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Patient, Experienced Multi-Subject Tutor (Harvard Grad & J.D.)
Colin D.

5.0 (1,311 ratings)

11,871 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $150
Contact Colin
Response time: 9 hours
Colin D.'s Photo

Patient, Experienced Multi-Subject Tutor (Harvard Grad & J.D.)
Patient, Experienced Multi-Subject Tutor (Harvard Grad & J.D.)
Colin D.

5.0 (1,311 ratings)

11,871 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
5.0 (1,311 ratings)

11,871 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Colin

Bio

I am a Harvard University graduate (cum laude) with almost 13 years of tutoring experience. I have achieved perfect scores on the GRE, GMAT, SAT, and ACT, and scored in the 99th percentile on my LSAT exam prior to law school. While in law school, I was a faculty lecturer for the University of San Diego's Test Prep Program, specializing in GRE, LSAT, SAT, GMAT, and college and graduate school application essay writing. During my time at Harvard, where I was a joint-concentrator in...

I am a Harvard University graduate (cum laude) with almost 13 years of tutoring experience. I have achieved perfect scores on the GRE, GMAT, SAT, and ACT, and scored in the 99th percentile on my LSAT exam prior to law school. While in law school, I was a faculty lecturer for the University of San Diego's Test Prep Program, specializing in GRE, LSAT, SAT, GMAT, and college and graduate school application essay writing.

During my time at Harvard, where I was a joint-concentrator in Comparative Religion and Philosophy (with an emphasis on Literature in my Senior Honors Thesis), I worked on a pro bono basis with Boston's Refugee Youth Enrichment Program, tutoring and mentoring ESL elementary school students of Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Cape Verdean descent. Additionally, I have tutored and coached cross-country and track and field at St. Augustine High School, Our Lady of Peace Academy, and Patrick Henry High School (in San Diego, CA) for almost 10 combined years. Furthermore, in the time between my college graduation and my matriculation to law school, I tutored full-time (approximately 70 hrs/wk!) in most high school subjects, with an expertise in and emphasis on Math (Pre-Algebra through Calculus AB), English (AP Literature and Language, British and World Literature, College Application Essays, Writing and Composition, SAT Verbal, SAT Grammar & Essay, ACT Reading & English), History (AP U.S. and European History), and Social Science (AP Government & Economics).

A number of my former students have attended and graduated from preeminent undergraduate and graduate universities, including Harvard, Yale, Penn, Brown, Cornell, Notre Dame, Stanford, Berkeley, Duke, Georgetown, and more. While I have worked with exceptionally naturally gifted students, I have also worked with a number of students with learning disabilities, assisting them in their individualized academic goals, both in the classroom and in standardized exams.

Ultimately, whatever the grade level or current aptitude of the student, I am focused on th

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Education

Harvard University
Philosophy
University of San Diego School of Law
J.D.

Policies

Schedule

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Fri

Sat

Approved Subjects

Business

GRE,

GRE

I have achieved a perfect score on the official GRE, in each the quantitative, verbal, and writing sections. What's more, I have taught numerous classes and individual students in the subject for over 8 years, imparting my methodology, strategy, and substantive knowledge in each of the sub-disciplines. I have helped students improve scores from the lower quartile to the second and third quartiles; likewise, I have helped students from the middle quartiles reach the top quartile, including a handful of students who obtained perfect scores in one of the three subsets!
GMAT, Law

Corporate Training

GMAT, Grammar, Latin, Law, Proofreading

Elementary Education

Elementary Math, Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary

English

Writing,

Writing

Having tutored fellow undergraduate students at Harvard University in writing, I also tutored my classmates during law school in legal writing. During undergrad, I received a Summa Cum Laude on my written Senior Thesis, and I received university recognition in law school for excellence in legal writing and research. As a practitioner, I have written innumerable memoranda and moving papers that I have successfully argued in California superior and appellate courts. As an instructor, I work with over 100 students per year on application essay writing for competitive universities and colleges, spanning from J.D. and Ph.D. to MBA and undergraduate programs. I regularly assist undergraduate (and graduate) students at most Los Angeles area colleges with significant writing projects , including graduate dissertations. I love the writing process and look forward to sharing my insights with new students to help them become self-sufficient, confident writers themselves.
ACT English, ACT Reading, English, Grammar, Literature, Proofreading, SAT Reading, SAT Writing, Spelling, Vocabulary

