your Essay Review" at the bottom of this post to place your order.
Our pricing is simple and based on the official word limit set by the institution.
To estimate your cost, divide your essay’s word count by 50. This gives you the number of units you will purchase.
Here’s a quick reference table:
50 words = 1 unit
100 words = 2 units
150 words = 3 units
200 words = 4 units
250 words = 5 units
300 words = 6 units
350 words = 7 units
400 words = 8 units
450 words = 9 units
500 words = 10 units
550 words = 11 units
600 words = 12 units
650 words = 13 units
700 words = 14 units
750 words = 15 units
You may submit an essay that exceeds the stated limit by up to 5%.
Anything beyond that moves into the next pricing band. If your essay is
shorter than the stated word limit, we still price it using the official
word count for that prompt.
Estimate Your Essay Review Cost
If you are familiar with our review model, please go to the next section to place your order.
Download our multi‑essay calculator to estimate your total cost based on the official word count for each essay. When you click the link, Google will create your own editable copy for use on your computer.
This tool allows you to:
Enter all of your essay requirements in one place
Automatically calculate units and estimated cost for each essay
Track the status of every essay through our two‑pass review cycle
Stay organized with a clean, color‑coded workflow
It’s the easiest way to understand your total essay workload and plan your review budget.
Order Your Essay Review
Click on the links below to order your product. Each link takes you to a PayPal button.
- Full Service (First Pass + Second Pass): $29 per unit (50 words)
- First Pass Only: $22 per unit (50 words)
- Second Pass Only: $12 per unit (50 words)
- Repeat Pass: $18 per unit (50 words)
- Resume Review: $189 flat
A full Common App essay review (650 words) costs $377 for both passes.
Refunds: We understand that plans can change, so we offer a full refund (less credit card processing fees, typically 3-4%) if we have not yet begun reviewing an essay. Otherwise all sales are final.
To avoid this charge, please consider paying by Zelle instead of on the PayPal site:
Phone number: 682-772-8749 or Email address: rajkamal.rao@raoadvisors.com or registered Zelle Tag: RaoAdvisors.
If you want to request a refund, please contact us on WhatsApp within two hours of purchase. Or by email at rajkamal.rao@raoadvisors.com or bhagyashri.k.rao@raoadvisors.com.
A Note About Rao Advisors Premium Services
Our promise is to empower you with high-quality, ethical and free advice via this website. But parents and students often ask us if they can engage with us for individual counseling sessions.
Individual counseling is part of the Premium Offering of Rao Advisors and involves a fee. Please contact us for more information.
