All of
Suzanne’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Suzanne’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
Business
I have an MBA from Harvard Business School and 30+ years of experience in marketing, strategic planning, and executive recruiting roles. In addition, I am skilled in business communications for a variety of audiences. I can advise and assist in business coursework and in writing professional business presentations.
Career Development
As a full-time executive recruiter focused on finding and evaluating senior executive talent, I review dozens of resumes every week. Since 2000, I have advised hundreds of business executives on improving their resumes as well as on interviewing techniques and job search strategy. I have assisted many students and recent college graduates in preparing a first resume to launch a job search. I know what employers and recruiters look for in a resume, and how to organize and format a resume for maximum impact.
College Counseling
Over the last three years, I have assisted 12 high school students navigate the college applications process. My approach is to help the student and his/her parents develop a customized list of target schools. The first step is helping the student and parent(s) identify the criteria for selecting a college. Then, based on these criteria and the student's interests, academic record, standardized test scores and extracurricular involvement, we develop the target list, taking into consideration the published admissions statistics. Next, I help the student develop a timetable for completing each phase of the process, from campus visits, SAT/ACT test dates, resume writing, essay writing, and submitting the applications.
My goal is to help each student find the right fit - that special place where he or she can pursue his or her goals and be successful. I find that preparing the right list of target schools, and beginning to plan no later than middle of junior year produces a happy result and takes a lot of the stress out of the process.
English
I have helped many students learn to write essays of the kind required for high school English and History assignments. I work with students to map out their thoughts prior to writing, and then to write clearly and effectively. My writing skill has been developed during ten years of academic writing during my own higher education, followed by thirty years of professional writing for a variety of audiences. I have tutored high school students in writing for the past three years and can provide the name and contact information for parents of past or current students.
French
I acquired my French over years of study followed by nine years working for a French company, three of which in Paris. In recent years, I have tutored numerous middle and high school students at all levels -- French 1 through AP French.
Over the course of several months, my regular students usually improve their grades in both written and spoken assessments. I teach with encouragement and enthusiasm. I will willingly provide references on request.
Grammar
I have acquired my mastery of English grammar over a lifetime of study and practice. My experience learning other languages has given me additional perspective on how English grammar works. I enjoy working with people of all ages - both native English speakers and English learners - to improve their grammar skills in both writing speaking.
Marketing
I am an experienced marketing professional. I earned an MBA with a marketing emphasis from Harvard Business School. I have held senior-level marketing position with the French consumer products company L'Oreal (9 years) in Europe and Asia. Subsequently, I was VP Marketing and New Product Development at Prudential Resources Management and VP Marketing at the American Red Cross. For the last 10 years I have been an executive recruiter, actively involved in marketing my firm's services to organizations in the food, agribusiness and life sciences industries.
Proofreading
I have long experience editing and proofreading a wide range of written work -- including academic research papers and dissertations, as well as business-oriented brochures and case studies. I am familiar with both MLA and APA standards for academic work.
SAT Writing
As an experienced writing coach, I have helped may high school student prepare for the essay section of the SAT. I show students how the SAT essay differs from an untimed essay assignment of they kind they are more familiar with. I teach them a process for organizing thoughts quickly, blocking out the essay and writing it up under time pressure. Those of my students who have taken the SAT before I work with them improve their SAT essay score by at least one point and often by more.
Social Studies
I have a B.A. in sociology and an MA in Anthropology. Over the last five years, I have tutored all social studies subjects generally part of the usual high school curriculum at both standard and honors levels (World History I, World History II, World Civilization, US History, Government); over the last two years I have tutored several high school AP US History students (as a WyzAnt tutor) with success.
Spanish
I acquired my Spanish in Spain, where I attended university, and worked for a total of five years. I have lots of experience tutoring high school students as well as adults. My approach involves grammar, vocabulary and conversational practice. I have raised three bi-lingual daughters. If you are motivated to study hard, I can help you raise your grade or learn Spanish for work and/or enjoyment.
Study Skills
I have assisted numerous middle and high school students acquire study strategies to improve their learning and academic performance. I have tutored over 500 hours in the past 4 years (400 hours with WyzAnt) and in so doing have developed a specific checklist of action points to manage daily assignments and longer-range projects. These include use of a study log and planner, as well as how to approach a subject or assignment -- simple operating rules that boost success and learning. I am certified by WyzAnt to tutor sixteen different subjects - virtually any and everything in the languages arts, social studies, French, Spanish, writing and test preparation.
Writing
I am an experienced essay coach for students middle school age and above. Many of my students are in honors or AP-level high school level English classes; some require remedial work in idea development and writing mechanics like sentence structure and diction. My own writing skills have developed over 35 years of professional experience as a business communications consultant, in combination with many hours tutoring academic writing over the last several years. References available.