History

American History, European History, Geography, Philosophy, World History

Homeschool

Writing,

Writing

Having tutored fellow undergraduate students at Harvard University in writing, I also tutored my classmates during law school in legal writing. During undergrad, I received a Summa Cum Laude on my written Senior Thesis, and I received university recognition in law school for excellence in legal writing and research. As a practitioner, I have written innumerable memoranda and moving papers that I have successfully argued in California superior and appellate courts. As an instructor, I work with over 100 students per year on application essay writing for competitive universities and colleges, spanning from J.D. and Ph.D. to MBA and undergraduate programs. I regularly assist undergraduate (and graduate) students at most Los Angeles area colleges with significant writing projects , including graduate dissertations. I love the writing process and look forward to sharing my insights with new students to help them become self-sufficient, confident writers themselves.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, English, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus, SAT Math, SAT Reading, Spelling

Language

Latin

Math

ACT Math, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus, SAT Math, Trigonometry

Most Popular

Writing,

Writing

Having tutored fellow undergraduate students at Harvard University in writing, I also tutored my classmates during law school in legal writing. During undergrad, I received a Summa Cum Laude on my written Senior Thesis, and I received university recognition in law school for excellence in legal writing and research. As a practitioner, I have written innumerable memoranda and moving papers that I have successfully argued in California superior and appellate courts. As an instructor, I work with over 100 students per year on application essay writing for competitive universities and colleges, spanning from J.D. and Ph.D. to MBA and undergraduate programs. I regularly assist undergraduate (and graduate) students at most Los Angeles area colleges with significant writing projects , including graduate dissertations. I love the writing process and look forward to sharing my insights with new students to help them become self-sufficient, confident writers themselves.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, English, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus

Other

College Counseling,

College Counseling

I have counseled hundreds of students -- including high school, college, and graduate school -- regarding the application procedure to numerous competitive colleges and graduate (e.g., PhD, J.D., and M.A.) programs. I am especially adept at extracting important experiences and adapting them to the contours of a professional, yet truly personal "personal statement." I myself have developed personal statements and application materials sufficient to receive acceptance and full-scholarships to PhD programs at, among other schools, Yale, University of Chicago, Duke, and Boston College. I have additionally assisted students in gaining acceptance to a host of other elite colleges and graduate programs, including Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics, Columbia, UPenn, and Brown. I am confident that my thoroughgoing efforts and unwavering patience will allow any applicant to present him/herself in the most memorable and effective way possible.
Geography, Law, Philosophy

Science

ACT Science,

ACT Science

I have created content for online ACT Science courses, have regularly scored a perfect 36 (as well as on all other ACT sections), and have coached numerous students to scores above 30 (including several perfect scores of 36 in the past year alone!). I find the Science section's mixture of reading comprehension and data dissection to be very learnable (for the student) and very coachable (for the teacher). I enjoy helping students overcome their fears of the section to achieve scores they never before thought possible.
Philosophy

Sports/Recreation

Baseball,

Baseball

I played high school baseball, a year of college "JV" baseball (Harvard) and have played on select/travel adult softball teams throughout southern California since 2005. I primarily have played shortstop and centerfield, but have experience as a relief pitcher in high school and college, and simply love the game, its skills and position-specific training, and the atmosphere cultivated during games and drills themselves.
Basketball,

Basketball

I played club and school basketball from age 5 through high school. I was a point guard at each level, with a premium on defense, fundamentals, and passing. I have coached youth leagues and grew up in a basketball household, where my father played collegiately in Worcester, Massachusetts at Holy Cross, shortly after the time of the legendary Celtics: Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Togo Palazzi, and Jack Foley.
Track & Field

Track & Field

I have competed in track and cross-country, among other sports, since the age of 5. I have posted nationally leading times and won national championship competitions as an age-group runner, and I have been a decorated high school and collegiate runner, winning several San Diego area championships and competing as a member of the Harvard University track and cross-country teams. In the time since college, I have coached for eight consecutive seasons, while also competing as a professional middle-distance runner. I have coached elite runners to sub-4 minute miles and coached collegians to all-American status and high schoolers to CA State Championships. In my own competitions, I have registered personal bests of 1:49.4 in the 800m and 4:00.38 in the Mile. In the name of good fun, I have won two trail marathons, while setting course records in each: Buzz Marathon (San Miguel, CA -- 2010); Run the River Marathon (Folson-Sacramento, CA -- 2009). I love working with enthusiastic runners, helping them reach their personal goals, and imparting my experiences and strategies (born from years of effort and study) to help them in their self-improvement!

