Learn with Me

May 2016

RE: College Admissions Essays Help

I have to sing the praises of Jamie Keller who coached my daughter on her college essays. Jamie had a gentle way of coaxing my daughter to think about a unique way to tell her story. I think they met three times, for a reasonable hourly rate and my daughter was accepted to 12 out of 13 schools she applied to. grace

April 2016

RE: Writing tutor for 4th grade boy

Hi - My 5th grade son sounds very similar. He struggles so much with generating ideas and then writing them. He has been working this year with a wonderful writing tutor and we've seen great improvement. He will now actually do a writing assignment. Granted, he still has far to go ... but it is so much better. He has worked this year with Jamie Keller. She started with games (roll the dice, write that many words, etc.), and now they read interesting articles together and write about it. He works on homework with her sometimes, and she is teaching him writing structure as well as tools for creating and organizing ideas. He enjoys going to each session, so I know she's good for 10-year-old boys! Her contact info: Jamie Keller, www.learnwithme.com Best of luck! Laura

My son, then in 5th grade, had a great experience with writing tutor Jamie Keller. He was a very reluctant writer, but she really brought out his creativity and got him on track with fun games and methods of teaching. She has developed a wonderful board game where kids roll dice and do different writing exercises. I was so surprised and relieved when I saw him respond that I got teary. She's a gem. Check out her site at www.learnwithme.com. Grateful

Sept 2015

As the parent of a senior in high school, I would like to highly recommend Jamie Keller at learnwithme.com. She is a gifted essay coach who understands the challenges her students meet and knows how to gently guide them through their struggles. She has worked with my son on his personal essay and has managed to connect with him instantly while making him feel confident about his voice as a writer. Jamie is patient, flexible, and very knowledgeable about college essay writing. I can't recommend her enough. A very happy parent 

Dec 2014

Oct 2014

RE: Writing tutor for high school sophomore

For college essay help, I highly recommend Jamie Keller. She is a skilled teacher who helps students find their authentic voice that is unique among all the applicants. Jamie really listens to and cares for her clients and this attention shines forth in their writing. I worked with Jamie at Berkeley and saw the students in her class really achieve. To reach her, either call her at 510 847-2505 or email her at jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com). Julie H.

Aug 2014

Jamie Keller helped my daughter Jasmin on her college application essays last year. She is a great mentor and has an excellent approach to kids making them feel comfortable. Jasmin was accepted by many universities including her ultimate choice, Georgia Technology University, in an extremely competitive admissions environment. Now Jamie is helping my younger daughter to craft her essay. I am very confident that Allison, like her sister, will also be accepted to high caliber school. I highly recommend Jamie to any students that need help. She was a great help throughout the process, whether your child has no topic to start with or simply needs to refine their essay. Jamie email address:jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) phone#(510)524-8697 mobile/(510)847-2505 work
Ellen

April 2014

RE: Writing help for 10 year old boy

My son also needed writing support at age 10, but we couldn't find a summer or after school program that worked for us. I was at my wits end when I was referred to writing tutor/ed therapist Jamie Keller. She is an experienced, kind and motivational tutor who completely turned around my son's attitude toward writing and his writing skills.

She has devised some wonderful games that get kids writing and having fun with it. With Jamie's help we discovered what an amazingly creative and humorous writer my son is. Although my son didn't want to bring his school writing projects to her (which of course she will help with), she helped to unlock his creative writing which flowed over into his school writing. He no longer lags behind his peers and I don't have to spend hours trying to get him to write a few meager sentences.

My son is now in middle school and I am so glad we invested the time and resources with Jamie to help him succeed at this vitally important skill.

You can learn more about Jamie Keller and get her contact info thru her website: www.learnwithme.com. A Happy Parent

Feb 2014

I'd like to recommend Jamie Keller very highly as a writing coach for college application essays. Her email is: jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) She worked with our daughter to produce multiple essays. Jamie has been doing this for a long time and truly understands how to advise without overwhelming the students own voice. Jamie's guidance is kind but honest, so that our daughter actually enjoyed the process! Margaret C

Jan 2014

I would like to recommend Jamie Keller as the best tutor that I have ever hired for my daughter. She helped my daughter write two wonderful essays for her college applications. My daughter was so worried about the essays and had no idea how to get started. Jamie was able to help her calm down and then guided her through the writing process which resulted in two wonderful essays. My daughter felt that the essays represented her and were in her voice. I highly recommend Jamie. You may contact her at JamieKeller1 [at] gmail.com (JamieKeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) or at 510-524-8697. JC

Dec 2013

College admission essays are very stressful for both the student and the parent. Jamie Keller helped my daughter write the two essays that are required for the UC application. She made the process so smooth and stress free for both my daughter and I. Jamie and my daughter met once, discussed topics and then they met via Skype to continue the conversation and within a few weeks, two wonderful essays were written. My daughter was concerned about ensuring the essays represented her individuality and Jamie was able to help her succeed in attaining that goal. I would definitely recommend Jamie Keller to anyone who is looking for help and guidance for their teen in this process. mm.c

