Donna Pelletier
College admissions counselor focused on essays and student stories
| Hourly rate range | $70 to $130 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Students |
| Also coaches | Career coach |
Donna Pelletier is a college admissions counselor who helps high school juniors and seniors get ready to apply to college. She focuses on essays and on finding each student's personal story. She has worked as a senior editor and chief editor for two MBA consulting companies and one college consulting company. Before that, she wrote speeches at a Fortune 500 corporation. She has helped more than 100 students.
What Donna helps with
Donna helps students present themselves as real, individual people who fit each school they apply to. Her work centers on essays and the story behind them.
- Common App essay review
- Finding the right personal story for an application
- Showing fit for each specific school
- Undergraduate admissions
- Graduate program applications and statements
- Career interview preparation
- BYU essay review
Who Donna works with
Donna now focuses on high school juniors and seniors who are preparing for college. Her main focus is undergraduate admissions. She has also worked with applicants to graduate programs and MBA programs, and with people preparing for career interviews.
How Donna works
Donna finds each client's story by asking a series of questions. They cover the people who inspire the client, favorite moments, defining moments, greatest challenges, fears and successes. The answers become the start of the story. She uses that story to show who the student is and why they fit each school. Her essay review package includes 2 to 4 hours of coaching.
Background and qualifications
Donna began in administration and public relations at a Fortune 500 corporation, with a focus on speechwriting. She then consulted for an outplacement firm, where she offered resume writing, bios and interview preparation, and gave presentations at corporations and universities. Later she ran online essay-writing programs for high school juniors and seniors on her own. Over the last 30 years she has worked as senior editor and chief editor with two MBA consulting companies and one college consulting company. She spent ten years as Chief Editor with IvyPath College Consulting and fifteen years with Stacy Blackman Consulting.
Donna Pelletier pricing
Programs and services
- Common App essay review with a free BYU essay review, 2 to 4 hours
- Custom hourly coaching
Donna Pelletier reviews
Donna Pelletier has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 12 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
The CoachVouch take
Donna started in corporate speechwriting and has spent decades as an editor for college and MBA consulting firms, so she builds every application around the student's own story.
Best for high school juniors and seniors who want help shaping a strong, authentic college essay.
Common questions
How much does Donna Pelletier charge?
Coaching with Donna runs $70 to $130 an hour. Message Donna from this page for an exact quote.
What does Donna Pelletier help with?
Donna Pelletier helps with common App essay review, finding the right personal story for an application, showing fit for each specific school and undergraduate admissions.
Does Donna Pelletier have reviews?
Donna Pelletier has a 5.0 out of 5 rating from 12 reviews on Leland, as of September 2026.
Does Donna Pelletier help with graduate school applications?
Yes. She has worked with applicants to graduate programs and MBA programs. Her main focus now is undergraduate admissions for high school juniors and seniors.
How does Donna help students find their essay story?
She asks a series of questions about the student's most inspiring people, favorite moments, defining moments, greatest challenges, fears and successes. The answers become the start of the story.
How do I contact Donna Pelletier?
Send Donna a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.