Award-Winning IB Writing
Tutors
Award-Winning
IB Writing
Tutors
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.

I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.
I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.
I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.
I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.
I am a graduate of Washington University in St Louis, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Humanities and Anthropology. Since graduation, I have worked as a tutor, teacher, and director of tutors at a charter public middle school in Boston. During this time I also received my Masters in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College. I have worked extensively with students with a range of abilities, including students with specific learning disabilities, emotional impairments, dyslexia, and ADHD. My teaching experience has given me a deep understanding of the knowledge and habits essential to academic success and has given me the opportunity to hone a variety of strategies that ensure students at each level can achieve their academic goals. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, my favorite ones are Reading, Elementary/Middle School Math, History, and Test Prep. In my experience, tutoring is the most rewarding when a student has that "aha!" moment and achieves a new level of understanding and confidence in his/her abilities. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education, and I see my role to be that of a facilitator and coach who is there to help the student reach his/her goals through individualized support and rigorous practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, practicing my Spanish, and discovering new music. I am also an avid traveler and just got back from a 3 month trip to South America. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals!
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.
I am exploring my creativity by pursuing a double major in Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus in Korean, studying abroad in South Korea as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, leading workshops that teach 3D printing and CAD for undergraduate students as the president of 3D4E, advocating for the first-generation and low-income student community as the Outreach Chair of the Quest+ Scholars Network, and getting involved with the Society of Women Engineers' outreach committee. I currently hold a work-study position as an administrative clerical aide in the Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and was an undergraduate researcher in the John Rogers Lab. As I look forward with aspirations of applying to graduate school, areas of research in biomedical engineering and biotechnology that I am particularly interested in include biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and drug delivery systems. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy learning on my own and sharing my experience and knowledge with my peers and other students. I hope to make use of my experiences with academics and learning in high school and so far in my undergraduate career in order to effectively tutor students who may be experiencing the same struggles in learning that I also experienced.
I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I study chemistry, and I'll be attending Columbia Medical School next year. I have years of experience tutoring college students in math (mostly calculus) and chemistry including both general and organic chemistry. In addition, I am very familiar with all sections of the SAT and ACT having prepared several high school students for these tests. I believe that every student is capable of boosting his or her baseline score on these tests, so long as he or she works hard to get to know the format of the tests and the most popular types of questions. I tutor because I love seeing students develop a genuine passion for the subjects they once disliked (such as math and science), once they understand the power of these subjects and their applications to the real world.
Testimonials
Because the right IB Writing tutor makes all the difference.
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Frequently Asked Questions
IB essays require a clear architecture: a compelling introduction with a nuanced thesis, body paragraphs with topic sentences that directly address the prompt, and evidence integrated smoothly into your analysis rather than simply quoted. The key difference from standard essays is that IB examiners reward sophisticated argumentation—they want to see you engaging with counterarguments, qualifying claims, and building a logical progression toward a conclusion. A tutor can help you identify where your thesis is too broad or vague, show you how to structure paragraphs so each one advances your argument, and teach you to embed textual evidence in ways that demonstrate analytical depth rather than just supporting a point.
Summary tells what happened; analysis explains how and why the author's choices create meaning. In IB Writing, examiners specifically penalize plot summary and reward close reading that examines literary techniques—word choice, imagery, syntax, tone, symbolism—and connects them to theme or argument. Many students struggle with this shift because they've been rewarded for thorough summaries in earlier grades. A tutor can teach you to move past "the character did X" to "the author's use of fragmented sentences conveys the character's psychological state," and help you practice identifying techniques in texts and articulating their effects in a single sentence before building full analytical paragraphs.
IB theses need to be arguable and specific—not a broad claim like "Shakespeare explores ambition" but something like "Macbeth's descent reveals how unchecked ambition corrodes moral judgment, not through external punishment but through psychological deterioration." The challenge is making it specific enough to guide your essay without boxing yourself in so tightly you can't develop nuance. Tutors help by teaching you to write a working thesis early, then refine it as you gather evidence, ensuring it's complex enough to sustain a full essay. They also show you how to signal your thesis's scope—using language like "primarily," "in part because," or "especially when" to acknowledge complexity while maintaining a clear argumentative position.
Revision for IB requires multiple passes with different lenses: first, check that your thesis is present and that each paragraph's topic sentence connects directly to it; second, evaluate whether your evidence actually supports your claims or just illustrates them; third, examine your sentences for precision and concision—IB rewards clear, economical prose over flowery language. Many students revise only for grammar, missing the analytical gaps that cost marks. A tutor can teach you to read your own work critically by asking "Does this sentence prove my point or just state it?" and "Would a reader understand why I included this evidence?" They can also provide feedback on whether your voice is appropriately formal and whether your conclusions genuinely synthesize your argument or just repeat it.
The biggest pitfalls are: relying too heavily on plot summary instead of analysis, writing a thesis that's too obvious or too vague to guide the essay, failing to integrate evidence smoothly (dropping quotes without explanation), and losing focus by trying to cover too many ideas without developing any fully. Students also often use informal language or clichéd expressions that weaken their credibility, and they sometimes misread the prompt—answering a question about "how" when asked "why," for example. Tutors help you avoid these by teaching you to annotate prompts carefully, practice thesis-writing until it becomes automatic, and develop a checklist for revision that catches these patterns before you submit work.
Academic voice in IB Writing means being formal and precise—avoiding contractions, slang, and personal anecdotes—while still maintaining clarity and personality through your word choices and sentence rhythm. The goal isn't to sound like a textbook but to sound authoritative and thoughtful. Many students either write too casually ("The author really shows how..." or "It's obvious that...") or overcorrect by using elaborate vocabulary that obscures their meaning. A tutor can help you find the balance by teaching you to read strong academic writing, showing you how to choose precise verbs over weak ones, and helping you practice writing sentences that are both formal and natural. They can also give you feedback on whether your tone matches your argument—a skeptical claim should sound measured, while a confident one can be more direct.
IB Writing typically doesn't require formal citations like MLA or APA in timed essays, but you should always acknowledge sources and quote accurately with page numbers when possible. In coursework essays, follow your school's specific requirements, which may vary. The key principle is transparency: if you're using someone else's words or ideas, signal it clearly so readers know what's yours and what's borrowed. Many students either over-cite (treating every paraphrase as needing a footnote) or under-cite (using ideas without attribution). A tutor can clarify your school's expectations, teach you the difference between paraphrasing (which still needs attribution) and analysis (which doesn't), and show you how to weave citations into your prose so they support rather than interrupt your argument.
Timed essays demand a different strategy than coursework: spend 5-7 minutes planning (reading the prompt carefully, jotting a quick thesis and paragraph outline), 25-30 minutes writing, and 5 minutes reviewing for clarity and errors. Quality under time pressure comes from having practiced patterns so thoroughly they become automatic—a strong thesis structure, a reliable paragraph template, and go-to transition phrases. Students who struggle with timed essays often spend too long on the introduction or try to write perfectly on the first draft. Tutors can teach you to prioritize: a clear, arguable thesis and well-developed body paragraphs matter far more than a polished conclusion. They can also run timed practice essays with you, timing each section, so you develop the muscle memory to write confidently when the clock is running.
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