Ella Chen is a Graduate Coach who earned her MA at the University of Chicago through the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities, studying English literature and gender and sexuality studies. She completed her BA in English at Tsinghua University, graduating first in her class, and spent a year as a visiting student in English at Oxford.
Her experience as a writing tutor shapes her student-centred approach to applications. At Tsinghua’s Teaching Center for Writing and Communication she coached students one-on-one on academic writing and ran workshops on graduate applications, guiding them through personal statements, writing samples, CVs, and interviews. As a Residential Advisor at Hertford College, Oxford, she mentored visiting international students and helped them refine their presentations and public speaking in English.
Ella supports students across a wide range of fields, with a particular passion for the humanities. Her own research in comparative race studies, diaspora, and food and affect in Anglophone writing gives her firsthand insight into how graduate programs read an applicant’s intellectual interests. She excels at helping students develop strong writing samples and turn their academic and personal journeys into clear, authentic narratives.
