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Erin
As a Master of Public Health graduate from the University of New England, I am deeply passionate about empowering students through education. With over two years of tutoring experience, I specialize in essay editing and writing for grade school students and working professionals alike. I draw on m...
University of New England
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Aaron
I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old e...
The University of Texas at Dallas
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Duke University
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Mimi
I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all su...
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Nina
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Columbia University
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Northwestern University
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Columbia University in the City of New York
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I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults...
Harvard University
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Wesleyan University
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Charles
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 descr...
Yale University
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Michelle
I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medici...
Baylor College of Medicine
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Rice University
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Christopher
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tut...
Harvard College
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Liz
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Simmons College
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Solange
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campu...
Harvard University
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9+ years
Justin
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Com...
Washington University in St. Louis
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University of Chicago
Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Mathematics
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Elena
I am a graduate of McGill University (BA First Class Honors) and the University of Edinburgh (MSc First Class Honors with Distinction) with over eight years of tutoring experience. I am currently a curriculum developer for a company which creates relatable and culturally-literate courses for middle ...
University of Edinburgh
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Mcgill University
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10+ years
I am excited to be home and help fellow straphangers on their educational paths! My largest wealth of tutoring experience is in foreign languages--particularly French--but I also feel very comfortable editing essays of any kind and working through standardized test concepts. My availability is extre...
Brown University
Bachelors
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James
I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I study chemistry, and I'll be attending Columbia Medical School next year. I have years of experience tutoring college students in math (mostly calculus) and chemistry including both general and organic chemistry. In addition, I am very familiar with...
Harvard University
Bachelor in Arts, Chemistry
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Justin
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Currently, I am in the master's program at the University of New Mexico where I am continuing my education in philosophy. Ultimately, I hope to go on to earn a PhD in Philosophy so that I can continue en...
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy
University of New Mexico-Main Campus
Current Grad Student, Philosophy
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Justin
AP Calculus BC Tutor • +48 Subjects
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.
Elena
Calculus Tutor • +32 Subjects
I am a graduate of McGill University (BA First Class Honors) and the University of Edinburgh (MSc First Class Honors with Distinction) with over eight years of tutoring experience. I am currently a curriculum developer for a company which creates relatable and culturally-literate courses for middle and high-schools, and am particularly adept at communicating and explaining concepts in a quirky, engaging, and intelligent manner. I was named Scotland International Young Thinker of the Year 2014 for exactly that sort of work. Much of my tutoring background is in test-prep and essay coaching, which I enjoy because it allows the tutor and student to think strategically together, and work as a team to achieve concrete results. I have worked with students ranging in age from 6-32, and believe that, in an educational context, a few jokes never hurt anybody. I love reading and learning, and my educational approach is centered around making the material just as engaging to students as it is to me. I think J.K. Rowlings, the writer of Harry Potter, is just as brilliant as Stephen Hawking, and in my free time, I manage my (terrible) fantasy baseball team, write songs for my comedy band, and crack jokes about terrible science-fiction movies with my friends.
Daniel
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects
I am excited to be home and help fellow straphangers on their educational paths! My largest wealth of tutoring experience is in foreign languages--particularly French--but I also feel very comfortable editing essays of any kind and working through standardized test concepts. My availability is extremely flexible, and anywhere in New York City works for me. I look forward to working with you.
James
AP Calculus AB Tutor • +41 Subjects
I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I study chemistry, and I'll be attending Columbia Medical School next year. I have years of experience tutoring college students in math (mostly calculus) and chemistry including both general and organic chemistry. In addition, I am very familiar with all sections of the SAT and ACT having prepared several high school students for these tests. I believe that every student is capable of boosting his or her baseline score on these tests, so long as he or she works hard to get to know the format of the tests and the most popular types of questions. I tutor because I love seeing students develop a genuine passion for the subjects they once disliked (such as math and science), once they understand the power of these subjects and their applications to the real world.
Justin
Calculus Tutor • +38 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Currently, I am in the master's program at the University of New Mexico where I am continuing my education in philosophy. Ultimately, I hope to go on to earn a PhD in Philosophy so that I can continue engaging in my passions for learning and teaching. While in school, I have spent countless hours coaching high school speech and debate both in person and working online with students across the country. My focus in coaching has been to emphasize philosophy and critical thought to prepare students to think through novel arguments on their own. I am passionate about teaching and tutoring because I love seeing students learn to be intellectually independent and think through problems on their own terms by developing their critical thinking skills. I have devoted my life to education because I am passionate about it, and I try to share some of my passion for learning with the students I work with. I tutor all sorts of Standardized Tests, and I particularly enjoy working on logic-based problems like analogies and math sections. When I am not tutoring or reading for school, I enjoy strategy games (both board games and video games), listening to music, hiking, playing basketball, and just relaxing with friends.
Henry
Calculus Tutor • +41 Subjects
I'm eager to help you in your education. I'm a recent graduate of Harvard College looking to apply to law school. My senior thesis was written on John Dewey's ideas of education, which I deeply believe has incredible power to transform individuals and society.
