Testimonials
“This is our third time working with StandOut. Since our family relocated to the US only three years before college applications were a challenge for the entire family. Anna helped our oldest son to strategically and creatively connect the dots of his life experiences. When it was time to apply for Medical School and prep for interviews we worked with Anna again. And now, our daughter got into her first-choice college with Anna.
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Anna Katsnelson is brilliant with teens. She’s direct with them and funny, extracting their effort and attention through a mixture of wit and straight talk. She’s able to convey the essentials of good writing without being stuffy and offers students the chance to be themselves, but with added verve and eloquence. My son is developing a college essay that is far better than the one he and I could have fought over but, along with that, I feel as though he is gaining insights and self-knowledge. In the midst of a stressful college application process, what’s the value of that? Like the ad for Mastercard used to say, “Priceless.”
— Dr. Lucy Goodhart, Gann Academy Parent
We approached StandOut when our daughter was stuck unable to find an answer to "what should I write about in my college essay?" question. Anna helped her not only to find a creative idea but also helped her figure out what major fits her interests the best. Anna worked with our daughter to create a list of colleges based on her interests, guided us through the process of visiting the schools and making sure we know what to look for and ask about. She helped our daughter with Common App and supplemental essays, and was tremendously supportive throughout the whole process. (NSHS parents)
— NSHS Parent
Through her writing studio course, Anna Katsnelson has breathed confidence into my literary pursuits and has shaped me into the writer I am today. Anna taught me how to meticulously dissect each sentence/argument of an essay with care and evidence in order to produce a spotless final draft. Her genuine concern for her students to succeed matches her brilliant craft and it is precisely this that inspired me to minor in English. As a junior in college, I have learned more from Anna than any instructor in my undergraduate career. With every essay I write, I continue to carry her invaluable writing teachings and techniques and intellectual insights along with me.
— Antonia DiBianchi, Boston University Honors College Class of 2020
I have worked with Dr. Katsnelson from the beginning of my college career, and have never come in contact with another professor or mentor quite like her. Her compassion and quick insight allow her to hone in on each student’s personality and strengths. Because of this, her students build skills that are both well developed for an academic or professional environment, and carry a tone unique to the student which makes their writing stand out like their own personal signature.
— Casandra Oldfield, Boston University Honors College Class of 2020
Anna Katsnelson was an excellent writing teacher. She always took the time to go above and beyond in every situation, from offering great corrective feedback on the mechanics of my papers to working on the more stylistic choices unique to the writer. Most importantly she takes the time to learn about each student and to know their strengths and weaknesses allowing her feedback to tackle the greater issues of the paper and improve overall writing ability. She was able to take my constant struggle with writing and transform it to collegiate level work. She was able to lay a foundation that has helped improve my writing grades from a B+ to an A- the next semester.
— Wesley Jones, Boston University Honors College Class of 2021
Anna Katsnelson was one of the most outstanding professors that I had the opportunity to work with at Boston University. In one semester, Anna was able to teach me writing and research skills that catapulted me through the rest of college. Outside of the classroom, Anna was always a source of sound advising and a fantastic sounding board as I navigated my college career. Beyond her shrewd advice, I was always struck by how deeply Anna cares for her students and how earnestly she works to help them succeed.