I'm a recent graduate of Sarah Lawrence College ('07), an educational experience that instilled me with a capacity to proactively integrate objective learning skills with out-of-the-box subjectivity to give a unique perspective on the matter. In english, it means that I approach things differently.
Going from this background to teaching/tutoring the SATs and GRE for over a year must then seem incongruent. Sarah Lawrence, for example, doesn't even accept the SATs as a valid admission criterion, so after graduating why would I go into the admissions prep industry? For two reasons, the first philanthropic the second selfish. Firstly, because it was an arena in which I could make a difference in young adults' lives. With admissions reaching their peak of selectivity, countless numbers of bright and hardworking students aren't getting their chance due to these tests. Given the proper guidance and skill sets, however, this test can be a chance to improve a student's application. That's where the selfish part comes in. I happen to be darn good at cutting through the crap this test presents and getting diligent students somewhere in the range of 100-250 point increases. These results partially come from the skill sets I can imbue students with, but also are the direct results of inspired students who are willing to put in the hours it takes. By relating to them as more of a peer I can often get students to understand why this is important to them, rather than just another pain in the rear being forced on them by their folks. Results are the name of the game, however, and I would be happy to provide previous families I've worked with as references.
The focus of my collegiate studies and my current career track are actually more in the creative realm. I am currently an actor, writer, director, and producer of short independent films and theatre, and look forward to working with students interested in these fields. I have been teaching theatre and acting for film for over three years, and over that time have been fortunate to see my students graduate high school and go on to various theatre programs across the country. While my focus of instruction has been on acting methods and preperation, I have experience in direction, screenplays, and film editing.
Thanks for your time and I look forward to working with you!
-Brad