North Avenue Education
News, Insights, & Study Tips

Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn

Tutor Spotlight: Alisa Chung

Meet Alisa. She brings a compassionate and patient approach to tutoring. With extensive experience as a peer mentor and undergraduate teaching assistant, she excels in creating affirming learning environments tailored to neurodiverse students. Alisa’s academic background and dedication to inclusive education make her an invaluable asset to students striving to understand complex mathematical and scientific concepts.

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Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn

Tutor Spotlight: Arek Rein Jungwirth

Meet Arek. He specializes in nurturing the academic growth of neurodivergent students and those with learning differences. With a psychology degree and robust experience in diverse teaching settings (incl. chess and unicycling!), Arek brings patience, creativity, and a deep understanding of individual learning needs to each session. His gentle approach ensures that every student feels valued and empowered to succeed.

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Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn

Tutor Spotlight: Patrick Miller

Meet Mamie. With a decade of experience, Mamie guides students in crafting impactful admissions essays. Having graduated with a degree in literature, she brings a love of language and narrative expertise to the coaching process. Drawing from her professional background in copywriting, manuscript editing, and journalism, her goal is to help students identify unique perspectives and hone their story.

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Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn Tutor Spotlight Scott Clyburn

Tutor Spotlight: Mamie Stevenson Morago

Meet Mamie. With a decade of experience, Mamie guides students in crafting impactful admissions essays. Having graduated with a degree in literature, she brings a love of language and narrative expertise to the coaching process. Drawing from her professional background in copywriting, manuscript editing, and journalism, her goal is to help students identify unique perspectives and hone their story.

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Study Tips Kathryn Wessinger Study Tips Kathryn Wessinger

How to Write a Standout Private School Application Essay

The first thing to know about writing a winning private school application essay is that yes, you can do it! This application component might seem daunting, but considering two critical strategies can shift your student’s perspective and evade writer’s block.

With that said, grades and SSAT (or HSPT) test scores are important, but the personal essay is your student’s best opportunity to demonstrate maturity, intellectual curiosity, and a unique perspective. Here is where a strong voice and a vision make them memorable!

How does your student write this fantastic essay? They need to tell their own story with their own voice. Here’s how.

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News Kathryn Wessinger News Kathryn Wessinger

The Weight of the College Essay

The contemporary college admissions landscape is treacherous. Schools are reporting record application numbers since test-optional policies have gone mainstream, yet the number of available seats remains constant. There aren’t many things seniors can control at this point in the application process, considering GPAs are nearly finalized and suddenly joining four new extracurricular activities is bound to raise red flags for admissions committees. The college essay, though, is the one piece that still needs to be added to the enormous puzzle of lists and numbers that composes your academic portfolio.

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