Academic Writing for
High School, AP, or College

What You Will Learn

Writing well is a learnable, repeatable process — not a gift. Steven teaches it as one. Sessions focus on specific stages of the writing process: understanding what a prompt is asking, building an argument, drafting with purpose, and revising with precision. Students generally find that skills developed in one context transfer readily to the next assignment, and the one after that.

• Reading assignments strategically — What is this prompt actually asking, and what does a successful response look like?
• Thesis development — How to formulate a clear, arguable, specific claim
• Paragraph structure and topic sentences — The architecture of a well-organized argument
• Evidence and analysis — How to use quotations and examples effectively, not just decoratively
• Transitions and coherence — Making an essay read as a unified argument, not a list of points
• Introduction and conclusion — Opening and closing with purpose and confidence
• Revision as a discipline — How to read your own writing critically and improve it systematically
• Voice and style — Finding an academic voice that is clear, precise, and genuinely yours
• College application essays — The personal statement as a distinct genre with its own demands

How Sessions Work

Sessions are built around your actual writing: current assignments, upcoming exams, personal statement drafts, or texts chosen together. Steven works line by line when that’s what the moment calls for, and at the level of argument and structure when that matters more. The goal is never just to improve this paper — it is to make you a stronger writer for every paper that follows.

About Your Instructor

Steven B. Killion, PhD, taught writing at UNC-Chapel Hill and Marist College, assigning, coaching, and grading academic writing at every level. He has worked with thousands of students as a private coach and holds a doctorate in English Language and Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill.