I’m Jill Oldham (she/her/hers), your friendly neighborhood Essay Ace. I live in the Chicago suburbs, but with Zoom we’re pretty much all neighbors, aren’t we? Here’s a little bit of info about me.

​

My Background

The Essay Ace has existed officially since 2017, but I’ve been helping students with their essays for much longer than that. As a freelance editor and proofreader in online and print media since 2012, I work on college application essays, resumes and cover letters, websites, marketing materials, magazines, annual reports, correspondence, and so much more. In my more corporate professional life, I worked in the book publishing industry for 20 years, editing and proofreading books, magazines, and catalogs. Today I work at a marketing agency, where I’m equal parts grammarian, fact-checker, writer, and quality control manager. I know a little bit about a lot of things, and I’m always curious to find out more. Learn more about my experience here.

​

My Philosophy

I believe strongly that everyone should write their own college application essays, from their own experiences, in their own voice, without too much outside influence. My role as an editor is to help you craft a well-constructed, memorable essay that showcases your best writing, shines with your personality, and portrays you at your very best for college admissions officers. And of course your essay must be grammatically correct and error-free in the end. My proofreading services are the last line of defense to catch errors, correct grammar, and fix punctuation.

​

Me, Up Close and Personal

Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, I raised my two sons here as well. Shoutout to Kyle, my oldest, who helped me realize how much good a service like the Essay Ace could do for others. And a hearty THANKS A LOT to Evan, my younger son, for applying to so many colleges and giving me a chance to perfect the process. He still takes advantage of my grammar expertise to proofread his college essays, and I’m always happy to oblige! Now that my kids are grown and flown, my faithful companions are my dogs, Chester and Cassie, who keep me company while I work and only distract me sometimes. My husband will likely never catch on to the rules of correct comma placement, but that’s OK, I love him anyway.

​​

​