MAKE YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY MEMORABLE.

The path to your dream university starts with your college application essay.Sure, the format feels unfamiliar, and it isn't easy to make an impression among thousands of applicants. But here's the thing – the college essay is not designed to trip you up. It is an opportunity to tell admissions officers at top universities a crisp and clear story. A real story that sets you apart from the crowd. Your story.If you're an ambitious high schooler with big college plans, take a decisive step towards success with our six-week writing masterclass.Learn how to craft authentic college essays in a compelling voice that is your own.


"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."- Oscar Wilde

Craft your story with award-winning author Payal Kapadia

Payal Kapadia

Good writing is about technique, habit, patience, experience, insight and hard work.I have a master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. I've written for TIME Magazine, The Japan Times and India's Outlook Magazine.My first book, Wisha Wozzariter, won the Crossword Award for Children's Fiction, 2011. I've written seven other books for children and adults, published by Penguin Random House, Bloomsbury, Disney and Pearson. My ninth book will be released by Hachette in 2023. You can find my books for sale on Amazon.When my daughter applied to Yale University, I saw firsthand how she struggled with her college essays – agonising endlessly over what to say and how best to say it. Together, we discovered that the application process is an incredible opportunity for young people to reflect upon how much of their world they know already (instead of stressing about what they're missing). I'd like to empower kids like her to own their stories and tell them.

What is this course about?

This is not where you go to get your essays ghostwritten in a voice that doesn't sound like yours.This is where you come to figure out what makes you you and how to tell your story like no one else can.The outcome of this intensive six-week program is not a ready-to-ship college essay, but the toolkit to write an essay that you can be proud of.Why tell someone else's story when you can tell your own?

LEARN TO FIND YOUR STORY, FIND YOUR VOICE.

KNOW YOUR RAW MATERIAL

WIELD YOUR WORDS

Do you have the right word? More important, do you know when to use it? Your words must be received by your readers as you intended them; they must stand strong without you. Will they?

  • Boost your word supply

  • Create strong metaphors

  • Dance your sentences between stillness and motion

  • Write clean, not pretty

LEARN FROM THE MASTERS

READ LIKE A WRITER

Good readers make good writers. Bach and Michelangelo modeled themselves on other artists. Why should writers be any different?

  • close-read for language, not meaning

  • know how the fiddly bits of a sentence fit

  • develop your own sense of style

  • become alert to your choices as an author

Let your reading guide your writing. After all, you are your own first reader.

SHED YOUR SELF-DOUBT

OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK

Writer's block is nothing but a loss of confidence. How do you find the right story? Where do you even begin to tell it? Let me show you how trust your instincts.

STOP, LOOK & LISTEN

BE AN IDEAS POWERHOUSE

There is more than one way to write your essay.

  • Harness your memory to serve you

  • Sharpen your observation skills

  • Find the most telling details

  • Dive deep and reflect

Figure out where to look for inspiration so you'll never run out of ideas.

ENGAGE YOUR READER

PUT YOURSELF ON THE PAGE

You write for your reader – but do you trust her to understand your story?

  • Be the narrator of your own story

  • Learn when to show, when to tell and when to imply

  • Be interested, not interesting

Inhabit your writing with who you are and let your reader connect the dots.

TRY, TRY AGAIN

REVISION MAKES PERFECT

It's the elephant in the room. Every good author writes drafts – and redrafts. If you know how sentences are put together, you can take them apart. Learn to avoid common word traps, fix your grammar, and pride powerful sentences from poor ones.

WORDIBLE
THE COLLEGE APP WRITING MASTERCLASS
by PAYAL KAPADIA

For high-school students in Grades 10 and 11.
Limited to 10 students per batch.

  • 5 sessions of 2.5 hours each.

  • in-person classes in Mumbai south.

  • introductory fee $600/ ₹50,000 (incl. any applicable taxes).

  • Inquires open for 2024 batches

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. No. What you will have is a powerful toolkit to write your own essays. You will leave with the ingredients of a successful college essay, a clear understanding of language and story, plenty of starter ideas, and the confidence to write in your own voice.
  1. No. This is not an essay ghostwriting service. College admissions officers read thousands of essays and can spot a fake one right away. A ghostwritten essay does not tie in with the rest of your application. Most of all, it is unethical.
  1. Your college counsellor may brainstorm one or two essay ideas with you, but s/he is not equipped to help you figure out what is your best possible story - or how to write it.

  2. It may be helpful to think of this as preparation course or a feeder to the college counselling process to make your application stand out among thousands of others.
  1. This course is capped at 10 students per group, and I am equally invested in each of you. The workshop setting is fun and interactive. It is designed for you to ask questions freely.
  1. Of course, you can change your mind! If you find that this course is not for you, please email your withdrawal request after the first session to receive a refund for the rest of the course.

