Is it worth getting a tutor for college essays?
I'm heading into my senior year soon and honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed about writing my college essays. My older sister's friend got help from a professional tutor and apparently it made a huge difference for him, but I'm not sure if it's necessary or just an extra expense.
I do pretty well in English at school but I'm not confident my writing style is good for personal statements. For those who have used a tutor or essay coach, did you feel like it actually helped with your chances or made your essays a lot better? Or is it something most people can do on their own with enough drafts and peer feedback?
Would love to hear any experiences or opinions on this. Trying to decide if I should ask my parents to invest in tutoring or just keep working on my own.
I do pretty well in English at school but I'm not confident my writing style is good for personal statements. For those who have used a tutor or essay coach, did you feel like it actually helped with your chances or made your essays a lot better? Or is it something most people can do on their own with enough drafts and peer feedback?
Would love to hear any experiences or opinions on this. Trying to decide if I should ask my parents to invest in tutoring or just keep working on my own.
4 months ago
•
22 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
It's totally normal to feel overwhelmed with college essays, even if you're already a strong student in English classes. The kind of writing required for personal statements and supplemental essays is pretty different—they want you to show self-reflection, personality, and growth in a short, compelling way, which isn’t always covered in high school curriculums.
Hiring a tutor or essay coach can definitely provide some advantages: they can help you brainstorm topics, push you to get more specific or vulnerable, and make sure your voice shines through without being cliché. For example, I know a student who thought her essay on volunteering was strong until a coach challenged her to dig deeper. She ended up writing about a single moment when she completely froze instead of helping someone—and how she responded later. That shift made her essay stand out much more.
On the other hand, plenty of students write strong essays without professional help, especially if they're proactive about seeking feedback. Teachers, older siblings, or trusted adults can be great resources for honest input. Taking time to review examples of successful essays and going through several drafts—with peer reviews—can get you 80-90% of the way there. It comes down to how comfortable you feel organizing your ideas and revising your own work.
A tutor is most helpful if you: a) struggle to get started, b) find it hard to choose or narrow down a topic, c) tend to write essays that sound generic, or d) want detailed, outside-the-box feedback that peers might not give. If your family is weighing the expense, maybe try drafting an essay or two on your own first, ask for feedback from teachers or friends, and see how far you get. If you’re still stuck or want that extra push to take your essays from good to great, then investing in a tutor could be worthwhile.
A good middle ground is to use trusted resources for free drafts and only seek paid help if you feel like you’ve hit a wall. At the end of the day, what matters most is that your essays sound authentic and show your unique story—how you get there is up to you!
Hiring a tutor or essay coach can definitely provide some advantages: they can help you brainstorm topics, push you to get more specific or vulnerable, and make sure your voice shines through without being cliché. For example, I know a student who thought her essay on volunteering was strong until a coach challenged her to dig deeper. She ended up writing about a single moment when she completely froze instead of helping someone—and how she responded later. That shift made her essay stand out much more.
On the other hand, plenty of students write strong essays without professional help, especially if they're proactive about seeking feedback. Teachers, older siblings, or trusted adults can be great resources for honest input. Taking time to review examples of successful essays and going through several drafts—with peer reviews—can get you 80-90% of the way there. It comes down to how comfortable you feel organizing your ideas and revising your own work.
A tutor is most helpful if you: a) struggle to get started, b) find it hard to choose or narrow down a topic, c) tend to write essays that sound generic, or d) want detailed, outside-the-box feedback that peers might not give. If your family is weighing the expense, maybe try drafting an essay or two on your own first, ask for feedback from teachers or friends, and see how far you get. If you’re still stuck or want that extra push to take your essays from good to great, then investing in a tutor could be worthwhile.
A good middle ground is to use trusted resources for free drafts and only seek paid help if you feel like you’ve hit a wall. At the end of the day, what matters most is that your essays sound authentic and show your unique story—how you get there is up to you!
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Camille Luong
Nomadic
Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
Experience
5 years
Rating
5.0 (5 reviews)