“While I couldn’t stop the process from being stressful at times, it was a tremendous relief to be confident in my application.”

“You guided us through this college application process with finesse and expertise. You are a highly skilled listener and consultant. You highlight and bring nuance to the conscious and subconscious aspects of personal narrative. You intuitively guide the process of weaving complex ideas with cohesion and panache. What an incredible process for our child to experience. Your presence and services are so valuable in this world. We are grateful our child could work with you. We know she experienced growth through greater awareness of self, community, and future possibilities.” -Parent in the Midwest, November 2023

“We were thrilled with the assistance we received from Megan. Her outgoing, high-energy personality allows her to quickly connect with her clients. She helped us to understand the admissions landscape through her recommendations.”

“Megan gave my son specific tips to navigate the process with less stress including a recommended timeline and advice on how to shape the college essay to differentiate my son from others and from other areas of his application.” -Parent in the Midwest, April 2022

“I felt I had a fairly strong application, but I wasn’t sure I would stand out among the other qualified candidates. After my meetings with Mrs. Shugarman, I felt I truly elevated my application, as we edited my personal statement to be more informative and engaging while also refining my supplementals to better showcase my skills and ambitions. I believe her unique ideas and experience gave me that little boost of extra help I needed to ultimately be accepted to my top choice university.” -Princeton student class of ‘26

“Megan-You guided us through this college application process with finesse and expertise. You are a highly skilled listener and consultant. You highlight and bring nuance to the conscious and subconscious aspects of personal narrative. What an incredible process for our child to experience. We know he experienced growth through greater awareness of self, community, and future possibilities. What a beautiful gift you offer to young adults and our world.” -October 2023, parent in the Midwest

I would like to give my full endorsement to Megan Shugarman and her Paragon Essay services.

Megan Shugarman was an invaluable resource for me as I went through the college undergraduate application process. While this step in my academic career was often difficult to navigate, (as it is for all students) Megan consistently shared constructive guidance on how to best showcase my assets and make the process work for me. Her assistance was especially helpful since the college application personal statement differs from most high school writing assignments in structure, tone, audience, and overall thesis.

While I considered myself to be a strong student and writer, I needed help figuring out how to include my voice in a formal writing assignment. Together we took my initial essay topic idea (about how being accidentally placed in a women’s history course proved to be a blessing in disguise), determined the best message to follow, and worked to craft an essay that was captivating, professional, and uniquely mine.

While I couldn’t stop the process from being stressful at times, it was a tremendous relief to be confident in my application. I was accepted to 83% of the colleges I applied to, including the University of Michigan College of Literature, Sciences, and Arts where I was also given a Provost’s Award Scholarship. My time at U of M pushed me to always be the best version of myself, and I know that I wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity had my application not reflected this best self.

I strongly recommend Megan’s services regardless of your comfort level or knowledge of the undergraduate admissions process. Her expertise, as well as her kindness and enthusiasm, will be a gift as you work together to build a superb personal statement.

-Kevin Keegan

University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and Arts (’20); PR Coordinator, Gateway to the Great Outdoors, St. Louis, MO