Testimonials: students and professionals

Ms. Higgins assisted me with my AP essays and so then I asked her to help me brainstorm for my college application essays.  It turned out to be a very enjoyable pro She is also amazing with grammar and punctuation!  All of this is amounted to getting an acceptance into my dream school!

A. Macias, Stanford 2026

We worked with Deirdre on a book editing project in 2022, which included 30 separate narratives of architects from different countries. She was very professional and patient. She went beyond the simple copy-editing and tried to understand the background of each of the authors in order to do proper editing. Deirdre made suggestions on content to improve the style of the book.  I highly recommend her for your next project.  Angus L.

Ms.Higgins’ tutoring sessions were more than just English tutoring. She never taught in an easy way (read essay, correct it, I get a straight A, and everyone is happy ever after). Instead, she dived into my problems in writing essays, provided me thorough comments on each essay and allowed me to finish the correction.My English skills have been significantly improved and I have overcome great academic obstacles.  

Andy Zhu,  Berkeley 2025

I got into the University of Pennsylvania-- thank you, Ms. Higgins!

Jacob T. , Class of 2025

Rhetorical precision is very important for academic writing, and it is especially challenging for international students and professionals. Deirdre was incredibly patient and efficient with my revisions. She helped not only with my Personal Statements but also with my short stories since I was applying for an MFA degree in film directing. She tweaked my wording and explained the culture to me to make my stories flow authentically to the readers. With her effective revisions of my application materials, I was successfully enrolled at my dream institute, AFI Conservatory. 

Qiyu Zhou, American Film Institute

Deirdre Higgins is an amazing editor! I needed editing for my 125 page dissertation and Deirdre came recommended to me from a friend at USC. She meticulously went over each page of my dissertation to make sure grammar, syntax, organization, and punctuation were accurate. She was highly professional, and she got the corrections back to me quickly.  

 Christopher Keating, PhD University of Oregon, Applied Physics

I was struggling with completing my dissertation on Creativity and Teaching K-12  while at the same time teaching.  It was difficult after so many years of research and writing to get an objective eye on what needed to be cut.  Deirdre Higgins came to my rescue.  Quickly, she was able to edit  132 pages.  I think she knows every grammatical rule in the book, too!      Anna B.  

 Deirdre helped my son craft each idea into a compelling story. She articulated ways for him to improve the essays and how to infuse them with his passion, struggle, and pride. In the end, his character shone through, resulting in acceptances from  UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, and Harvey Mudd College.           

      Lei Wang, high school parent 

I got into Georgia Tech (class of 2027) and was helped by working with Ms. Higgins.  Each week she would push me a little further to deepen my essays.  Hard work but well worth it!     Nathan

I hired Deirdre to edit a book in 2022 and was very glad of it. She is an amazing writer and editor. Her understanding of tone and structure, as well as her impeccably concise wording, come through from the get-go. I highly recommend her for any literary work!  

Raffi T., MD

Working with Ms. Higgins was one of the best experiences, and I was so fortunate to have learned so much from her. From our first meeting to our last she was constantly trying to get to know me better personally in order to help bring out the best in my college application essays. I worked with her throughout my entire college process and was not rejected from a single school (so far)! I got into my dream school (the University of Michigan) and many others, and a crucial part of those acceptances were my essays. I am so grateful for her endless help and would not have gotten through the application process without her! C.M. 

University of Michigan 2027

Deirdre has been a fantastic writing tutor for my daughter. She was able to expertly guide her through the process of writing college application essays.  She is incredibly diligent about reinforcing grammar rules.  My daughter loved working with Deirdre and her writing has improved tremendously-- and she will be attending Wesleyan in the fall of 2022.

Katerina D., Harvard Westlake Parent

I  was admitted to UPenn, Emory, Boston College, and Northeastern, and several of these schools noted a key part of their decision was the way I expressed myself in my essays. I attribute a large part of my success to Ms. Higgins. She made an emphasis to preserve my distinct “writer’s voice”, pulling the key details of each of my experiences into effective essays that showed different parts of my personality. She is incredibly down to earth and genuine, which makes it so easy to run through ideas with her and get constructive feedback! Once I made the main decisions and wrote out my drafts, Ms. Higgins was always able to help polish it and fit it into the word count while maintaining the essence of the story. I will always recommend Ms. Higgins: she is a master at her craft!  