May 2013

Fabulous College Essay Coach
I write to wholeheartedly recommend my daughter's college essay coach, Jamie Keller. Jamie was a huge help throughout this process, and really took most of the stress out of it. My daughter was having trouble getting started, and Jamie worked with her brainstorming essay topics, and then asked the right questions to flesh out the topic. She reviewed drafts and offered insightful and constructive comments, always making sure that my daughter was the author and that the essay was in her voice. My daughter ended up with several lovely, well-written essays that really expressed her personality. Jamie has a very gentle and supportive manner and put my daughter immediately at ease. We also recommended Jamie to my niece, who lives in Las Vegas. She worked with Jamie entirely remotely and was also very pleased. Jamie can be reached at jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) Emily

May 2013

My daughter Danielle worked with Jamie Keller who assisted Danielle in writing her college application essays. Although we live out of state, Jamie was able to communicate using Skipe. She was insightful, focused, intelligent, and creative as she assisted Danielle develop excellent thoughtful essays. Jamie was able to illuminate those concepts within the essay that would be most interesting to a prospective evaluator. Jamie has a professional, constructive approach which avoids simple criticism in favor of helpful recommendations to solidify ideas and clarify language. Danielle found this attitude to be collegial and non judgmental. Danielle would recommend Jamie to any college applicant without reservation and with respect and admiration for her skills, personality and professionalism. Grateful parent

Dec 2012

I would like to recommend Jamie Keller for anyone looking for a writing coach. My son has been working with Jamie on his college essays and he and I are very pleased with the results. Jamie provides guidance on how to develop, structure, and refine these essays in a way that allows for improved writing skill, not just a completed essay. jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) satisfied mother

Dec 2012

I highly recommend Jamie Keller. Jamie is an excellent college application essay coach who really understands how to help students make their personal statements pop. My daughter Erin had some ideas about what she wanted to write about. Jamie listened to Erin, and helped her choose and develop her topics for UC, the Common Application, and the many supplements the colleges required. She encouraged Erin to believe in the power of her own voice, guiding her through the process until her finished essays were unique stories only Erin could tell. Jamie showed her that by using vivid language and creating images that would stay in the reader's mind, her essays would be memorable and stand out from the rest. Jamie was right. Erin is now a freshman at Vassar, and I am sure that her powerful essays were a major factor in her acceptance to the school. Jamie's contact information: Jamie Keller, MA Education Educational Therapist/Professional www.LearnWithMe.com 510 524-8697 510 847-2505 cell
Sarah A.

Nov 2012

Jamie Keller is an excellent college essay tutor! She helped my daughter 3 years ago and my son this year. She has gently guided them to create a unique statement, reflecting their personality and voice. With my son, in order to work around his schedule after meeting in person a couple of sessions, they worked online via Skype and Word Docs. Each of my children have different ways of working and Jamie was able to encourage each of them to excel and succeed. Jamie Keller (510) 524-8697 Pat H.

May 2012

I want to recommend great assistance with college essay writing! (Jamie Keller: Jamiekeller1 [at] gmai.com (Jamiekeller1[at]gmai[dot]com)) My son had a writer's block, especially having to write about himself which is hard for anybody. I hired the highly recommended (by the moms in my book group with 3 seniors this year working with her):, Jamie Keller. She worked with a painfully rough first draft and somehow got him motivated to address her feedback and come up with other drafts. He absolutely would not listen to any adult feedback so her skills working with him were admirable. I am happy to say that he got into his first choice college. He did finally write a personal and revealing essay for the Common app, which he was able to break into two parts to address the UC apps. Yeah Jamie! I highly recommend her to anyone with a kid is who is resistant to writing. smartsalgal

March 2012

RE: Writing tutor for 5th grader

To the parents looking for writing help for their fifth-grade student: Jamie Keller has been working with my 5th grade son for six months. During that time, she has taken a child who wouldn't get out of the car and turned him into a child who doesn't want to stop writing when he's with her and can't wait to read what he's written to me and to his father. Her website for more info is www.learnwithme.com. Constance

Feb 2011

RE: High school writing tutor

My son recently worked with Jamie Keller, a writing coach whom he highly recommends. Jamie's fee was reasonable and her services were more valuable than the private college counselor's. He Says:

I'm a senior at BHS, and I was accepted Early Decision at Swarthmore College. My grades weren't good enough to make the cut, but I hoped to sell the college with my writing, my passion since childhood. But I couldn't write a college essay. After about ten failed drafts, I realized I needed help. We found Jamie. We met 5 times in total, working through numerous drafts of my essay. 5 searing, painful, drafts. It was the first time I realized how difficult writing is. Jamie cut, cut, cut my essay, and then we rebuilt it, this time on a solid foundation. She knows that every persuasive essay must tell a story, so we gutted the blatant pleas in mine and replaced it with a humble, honest tale. I firmly believe this essay made the difference. Jamie made the difference to me. Aside from getting me into college, she was a pleasure to work with.

