The English Tutor

It's not too early for high school juniors to be thinking about college essays. Get a head start and enjoy that smug feeling of having one less thing to worry about in September 😊

The College Essay Timeline - The Admissions Angle The majority of stress and work in the admissions process stems from the essay writing and students should spend a lot of time crafting their essays.

Early submission deadlines are approaching! If your senior is struggling with last minute college essay issues, I can help. I have availability after school and weekends over the next couple of weeks. And if your senior hasn't started their college essay yet, I can help with that too! This TED Talk by Tim Urban might be a good place to begin the process 😉

Inside the mind of a master procrastinator Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the win...

Grammar is interesting and important (part 2). A few years old, but this story about the impact of a missing comma is quite something.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/a-few-words-about-that-ten-million-dollar-serial-comma?utm_campaign=falcon&mbid=social_facebook&utm_brand=tny&utm_source=NYR_REG_GATE&utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR20t91uDGbXEV6pjRvv9yBB6-VtUwswiU3_LcYjXP7a6085wKbi51s_U5I

A Few Words About That Ten-Million-Dollar Serial Comma On the case of the Maine milk-truck drivers who, for want of a comma, won an appeal against their employer, Oakhurst Dairy.

Grammar is fun! Well, maybe not fun. Let’s go with interesting and important. For an entertaining read on the subject, you can’t go wrong with Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. (And yes, I am reading it on the beach. And yes, I can start a sentence with “and”!)

“I have written a wicked book and I feel as spotless as a lamb.” So said Herman Melville on finishing his masterpiece, Moby Dick. Considered by many to be the greatest American novel, I’m not sure if it’s wicked, but it is brilliant. It’s also very, very long. Check out the Moby Dick Big Read from the University of Plymouth for an accessible way to get into this classic. http://www.mobydickbigread.com

You're 16. You're a high school student. You have 650 words to show a stranger who you are. Where do you start?

Lots of great advice from college essay tutor Keith Miller on Peace By Piece with Michelle Herman.

Finding Your Voice: The College Essay Process by Peace By Piece with Michelle Herman • A podcast on Anchor Keith Miller is a high school English teacher and college essay tutor. This episode is helpful for anyone beginning the college application process.