About Me

I'm an award-winning writer with a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and a certificate from CMU’s Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence. I have taught college and high school for over 10 years, in the classroom,  as a private instructor, and with the Playwrights' Center. I also offer editing and proofreading services to select clients. I am passionate about meeting students where they are in order to help them get where they want to go!

Proven Results

While learning is a lifelong process, I understand that students usually come to tutoring looking for results. After working with me, SAT students have raised their scores over 150 points and GRE students report score increases upwards of 15 points. I have helped students earn scores of 5 on their AP Literature & Language tests, and raise essay scores into the "A" range. I also offer coaching on personal essays for college, graduate and post-graduate education, and internships, where my focus is to help students showcase their unique qualifications while making a strong emotional impact with the reader. My essay students have been admitted to Cambridge, MIT, the US Navy Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), and top medical schools around the country.

Personalized Approach

I go the extra mile to personalize my lessons to the needs of each student. I specialize in working with adults and teens on writing, critical thinking, reading comprehension, and test preparation. I always treat students as individuals, identifying challenge areas and generating unique lesson plans to target learning goals together. I prioritize student buy-in, working hard to ensure that content is engaging. I believe in helping students find their own answers, and always try to translate specific tasks into generalizable skills. have worked with students from middle schoolers to corporate executives, and I am proud that my students consistently report increased confidence after working with me. Beyond achieving specific goals and milestones, I want to help students thrive.

Subjects & Services

Personal Essay

$120/hour

Whether you are an aspiring student applying to your dream college, a Master’s student developing a thesis, or a high schooler trying to master the five-paragraph essay, I offer personalized tools and guidance to make writing approachable. I specialize in helping students understand what makes their writing effective and how to practically apply literary tools like diction, emphasis, structure and logical relationships to help consistently achieve that goal. I lean on critical readings of source materials to improve students’ reading and analysis skills as well as to model the strategies that will make student writing stronger. I LOVE working with students to perfect specific writing samples, as well as developing longer-term relationships with students to help boost their writing abilities and confidence.

Developmental Editing & Proofreading

Inquire for Rates

As a versatile and adaptable editor, I have assisted in the development of numerous plays and screenplays, and been the primary developmental editor on several published manuscripts, including a book of poetry and several pedagogical resources for educators. Developmental edits include proofreading (grammar, syntax, punctuation) and guidance on structure, clarity, and overall content. My services are adaptable to your project, and can also include fact-checking and light formatting improvements. Hire me to edit your documents or to coach you in becoming a better editor yourself! As a copy editor & proofreader, I am meticulous. I have experience with creative and academic texts, as well as professional manuscripts being prepared for publication.

English Writing & Literature

$120/hour

In lessons designed to suit their current abilities and needs, students (from middle school through college-aged learners) work with me to improve critical reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. All English and reading lessons are extremely personalized, with lesson plans designed and adjusted to continue to challenge students as their skills grow and needs change. I specialize in helping students prepare for the AP English Language and AP Literature exams, discovering strategies and best-practices for approaching both the Multiple Choice and Essay portions of these tests. I also have experience supporting students in IB and preparing for state-level English exams like the STARR.

Creative Writing

$120/hour

As a professional writer, I specialize in helping students find their unique creative voice and developing the tools to tell their stories more effectively. I teach playwriting, screenwriting, and fiction writing to students from high school through the post-graduate / pre-professional level, offering everything from introductory courses to advanced coaching to help already-experienced writers sharpen their storytelling toolset. Together, we identify and clarify creative goals, and then I offer personalized guidance on how to meet them. Through practice, targeted feedback, and critical reading, students will discover what makes their writing effective and develop a creative practice that they can sustain long after our work together concludes.

GRE, SAT & ACT Verbal Reasoning & Analytic Writing

$150/hour

I earned a 170/170 on the GRE Verbal Reasoning and 5.5/6 on GRE Analytic Writing, and I want to help you do the same! Students will work with me to learn and apply dedicated study habits and effective testing strategies, as well as improving critical reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. We will improve core skills and identify best-fit strategies to help you manage time and GRE-specific question types, optimizing your score.

Testimonials

Personal Statement Support

Brandy is an excellent writing tutor! I highly recommend working with her. I needed help writing about a personal experience for my autobiographical essay, and I am so pleased with the result. She helped me find a delicate balance between oversharing too much vs. being too boring. I really enjoyed how she explained all of her feedback/edits, and she had a careful eye toward helping me use rich, impactful language. She was also a great listener and helped me add emotions into my writing. Very thankful!

Daniel C, Medical Student

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