Mary brings more than two decades of experience helping students craft thoughtful, polished admissions essays for undergraduate, graduate, and residency programs. She earned her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, where she studied fiction and writing with celebrated teachers including Annie Dillard and Jill McCorkle. As the author of more than a dozen novels, including the popular Fortune’s Fool equestrian fiction series, Mary brings both literary depth and an experienced editor’s eye to her work with students.
Mary is especially skilled at helping students shape essays that are clear, distinctive, and deeply grounded in story. A lifelong lover of literature, she understands how narrative, voice, and detail can bring an essay to life, and she is especially strong at helping students refine their writing without losing what makes it their own. Her work is thoughtful, precise, and rooted in a genuine love of language.
Mary lives in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and has also spent significant time living in the United Kingdom. Outside of her work, she is an avid runner, cyclist, rider, and devoted reader of British literature. She would much rather run 20 miles than play any sport involving a ball, and if given the chance, her ultimate adventure would be riding in the Mongolian Derby.
Best match for: students who love reading and writing, students looking for strong storytelling and careful line-by-line feedback, writers who want their essays to feel polished and distinctive, and students with interests in literature, humanities, or creative writing.