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Justus Prep - SAT/ACT/College App & Essay

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About
Because I've tutored for so long and know the SAT and how to teach it to students with varying ability, I can quickly devise an individualized plan of study for each student and tailor the exercises to improve weak areas and bring up test scores. I also use computer software that analyzes the types of questions a particular student gets wrong, the difficulty levels of the questions, the time it takes for the student to answer each question, among other things. It's actually a very helpful software. I've taught with it and without it, and it's apparent that when I use the software, I diagnose weaknesses more accurately and efficiently. Not only does it pinpoint the problem areas, it saves a lot of time. I most enjoy the relationships I get to build with my students during our sessions. Although the tutoring sessions consist mostly of instruction and practice, I oftentimes get a chance to talk about life/future goals, and I try to encourage all of my students to work hard and to do the hard things now, believing that one day, the hard work will pay off. I also love hearing from my students about their actual SAT scores. It's a great feeling when I receive a call or text from one of my students telling me that he/she broke 2000, or got a 12 on the essay, or a perfect score on one section. I'm sure the student feels satisfied, but I get to participate in and enjoy their accomplishments as well.
Overview

Hired 51 times

Background checked

17 years in business

Business hours

SunClosedMon2:00 pm - 9:00 am

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, Credit card, Square cash app, Venmo, and Zelle.

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Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Top Pro status

Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.

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2018

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2017

Services offered
Services needed

Preparing for standardized tests

Writing essays

Selecting colleges

Completing applications

Student's grade level

High school Freshman

High school Sophomore

High school Junior

High school Senior

Work location

My customers travel to me

I travel to my customers

I work remotely (phone or internet)

Projects and media
Projects and media
Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for value, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Exceptional 5.0

40 reviews

5

98%

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2%

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pro avatar
Jasmine S.

Dec 10, 2013

Hired on Thumbtack

I worked with JP for 4 weeks, twice a week, and it was immensely helpful. He creates very precise target goals, so that you know how to attack the SATs and what strategies to use. He'll go through problem by problem, and eventually you definitely see the improvement in the practice tests and the SATs! He'll go about different ways trying to explain things until you understand the solution. Overall, he is extremely helpful and his strategies really do work!
Test Prep Services
pro avatar
Dino N.

Mar 15, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

JP is extremeley knowledgable and well prepared. He starts by giving your child a practice test to see where they are at initially .He then works out a game plan of homework and tutoring that hits the areas your child needs help with. He is very patient and explains everything very well. My daughter felt comfortable with him and believes he has helped her feel prepared for her first shot at the SAT. He also has the student write several essays that he grades so that it becomes second nature to the student on test day. I highly recommend him as a tutor for your child regardless of how well the student will score they will at least be prepared going in . It's up to them to do the homework and spend the time preparing to increase their chances of succeeding.
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Sue B.

Mar 16, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

We hired Justus for a few sessions to fine tune some problem areas for my daughter taking the SATs. Justus was focused and did a great job. He gave her very specific help on the areas she needed to improve. He doesn't waste time and knows how to focus and individualized my daughters work very quickly. I will definitely use him again for my two younger children.
Test Prep Services
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Namita P.

Mar 14, 2015

Hired on Thumbtack

Justus tutored my daughter for her second SAT attempt. She took the test untutored the first time and ended up with 690, 770 and 780 in reading, writing and math. She felt she needed tutoring help with reading and writing (particularly the essay), as she had plateaued in the days leading up to the test, and wasn't improving with any added effort. I found Justus on Thumbtack, and even though he was a tad more expensive than most other tutors, we instinctively felt he was the right fit based on how he described himself, and a conversation we had with him over the phone. While we had heard that tutors could help a lot, we also knew that it is much easier for a tutor to help with pushing the score from 500 to 600 or from 600 to 700 than from 700 to 750. However, Justus was outstanding – my daughter found him to be very systematic, calm, measured, knew exactly what she needed to work on, and what she needed to do to get better. He identified all her weak spots in the first couple of classes and went about methodically helping her improve. He gave her a ton of practice tests, homework to get specific sections right, a great selection of examples to use in essays, and a well-compiled list of vocabulary words. My daughter just took the test for the second attempt today, so while we don’t know the results yet, all the practice tests she took leading up to the test showed her consistently getting much better scores – 750-800 in reading and 770-800 in writing. While admittedly we do not have experience with any other tutor, we strongly recommend Justus as we found him to be just what the doctor ordered, at least for us. Best of luck!
Reading and Writing Tutoring
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Marigena B.

Dec 12, 2014

Hired on Thumbtack

I had Justus Paul Kim as my tutor for a month. He understood what I was looking for out of the tutoring session right away. His schedule is very flexible and every time we met I learned something new. During the SAT I used all the strategies he taught me which made the test seem a lot easier. I left feeling very confident. I'm excited to receive my scores and send them to colleges. :)
Test Prep Services
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Justus Paul Kim

FAQs

  • What types of customers have you worked with?

    1. ACT/SAT Prep I help students maximize their scores on all the sections of the SAT - Reading & Writing and Math, as well as, all four sections of the ACT - English, Math, Reading, and Science. This includes substantive learning, like grammar and vocabulary, as well as, techniques and strategies for sentence completions, long and short passages, writing multiple choice questions, and math problems. I also teach essay writing, which helps students score at least a 10 on their essays. 2. College Essay Writing I help students choose their topics, brainstorm ideas and events, and proofread and edit their drafts, so that, in the end, they submit personal statements and essays that they will be very happy with.

  • What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

    Make sure the tutor isn't someone in college or recently out of college. I began tutoring in college, and I must confess that, although I thought I was a good tutor simply because I had scored high on the SAT, I didn't know (and couldn't have known) some very crucial aspects of being a teacher, things that only an experienced instructor acquires after having taught for a long time. For example, the ability to quickly pinpoint areas of weakness, offer solutions, and guide students to helpful resources and exercises. Usually, college students and recent grads become SAT tutors because tutoring pays better than a lot of other part-time jobs. Their primary motive in teaching is not to help students, but to make money. These are usually not the best tutors. Hence, make sure the tutor has extensive experience and a track-record that proves that he or she tutors the SAT, first and foremost, for the benefit of the students.

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