Award-Winning 8th Grade AP English Language Tutors

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Award-Winning 8th Grade AP English Language Tutors

Beth

AB
2+ years of tutoring

I am eager to encourage and inspire my students to reach their educational goals. I have forty plus years of classroom teaching experience with an exceptional track record and over ten years of experi...

Education & Certificates

Baylor University

AB

Jessica

BS
2+ years of tutoring

I have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Southern Nevada, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2015. I also earned a minor in Mathematics, which gave me a great f...

Education & Certificates

College of Southern Nevada

BS

Rachelle

Master's/Graduate
2+ years of tutoring

I am a graduate of The University of South Carolina School of Music where I received a Master of Music in Composition. Since graduation, I have composed and recorded works for multiple ensembles, but ...

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University of South Carolina-Union

Master's/Graduate

Full Sail University

Bachelor

Kate

Masters, Environmental Engineering
1+ years of tutoring

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 mon...

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Masters, Environmental Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bachelors

SAT Scores

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Jai

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
9+ years of tutoring

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) ...

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Stanford University

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

ACT Scores

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Jessica

PHD, Medicine
1+ years of tutoring

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...

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Nova Southeastern University

PHD, Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

Bachelors, History

SAT Scores

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Rhea

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
6+ years of tutoring

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...

Education & Certificates

University of Chicago

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General

ACT Scores

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Jeffrey

Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering
6+ years of tutoring

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 ...

Education & Certificates

University of Notre Dame

Bachelor of Science

Rice University

Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering

ACT Scores

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Erika

Master of Public Policy, Public Policy
1+ years of tutoring

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...

Education & Certificates

Harvard University

Master of Public Policy, Public Policy

ACT Scores

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Samuel

Bachelor of Science, Applied Mathematics
6+ years of tutoring

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. ...

Education & Certificates

California Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Science, Applied Mathematics

SAT Scores

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Meet Our Expert Tutors

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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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Earnest

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects

I am comfortable with either setting. I'm confident that I can help you (or your student) achieve to the best of their ability, so please don't hesitate to get in touch!

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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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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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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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Tiffany

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +56 Subjects

I am available to tutor a broad range of subjects, I am passionate about test preparation, Accountancy, and Algebra.

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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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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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Samantha

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +38 Subjects

I'm a first-year medical student and recent graduate from Duke University, where I studied Global Health Determinants, Behaviors, and Interventions. From running a piano program at a nonprofit children's theatre to private tutoring in math, science, and standardized test prep, I enjoy helping my students become confident and self-sufficient learners! Hobbies: photography, travel, reading, music, writing, running, art, books, traveling

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Zachary

Trigonometry Tutor • +35 Subjects

I am passionate about teaching and tutoring and I thoroughly enjoy helping students gain an understanding and a drive for their studies. I have a long history of working with students of all grade levels and abilities (elementary school through college), and I have a good understanding of strategies to excel in both general academics and standardized tests.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Most 8th graders struggle with moving beyond surface-level identification of rhetorical devices to actually analyzing their effect on the audience. Many students can spot a metaphor or parallel structure, but they can't explain why the author chose that device or what it accomplishes rhetorically. A tutor can help you develop a framework for connecting device → effect → purpose, so you're analyzing the "why" behind every technique rather than just listing what you see.

The 40-minute constraint is brutal for 8th graders because you need time to read the passage, plan your essay, write, and revise—but most students spend too long on the passage or get stuck perfecting their introduction. Effective pacing means spending 8-10 minutes on active reading and annotation, 5 minutes on planning your thesis and structure, 20 minutes writing, and 5 minutes revising. A tutor can help you practice this timing repeatedly so it becomes automatic, and teach you which parts of your essay to prioritize if you run short on time.

Identifying a claim is just stating what the author believes ("The author argues that social media is harmful"), but analyzing the argument means examining how they build that case—what evidence they use, what assumptions underlie their reasoning, and what counterarguments they address or ignore. In AP Language, you need to evaluate the strength and effectiveness of the entire argument, not just restate the main point. Tutors can show you how to break arguments into their component parts and assess whether the author's evidence actually supports their claim.

Diction is the specific word choices an author makes, while tone is the attitude or mood those choices create. For example, calling someone "thrifty" versus "stingy" is a diction choice that affects tone—one sounds approving, the other critical. In your essays, you need to identify specific diction examples and then explain how that word choice contributes to the overall tone and persuasive effect. Many 8th graders use "tone" and "diction" interchangeably, but AP graders expect you to understand they're connected but distinct elements of rhetorical strategy.

Effective evidence in AP Language isn't just any quote from the passage—it needs to be specific, representative of a larger pattern, and directly tied to your analytical point. Instead of quoting a single sentence, you might reference how the author uses short, declarative sentences throughout the passage to create urgency, then analyze why that rhetorical choice works for the intended audience. Weak evidence is vague ("the author uses descriptive language") or disconnected from your thesis. Tutors can teach you how to select evidence that actually proves your analytical claims rather than just illustrating them.

Understanding audience and purpose is central to AP Language because rhetoric is fundamentally about persuasion—an author makes specific choices based on who they're trying to reach and what they want them to believe or do. If the author is writing to convince policymakers, they'll use different evidence and tone than if they're writing to inspire teenagers. In your essay, you should identify the intended audience and purpose early, then use that context to explain why each rhetorical device is effective. This moves your analysis beyond "the author uses pathos" to "the author uses pathos because their teenage audience responds to emotional appeals about peer pressure."

Your AP Language thesis shouldn't just state what rhetorical devices the author uses—it should make a claim about the author's overall rhetorical strategy and its effectiveness with the intended audience. A weak thesis says "The author uses ethos, pathos, and logos." A strong thesis says "By establishing credibility through personal experience and appealing to readers' shared values, the author effectively persuades a skeptical audience to reconsider their assumptions about climate change." Your thesis should set up the analytical framework for your entire essay, making clear what you'll prove about how and why the author's rhetoric works.

Many 8th graders write a practice essay, check the rubric, and move on—but that doesn't build the skills you need. Instead, write under timed conditions, then review by comparing your thesis and evidence selections to high-scoring sample essays. Ask yourself: Did I identify the most important rhetorical strategies, or did I get distracted by minor devices? Did I explain the effect on the audience, or just name the device? Did my evidence actually support my analytical points? A tutor can help you identify patterns in your mistakes across multiple essays, so you're not just fixing individual errors but building stronger analytical habits.

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