Writing coaching for students who want to sound like themselves.
One-to-one help with admissions essays, school papers and graduate applications from John Boochever, who has spent three decades writing for a living. Sessions are in person in the Washington, D.C. area or online.
Why EssayRight?
Admissions readers and professors see more AI-written essays every year. Writing that sounds like a real person now stands out.
AI is everywhere
Students increasingly rely on AI to generate text. The result is generic, formulaic writing that admissions officers and professors spot immediately.
Voice is vanishing
When every essay sounds the same, originality becomes the most valuable quality a student can show. Templates and AI strip it away.
EssayRight teaches the alternative
Students learn to think clearly, find what they actually want to say, and write prose that is unmistakably their own. No AI, no shortcuts.
EssayRight does not write essays for students. Edits are given as feedback for the student to act on, so the finished work is original and entirely their own.
Services
Help with the writing students actually face, from school assignments to admissions essays and theses.
- School Assignments
- Essays, term papers, lab reports and class projects, with the fundamentals that carry over to every assignment.
- Admissions Essays
- Personal statements, supplemental essays, and scholarship and fellowship applications. Finding the story worth telling, in the student’s own words.
- Research & Theses
- Research papers, honors theses, capstone projects and dissertations, with a focus on a clear argument and careful analysis.
- Internship & Job Applications
- Cover letters, application essays and resumes that describe real experience plainly and specifically.
- Ongoing Writing Coaching
- Regular sessions for students who want to become stronger writers over time, across any of the above.
Who We Help
Students from middle school through PhD programs, including international students writing in English.
Middle School Students
- Competitive school applications
- Building strong writing habits
- Essays & school assignments
- Finding a confident voice early
High School Students
- College admissions essays
- Scholarship applications
- Personal statements
- AP & IB extended essays
College Students
- Term papers & research papers
- Honors theses
- Fellowship applications
- Internship essays
Graduate Students
- Statements of purpose
- Dissertations & theses
- Grant proposals
- Academic articles
International Students
- English academic voice
- Admissions essays
- Clarity of argument
- Guided by someone who lived it
Professionals
Executive communication, professional writing, presentations and thought leadership are handled by EssayRight's parent firm.
See ProRight →
Meet John Boochever
Founder, EssayRight
John Boochever has spent more than three decades writing for a living. As a partner at Oliver Wyman and Booz Allen Hamilton, clear, persuasive writing was the job: pitching strategies to executives, translating complex ideas into language that moved people to action. He brings that same discipline, and genuine love of good writing, to helping students find their voice.
Born in Luxembourg and educated at international and European schools before attending public high school in the U.S., John has spent 22 years abroad, with professional experience spanning 17 countries across six continents. He has advanced proficiency in French and basic comprehension in Spanish, Dutch, German, and Italian. That firsthand experience navigating languages, cultures, and academic systems gives him a unique ability to help international students find their voice in English.
John has been editing his three children's writing since grade school. Between them, they have collected one PhD, four master's degrees, and three bachelor's degrees across Cornell, Harvard, UC Davis, the University of Vermont, and Lipscomb University. He takes partial credit for the essays.
John is also a guest lecturer at Washington College and a mentor at Higher Achievement, working directly with students on writing and communication skills. He chairs the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, is a Commissioner Emeritus of the National Portrait Gallery, and has served as an elected trustee of Cornell University. He holds advanced degrees from Johns Hopkins SAIS and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and graduated with distinction from Cornell.
Get Started
The first step is a short conversation about what the student is working on and when it's due.
Or email directly: boocheverjohn@gmail.com
In-person in the Washington, D.C. area or virtual anywhere.
Need-based financial aid is available. Just ask.