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Award-Winning Graduate Program Application Essay Tutors

Richard

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Richard

BS
Richard's other Tutor Subjects
Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Biostatistics
Microbiology

I have completed 4 years of medical school with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I have experience with bacterial research, a thesis in philosophy of science, and a strong background in standardized testing. I have 12 years of experience with editing, curriculum design, a...

Education

Bellarmine University

BS

Alicia

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Alicia

Master's/Graduate
Alicia's other Tutor Subjects
10th Grade AP Microeconomics
Pre-Algebra
Statistics
Middle School Math

As a dedicated tutor with a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University, I am passionate about fostering personal growth and academic success in my students. I employ a student-centered approach that emphasizes empathy and understanding. My goal is to create a supportive learning environ...

Education

Columbia University

Master's/Graduate

University of Saint Joseph

Bachelor's

Eric

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Eric

Bachelor's
Eric's other Tutor Subjects
1st-10th Grade math
K-5th Grade Reading
Nutrition
SAT Essay

I'm a current medical student at Rush Medical College with a deep appreciation for the process of learning. I know from personal experience that mastering new material doesn't always come easily it takes patience, structure, and persistence. My own journey has taught me the value of steady progress...

Education

University of Chicago

Bachelor's

Bilge

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Bilge

Doctorate (e.g., PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Bilge's other Tutor Subjects
9th-12th Grade Biology
9th-12th Grade AP Biology
10th-12th Grade Science
10th-12th Grade Writing

As a passionate Neuroscientist with a PhD from Wesleyan University, I have over 6 years of experience in tutoring subjects such neuroscience, neural systems, molecular biology, genetics, general biology, and scientific writing (AP level, college level, and high school level). My teaching philosophy...

Education

Wesleyan University

Doctorate (e.g., PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

Middle East Technical University

Bachelor's

Alana

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Alana

Bachelor's
Alana's other Tutor Subjects
1st-12th Grade Writing
1st-12th Grade Reading
6th-10th Grade English
6th-8th Grade Chemistry

I graduated from Yale University in 2021 with a B.A. in the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. Following my graduation, I attended Imperial College London on a Fulbright Scholarship to complete my Master of Public Health. Tutoring has been a joy for me over the years, as I've worked w...

Education

Yale University

Bachelor's

Kate

Certified Tutor

Kate

Masters, Environmental Engineering
Kate's other Tutor Subjects
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
College Algebra
Pre-Calculus

I'm available to tutor biology, chemistry, physics, math from Algebra up through AP Calculus, SAT test prep, and French. I've been tutoring students in science and math for 7 years. I also spent 8 months working and studying in France, and have tutored high school and adult students in French. When ...

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Masters, Environmental Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bachelors

Test Scores
SAT
1580
Jessica

Certified Tutor

Jessica

PHD, Medicine
Jessica's other Tutor Subjects
College Algebra
Calculus
Algebra
Honors Chemistry

I am a licensed physician from Florida who is currently changing careers. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and have extensive tutoring and editing experience. While a student, I became a certified writing tutor through the Critical Writing Department. Since I completed my writ...

Education

Nova Southeastern University

PHD, Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

Bachelors, History

University of Pennsylvania

undergraduate

Test Scores
SAT
1540
Jai

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Jai

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Jai's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
Electrical Engineering
ACT Writing

I'm a recent Stanford graduate (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), and have been working at a major Management Consulting firm for a few years now. I personally scored a 2360 (out of 2400) on the SAT and 35 on the ACT and was successful in gaining admission to several top universities. I'...

Education

Stanford University

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Test Scores
SAT
1590
ACT
35
Rhea

Certified Tutor

6+ years

Rhea

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
Rhea's other Tutor Subjects
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra

I am a current student at the University of Chicago. I am working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, and I am on the pre-medical track. I am extremely passionate about tutoring, and I have several years of experience tutoring students in my high school's learning center in various...

Education

University of Chicago

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General

Test Scores
Perfect Score
SAT
1550
ACT
36
Erika

Certified Tutor

Erika

Master of Public Policy, Public Policy
Erika's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math
Calculus
Algebra

I am available to tutor middle and high school math, history and test prep. I have tutored math and history in the past and I previously taught a test prep course at a school in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have a lot of experience teaching all the need-to-know tricks to doing great on the SATS/ACTS! When I am...

