Helping students get to the college of their dreams

Gwen S.

I've been a writing teacher for 18 years and have helped countless high school students tell their most important stories in compelling ways, including in college application essays!

As a teacher, I've tutored thousands of students, many of them 18-year-olds, teaching them how to research, plan arguments, organize, write or design, and refine projects for writing assignments and presentations, for any class. My PhD is in rhetoric and composition, which means I know how to tackle communication tasks that directly address the particular audience and situation.

I believe that each student needs an independent champion in their corner, and I provide structured strategies with a cheery attitude about life and learning. I've been college consulting since 2019 and have helped numerous students get into Ivies, elite liberal arts colleges, and top public universities. My own kids are at two top schools: Harvard and Pomona College in California. Every person deserves to reach high, and my belief in students' potential helps me tutor students to high levels of success.

I will work with students wherever they are: in the past, I've held tutoring sessions on bleachers after a track practice, in a high school lobby after rehearsals for a musical, and even in a natatorium between swim meet races. Additionally, I have consulted with students on Zoom and Google Meet, and I have experience managing a writing and speaking center where asynchronous tutoring was an option, so I'm comfortable in any medium. I've also worked with students in their own homes, at public libraries, and at coffee shops with parents present. Because many parents are paying the bills, I like to include them in discussions about expectations and outputs, and I can walk parents through the many stressors of high school and college admissions and academics.