As you can tell from my “About” page, I’m a writer and a writing teacher. However, what you may not know is that I now work with local high school students (former Fearless Dragon Writers, or not!) over the summers, offering hourly tutoring services for their College Admissions Essays—Main and Supplemental.

After many years of teaching creative writing to elementary and middle-grade students, I have found that my approach helps high school students get the most out of their college admissions essays. There are three main reasons for this: 1) I have techniques for drawing writing out of reluctant writers, or in this case, oftentimes stressed-out writers; and 2) College Admissions Essays are a type of CREATIVE WRITING that typical high school essays are not. These are my wheelhouse! and 3) I provide ENCOURAGEMENT, SUPPORT, LISTENING SKILLS, and HUMOR (that last one is very important), the same as I do when teaching my Kids’ Writing Workshops! All of this makes me well-suited to work with high school students during this stressful time in their lives. (And suited to reassure their often stressed parents!)

My IN-PERSON TUTORING SERVICE covers:

• BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITIES that GENERATE IDEAS for TOPIC SELECTION

• COACHING/GUIDING students through the entire writing process from their EARLY DRAFTS to their FINAL DRAFT

• SUGGESTING REVISIONS and EDITS to keep essays on track and within proper word counts

• HELPING students craft thoughtful ESSAY ‘ENDINGS’ that go beyond summation

• This process culminates in a final College Admissions Essay written by the student in their unique voice—an essay they can be proud to submit to colleges.

• Once the Main Common App Essay is finished, we move on to any SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS the student may have to write. (The process begins again, although more streamlined since we have already tackled the longer essay.)

THE PROCESS:

• INTRODUCTORY MEETING: I start with an introductory meeting where I run through a half-hour visual presentation on what makes an effective College Admissions Essay. (There are some surprising details in there!) My presentation is thoroughly researched, drawing on information I have gathered from College Admissions Experts. It is also full of tips from my own writing experience and expertise. We discuss the presentation and any ideas the student has at this time for possible topics. This is also a ‘get-to-know-you’ session if I don’t already know the student.

• BRAINSTORMING and FREEWRITES: After that, I provide proven BRAINSTORMING techniques to help the student dive into TOPIC SELECTION. From there, the student FREEWRITES some exploratory drafts, and we see what starts to emerge. (It’s like mining for gold!) We are searching for an effective TOPIC for the student—something that highlights their personality, style, and tone as a writer, while also highlighting their unique qualities and story—the story no one else could write that will capture the attention of the College Admissions Committee.

• TOPIC SELECTION LEADS TO MORE WRITING! I am there for the student as they write draft after draft. I provide GUIDANCE, SUPPORT, COACHING, and DIRECTION, answering questions as they continue to write their essays.

• Once we are at the FINAL DRAFT stage, I PROOFREAD the essay until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!

• SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS: Tutoring is also available for SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS.

• MY TUTORING RATE: Currently, I charge $75.00/hour. I accept Venmo and Zelle.

• THE BEST TIME TO START: The best time to start is the Summer before Senior Year of High School. (Ideally, no later than July 15th to get the Main Common App Essay done before school begins in the Fall.)

• THIS IS IN-PERSON TUTORING. I feel in-person tutoring has an advantage over online tutoring, though if need be, we can begin in person and finish online. I am located in Fanwood, New Jersey.

• I ACCEPT A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDENTS EACH SUMMER in order to provide the best quality tutoring. Also, this is College Admissions Essay tutoring, not college list creation or Common App assistance.

• Please reach out through the “Contact” page if you have questions or are interested in my tutoring services.

• Thank you!

  Andrea Felcone, Fearless Dragon Writers, LLC

  • BOOKS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DURING THIS PROCESS: College Admissions Cracked by Jill Margaret Shulman; College Essay Confidence: Conquer Blocks, Free Your Voice, and Write a Knockout Application Essay (also by Jill Margaret Shulman); and Write Yourself In by Eric Tipler. (These are Amazon Affiliate Links. Fearless Dragon Writers, LLC earns a small percentage on qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!)