How to Create an Original Essay Topic

Education

Dartmouth College, CU Boulder

Bio

Hello! I am a writer, editor, and violinist, and for the past eight years I've coached students through the college application process.

In the 2022-2023 application cycle, my students received admission from Stanford, Columbia, Duke, Northwestern, UVA, Carnegie Mellon, Tufts, Bates, Vanderbilt, Case Western Reserve, and many others.

When I was in college (Dartmouth '16), I became interested in creative writing. During my time there, I won the student awards for best Short Story and Best Creative Work. I also founded the campus literary magazine. In the years since, my essays and fiction have been published in esteemed literary magazines including Gulf Coast, CRAFT Literary, and The Offing. A full list of my publications and awards can be found at my personal website, robbieherbst.com.

After graduating from Dartmouth, I channelled my passion for writing and editing into the world of admissions, and I began working with rising high school seniors in 2016. Since then, I've worked with all sorts of students including transfers, veterans, students applying for medical/graduate school, students taking gap years, as well as more traditional undergraduate applicants. The breadth of my writing experience has given me insights into the editorial process, and I know my students benefit from it.

In my parallel life, I am a violinist, and I play with a number of groups in and around the Chicago area. I graduated from CU Boulder with my Masters of Music in 2019 and my Artist Diploma in 2021.