Alix

I am a former college English professor with over fifteen years' experience in tutoring one-on-one. I teach all kinds of writing to all kinds of learners, no matter where they are in their writing process. I also excel at teaching reading comprehension, literature, humanities, and social sciences. I hold a B.A. from Yale University, where I graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in English and Psychology. I went on to complete three MFAs--two in Writing and one in Sculpture--and am currently studying for my PhD.

My Tutoring Style:

My tutoring style is open, supportive, and collaborative. I meet students where they are, working together to establish shared goals and objectives. I love getting to know each of my students as people, and I tailor my teaching style to that particular individual. I believe that learning is best achieved when it is a shared endeavor, and hold students accountable for meeting the shared timelines we have set. During our sessions, I focus on building confidence, setting doable challenges, and helping students build their academic skill sets. Mentorship is one of my favorite parts of this process--watching my students grow over time is incredibly gratifying. It is my hope that students come away from our time together not only with a better essay or test score, but with a renewed sense of confidence and love of learning.

Success Story:

For me, college admissions was a natural outgrowth of my work as a college essay coach. As an admissions counselor, I gently guide students through the process of selecting schools they'd like to apply to, prioritizing deadlines, and making sure their applications are complete and on time. Together, we work toward optimizing their success. We work as a team to craft and polish their Common App essay, making sure that it reflects the student's own voice and experience. I also walk students through the process of answering tricky supplemental essay questions. Students I work with often find that they can achieve admission even to their reach schools: I have had students gain admission to prestigious programs including Brown University, Duke University, Cornell, Bryn Mawr, UCLA, and NYU.‍

I am particularly proud of the student who was admitted to Duke: when we began working together, she had no idea she could achieve so much. In essay writing, I often find that students tend to overlook small events and experiences that can make for powerful essays. One student in particular stands out--she came to me with a college essay draft meant to sound grand and universal, but in reality felt generic and lifeless. These were problems she could identify but had no idea how to solve. By asking careful questions and listening to her discuss the reasons she'd initially chosen her topic, we were able to get to the real heart of the experience--time she had spent having to take care of her own father. The essay she ended up writing did not abandon the ideas of the first, but it was deep and compelling, capturing her true voice and experience.

Hobbies & Interests:

In addition to being a teacher, am a poet with three full-length collections and a visual artist who has exhibited work internationally. I love to travel have new adventures: I have helped build houses in Thailand, spent time with indigenous communities in the jungles of Ecuador, paraglided from the cliffs of Quito, and attended survival school in the Adirondacks. Closer to home, you'll often find me walking my dog in the woods or snuggling up with three rescued cats.