Alex

I leverage my degree and knowledge of psychology to quickly build rapport with my students, while paying attention to their specific needs. I graduated from UCLA in 1995 and I tutor grades 6th-College.

My tutoring style:

I combine a Socratic feedback approach with empathetic understanding. I visualize the student’s goals, and work together to build toward the best results.

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Success stories:

Manuel, a student from South-Central L. A., was offered a basketball scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC) but only if he could beat a 1350 on the SAT. At first, he was feeling dejected, having gotten only an 810 on his PSAT. Working two after-school jobs to help his family, Manuel barely had time to study. I'd often drive down and meet him near work, to get some SAT prep in before his shift. He fully understood my principle of "a little work, as often as possible," and recounted to me funny stories about how his coworkers would catch him doing math problems in the storeroom. In the end, he scored a 1470, earning himself further financial grants from USC. He was the first person in his family to attend an American university. Manuel did play ball for USC for a couple of years, but ultimately decided to pursue a career in Sports Medicine, eventually attending USC's Keck Medical School. We stay in touch to this day, and I occasionally tease him with grammar comments on articles he submits to medical journals.

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Fyodor, a student overseas, was dedicated to getting into London Business School. Fyodor was a brilliant computer programmer and entrepreneur, but when I met him, he didn't speak English. He knew a few slang words, but nowhere near professional Business English. Since I was honing my understanding of his language at the same time, we came to an agreement. We would meet for lunch three times a week, and we would teach each other important business vocabulary and terminology. Fyodor was ravenously interested in the subject, and within 6 months, his English was good enough to get him a job at Goldman Sachs. His GMAT prep was a breeze, as his math and logic skills had always been top-notch, and he was already in the habit of perfecting his English. His employer eventually paid for Fyodor's MBA, which he earned from London Business School.

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Hobbies and interests:

Video gaming (P.C.M.R!) and “tabletop” RPGs like DnD; science fiction and fantasy novels and shows, and other such nerdy stuff. Hiking: urban exploration, forest camping, and desert survival. Making and machining, inventing and tinkering.