Jill M.
Private tutor in Ellenton, FL
Education
PhD from the University of Virginia MA from the University of Virginia BA from Emory University
Experience
Currently, I am a writing professor at a top university in Houston, Texas. As a college professor I know how daunting the application process can be for high school students. I have sat on numerous admission committees for colleges and university-led programs, and have seen how small changes to an application or essay can make all the difference between an accepted student and a rejected student. I tutor students using the same methods that I use with my writing students in the classroom--brainstorming, revising, one-on-one workshops and modeling good editing practices to help students develop their application essays. I work with my students so that they understand what type of answer the essay prompt is seeking, and how to transfer these practices on to future assignments. I work with students at all stages of the essay writing process. This includes helping my students find what makes them unique in the eye of their target school, and then working with them to bring that uniqueness out in their essay so that the essay stands out from the crowd. Moreover, I closely monitor the annual application essay prompts and the "popular" responses so that I can help my students avoid giving standard answers. With nearly a decade in higher education I know what colleges are looking for when they read application essays, and I can help you tailor your essay to these expectations while still remaining true to who you are. I work with students throughout the country, but have worked closely with students in the Katy, Houston, Memorial City and Sugarland areas. One of my areas of expertise is proofreading and editing writing for high school students, college students, and graduate students. This experience comes from my time working at college writing centers, and teaching writing at the college level at universities across the country. When working with high school students I help my students develop and refine the basics of good writing. This includes mastering grammar, spelling, and agreement. Lessons focus on interpreting the questions on the prompt and processing information. We focus on really understanding what "good writing" is, and how to develop an essay beyond the standard five paragraph essay. These lessons are designed to help students excel in the classroom and get ready for college writing. When working with college students I help them continue to develop their writing skills, and offer refresher lessons on areas that may have been missed in high school. I help them find their voice as a writer, and understand how to write both for their college courses and for their potential field. We work on things like developing a central argument, writing a focused thesis and supporting an argument with reasons and evidence. In addition to correcting grammar, spelling, and logic errors, I also focus on structure, argument, citations, and flow. Sessions with college students might include a basic editing services (proofreading papers) or lessons specifically tailored to areas of weakness. Finally, my work with graduate students can include all of the above-mentioned services, but expand to include areas such as MLA and APA styles, developing a research proposal and drafting major research projects including dissertations. My mission is to help you obtain your goals as you grow as a writer. Standardized tests can be overwhelming. Students constantly second guess themselves when taking the test, and even on the lead up to the exam. "Should I take the ACT or SAT?" "Do I need to take both exams?" "How do I know if my score is good enough?" All of these questions get in the way of the actual exams. My goal is to provide you with the clarity to excel on these tests. While some popular companies offer expensive practice courses, working with an individual tutor means that lessons are tailored to your needs and your areas of weakness. This one-on-one experience means that I focus on creating lesson plans for each student including individualized progress reports and feedback on how students approach the questions. During my sessions we work on practice exams using a variety of approaches and test taking methods in order to give students the tools needed to do well on the day of the exam. We then address areas of weakness and work on conquering those weaknesses through supplemental materials. My goal is to take the mystery out of the ACT and SAT exams. For the 2016-2017 cycle I've had students get into Baylor, George Mason, Georgetown, UCLA, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M, USC, Marist College, and Berkeley. I have worked with high school students in the Katy, Sugarland, Memorial City and Houston to help them achieve their testing goals.
Subject Expertise
12th Grade WritingStudy SkillsStudy Skills And OrganizationSummer TutoringACT EnglishEnglishCollege EssaysSAT VerbalSAT WritingWriting10th Grade Reading10th Grade Writing11th Grade WritingSAT Subject Test in Literature11th Grade Reading12th Grade Reading9th Grade WritingAmerican LiteratureACTTOEFLWorld LiteratureAP English Literature and CompositionSTAARSATSAT Critical Reading
Availability
Any day at any time
Can Meet
Up to 45 minutes away for no additional charge
Hobbies
I love reading, writing, traveling and meeting new people. I'm excited to work with you!
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