Frequently Asked Questions
What types of documents are eligible for review?
Any documents or writings that are part of a competitive application may be submitted for review. Applications for university admissions or scholarships may require an essay, a personal statement, a diversity statement, a cover letter, a CV, free response writings to specific prompts, or any combination of these. Job, internship, fellowship, and exchange program applications often require both a CV (or resume) and cover letter, and sometimes they have requirements for supplemental essays. Any of these types of documents are eligible to be reviewed by Ivy Pacific Review.
Is there a word limit for submitted documents?
No, Ivy Pacific Review does not require that documents be within certain lengths. Please check the instructions for essays and supplemental documents at the university or institution for which you are applying, as they often do have word limits or other expectations for document length.
Can I have more than one document reviewed at a time?
Yes! You may purchase multiple document reviews at a time. If your application requires three or more documents that you would like reviewed together, you may save money by purchasing the full application review service.
What can I expect from a review service?
After you submit your document for review, one of our expert reviewers will take it, read it, and spend some time with it. Having worked on review committees before, they will consider how the document might be evaluated and consider its strengths and weaknesses. After careful analysis, the reviewer will (1) correct any errors in spelling or grammar that might be present in the submitted draft, (2) write comments on the document itself with suggestions for improvement for any specific passages that might benefit from revision, and (3) provide a separate page with summary comments about the submitted document. Summary comments will address four key topics: content, style, overall impact, and suggestions for improvement.
How can having my documents reviewed help my final application?
Any application process is an attempt to do the impossible task of summarizing the best things about you in a way that appeals directly to the institution in the areas that they care most about. The problem is that it's not always clear what the final reviewers are looking for, and there are so many good things about you that it can be difficult to (1) choose the best things to highlight, and (2) write about them in the clearest and most effective way.
This is where the expertise of the Ivy Pacific reviewers can be most helpful. We know how selection committees approach the task of evaluating essays, we know the common mistakes that can damage applications, and, having read thousands of essays already, we know the elements that can make essays stand out from the crowd. Receiving effective and unbiased feedback can be difficult when asking friends and family who know you. We don't know you personally, so you can trust that our feedback and suggestions are based solely on your application materials and our targeted expertise.
We are confident that the review process can lead to clear and significant improvements in the quality of your application materials. All applications are subjective and based on many factors, and we cannot guarantee that your application will ultimately be successful. However, improving the quality of your materials may increase the chances of a favorable outcome.
Do you review documents or applications in languages other than English?
No, we do not review documents in languages other than English.
How long does it take for a review to be completed?
The time to complete reviews varies based on the number of documents received and the availability of reviewers. After we receive your document(s), we strive to complete the reviews and return them to you within five business days. If it is a time of year that is especially busy, we may contact you with a revised estimate of when the review will be completed.
What do you do with my documents after the review is finished?
We keep submitted application documents for 30 days after a review is completed. Then we destroy them. If you lose your documents for any reason within those 30 days, you may contact us and we can re-send them to you.