About Essay Lab

Why it exists

A personal statement can decide an application, but good feedback on one is hard to get. Private counsellors charge hundreds per session, and many schools, especially outside the UK and US, don't have anyone who knows what a UCAS or Common App reader looks for. Essay Lab was built so that every applicant can get that feedback, wherever they live and whatever their school offers.

Who runs it

Essay Lab is built and run by Raed Altaf. The feedback framework behind every review was built from the working knowledge of admissions counsellors who have guided students to offers at universities including Oxford, LSE and Harvard, and it is updated as we learn what students struggle with most.

How a review works

You upload or paste your statement and tell us where you're applying and at what level. Essay Lab reads it the way an admissions reader would and returns notes pinned to your own sentences: what's working, what's almost there and what to improve, plus a check for phrasing that sounds AI-written. It supports UCAS, the Common App and US supplements, Canadian applications and master's statements, because each of those readers expects something different.

We never write your statement for you. Every note explains what to change, and the words you submit stay yours. See a full example report.

How it's free

Ads on our writing guides and blog pay for the reviews. There's no paywall, no card to enter and no trial that runs out. You need a free account so your reports are saved and later drafts can be compared with earlier ones.

Get in touch

Questions, feedback on a report, or working with us as a school or counsellor: see our contact page, or email support@essaylab.ai.