FAQs
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I've always been an outstanding student: I got straight A's throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and was part of three honor societies in high school. I earned above a 750 on all sections of the SAT and SAT II Subject Tests, including an 800 in both the verbal section of the SAT and SAT II Chemistry. Thus, I started tutoring to fulfill a requirement of being in the National Honor Society in high school. The feedback that I got was very positive, so I realized that tutoring was something at which I excel, and I continued with it throughout my high school years. Then, I was part of a volunteer tutoring group for elementary and middle school kids during my first two years of college. It occurred to me that there might be significant demand for tutors with my extensive experience, so I investigated. I started working as a private tutor for family friends. I looked for tutoring jobs and advertised myself. Now, I'm a successful private tutor!
- What types of customers have you worked with?
Most of the kids who ask for my help are high-school students with trouble in math or science. Recently, I've tutored high-school juniors in SAT math, AP Chemistry and AP Spanish, and Calculus, as well as a high-school sophomore in Algebra II. I'm also a Chemistry tutor for the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. But I've also helped elementary-school kids with reading and middle-school kids with science and writing. Most of my experience as a tutor comes from volunteering, whether as a high-school student helping my peers or a college student going to a public library in Trenton to help underprivileged kids.
- Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
I currently tutor a high-school junior who struggles with math. She hired me for help on the math section of the SAT. For two months, an hour or two per week, she worked through a lot of practice problems with my help. When she finally took the SAT, she improved her math section score from 410 to 590 - a 180-point improvement! Her total SAT score went up by 370 points. She wants to take the SAT again. We're shooting for a math section score of 600 or above. With my help, I think she can achieve this goal.