Michael G. University of Pennsylvania 2026

 Deirdre was patient and supportive while brainstorming with me to choose topics for my college application essays, and made sound recommendations that helped me develop clear essays that brought out the best in me.

Liza P.,  Vanderbilt University class of 2024

Thanks to Ms. Higgins, I was able to write several  narrative for my application essays that reflected perfectly who I am.  It was a long process but well worth the time and effort.  I am grateful for her encouragement and assistance all through the process! 

Sarah H.   Brown University 2026

Deirdre is wonderful! I could not recommend her more highly. She has worked with my kids  on  college application essays. She is a great mentor for young people who are looking to convey their unique thoughts on their applications for college or graduate school and she is a mom of teens.

Darby B., parent of Maeve 

University of Michigan, class of 2023

Thanks to Ms. Higgins I was accepted into NYU and University of Chicago (my two top choice schools!)

Kerry NYU Class of  2027

Deirdre has been wonderful helping me with my grad school application essays. She is very patient and returns comments on the essays in a very timely manner. She really helped me out with restructuring my essay and with grammar checking. I felt much more confident with submitting my application.  I have gotten into my dream school. I truly believe Deirdre is one of the main reasons I stood out as an applicant.               

Nan Jian, USC 2023

Leonard Davis School of Gerontology 

My experience with Deirdre was like no other. She supported me through the entire writing process for my Common Application essay and then for my SOP for grad school. By pinpointing the exact components of my essay that were lacking, she helped me make strides towards crafting a cohesive narrative. She was able to help me strengthen the message of my essay and find my unique writing voice.  I highly recommend her to anyone seeking guidance on their application essays!     

Ethan S., University of California, Berkeley, MBA class of  2023

I hired Deirdre to edit my Masters thesis in Nursing Administration. As anyone who has taken on such an endeavor can tell you, the bar is very high for what is an acceptable amount of format and grammatical errors. Deirdre was very thorough in editing, and she vastly improved the clarity of my thesis. In the end I got very good comments back on my thesis; they actually commented on the clarity of the work. That came from Deirdre's detailed editing skills. I would definitely hire her again.  

Cindy Bitterman, RN, MSN         

I used WriteWell when I was working on my Statement of Purpose Essay for Grad School. Deirdre Higgins was helpful in brainstorming with me because I wasn’t sure what the most effective way to express my thoughts. My SOP turned out beautifully, rich with details.

Leslie H., Columbia University School of Social Work, 2021

I took Deirdre's course "Building a Bridge to Graduate Studies" in USC's Masters Preparation Program. Deirdre provided us with comprehensive guidance on each step of the process, including topics about university selections, essay writing, and interviews. And she carefully reviewed and helped polish my personal statement essay. With that essay and the skills she taught me, I applied and got into the Post-baccalaureate Studies Program at Columbia University! Those skills are still helping me now in my applications for MA in economics programs. For students who need help to build a bridge to your dream school, I highly recommend Deirdre's services.      Yinjie Wu      

Columbia University 2018                

University of Southern California, MA Economics   2022

As a final year student from Germany I traveled to California to do research for my master thesis. For my qualitative interviews Deirdre Higgins helped me with English vocabulary, grammatical structure and a good strategy to use for interview questions. Deirdre Higgins is a personable teacher who has lots of patience. I appreciate her advice.            

Ulrich Martens, University of Munich 

 I am an ophthalmologist, from Egypt. Deirdre Higgins had been my teacher at UCLA so when I needed help years later while I was writing a newsletter in English for my medical students, I hired her. With Deirdre, I was able to make my writing more clear and precise. I learned many useful grammar and writing tips from her.    Ghada Zein El-Abedin Rajab Menoufia University Hospital  Pediatric and strabismus fellow, Stein Eye Institutey