Education

Harvard University

Master of Public Policy, Public Policy

Test Scores
ACT
32

Meet Our Expert Tutors

Connect with highly-rated educators ready to help you succeed.

Jeffrey

Pre-Calculus Tutor • +29 Subjects

I am enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering PhD program at Rice University which will begin Fall 2020, and I am hoping to return to academia as a professor after earning my PhD. In the meantime, I am looking to share my passion for gaining knowledge, specifically in STEM, by educating the up and coming members of such a great field. I have experience tutoring both Calculus and Physics at Notre Dame, as well as experience as a Student Assistant for Differential Equations and Mechanics. I believe the key to learning is much deeper than learning to solve problems and that seeking knowledge is one of the best means for personal improvement.

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MaryAnn

Calculus Tutor • +21 Subjects

I am a published author who has enjoyed “coaching” our daughter, as she navigated through high school, college and graduate school. I mentor college juniors who are seeking careers in financial services, and I serve as a peer resource to professionals who are transitioning from private industry to the nonprofit sector. Hobbies: reading, cooking, writing, books, music, art, travel

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Sharon

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +29 Subjects

I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, and I will be starting a graduate program at Columbia in August. I am about to complete a year of service with City Year, an education non-profit that places young adults into under-served schools. As a City Year member, I worked full-time in the classroom with middle-school students who were in approximately the 10th percentile for math (meaning they score lower than 90% of students). One-fourth of those students were able to grow around 15 percentile points by the end of the year! Hobbies: reading, cooking, gardening, music, art, nature, books, writing

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Quinn

Calculus Tutor • +17 Subjects

I am willing to address any issue with an open mind and I try to develop strategies that play to a student's strengths. I would like to think I am very approachable and personable, and I have had very positive experiences with many students in the past using this philosophy. Outside of academics, I love playing basketball and watching sports, as well as chilling with friends, listening to music, and keeping up with politics and current affairs.

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Matthew

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +39 Subjects

I'm a highly creative person who works best with visual thinkers. Very recently graduated from Stanford University, I majored in Human Biology with a concentration in Bioinformatics and Stem Cell Science. Technical though my background may be, I am currently gigging as a singer/songwriter/composer in NYC and tackle even the most hard-science of problems with a top-down, big-picture, holistic approach. If you have a propensity to look at problems in a cross- or inter-disciplinary manner (or want to learn how to do so), I'm the tutor for you!

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Tony

Calculus Tutor • +28 Subjects

I am a recent graduate of Yale University and incoming first year medical student at Columbia University. Originally from the DC area, I have always had a passion for science and medicine and pursued a degree in Biology while at Yale. During the 2008-2009 academic year, I tutored science, math, English, history, and Mandarin Chinese part-time with a DC-based tutoring company. At Yale, I worked as a freshman counselor to provide academic and career advice to incoming freshmen. I have taken both SAT and MCAT test prep classes and am familiar with both tests as well as the preparation necessary to score well. My personal career goals include attending medical school to pursue either immunology/infectious diseases or psych/neurology, teaching biology at the university level, and working in public/global health with either the CDC or the WHO.

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Sami

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +19 Subjects

I am a Duke University graduate in Economics and Computer Science. I am currently pursuing an MBA degree at the Yale School of Management. I have worked in the financial field, both at a management consulting firm and a fortune 500 company. My hobbies include playing and coaching soccer. Hobbies: reading, writing, art, books, music

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Charles

AP Calculus AB Tutor • +25 Subjects

I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals! Hobbies: art, books, running, reading, music, writing

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Annie

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +28 Subjects

I am currently a second year medical student. I was a Physiological Sciences major at UCLA (class of 2015), and pursued research during my gap year between undergrad and medical school.

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Samuel

AP Calculus AB Tutor • +29 Subjects

I am a freshman at Caltech majoring in Applied and Computational Mathematics. My favorite subject to tutor is math because I find it very rewarding to simplify complex topics to aid in understanding. I have lots of tutoring experience. In high school, I ran and taught an SAT prep class and was vice president of my school's NHS chapter where I ran our tutoring program, and I, myself, tutored. I also was a teaching assistant in the summer of 2020 for a class in discrete mathematics through a program called PACT (Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking). I love learning and hope to make the process enjoyable for you!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Graduate application essays typically follow a compelling narrative arc: a strong opening hook that reveals something meaningful about you, a body section that demonstrates how your background and values align with the program, and a conclusion that articulates your specific goals and why this program is the right fit. The key is balancing personal storytelling with professional clarity—admissions committees want to understand not just what you've accomplished, but why those experiences matter and how they've shaped your thinking. A tutor can help you identify which experiences are most compelling and structure them to create a cohesive narrative rather than a list of achievements.

