Premium writing classes and tutoring

Learn to write killer college essays and more from a highly experienced, Yale-educated mentor.

About Kate

Experience

  • English and writing tutor with over 10 years of experience

  • Past college essay students have been accepted to top schools including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, UCs, and many more

  • Former writing center manager, curriculum creator, and teacher at multiple education companies

  • Award-winning research writer/editor, published by Oxford University Press, The Lancet, and more

  • Former alumni interviewer for Yale College admissions in Orange County, California

Education

  • Yale University, Literature BA - magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa (top tenth of class)

  • Admitted to Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia Law Schools

  • Accepted at all colleges applied to as AP/IB/TT student at Troy High School (Fullerton, California)

Classes and services

1-ON-1 or GROUP MEETING

Complimentary Consultation

Interested in learning more but unsure where to start? Book a complimentary 30-minute consultation to find out how we can work together.

According to your needs and preferences, we’ll start creating a custom game plan to help you achieve your writing goals.

Complimentary consultations are 100% free of charge—no pressure or obligation.

1-ON-1 or GROUP WORKSHOP

Writing Killer College Essays

Through intensive teaching sessions and feedback rounds, students learn to craft compelling application essays.

Topics covered include:

  • How to fully highlight your strengths through strategic essay topic selection

  • Using artful storytelling techniques and avoiding pitfalls both major and subtle

  • Grasping and addressing the unspoken requirements of different essay prompts

  • How to avoid deadline stress using application completion schedules

1-ON-1 or GROUP CLASS

Academic Support and Enrichment

Whatever your goals may be, I’ll provide a personalized plan and guide you in seeing them to fruition.

Possible topics include:

  • Support with English or writing-related classwork

  • Enrichment activities for advanced learners

  • Mentorship for extracurricular writing projects (e.g., contest submissions)

  • Personalized test prep (e.g., AP, SAT, ACT)

What my
clients say

“Kate has been the best college essay tutor I could have ever asked for. Not only did she help me get into my dream school (UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering!), but Kate truly listened to what I had to say and helped me bring out the best sides of me through my writing voice. Kate offered a very personalized experience that helped me navigate through a stressful application season and strengthened my abilities as a writer.”

— Jennifer, accepted to UC San Diego (class of 2028)

My approach

Over more than a decade of tutoring (starting at my high school’s Peer Tutoring Club), I’ve worked with all kinds of students, including sixth graders convinced they “hate writing,” aspiring novelists embarking on their first books, and high-school seniors mystified by the college application process.

Highlight Tutoring is the culmination of everything I’ve learned over the years about how best to support students. Using evidence-based techniques and handcrafted curricula, I help students capitalize on their strengths, zero in on areas for improvement, and genuinely enjoy the process.

Guiding students’ development into confident, insightful writers is my passion—and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Contact

To book sessions or make an inquiry, please fill out the form below.