Name: College Essay Master Class
Start: 2026-09-15T15:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-09-15T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Online

We do not escape into philosophy, psychology, and art–we go there to restore our shattered souls into whole ones. – Anais Nain

LOVE AND LIGHT

Making the World a Little More Creative, Curious, and Sparkling

Marci Darling is a mentor and educator, filmmaker, author, performer, and M.O.M. (Monarch of Merriment). She believes storytelling, art, and innovation are the keys to creating a world of unique thinkers and sparkling minds. She is passionate about boldly telling her own stories, as well as teaching and empowering others to do the same.

MORE ABOUT MARCI DARLING

THE MANY HATS OF

Marci Darling

Mentor

Helping students discover their path and reach their fullest potential.

Filmmaker

Bringing bold ideas and meaningful stories to life through film.

Mom

Raising curious, creative minds while finding joy in the everyday.

Author

Turning ideas, experiences, and imagination into stories that connect.

Performer

Embracing movement, expression, and the joy of performing.

WRITING & COMPETITION MENTORSHIP

Where Young Writers Become Standout Storytellers

Marci Darling mentors students for writing competitions, both academic and creative. She believes exceptional writing is about more than winning competitions. It develops confidence, communication, critical thinking, and the academic skills students need to thrive in college and beyond.

Working with Students Around the World
Marci mentors students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, helping each one develop a distinctive voice and produce work that is uniquely their own.

30+ Years of Experience

Over the past thirty years, Marci has worked with numerous students to help them gain admission into their top choice colleges including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, U Chicago, NYU, Vanderbilt, Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, etc. Her super power is teaching teens to write with heartfelt creativity so their essays show their personality, heart, and character.

MENTORSHIP WITH MARCI

Award-Winning Students

Her writing students have won awards including the NYTimes, Scholastic, Young Arts, Bennington. Each year, many of her students are invited to London as finalists in the John Locke Essay competition.

Beyond the Application

Marci also helps students work at their optimal academic potential, cultivating one-of-a-kind Passion Projects, finding heartfelt ways to serve, Demonstrated Interest, and applying her strategies for knock-out Letters of Recommendation resulting to a thoughtful, authentic body of work that strengthens applications while preparing students to thrive well beyond the admissions process.

From Secondary School to College

Marci’s strategies extend beyond college admissions to secondary school applications, competitive academic summer programs, and the long-term development of a distinctive educational profile.

MARCI’S WORLD OF STORIES

About Mystery, Magic & Real Life

FICTION

Martini Mystery is Bridget Jones stumbles into the DaVinci Code, has an affair with Confessions of a Shopaholic, all while drinking with Nick and Nora Charles on the streets of New Orleans.

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FICTION

A New Orleans party becomes a murder mystery involving stolen treasures, suspicious guests, champagne, and a séance. Ellington Martini must solve the crime before the storm ends.

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NONFICTION

After losing her father to cancer, her marriage to infidelity, and her best friend to suicide in one devastating year, Marci navigates grief, healing, and reinvention with humor, hope, and chutzpah.

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NONFICTION

Travel through Mexico, Scotland, Paris, and beyond becomes a joyful collection of stories about adventure, healing, inspiration, and making magic along the way, one unforgettable journey at a time.

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HOT OFF THE PRESS