Summer

Writing,

Writing

Having tutored fellow undergraduate students at Harvard University in writing, I also tutored my classmates during law school in legal writing. During undergrad, I received a Summa Cum Laude on my written Senior Thesis, and I received university recognition in law school for excellence in legal writing and research. As a practitioner, I have written innumerable memoranda and moving papers that I have successfully argued in California superior and appellate courts. As an instructor, I work with over 100 students per year on application essay writing for competitive universities and colleges, spanning from J.D. and Ph.D. to MBA and undergraduate programs. I regularly assist undergraduate (and graduate) students at most Los Angeles area colleges with significant writing projects , including graduate dissertations. I love the writing process and look forward to sharing my insights with new students to help them become self-sufficient, confident writers themselves.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, SAT Math

Test Preparation

ACT Science,

ACT Science

I have created content for online ACT Science courses, have regularly scored a perfect 36 (as well as on all other ACT sections), and have coached numerous students to scores above 30 (including several perfect scores of 36 in the past year alone!). I find the Science section's mixture of reading comprehension and data dissection to be very learnable (for the student) and very coachable (for the teacher). I enjoy helping students overcome their fears of the section to achieve scores they never before thought possible.
Bar Exam,

Bar Exam

I took and passed the CA Bar Exam in February 2011, my first and only attempt. What's more, I passed the exam without taking a standard prep course (e.g., BarBri, Kaplan, etc.), but utilizing certain BarBri prep materials. I devised and fastidiously followed a rigorous study plan that canvassed all material and contoured my mastery of the subject matter to the precise dimensions of the test. In my test simulations prior to the test, I routinely scored in the 90-95% range in multiple choice questions (sets of 100), and exceeded the maximum number of issues provided in the sample essays/outlines as provided in the BarBri essay workbook. I have assisted several friends/colleagues/students of mine in passing the July 2011 & 2012 and February 2012 bar exams, and am eager to lend my assistance and expertise to anyone in need of getting by this massive hurdle in their burgeoning legal careers!
College Counseling,

College Counseling

I have counseled hundreds of students -- including high school, college, and graduate school -- regarding the application procedure to numerous competitive colleges and graduate (e.g., PhD, J.D., and M.A.) programs. I am especially adept at extracting important experiences and adapting them to the contours of a professional, yet truly personal "personal statement." I myself have developed personal statements and application materials sufficient to receive acceptance and full-scholarships to PhD programs at, among other schools, Yale, University of Chicago, Duke, and Boston College. I have additionally assisted students in gaining acceptance to a host of other elite colleges and graduate programs, including Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, London School of Economics, Columbia, UPenn, and Brown. I am confident that my thoroughgoing efforts and unwavering patience will allow any applicant to present him/herself in the most memorable and effective way possible.
GRE,

GRE

I have achieved a perfect score on the official GRE, in each the quantitative, verbal, and writing sections. What's more, I have taught numerous classes and individual students in the subject for over 8 years, imparting my methodology, strategy, and substantive knowledge in each of the sub-disciplines. I have helped students improve scores from the lower quartile to the second and third quartiles; likewise, I have helped students from the middle quartiles reach the top quartile, including a handful of students who obtained perfect scores in one of the three subsets!
ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, ASVAB, GMAT, LSAT, PSAT, SAT Math, SAT Reading, SAT Writing, SSAT

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (1,311 ratings)
5 star
(1,292)
4 star
(15)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(1)
1 star
(2)

Reviews

A brilliant guy who can adapt his teaching style to you

I found Colin using Google and hiring him was a total shot in the dark, but he ended up being great. Colin is a unique type of tutor: he has completely mastered the LSAT (and I'm assuming all the other tests he teaches), yet he is wise enough to realize that learning a test in not necessarily a mechanical process. When I began studying for the June 2014 LSAT, I was a mediocre test taker - I had done all the required reading (I read the Powerscore Bibles and Kaplan), memorized all the various game types, LR question types, etc., but I was unable to apply that knowledge efficiently. When I felt like I hit a wall, I contacted Colin. I went into my first lesson thinking, "This is a waste of time. I already know all the material, I have nothing to learn from a tutor." I was wrong. Colin watched me do a few LR problems, and then quickly diagnosed the problem - my test taking was too chaotic. We spent almost two hours that day discussing how to streamline the process of reading and answering questions: how to ignore things that don't matter; how to think realistically about what exactly the question was expecting from me; and most importantly, how to trust that taking the test at my own pace will get me the score I want. That lesson was so helpful, I continued to get better on my own for months afterwards. My scores went from the 50th percentile to the 99th on game day. It was only right before the test that I met with him twice more to settle my nerves. Colin was able to diagnose EXACTLY what I was doing wrong within 10 minutes of our first lesson. If that is not an effective tutor, I don't know what is. He is also professional, courteous, easy to get a hold of, etc. He does it right, and I would recommend him to anyone.