  3. Refunds and cancellations are not possible thereafter. There will be no refunds for missed sessions.
  1. A limited number of private writing consultations are offered to overseas students at $300 per hour (₹25,000 + GST per hour for India-based students ). I recommend that students complete my course before availing of this service.

  2. As a reminder, I do not provide ghostwriting services. I will guide you on how to tell your most compelling story in your own voice and handle any writing challenges that the college app process and college itself throws at you.

Still have questions? Get in touch over WhatsApp or email.

Hear from our 2023 batch...

This workshop felt like a time in my week where I could explore my thoughts and develop skills I didn’t believe I ever had. These sessions felt like a long conversation and I felt the lesson plan was paced perfectly.Ms. Payal’s approach to teaching me, a science based kid afraid of language as a whole, made me look at English in a way where I was engaged and looking forward to class every week.

Nirvaan Didwania, ABWA, Std 10

These sessions reignited the spark I had for writing from when I first began learning English. The personalised feedback, deep dives into language, analysis of famous writers, and of course, the mid class cake breaks made the sessions as fun as they were educational.I walked out confident, not only with a much better idea of what a good college essay entails, but also with a rediscovered love for the language and the ability to appreciate its specificities.

Dhruv Garg, Oberoi Intl., Std 11

The concepts we covered, the feedback we received and the stories we read took our pieces miles ahead of where they initially were. English has never been my favourite subject, but there was something about the way we learned to deconstruct English and rebuild it sentence by sentence that triggered a curiosity to learn more.

Raya Ispahani, BIS, Std 11

Wordible helped me unlock a fluent pen which I always knew I had but never knew how to use. These fun, creative and cake-filled sessions showed me what it was really like to be a writer.

Veer Sharma, Hill Spring, Std 11

My writing at the start of the workshop emulated that of a bland ChatGPT essay. I can now confidently say that my writing has evolved. From being a rambler, I can present my ideas distinctly. Mrs Kapadia’s intricate insights and elaborate vision, coupled with her vast knowledge and scores of techniques sharpened my writing immensely.

Madhav Kothari, Cathedral, Std 11

Apart from her extensive writing prowess, what sets Ms. Payal apart from other writing workshops, is the personal approach that makes a relatively barren subject, remarkably interesting.Her anecdotes helped me see things from a completely different perspective, conversations with her always hold unique comments, and the mid class dessert was always something I looked forward too.

Rishne Jain, ABWA, Std 11

After doing this class, I’ve started to see writing in a new way. I’ve realized that it’s more of an art form than a random act of genius. A subtle play on words here, or a little left unsaid there, and lying in front of you, you have yourself a ‘profound’ piece of work. Learning concrete skills, such as different sentence structures, was helpful; learning how to reflect on my experiences and write about myself was even more helpful.

Sumer Murthy, Cathedral, Std 12

I loved this class not only because of the things I learned but also because it made me reflect on myself. I think what I loved most about learning to write was the creative way we were taught to think about writing -- Chekhov’s gun, the grain and the pearl, writing being a little door, sitting on the egg.I can now look back on my writing and understand what works and what doesn’t, and most importantly, why.

Vrinda Jhingan, Std 12

Miss Kapadia’s first words to me were: ‘Writing is not natural.' I never realized that. We are born with the ability to speak but have to learn the art of writing. In school, we don’t learn how to write, but rather what to write. In this workshop, we focused on how a certain phrase was written to learn how to craft it ourselves.

Ishaan Iyer, Cathedral, Std 12

Whether you need to hone your skills for college application essays or just want to write better, this workshop is the best place to start.What was palpable from this workshop was Ms. Payal’s love for writing. She spoke in metaphors and used language so vivid, it was entrancing. She made us want to learn more and write better, the tools she gave us during this week have been more helpful than any English class I’ve ever had.

Maanya Shetty, Hill Spring, Std 11

I have seen an immense improvement in my writing skills and I can now write a lot better. I feel so confident about writing after this workshop, and I am sure my essay will leave a lasting impression on the admissions officer of whatever university I apply to.

Mahishi Murarka, Jamnabai, Std 12

I can now write a lot better. I feel so confident about writing after this workshop, and I am sure my essay will leave a lasting impression on the admissions officer of whatever university I apply to.

Soham Chauhan, Jamnabai, Std 11

I am now able to look deeper at sentences, understand sentence structure and identify literary devices, while appreciating their effect on the meaning of the sentence. During the workshop, Ms Kapadia gave us so many ideas on how to write better. I can now perceive the effectiveness of certain words and phrases and value how they’ve been chosen and placed, and this is something I could have never done before. Thank you, Ms Kapadia, for all your help!

Dhruv Chauhan, Jamnabai, Std 11

APPLY FOR WORDIBLE'S 2025 BATCH

This course is at least as much about discovering what makes you special as it is about learning from me.All I ask of you is a sense of initiative and a commitment to effort.

Class sizes are limited to 10 students per cohort to ensure personalised attention and a better learning experience.

Thank you for your inquiry.
You will receive a response within the next two days.

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