Testimonials
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Caroline is awesome! I worked with her through many virtual meetings, and although our connection was through a screen, she remained extremely approachable. I felt comfortable spewing out my ideas, many of which she questioned me about, leading us to several amazing and original essay topics that I couldn't have thought of alone. She isn't afraid to say when something doesn't seem right and was extremely picky about my writing. But, after constant revisions to my essays, I am confident in saying that they were THE BEST pieces I've ever written. Even when I misread the maximum word count on one of my supplemental prompts and needed to double the length of my essay in just one day, she was there to help me out in the midst of my crisis. In addition to some extraordinary college application essays, I genuinely feel that my writing style has changed for the better. Having further explored my voice, I now have more confidence in my writing abilities.
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I cannot say enough about Caroline! She helped my older son with test prep & both his high school & college essays. Both times my son was accepted at his first choice (& college was Early Decision). My favorite thing about Caroline is how she pushed my son to really find his authentic voice. She's a sounding board & proofreader who also helps set goals to keep on track from a timing perspective. Now she is working with my younger son on test prep & high school essays. We all feel incredibly lucky to have found Caroline!
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It is important to get the word out about how great a tutor/teacher Caroline is. We have used her for all 4 of our kids, from HS papers, college essays and also at the college level. She has an amazing ability to get right down to the level of each child and really draw out ideas and writing styles that have expanded my kids' writing ability into adulthood. They love to write! I am so thankful for Caroline and all she has done for my children. I highly recommend Caroline to anyone. She is an amazing educator.
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Working with Caroline was one of the best decisions I've ever made. She helped me improve my ACT score when no one else could, and gave me all the necessary help to write successful college essays. She's easy to get along with and provides a very comfortable learning environment. I strongly recommend going to Caroline for any English or writing related needs.
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She is fabulous!! We were referred to her for ACT test prep/strategies, and for assistance with college application essays. My daughter saw her for some one-on-one tutoring, and also a small group session. Caroline's depth of knowledge and experience with standardized testing was invaluable. My daughter quickly developed a connection with Caroline and loved working with her which took so much of the "pain" out of the entire process. My daughter's ACT test scores absolutely improved as a direct result. Caroline's summer, small group, essay writing workshop also inspired and motivated my daughter.
Prior to the workshop she was having difficulty getting her essays started and developed beyond just ideas. In the end they came out great. Recently, a college admissions person from one of my daughter's "top choice schools" sent her a hand written note describing how moved he was by her essay. We are grateful to Caroline and have NO hesitation recommending her to anyone. I will definitely be contacting her again when my two younger children go through the college application process! -
Caroline helped all of my kids (3, 2 boys and a girl) with their test prep and most importantly their college essays. All of my children liked working with her and found her assistance invaluable. They all wrote great essays (and they wrote them, she guided and edited only) for their applications and got in to great schools.
She also tutored them with AP English and ACT test prep and was equally skilled in helping them navigate through all the ins and out. They never complained and to this day speak highly of her and her guidance. Speaking as a parent she is communicative and very professional.
One of the best in Marin. -
I highly recommend Caroline for assistance in any kind of English/writing situation. Through the years, she has helped me with AP exam preparation, college essay writing, and most recently, the GRE. For both of those exams, my score increased dramatically after spending just a short amount of time with Caroline. She is brilliant and patient, incredibly thorough and approachable, and genuinely made me proud of my writing!
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Early on [in the college application process], my daughter and I had a few tense moments, but it quickly became apparent that the two of you had it under control. She made all scheduled dates with time to spare. Discussing the experience with her, she commented that you struck a nice balance in supporting her, but never taking over or overriding her during the process. She understands that you provided her invaluable support, but at the same time is extremely proud of her essays. You allowed her to own the process, the end result!
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Working with Ms. Hanssen throughout my college application process was one of the best decisions I have ever made. She was there with me every step of the way helping me write essays, tackle standardized testing strategies, and more. I don't think that I could have gotten into my top choice school without her. She was a joy to work with
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Caroline Hanssen has played an integral role in all my children’s lives. My oldest child started seeing Caroline in the fall of 2006 when he was a sophomore in high school. He was not a strong writer and he knew that it was necessary to improve his writing to not only be successful in high school but in college as well. As a result of her help, he was able to pursue a journalism career at the Bark for two years while at Redwood. Caroline also helped to make the transition from high school writing to the much more demanding college level writing needs, something that any parent with college students will tell you is not easy.
Caroline was able to make this happen through her dedication to the simple goal of improving the writing and English skills of whomever she meets with. One way she is able to accomplish this is through her cooperative and courteous manner. Although she is busy, her schedule is flexible, allowing for meetings to be made within a week’s notice. She never in my 6 years of knowing her has ever seemed rushed or overwhelmed. She is always able to connect with students on a level different than any other tutor.
Caroline truly understands that your child is there to become a better writer, but in a very encouraging and personable way, so it was a natural progression for my two daughters to start seeing her as well. Caroline is very hands-on as a tutor. She has a great rapport with teens and helps them find their voice. She is able to communicate to teens to work for their own satisfaction, not just complete an assignment to finish it.
Caroline is especially knowledgeable and has versatility in many areas: journalism, college application essays, SAT/ACT prep (excellent in critical reading and writing segments), even a graduation speech. She also assisted my daughter in writing an appeal letter for college admission, which only had a 1% chance of admission. The appeal letter was successful and my daughter was granted admission to that college! She is an exceptional asset when it comes to writing essays for college applications. She has a great understanding for what colleges are looking for in the personal statements. She guides the student wonderfully through the college essay development, which can be a very stressful process.
She has worked with all three of my children in all of these areas, and has taught them skills to flourish in college. Even with two children in college miles away she is still accessible to them, which is very comforting for a parent. She goes above and beyond any of my expectations. -
College Prep: Caroline is AWESOME! She worked with our M.C. daughter on her college essays. She was adamant that the wording needed to be done in our daughter's voice, they had to be her experiences, and she worked and was able to bring the best examples and writing out of her. It was surprising how well-written our daughter's essays were, and the wording matched her grades. There were 3 colleges where our daughter had lower GPA and test scores, yet she was accepted while others were not. Perhaps colleges are looking for the "entire" student, and with Caroline's guidance our daughter got there. My only regret, we should have used her for SAT/ACT prep.
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I was struggling in my AP Comp class and Caroline was SO helpful, truly the answer to my prayers. She was so encouraging and really helped me improve my take home essays and my in-class work. As well, she really helped me prepare for the AP exam which I did really well on!!
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I highly recommend Caroline Hanssen's summer essay program. This program really gives students a leg up. Our daughter's regular school year was much less stressful because she had covered so much ground with her college essays at Caroline's workshop. Caroline has a great way of coaxing an authentic story out of kids and helps them feel good about themselves. The summer essay program was supportive and collaborative. Our daughter participated in the summer program and individual appointments. Both experiences were very positive for her and money well spent for us!
