Advanced English: Reading, Writing, and Conversation

Standardized tests are not strong predictors of your success in graduate school or your career. They are, however, fierce gatekeepers. A bad day at the testing center can end your application season; a good score can save you tens of thousands of tuition dollars and wildly open your professional horizons. Studying for these tests is not like studying for your Biology final. It's more like triathlon (or decathlon!) training. My approach breaks down like this: (1) Focused teaching/review of test content: these tests cover a wide but delimited range of math, grammar, and logic concepts, often disguising how they appear. At whatever pace you need, we'll build your proficiency with the math and verbal content and build your "test literacy"--your expertise in how the exam spins a few dozen concepts into ever-new questions. (2) Good habits. First and foremost, standardized tests measure how good you are at standardized tests. They measure your time-management, anxiety-management, and endurance at least as much they measure your math and verbal chops. We'll do time trials and stress tests and develop personal techniques for keeping your wits about you come test day. (3) Homework. No coach can get you through 26.2 miles if you don't do your daily runs. Together, we'll design a rigorous, efficient, and achievable homework schedule that will get you in shape. I can advise you on which study materials to buy and provide some I've written myself. My test-prep qualifications. Out of college, I taught GRE, GMAT, LSAT, SAT and ACT classes for Kaplan Test Prep. I've tutored independently since 2009. I have perfect or 99th percentile scores on the GRE, SAT, ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, SAT II Writing, SAT II Math IIC, SAT II Physics, AP English Language, AP English Lit AP Calc BC, AP Physics AB, AP US History, and AP European History.