Hi! I'm Robyn!
Also known as Dr. Write Stuff -- and I'm here to help!
My Background: Working with Writers for 20+ Years
My name is Robyn Russo, and I have been teaching and coaching writers for more than 20 years -- back to when I was a student myself!
I hold a B.A. in English from Georgetown University, where I first began my helping writing in the university writing center. From there, I went on to a brief career in journalism before returning to Georgetown for my M.A. in English and starting my career as a freshman writing teacher in the community college. Throughout this time, I also worked independently coaching students on their college and graduate school applications, and realized I loved helping people put their dreams into words. I later went on to earn a graduate certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and a Ph.D. in Writing and Rhetoric at George Mason University. As I balance my classroom teaching with my one-on-one writing services, I am always excited to help others discover their unique voice and gain pratical strategies that last across a writing lifetime.
Students I have worked with have earned admissions to a wide variety of schools, including M.I.T, Brown, University of Virginia, University of Michigan, Purdue, Virginia Tech, Boston College, NYU, University of Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, my alma mater Georgetown, among others! I have also helped students apply for competitive scholarships and fellowships, including Fulbright programs and the Jack Kent Cooke scholarships. I've also helped graduate level students prepare strong applications for master's and doctoral programs across the humanities, social sciences and science fields, as well medical and physician assistant programs.
My Experience: Assistance from Admissions through Graduation
If you're about to emback on a major writing project, whether that's your the starting point -- like dream school college or graduate school application -- or the last pieces you'll need to finish up, like a senior project or the start of a graduate thesis or doctoral dissertation, I have been there!
As a student who worked through both college and graduate school, I understand the stress and anxiety that these projects can have. I even wrote and defended my dissertation while teaching full-time and being a first-time mom to a newborn (in the height of COVID-19 pandemic craziness, no less!)
When we work together, we'll make sure we create a plan and a schedule that fits your life, ensuring that whether we meet for just one session or many, I help you set yourself up to meet your longer-term goals for the writing projects that matter to you.
My Approach: Writing is Human
Can any free chatbot spit out some feedback on your work or offer new "content" for you? Certainly! But, as I am sure you know, there's also plenty of pushback against the "slop" that comes when all the messy fun of human creation comes back. It's not just writer-ly foolks like me who say this: we've now got good science showing that when you offsource to a machine the fundamentally human task of making sense of your world through putting ideas into words -- yes, even when used "just for brainstorming!" -- you end up with writing that is more homogenous and less creative.
And writing that sounds "good" but just like everyone else won't make big wins for you.
This is particularly true in academic writing, where originality and authencity matter perhaps more than in any other field. While A.I. and other machines can produce words, real writing only comes from lived human experience. Working together, we'll help you uncover the beautiful, unique, and only-true-to-you expression that all humans have inside them; you'll develop your voice (not someone else's voice!).
For Parents: A Less-Stress College Admisssions Approach
If you are a parent looking for assistance with the college application process, I know you have a plethora of options to choose from. There's plenty of consultants and coaches that will promise you that if you follow their (often-strict) set of rules, you might be able to magically break through some hidden secrets in the college admissions maze. From every corner of your social network, you might be feeling the stress to find the "perfect" path even more than your prospective college student!
While that high-stress, selectivity-obsessed approach might be OK for some, I don't think it's the best one for many people (as I write about here.) So, if you're looking for a less-pressured path to helping your soon-to-be college student get through the (admittedly tough!) process of writing college application essays, do reach out!
I see myself as an educator first and foremost, and I would love to talk more about how we can work together to not only help your student put forth the best college essays they can, but also help them develop the kind of growth mindset and writing self-efficacy that will build future success.
What My Students Say: Expertise and Empathy
"The best and most caring tutor!!! I have been searching for a good tutor on Wyzant for a long time. I had good ones and ok ones. Robyn is so different from all the ones I had in that she cares about her students and genuinely wants to help. She asked me to send her materials before the official meeting to make the time to be more effective. She is very knowledgeable about writing and helped me to build a theme throughout my personal statement. I've had two sessions with her for now. I will continue my PA school application journey with her. After these two sessions, I feel more confident and less stressed about my application process. I strongly recommend her to those who need help with personal statements or essays."
~ Bella X.
"Words cannot describe how grateful I am for not only your direction, but also the kindness, patience, and understanding you showed me. "
~ Nora M.
