David Jacobson coaches youth and adults in writing, including preparation of college essays. (See samples of college essay editing and coaching.) Beyond providing editorial advice, he leads his clients to develop holistically into the writers they want to be.

Focusing on the inherent value of self-expression, Jacobson encourages students to push themselves, establish a writing practice, complete pieces of writing, and polish them, whether for publication or simply self-satisfaction.

Testimonials for David “Jake” Jacobson: The Writing Coach

“I’ve had the privilege of watching my 14-year-old niece grow in amazing ways through her work with Jake. They started weekly coaching during the first Covid summer, initially to fill some down time, and get support with writing. Over time they’ve developed a strong mentor/mentee relationship that she looks forward to each week.

“Jake has a way of working with her, building trust that is both admirable and inspiring. Not only have her writing skills greatly improved, but an interest in uncovering new topics and ideas has been awakened, and she’s been able to put thoughts onto the page in ways that are beyond her years. He’s a fantastic writing coach!” — Evelyn Kelly

“I took a writing course from David and through his teaching was inspired to keep writing. I asked him to become my writing coach, and we immediately got to work together on a piece that was personally very meaningful to me. He operated on two levels at all times: my cheerleader (which I needed) and my teacher.

“He helped me frame my piece, make my sentences stronger, and bring to life the essence of my story. He pushed me to improve my craft and helped me get it published with NBC Think — which certainly would never have happened without his guidance and gift for gentle nudges.” — Erin Lewellen

“David has been extraordinary at meeting me where I am in the development of my writing and in the content I am exploring. Through a series of strategic writing prompts David helped me progress my story in our first meeting.

“As we continued to work together, he taught through relationship-building and reciprocity that created a sense of safety for me to express the personal material I was reflecting on. David helped me embrace my writing not only as a craft but as a life skill. He doesn’t shy away from complex topics and provides guidance in a way that helps generate new insights.” — Alexandra “Sasha” Silveanu

“David Jacobson legitimately cares about his clients/students. His congenial style and knowledge of fundamentals helped me focus on the essentials needed to complete my project. A+” — Beth Zare, Editor-in-Chief, The Musical News

“David was extremely encouraging and gave me sound, thoughtful advice. He really went the extra mile to help me get ready to bring my piece to a publisher, and was genuinely interested in the writing. Time well spent!” — Zora Thomas

“I’ve been working on a sports-related manuscript with David as my writing coach, and the experience has been both enjoyable and fruitful. His deep knowledge of youth sports and thoughtful responses fit well with what I want to convey to my reader. I always look forward to his input.” — Philip Carragher