Writing Instructor · Composition Specialist · Academic Writing Coach

Tara A.

I offer a practical, process-based approach to help students develop critical thinking, strengthen their writing skills, and gain confidence across academic, professional, and personal writing projects.

This culminates in my experience with the college application process. The personal essay and supplementals are high-stakes pieces of writing. They are also one of the most misunderstood. Most students are told to "just be yourself" and "tell us what makes you stand out." However, high school doesn't really teach them how to do this.

That's where I come in.

I'm an academic writing coach with a Master's degree in Rhetoric and Composition and 15+ years of experience helping students find their voice, shape their story, and write essays that admissions committees actually remember. My approach isn't about grammar rules or five-paragraph formulas. It's about helping students think clearly, write authentically, and present the version of themselves that gets noticed.

Every student I work with gets a process built around them — their strengths, their story, their timeline. We start by uncovering what makes them genuinely compelling, then move through drafting, feedback, and revision until the essay sounds like the best version of who they are — not a template.

My writing experience goes well beyond the classroom. My writing has been featured by the New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and NPR, and I spent a decade covering government and public affairs — work that required making complex ideas clear, compelling, and concise under real pressure. I've also taught college composition courses. That combination — professional writer and experienced writing teacher — means I understand both what strong writing looks like and exactly how to coach someone to get there.