Essay editing that polishes your writing and keeps your voice

Two kinds of essay, two different light touches

Coursework essays are assessed work, so editing is deliberately light. We correct language errors and use comments to point out unclear sentences or missing links in your argument. You make the substantive changes, which keeps the essay entirely yours and within most universities’ rules. If you want feedback on argument and structure before editing, our essay feedback service is the place to start.

Application essays are judged partly on voice, so a heavy-handed edit can do real damage. Admissions readers want to hear a seventeen-year-old or a prospective PhD student, not a professional editor. Our edits fix errors and our comments help you make your own story clearer and more specific.

What our essay editors look for

• Does the opening paragraph state a clear position or, for application essays, draw the reader in?
• Does each paragraph have one main idea, and does the first sentence signal it?
• Are there sentences a reader would need to read twice?
• Are quotations introduced, cited correctly and explained?
• Does the conclusion add something rather than repeat the introduction?
• Is the referencing style applied consistently?

For admissions essays we add questions specific to the genre: is the example concrete, does the essay answer the actual prompt, and would it be memorable among hundreds of others? Longer application coaching is available through college essay help and personal statement help.

Our editors also note when an essay is under or over the word count, and where it could be trimmed without losing substance. Cutting thirty words from a 650-word application essay is often harder than writing it, and a second reader can spot the redundant phrase you have stopped noticing.

Proofreading your own essay first

Before sending anything, a few checks will make the edit more useful:

1. Leave the essay for at least a few hours, then read it aloud.
2. Check one thing at a time: first spelling, then citations, then paragraph openings.
3. Read the last paragraph first, then work backwards; it stops you skimming.
4. Run a spellchecker, but do not accept every suggestion.

AI checkers can help with obvious slips, but check your course policy first, since some institutions restrict their use on assessed work.

These steps will not catch everything, especially problems of clarity, because you know what you meant to say and your brain fills in the gaps. That blind spot is the reason a second reader is valuable, and the reason our comments focus on what a stranger would find confusing.

Timing and what to send

Send the essay, the prompt or question, the word limit and, for coursework, the marking criteria and referencing style. Short essays and personal statements are usually returned in one to two working days. If your deadline is very close, say so in your quote request and we will tell you honestly what is possible.

For application essays with several drafts ahead, sending an early version for comments and a later one for a final edit usually works better than one last-minute pass.

Why we comment instead of rewrite

An essay that has been rewritten by someone else is no longer a fair test of the student, and admissions readers are increasingly good at spotting a polished adult voice in a teenager’s essay. Keeping substantive changes in the margin protects you on both counts. It also means you finish each essay knowing a little more about how to edit your own work, which is a skill you will use for every essay after this one. Our academic integrity page explains the same principle across all our services.

How it works

1. Describe your project

   Level, deadline and what you need help with.

2. Agree a written scope

   What's included, the price and the timeline.

3. Work in stages

   Check-ins so you can steer the work.

4. Review and ask

   Explanations and follow-up questions included.

Frequently asked questions