In academic papers, a thesis is a specific, arguable claim about a text or topic. In graduate application essays, your implicit thesis is more personal: "Here's who I am, why I'm pursuing this field, and what I'll bring to your program." Rather than defending an argument about external ideas, you're making a case for yourself as a candidate. This means your thesis needs to be specific enough to guide your essay (not just "I want to study engineering") but personal enough to reveal your authentic motivation ("My experience rebuilding computers led me to pursue electrical engineering because I'm driven to solve problems at the intersection of hardware and sustainability"). A tutor can help you craft this central claim so it feels genuine while still addressing what admissions committees actually want to know.

Graduate application essays require what we call "professional intimacy"—writing that's polished and articulate but still distinctly yours. This means avoiding overly flowery language or clichés ("I have always been passionate about...") while also steering clear of the casual tone you'd use with friends. The sweet spot is conversational sophistication: clear, direct sentences that reveal personality through word choice and specific examples rather than trying to sound impressive. For instance, instead of "I was profoundly impacted by my volunteer experience," try "When I spent a summer teaching coding to middle schoolers, I realized I learn best when explaining concepts to others." A tutor can give you real-time feedback on whether your voice feels authentic to you while remaining appropriate for an academic context.

The biggest pitfalls are: (1) focusing on what the program offers rather than what you'll contribute, (2) telling instead of showing—summarizing your qualities rather than demonstrating them through specific stories, (3) trying to cover too much ground and diluting your message, and (4) using generic language that could apply to anyone ("I'm a hard worker who loves learning"). Admissions committees read thousands of essays, so they can spot when someone is performing rather than being authentic. Another common issue is burying your most compelling story or insight in the middle of the essay instead of using it to hook readers immediately. Tutoring helps you identify which mistakes you're making and develop strategies to avoid them during revision.

When you've been working on your essay for weeks, it's nearly impossible to see what's unclear, what's clichéd, or what's missing entirely. A tutor acts as a fresh reader who can identify where your logic breaks down, where you're telling rather than showing, and where your authentic voice comes through strongest. They can ask clarifying questions like "Why does this experience matter to you specifically?" or "What would a reader not understand from this paragraph?" that help you recognize gaps. Rather than just marking grammar errors, experienced tutors provide developmental feedback on structure, argument flow, and voice—then guide you through revision so you maintain ownership of your essay while making it significantly stronger.

Specific prompts (like "Describe a challenge you've overcome" or "Why do you want to study in this program?") require you to directly address what's being asked while still revealing something authentic about yourself. The risk is being too literal—answering the question but not giving admissions committees insight into how you think or who you are. Open-ended prompts give you freedom but require you to make strategic choices about what story to tell and why it matters. With either type, the best approach is to use the prompt as a framework for your narrative rather than a constraint. A tutor can help you analyze what the prompt is really asking for (sometimes it's not just the surface question) and develop an approach that answers it fully while showcasing your genuine voice and motivations.

Telling is claiming a quality about yourself: "I'm a creative problem-solver." Showing is demonstrating it through a specific example: "When our lab's equipment failed the week before our deadline, I sketched out a workaround using spare parts and salvaged code from an old project—it worked well enough to get us preliminary data." The second version proves you're a creative problem-solver through action rather than assertion. Graduate admissions committees are skeptical of self-descriptions because anyone can claim anything; they trust what you show through concrete examples, specific details, and the reasoning you reveal. A tutor can train you to recognize when you're telling and help you develop the specific, vivid details that make your stories convincing and memorable.

Most strong graduate essays focus deeply on 2-3 key experiences rather than skimming across many. Admissions committees learn more about who you are from one fully developed story—with context, your internal thinking, and the outcome—than from multiple surface-level anecdotes. That said, if the prompt asks you to address multiple aspects of your background or goals, you may need to touch on several experiences. The strategy is to have one central story that anchors your essay and reveals something essential about you, then use shorter supporting examples to illustrate specific points. A tutor can help you identify which experiences are most revealing of your character and goals, then develop those deeply while trimming less essential material.

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