Consultant & Coach Profiles 

Anne Windholz, PhD

College Essay Coach

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Anne Windholz holds a BA from the University of Colorado and a PhD in English from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. Recipient of fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, she has twenty years’ experience as a college professor. In addition to conducting classes in composition, interdisciplinary studies, and literature, Anne has advised and mentored many individual students, guiding them through creative writing projects, scholarship applications, and undergraduate research.

A lifelong learner, Anne earned her Master of Divinity degree in 2012. In her second career as a board certified chaplain, she has served hospitals in Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs. She works with patients and families from diverse cultures, faiths, and belief systems. Anne provides a calm and supportive presence, and she is adept at helping all clients reframe challenges, define goals, and find meaning. She is committed to creating a safe space in which to nurture personal growth, believing that compassion and respect are integral to both healing and learning.

An enthusiastic writer, Anne’s publications on chaplaincy, nineteenth-century literature and culture, and spirituality have appeared in professional journals as well as general interest magazines. To relax she plays piano and embraces the music of words in poetry and fiction writing. Mother to three young college graduates, she understands the college application and testing process from the perspective of student, parent, and faculty member. While challenges come with applying to college, she encourages students to celebrate the great adventure to which it leads!