Breakthrough Test Prep

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Introduction: I own and teach verbal lessons at a private ACT/SAT Test Prep company in the Potomac, MD area. My mentor worked in this business for 35 years, and we have had students at this location coming from elite private schools, including the former presidents' daughter, and who go on to every ivy league you could name. I have a strong humanities background and nearly 20 years’ experience tutoring –traveling to students’ homes for private lessons, mentoring gifted high-schoolers and helping them find and share their passions, giving 7am ESL lessons to executives at companies like Google, McKinsey and Accenture, and supervising bachelors and masters students as they completed their thesis work. I was a National Merit Finalist after placing in the 99th percentile on the PSAT and scored a 34 on the ACT (36 in Reading). As a result, I was offered a full academic scholarship to the Honors College at Michigan State University where I majored in Psychology, Philosophy, and History (BA-Interdisciplinary Humanities). After graduation, I moved to Spain where I completed TESOL/TEFL certification and worked independently as an English-language tutor for the next 3 years, eventually enrolling in a two-year Research Masters program in Social Psychology at the VU University, Amsterdam. There I continued to teach private students in the expat community as well as university-level courses while completing both my MSc and PhD. Gamer, reader, cyclist, good sense of humor

Overview

Hired 1 time

Background checked

3 employees

29 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Check, Credit card, PayPal, Samsung Pay, Square cash app, Stripe, Venmo, and Zelle.

Social media

Facebook

Featured Projects

8 photos

Reviews

Exceptional 5.0

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Read reviews that mention:

Thumbtack Customer

Jan 21, 2020

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From Google

As an independent college advisor for creative students, I have recommended Breakthrough Test Prep to several students. The students have improved their scores resulting in admissions to more competitive colleges and increased merit aid. Everyone is very happy!

Thumbtack Customer

Sep 22, 2017

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From Google

I give my highest recommendation to Harriet Broder and Breakthrough Test Prep.! My daughter decided to switch schools and needed to take the SSAT exam with very little time to prepare for it. Harriet turned out to be a lifesaver - she went out of her way to put together a condensed study plan for my daughter and made herself available for private one-on-one sessions. Harriet's coaching proved invaluable, not only with regards to the substance of the test, but also with regard to mastering test taking techniques. Most importantly, we achieved the desired outcome - my daughter applied to two schools with selective admissions, and was accepted to both. Highly recommended!

Thumbtack Customer

Apr 28, 2015

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From Google

I am not familiar at all with the US system for college entrance, since I did not grew up in the US. I ran by chance into Harriet after my youngest son got his SAT results. She took the time to explain both of us the meaning and the implication of his scores and designed a personalized coaching program for him, taking into account my son's individual abilities, and was flexible enough to adapt to our complicated schedules. She recommended that he should take the ACT instead.To make a long story short my son improved his percentiles in the ACT test, jumping BIG from being in the 50% of the SAT to the top 1% of the ACT. I was not expecting that king of improvement. It also boosted his confidence and I am sure it will help him during college.

Thumbtack Customer

Dec 21, 2019

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From Google

Harriet and Charles did an excellent job on preparing my son for taking SAT. My son was late to start to prepare for the test. He started the one on one tutoring with them on October 29th, took the SAT on December 7,2019, my son got his result yesterday. He had a better score than we expected. We highly recommend breakthrough test to anybody who wants their high school students to have a better SAT score.Dorothy Shi

Thumbtack Customer

May 14, 2019

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From Google

My son was late starting with test prep, so instead of an SAT prep class for groups, we opted for one-on-one test prep with Harriet. Best decision we made. Harriet got my son up to speed quickly -- she wastes no time, which is crucial with all the things students juggle these days. She was a very effective instructor, with lots of solid, smart advice and strategies. My son also enjoyed her company, which may not seem important at first glance, but I think it made him more accepting of her methods. I also appreciated that she did not try to "up-sell" me and in fact, talked me out of more sessions for my son. That not only speaks to her honesty, but also to her faith in her test prep methods. Thank you, Harriet.

Credentials

Background Check

Allen Grabo

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Obviously given the disruption COVID has caused for many students (and tutors) we are willing to be more flexible in our pricing.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I will begin by sending a few very brief assessments to determine your potential score range. The 60 ACT vs. SAT Assessment. This assessment consists of 11 either/or questions based on the tests format and content. The 90 Second ACT and SAT Skill Set Assessment. These assessments ask students to rate the relevant skill sets required to score well on the SAT and ACT. After students add up the numbers they are then provided with an SAT or ACT score conversion table. This is approximately 90% accurate. What Type of Learner is Your Teen? Breakthrough has identified and described six types of learners based on how they approach learning. The Parent and Student Profiles. These provide more information about your teen relative to course load, interests, course rigor, GPA.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
A strong interdisciplinary academic background and a passion for education. A National Merit Finalist thanks to an aptitude for the PSAT, then offered a full academic scholarship to Michigan State University. 4 years as tutor for gifted high school students while completing my BA. After graduation worked independently as an English-language tutor in Spain for 3 years, and have nearly 10 years experience as lecturer and supervisor while completing both his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Social Psychology at the VU University in Amsterdam.