About This Service

Eric Gudas, Ph.D., English, UCLA

For high school seniors, transfer candidates, and those applying to graduate or professional programs, the period for crafting application essays and personal statements has arrived. My past students have gained admission to a wide range of prestigious institutions, including Stanford, Brown, Columbia, Princeton, NYU, Yale, UCLA (for undergraduate majors, Law School, and the graduate Nursing program), Cornell, USC, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, UVA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Washington University in St. Louis, Georgia Tech, UIUC, University of Washington, and numerous others.

Essays produced by artificial intelligence can negatively impact your application with admissions committees. My role is to assist you in composing essays that authentically reflect your voice. One recent client noted, \"Dr. Gudas encouraged me to write essays that contained my true self, enabling me to demonstrate to colleges who I am.\" With over a decade of experience, I have successfully guided students through the college and graduate/professional school admissions essay process.

To begin developing your application essay strategies, you can schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Reach out to me via aaalist or visit my website at gudasessays.com to learn more about my services and use the contact page provided. I possess extensive familiarity with UC Personal Insight Questions, Common Application essays, supplemental essay prompts, and the common personal statement and diversity statement topics for graduate and professional schools.

Feedback from Recent Clients and Former Students

• \"Dr. Gudas assisted me with my summer program applications, college essays, and waitlist correspondence. I strongly recommend him for any application need. Beyond correcting clarity and grammatical errors, he provided immensely helpful content-based suggestions for my essays. Dr. Gudas understands how to deconstruct each prompt and address common essay types, like the \'Why This College?\' essay. I valued every session I scheduled with him. He demonstrates genuine care for each student, and I am deeply appreciative of his kindness and support.\" — Student, Princeton University, class of 2029

• \"Dr. Gudas was exceptionally helpful not only with finer details such as wording, structure, and grammar but also in providing a deeper comprehension of how to approach writing from the outset. He managed to reveal how much I had yet to learn about writing in the most positive and encouraging manner. Collaborating with him boosted my confidence as a writer, extending well beyond my college essays. I highly recommend him.\" — Student, UC Berkeley (Data Science), class of 2029

• \"Your guidance, particularly on my Common Application essay, was priceless. I am thankful for your help in shaping my application.\" — Jonathan Z, Cornell student, class of 2028

• \"Dr. Gudas guided me through writing my Common Application main essay. With his help, I gained admission to several top universities, including UCLA, UT Austin, UIUC, NEU, OSU, UCSB, and UCSD. He is exceptionally patient and professional, always attentively listening to my ideas and skillfully inspiring my creativity to help me develop a unique writing style. I greatly admire the final version of the main essay we revised together; it is sincere and emotionally resonant. As a Chinese student, I highly recommend Dr. Gudas. He consistently communicates with me in clear, understandable English tailored to my speaking level. Our intellectual exchange faced no barriers, resulting in a truly outstanding essay.\" — Student, UCLA (Environmental Science), class of 2029

• \"The task of writing college admission essays, which require students to thoughtfully articulate their identity and worldview, can be daunting. Dr. Gudas served as an outstanding writing coach for our daughter throughout the demanding college admissions essay process. If you seek someone who will teach your child how to generate ideas, break down the writing process, strengthen grammar, and refine tone and pacing—all while empowering the student to take the lead with his supportive guidance—then Dr. Gudas is the expert you need. In retrospect, we are profoundly grateful we found him. He did more than assist with essays; he taught our daughter invaluable lessons in critical thinking and writing—skills that will benefit her far beyond college admissions and throughout her future career.\" — Parent of student, University of Michigan, School of Pharmacy, class of 2029

• \"Dr. Gudas\'s crucial role during the application process was a major factor in my acceptance into a top-tier Master of Science in Nursing program at my dream school. His expertise in the craft of writing and his professionalism are unparalleled, and he will be my primary collaborator for future writing projects.\" — Julie, UCLA Master of Science in Nursing student, class of 2026

• \"Eric Gudas significantly helped me refine my college application essays. He enhanced my understanding of the prompts and how to better address them, while guiding me to identify and develop the weaker sections of my essay to create a strong, cohesive piece of writing. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and anticipate future collaboration.\" — Faith, UC Berkeley student, class of 2026

• \"Dr. Gudas assisted me in reviewing and strengthening my Common Application and UC essays, as well as essays for my AP English class. I was ultimately accepted to UCLA, USC, UCI, UCSB, and other colleges. Without Dr. Gudas\'s help, my college application essays would not have been as polished. During our sessions, he genuinely helps you comprehend the prompts and discover your own ways to respond. He is also adept at correcting grammar and improving sentence structure. Furthermore, Dr. Gudas has a wonderful personality and is a pleasure to work with. I would recommend him to anyone seeking writing assistance, especially with college application essays.\" — Jason Ni, UCLA student, class of 2027

• \"Dr. Gudas helped me achieve a score of 4 on the AP Language Test. Within a few months, I progressed from not understanding the test structure and struggling to write compelling arguments to feeling confident in both areas. Regarding college essays, I received detailed feedback each week during our reviews. Dr. Gudas helped me distill the most important aspects of my experiences to craft the essays that secured my admission to my desired schools (UCI, UCSB, UCSC, UCD).\" — Sophia T, UC Irvine, class of 2028

• \"Dr. Gudas provided immense help throughout the college essay writing process, from initial concept to final polish. He is understanding, his comments and suggestions are insightful, and his eye for grammar and syntax is excellent. Dr. Gudas helped me produce no fewer than four outstanding essays that contributed to my acceptance to many colleges. Importantly, he encouraged me to write essays that contained my authentic self, allowing me to show colleges who I am. His assistance is one of the reasons I am attending college today, and he is an exceptional individual and writer.\" — Pierce, University of Florida student, class of 2027

• \"We sincerely appreciate your help with our son\'s college essay writing. After working with you, he began to invest genuine effort into his writing. As I read his drafts at various stages, I started to appreciate the value of essay writing as a component of the college application. I am grateful you guided him through this process. Your guidance will have a lasting impact on him. I also listened to your podcast and found valuable advice for parents.\" — Parent of UC Davis student, class of 2027

• \"Eric Gudas advised me throughout the graduate school application process for an M.F.A. program. His feedback on my Personal Statement and Personal History and Diversity Statement was crucial to my admission to three of the four programs I applied to. As an experienced teacher and academic, Eric is attuned to the nuances of higher education, so his suggestions ensured my application materials would resonate with the intended audience.\" — Olivia Soule, M.F.A., Creative Writing, University of Nevada at Reno, class of 2018

• \"Dr. Gudas not only helped refine my writing but was also instrumental in shaping my ideas into a well-considered essay. I feel fortunate to have found Dr. Gudas for my graduate school personal statement and look forward to collaborating with him on future writing projects.\" — Simran Phadnis, UCLA Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology B.S., class of 2019

• \"Dr. Gudas was my Freshman year English professor at UCLA. His teaching approach is distinctive because he genuinely seeks to understand you and your narrative when revising your papers. Instead of merely checking for spelling or grammar errors, he challenged me in ways that encouraged thinking outside the box, fostering my growth as a writer.\" — Franca Park, UCLA Psychobiology B.S., class of 2019