I worked with Sandy for about 3 months – I used him for Harvard, Wharton, Chicago, MIT and Columbia – all of the essays. It was a little tough – he is a demanding dude, with an opinion he wants you to follow. I took a “blank slate” approach and followed his tips and ideas very closely. I liked his style and he actuallyhas a great deal of knowledge about what Adcoms look for in essays (don’t know how).
But the most important thing for the impatient person like me was his turn-around time – rarely in two days, 99% of the time the next day, at times even on the same day (week-ends). I did work hard, though.
As a result, my apps went out two weeks before all deadlines for the first round.
Today I got my first acceptance letter (e-mail) from Chicago!