Ingrid
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +51 Subjects
I am exploring my creativity by pursuing a double major in Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus in Korean, studying abroad in South Korea as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, leading workshops that teach 3D printing and CAD for undergraduate students as the president of 3D4E, advocating for the first-generation and low-income student community as the Outreach Chair of the Quest+ Scholars Network, and getting involved with the Society of Women Engineers' outreach committee. I currently hold a work-study position as an administrative clerical aide in the Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and was an undergraduate researcher in the John Rogers Lab. As I look forward with aspirations of applying to graduate school, areas of research in biomedical engineering and biotechnology that I am particularly interested in include biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and drug delivery systems. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy learning on my own and sharing my experience and knowledge with my peers and other students. I hope to make use of my experiences with academics and learning in high school and so far in my undergraduate career in order to effectively tutor students who may be experiencing the same struggles in learning that I also experienced.
Sabira
Middle School Math Tutor • +35 Subjects
I am currently attending Johns Hopkins University, pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science and Applied Math and Statistics. I love helping students and I love the feeling I get knowing that I was able to use my knowledge to make someone else happier. My favorite subject to teach is math because there are so many ways to learn it and if one way does not help I can use another. I used to teach taekwondo and interacted with all kinds of students, and I'm excited to help out more! Hobbies: books, reading, music, writing, art
Andrew
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects
I am comfortable tutoring math subjects up to multivariable calculus and differential equations, as well as college physics. Hobbies: books, music, art, reading, writing
Asta
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +74 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my undergraduate degree in political science. Right after graduation, I worked as an academic and test prep tutor as well as admissions consultant in Hong Kong. For the past two years, I worked with a number of students to help prepare them for college in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Students typically find the most difficulty with AP Style's exceptions to standard grammar rules—particularly around numbers (when to spell out vs. use numerals), capitalization in titles and headlines, and the nuances of punctuation like the Oxford comma's absence in AP Style. Many also struggle with proper formatting of titles, organizations, and geographical references, which require memorizing specific conventions that differ from AP Language and Composition or standard English classes. A tutor can help you identify which rule categories trip you up most and develop memory strategies for the exceptions that break traditional grammar patterns.
AP Style (Associated Press Style) is a professional journalism standard designed for clarity, consistency, and brevity in news writing—it prioritizes readability for general audiences over grammatical "correctness." Key differences include: no Oxford comma, specific rules for numbers and dates, abbreviated state names, and streamlined punctuation. Your English class likely emphasized MLA or Chicago style, which have different conventions entirely. Understanding when and why AP Style breaks traditional rules helps you apply it confidently in journalism, PR, or writing courses that require it.
While AP Style does require learning specific conventions, the most effective approach focuses on understanding the *logic* behind the rules—AP Style prioritizes clarity and consistency for readers, which explains why it eliminates the Oxford comma and uses specific number formatting. Rather than pure memorization, successful students learn to recognize patterns (like how numbers are handled differently depending on context) and practice applying rules in realistic writing scenarios. A tutor can help you move beyond flashcards by showing you how to think through style decisions and build habits that make AP Style feel natural rather than arbitrary.
AP Style is primarily designed for news writing and journalism, so the rules you apply depend on your context—a breaking news article follows different conventions than a feature story, and academic papers or creative writing may not require AP Style at all. The key is understanding your assignment's requirements: if your teacher or publication specifies AP Style, you'll apply the full ruleset; if they ask for "journalistic style," you may use a subset; if it's a personal essay, AP Style may not apply. A tutor can help you analyze assignment prompts to identify which style guide is actually required and which rules are most critical for your specific writing goal.
Effective AP Style editing uses a systematic approach: first, do a full read-through for content and flow, then do a second pass focusing specifically on style elements (numbers, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations). Many writers find it helpful to create a personal style checklist of rules they frequently miss, then scan for those specific issues. Using the AP Stylebook as a reference while editing (rather than trying to memorize every rule) is standard professional practice—the goal is accuracy, not memorization. A tutor can teach you a reliable editing workflow and help you build awareness of your personal style blind spots so you catch errors faster.
AP Style is the standard in professional journalism and newsrooms, so mastering it gives you a significant advantage in journalism classes, school newspapers, or writing competitions. Beyond the technical rules, learning AP Style teaches you to write for clarity and concision—skills that improve all your writing. In journalism courses specifically, AP Style compliance is often graded as heavily as content quality, so students who understand style conventions earn higher marks and develop habits that professional editors expect. Whether you're aiming for a journalism career or simply want to write more clearly, AP Style discipline strengthens your overall communication skills.
Professional journalists and editors reference the AP Stylebook constantly—memorizing every rule isn't realistic or necessary. However, you should be familiar enough with common rules (numbers, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations) that you can apply them quickly without constant lookups. The goal is building enough fluency that AP Style becomes automatic for frequently-used rules while you confidently reference the book for edge cases. A tutor can help you prioritize which rules to internalize based on your writing focus and teach you how to use the Stylebook efficiently so you're not slowed down during the writing process.
While the AP Stylebook is comprehensive, it can feel overwhelming and abstract without context—a tutor helps you apply rules to your actual writing, identifies patterns in the mistakes you personally make, and teaches you the reasoning behind confusing conventions so they stick. Tutors also help you develop editing strategies, provide feedback on your journalistic writing, and help you understand when AP Style rules interact or conflict with each other. Most importantly, a tutor can accelerate your learning by focusing your study on the rules you'll actually use most, rather than trying to absorb the entire Stylebook at once.
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