(Jamie Keller's number is 510-847-2505. Her e-mail is jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com).) Carol

Sept 2010

My daughter, Courtney, went to Jamie Keller, www.learnwithme.com or (510)524-8697, for help with her college application essays. Jamie did a wonderful job of gently coaching her to bring out her own voice in her essays. Here is Courtney's recommendation:

My name is Courtney, and I am a freshman at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon (go Pioneers!); I went to Jamie last year in September when I was having trouble composing my personal statements for UC and private schools. Jamie Keller helped me more in the space of a single hour than my Lit teacher had in an entire month! In two sessions (one hour each, one week apart due to scheduling conflicts on my part) at Jamie's house in Berkeley, we had written a 700-odd word essay, which I was able to use for most of my 16 college applications. In another hour, I had a shorter essay (300-odd words) which I was able to use for a few other applications. Jamie helped me pull up creative ideas and ferret out those which I was most passionate about, suggesting a more dynamic verb here and a change in syntax there, leading me to create a written masterpiece which, despite my poor math scores, earned me a place on an Ivy League waitlist (colleges nation-wide were positively inundated with applications this year, and admissions abruptly became intensely selective and difficult). With so many qualified applicants jockeying for position, personal statements are often the only way to distinguish oneself against the crowd nowadays. I'm certain that Jamie Keller's help afforded my own distinction, and a place on the second-most-beautiful campus in America! Patricia

May 2010

My son had a great experience with a college application essay tutor, Jamie Keller (jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) www.learnwithme.com). ''Writing college essays can be really stressful - like any of of need more stress in our lives - and Jamie made it fun while helping draw out the best of him. Here's what my son had to say about her: When I started the college essay writing process, I really had no Idea how to approach it. Jamie helped me play with ideas and words and I ended up writing one of the best things I've ever written, which I think helped get me into Brown.''
Joel

March 2010

For parents who are looking for writing help for their teens, I'd like to recommend Jamie Keller. My son went to Jamie because he wanted to be a better writer, with the added goal of improving his writing score on the ACT. By giving him short, relevant writing assignments, and reviewing them together, Jamie helped my son understand how to translate what was in his mind into the written word. She also showed him how to organize his essays and how to include specific information to make his writing clearer and easier to understand.

My son looks forward to his weekly sessions with Jamie. She is lively, patient, and non-judgmental, and after working with her, my son scored a 10 out of 12 on the ACT essay. He now has more confidence in his writing and is motivated to keep improving. Jamie can be contacted at jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com), or by phone at 510-524- 8697.
John M

Aug 2009

RE: math tutor for 4th grader on the spectrum

I would like to recommend an educational therapist to work with the girl who needs Making Math Real. Jamie Keller is patient, kind, and funny and has been trained in MMR. I have seen her work successfully with many different types of children. You can reach her at 510-524-8697. Jenifer

March 2009

RE: Literacy tutor to get son to grade level

Our family has been blessed to find Jamie Keller to work with our son. He needed a great deal of help with his literacy issues. She is patient, caring, intuitive and most importantly, my son loves working with her. check out her site at www.learnWithMe.com and you will see just how qualified she is (and creative too!) My son is doing great and we are now working with Jamie on study skills to prepare him for middle school. She has a great summer program that I highly recommend. You can email her directly at jamiekeller1 [at] gmail.com (jamiekeller1[at]gmail[dot]com) michelle

Sept 2008

A while back, someone posted a recommendation for a woman who helped with the college admissions essay process. I think her name was Jamie? I can't find her in the archives, and would be grateful if someone could post her name and contact info again. Thanks! parent of high school senior

Jamie Keller is the person who helped my daughter so much with her college essay writing. Her number is 524-8697 and she also has a website: learnwithme.com
relieved mom

June 2008

My daughter struggled with her college essay last year. She is a good enough writer but had enormous trouble talking about herself. Mid-summer, she consulted with a very expensive and well-known tutoring service. She got a sense of where to start and a ''hook'' for the essay and then got bogged down and remained there for months, despite more sessions with the original tutor. With the deadlines coming up, she found another person to help, who gave her advice that sent her another, and I might add, fruitless and frustrating direction. At the 11th hour, we finally found Jamie Keller, who read my daughter's lifeless essays, talked and listened carefully to her, and then patiently taught her how to show, rather than tell her story. Jamie worked with her through multiple versions and helped her find her voice. The final essays were compelling and rang true. In working with Jamie, my daughter gained confidence in herself as a writer, and she is sure that her essays helped her get into Cal. Jamie's number is 524-8697. Relieved Mom