Experienced Science Tutor Specializing in Chemistry and Biology

Elle L.

I graduated magna cum laude from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences. At Cal Poly I received A's in the entire General Chemistry series. Additionally, I have taken through Advanced level Anatomy and Physiology courses in Biology, earning As and Bs along the way. Recently, I took and scored a 519 (96th percentile) on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which covers all classes of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, psychology and sociology required as prerequisites to attend medical school.

I have 4 years of tutoring experience, 3 of which are at the college level teaching biology, chemistry and organic chemistry. At the college level, I taught at Cal Poly's Tutoring and Learning Center before transitioning to private one-on-one tutoring on campus. At the high school level, I have taught AP Chemistry, and at the middle school level, math and writing. I have discovered a passion for helping students succeed, and enjoy helping students find not only the beauty in science, but also concrete strategies for tackling problems and feeling confident on test day.

Science can feel overwhelming, and at times, it is. It was for me. That is why, when I work with students, I do not belittle them or get frustrated when they are struggling with a concept. My goal, at the end of each session, is for a student to be able to articulate a concept more clearly than when we started--not demanding perfection, but encouraging persistence and effort. I use a think, plan, act strategy when tackling chemistry that allows students to be able to reframe the problem into "Have's", "Need's", and "Goal's" and then outline a step-by-step process to help them get to what the problem is asking them to do (the "Goal"). In biology, I don't skip the details, but often have students speak the processes they are learning back to me, as well as encourage them to draw what they are learning out.