Experienced Writing Tutor and AP English Teacher

Kirstin K.

I am a patient, supportive classroom teacher and writing tutor with 20 years of experience teaching English at private schools in Philadelphia and on the Main Line. I have worked with diverse students in grades 7-12 as well as undergraduate and graduate students.

I specialize in working with students on their college essays and personal statements. I can support students wherever they are in the process — whether they have a draft to polish or they’re struggling to get started, and anywhere in between. Students I’ve worked with have gone on to be accepted to Harvard, Yale, and UPenn as well as Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Villanova.

As a trained writing tutor, I work with students to build their confidence and refine their skills at all stages of the writing process: prompt analysis, brainstorming, research, outlining, drafting, revising, and proofreading. When I worked in the writing center at the Bread Loaf School of English while earning my MA, I was trained in the peer reader model which encourages students to set personal goals for their growth as writers and to utilize their oral language skills to support their writing. I am also able to provide a solid grounding in grammar and explain the why behind all the grammar rules that sometimes trip students up.

In addition to application essays and other forms of writing, I can also support students in developing their reading comprehension and literary analysis skills. I am National Board Certified in English Language Arts for Adolescents/Young Adults and I have taught a College Board-approved AP English Literature course since 2012. My students have a 98% pass rate on the exam.