When the phrase "intellectually engaging" enters my brain, my mind doesn't jump towards a challenging calculus test, my favorite book, or Wikipedia.com.
I don't know if I really like the first sentence.. Since your essay focuses on your love of tutoring, how about beginning with a touching sentence that really shows how you feel about it?
and skill few high school students have
sounds like you are emphasizing yourself too much.. it would be better if you phrase it differently.
tutoring gig
too casual. Just tutoring could be fine..
Granted, I was talented at math,
Again, you are emphasizing too much about yourself. Try to put that in the essay subtly.
intellectual feat
same thing here too. put that in subtly...
While my experience in tutoring has bred skills like thinking on my toes and creativeness in communicating and explaining ideas, I do not feel that those qualities are the most important products. Rather, tutoring helped me learn patience.
You focused your third paragraph about you trying to communicate what you know to the student, and I liked that approach, more than you focusing on patience in the next paragraph (which sounded a little cliche).
I think this essay could be really nice with some improvement! :) Keep it up!
Can you do me a favor of looking at my essay? Thanks.