During your first session, a tutor will get to know you and understand your college goals, writing background, and the specific essay prompts you're working on. They'll likely review any drafts you have and assess your strengths as a writer, then create a personalized plan to help you develop your essay. This might include brainstorming techniques, outlining strategies, or feedback on early drafts.

Tutors work with you to identify a strong central idea—your thesis—that answers the prompt authentically and reflects who you are. They help you organize your thoughts into a logical flow, ensuring each paragraph supports your main argument and connects back to your thesis. Through guided questioning and feedback, they help you avoid common structural pitfalls like rambling narratives or weak conclusions.

Absolutely. Tutors use strategies like brainstorming exercises, freewriting, and outlining to help you get past writer's block and generate ideas. Once you have drafts, they provide detailed, constructive feedback on everything from clarity and tone to grammar and style. Rather than just editing for you, they teach you revision strategies so you develop stronger writing skills for college and beyond.

Your authentic voice comes through when you write honestly about your experiences and perspectives rather than trying to sound like what you think admissions officers want. Tutors help you find this voice by asking probing questions about your values, passions, and unique background. They also provide feedback on word choice, sentence rhythm, and tone—helping you sound like yourself on the page rather than overly formal or generic.

Most students benefit from working with a tutor over several weeks, allowing time for brainstorming, multiple drafts, and meaningful revision. Since many students apply to multiple schools with different prompts, tutors help you develop a core narrative that can be adapted across essays. The timeline depends on your starting point and how many essays you're writing, but starting early—ideally in the summer before senior year—gives you the most flexibility.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who specialize in college essay writing and understand the application process. After you tell us about your goals and timeline, we match you with a tutor whose expertise aligns with your needs. You'll work together on a personalized schedule that fits your academic calendar and application deadlines.

Common pitfalls include trying to impress rather than being authentic, lacking a clear focus or thesis, and telling instead of showing through specific examples. Many students also struggle with organization—jumping between ideas without clear connections—or spending too much time on plot summary rather than reflection and insight. Tutors help you avoid these mistakes by teaching you to write with purpose, use vivid details, and maintain focus on what the prompt is actually asking.