One-on-One Peak Writing

Intensive, one-on-one writing programs for grades 6 and up

Does your student need to boost their fundamental skills of essay writing to prepare for high school? Is your student in high school and needs to master their analytical writing skills to prepare for AP courses, advanced English, or college-level courses?

In Summit’s Peak Fundamental Writing course (6 weeks), an expert tutor guides your student to learn the foundations of quality essay writing. In our Peak Analytical writing course (8-16 weeks), students learn how to study complex literature and write compelling analytical essays.

Student who have mastered these skills have a rock-solid advantage over their peers —a competitive edge that cuts across the span of their scholastic careers. They meet writing tasks with more confidence and less frustration, conquering the fear and stress that often accompanies even starting these assignments.

Middle school or high school is the perfect time

Expectations for student writing rise in grades 6 and up, but learning to write in a classroom setting can be challenging. Summit’s Peak Fundamental Writing program and Peak Analytical Writing program helps students sharpen this skill in a one-on-one setting.

Our typical program consists of either 6 or 8 weekly one-on-one sessions with a hand-picked tutor. Sessions are 90 minutes, with about an hour of homework assigned per session. Tutoring conveniently takes place either online or in-person in your home or locally, on your schedule.

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One-on-one instruction from professionals

Most of our Peak Writing tutors are current or former English teachers who have a talent for engaging students in a variety of age groups. They are experts at analyzing students’ writing and giving clear, actionable feedback on areas for growth. They are passionate about what they do and are committed to their students’ success.

Meet Our Tutors

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Peak Fundamental Writing: Provides students with a solid foundation of basic essay-writing skills

Students start the program by developing reading skills and examining how to communicate most effectively through writing. Together with their tutor, students then build an ideal model of how to write an essay. Students will finish their program with a strong knowledge of how to structure essays, write strong thesis statements, and support their arguments. By program’s end your student will fully research, plan, and write a great essay about a challenging topic.

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Peak Analytical Writing: A rewarding, rigorous curriculum boosts writing skills

The unique, scaffolded structure of our analytical writing program is key. Students will first sharpen their active reading skills while learning how to effectively analyze literature and engage with texts on a deeper level. From there, they’ll learn and practice how to create compelling thesis statements and develop thoughtful, well-supported arguments, By program’s end, your student will be producing cohesive, well-written analytical essays with confidence.

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Peak Fundamental Writing Learning Outcomes

Sharpened problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
Learning key reading strategies that are essential for writing skills
Developing the ideal model for structuring essays
Understanding how to communicate most effectively through writing
Writing strong thesis statements and learning how to support arguments
Editing and revision skills
Writing an effective 4-paragraph essay
Bonus sessions, including grammar lessons focused on parts of speech and elements of a sentence
Increased confidence for the rigor of high school essay writing!

SYLLABUS

Peak Analytical Writing Learning Outcomes

Analytical techniques for approaching a piece of literature
Close reading and making solid inferences
Multiple annotation techniques
Literary terminology
Creating strong, supportable theses
Consider situations, examine rhetoric, analyzing stories, essays
Creating cohesive, well-supported, analytical arguments
Editing and revision skills
Wiring an effective 5-paragraph essay, using evidence and citations
Confidence for writing in advanced English, AP classes, and college-level courses!

SYLLABUS

Meet Some of Our Top Writing Teachers

Carol Margolis

Carol Margolis received a BA in English and American Literature from Harvard University, and an MAT in Secondary English Education from Washington University. She teaches English at Dedham High School, and has tutored for the SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and subject tests for Summit. In her free time, Carol enjoys traveling and going to the theater. College, degree obtained: Harvard, BA, English and American Literature Washington University, MA, Secondary English education

Meet The Tutors

Lauren Doolan

Lauren is from Peabody, Massachusetts, and she earned her BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing form Emerson College, as well as an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She has worked for Summit since 2012 as a tutor, a Program Director, a trainer, and she has helped write and edit content for our coursebooks. Over her career as a Summit tutor, Lauren has worked with students on both the math and verbal portions of test prep, and has experience as an academic English tutor as well. Outside of Summit, Lauren has spent the last decade in after school programs and conducting adult education classes, doing everything from teaching grammar and punctuation to ESL students to showing seventh graders how to make tacos. Lauren’s style is patient, encouraging, and positive. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling. College, degree obtained: Emerson, BA, Writing, Literature, and Publishing Sarah Lawrence, MFA, Fiction writing

Meet The Tutors

Don Birmingham

In his teaching career, Don has been fortunate enough to have taught at almost every level from AP English courses to Special Education courses in Middle School. Don has also worked with students from a wide variety of backgrounds – from 12th graders preparing for college, to 6th graders who are learning English. Through all these experiences, he has learned a few pretty simple rules for success: develop a respectful and supportive relationship, make sure the students know you’re on their side, figure out what works best for the student, challenge them, and give positive reinforcement when they have success.
College, degree obtained: Amherst College, BA English UMass Amherst, MS Sports Management St. John’s University, MA, Special Education

Meet The Tutors