Eric, 3 lessons with Colin

Extremely Knowledgeable and helpful!

Colin was a great help in College essay prep. He made the whole experience easy and interactive. He gave really good feedback and support to enhance and better articulate the essay. Highly recommend him!

Sarah, 1 lesson with Colin

Incredible tutor - Word wizard for my law school apps!!!

Colin helped me with (and completely transformed) my law school applications, including my personal statement and a “Why X school?” essay. He is incredibly professional, focused, and connects in a way to make you feel at ease right away. I was struggling with outlining, cutting words, structuring, artistic language, and so much more with my essays. He spent time getting to know me and my story - helping to craft essays that fit my personality and style, stayed in line with my beliefs, and focused on expressing what mattered most to me. From the second I started talking to him, I felt less stressed and much more confident in my ability to get the apps done. His advice and word-wizard edits brought out so much personality, storytelling, and creative writing aspects to my essays. On a personal level, he is kind, patient, easy to get ahold of, supportive, and SO comfortable to talk to! He was truly my secret weapon, and I could not recommend him enough to anyone - especially anyone hoping to apply to law school.

Mary, 1 lesson with Colin

lsat

excellent teacher very knowledge and patient he is always on time in his schedule.I recommend him to LSAt students his vast experience very remarkable apparently he can teach also many subjects beside lsat

Antoine, 11 lessons with Colin

Amazing tutor - especially for those aiming high

Working with Colin was great. He has an exceptional understanding of the GMAT. He is encouraging and pushes you to be your best. He leaves you with a plan at the end of each session. He is a coach and mentor throughout the process. I improved from a 690 to 730 in just a few sessions over the course of a few weeks and think I will do even better the next time I take it.

Shane, 5 lessons with Colin

Extraordinary tutor

Colin is an extraordinary tutor and is extremely patient. My aunt hired him to tutor me for SAT Verbal, and he was very patient and adaptive with me. He only had less than 2 weeks to tutor me, and taught me all the grammar lessons I needed to know. I enjoyed getting the chance to meet him and learning some of his stories. One of them being how his fastest mile ever is like 4:00.38, anyways that really stood out to me because to achieve that time it shows his determination in any task he puts his mind to. Although I’m not the brightest student, Colin made me feel better and confident about taking the SAT English. He takes time out of his day to answer any questions you have outside your scheduled class. Overall he provided me a lot of insight and showed me that through his hard work and care for his students :)

Cassie, 1 lesson with Colin

Incredible Tutor!

I've studied concepts on my own and got nowhere. Literally within one or two sessions, concepts that I struggled with the GMAT have become so much more clear. Colin is really amazing at what he does!

Menua, 15 lessons with Colin

Best LSAT Tutor and Mentor!!

I met with Colin on a weekly basis from March up to the June test. We started with a diagnosis of where I'm at and then progressed with several strategies for each section. I have self-studied for a while before meeting Colin, so I was at a point where I really needed help in fine-tuning my skills. We mostly focused on strengthening LR and RC. Colin is just perfect in his LSAT knowledge and skills. Even when I make a mistake in reviewing and mark the wrong answer as the correct one, he would know. He makes it as easy as possible for one to understand a complicated logic layout. But beyond his intellectual merits, Colin is simply the best mentor and friend to talk to. Being intelligent and effectively tutoring are two separate things. Not only does he help you from your perspective and position, regardless of what level you're at, but he also truly understands the struggles you're going through. Just talking to him often relieved my panic attack and stress levels throughout my studying. My LSAT journey might be done, but I know I'll come back to him in the near future for help in other things as well!

Yae Rin, 12 lessons with Colin

He's the man!

Get in with Colin if you want quick and easy ways to rock any Standardized tests. He is absolutely knowledgeable in the math and English but also knowledgeable in how to best prepare for tests and test strategies and what the test committees look for. Whether in LA or anywhere in the world, it is worthwhile to find a way in to Colin's schedule.

Avraham, 25 lessons with Colin

Great tutor.

Four week review to prepare for GRE retake. Very strong on all fundamentals and details of exams. Particularly strong grasp on intuitive concepts in math. Great intellectual sounding board. Highly recommended!

Evan, 9 lessons with Colin
Hourly Rate: $150
Response time: 9 hours
Contact Colin