ELA Tutoring by Julia Ludovici

College Application & Essay Mentorship

For Rising High School Seniors

During my time at MSU’s nationally renowned writing center, I specialized in coaching students through application essays and materials for competitive grants, scholarships, and graduate school programs. 

My writing consultant experience and my instruction in rhetoric and composition offer only a starting point for my College Application & Essay Mentorship. Since writing an impactful college essay can be a vulnerable experience, I prioritize building relationships with each individual student. From there, with immense care and respect, I support them throughout the entire writing process, all the way from choosing a Common App prompt to clicking “submit” on their final draft. 

I implement a structured approach to the writing process, in which students learn to utilize and analyze their personal experiences and perspectives to create a rich and successful essay—one that gives them the best chance for successful admission to their top choice schools*, and one they can be proud of.

Regardless of your student’s grades or skill levels, I can provide tailored support for crafting this all-important, often dreaded essay. For what it’s worth, I started writing college essays for fun in my free time as a junior in high school. Still, I begged my parents to hire a tutor when it was time to write the real thing. Applying to college is an intimidating process! Having professional guidance takes a lot of stress and guesswork out of the equation.

Timeline: This program includes weekly sessions starting up to 6 months but at least 3 months before your earliest college application deadline. We might finish in as little as four sessions, but I’d always rather us get done early than cut it too close!

Summer Reading & Homework Support

For Students in Grades 5-12

Want to make sure your student fully absorbs their summer reading? Sick of being the summer homework enforcer? I can help!

I create customized instruction plans based on students’ assigned work, their interests, parents’ goals, and state academic standards. My role is to provide accountability and support, ensuring that your learner gets the most out of their summer homework and steps into the next school year feeling confident and prepared. Whether your student’s ELA skills are behind, on target, or zooming ahead, individualized support can help them create meaningful connections and with their work. My goal is to bridge summer learning gaps, setting students up for long-term academic success and encouraging healthy relationships with reading and writing.

We’ll develop skills in reading, writing, and verbal communication through:

• Independent and supported reading time.
• Informal writing and meta-cognitive reflection.
• Informal discussion and analysis.
• Exploring related content from other perspectives.
• Optionally, a more formal essay, presentation, or project based on the student’s interests, grade level, and desired learning outcomes.

Timeline: This program includes regular sessions throughout your student’s summer break. Frequency (semiweekly, weekly, or biweekly) and length of lessons is up to you! While we will discuss and set expectations together for the amount of independent work that makes sense for your family, I will expect consistent out-of-session work time.

Customized Tutoring Plans

For Students in Grades 5-12

Does your student need extra support in a specific content or skill area? Do their essay grades keep coming back low despite their best effort? On the other hand, are your student’s reading scores way above their grade level? Are you worried about boredom in class or that they’re not being challenged enough?

Let’s chat about it! After gathering information from you and getting to know your learner, I can craft a customized tutoring plan that addresses your learner’s specific needs and goals.