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Yale Biochemistry Graduate for STEM, SAT, and MCAT Tutoring
Sara D.

5.0 (2 ratings)

20 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $100
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Response time: 28 minutes

About Sara

Bio

Hi! I’m Sara, and I tutor students who want more approachable explanations and stronger fundamentals knowledge in order to improve in STEM and achieve higher scores on the SAT and the MCAT. I work with 9th-12th-grade high school students in math and science (including in AP courses) and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in introductory and advanced biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, as well as students taking the SAT and MCAT exams. I tutor both online and in...

Hi! I’m Sara, and I tutor students who want more approachable explanations and stronger fundamentals knowledge in order to improve in STEM and achieve higher scores on the SAT and the MCAT. I work with 9th-12th-grade high school students in math and science (including in AP courses) and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in introductory and advanced biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, as well as students taking the SAT and MCAT exams. I tutor both online and in person.

I graduated from Yale University with a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, with distinction in the major. I’m also a biochemistry and bioinformatics researcher with four years of experience, and I focus on helping students understand the ‘why’ behind difficult concepts. On the SAT, I scored a 1560 overall (800 Math), and on the MCAT, I scored a 518 (129/130/129/130).

My tutoring style is supportive but very structured. In our first session, I will usually start with a quick diagnostic to pinpoint exactly what is not clicking (knowledge gaps, steps to solving a particular problem, or study strategy). From there, we will build a plan and work efficiently. I connect challenging concepts to everyday examples, teach the core idea clearly, and then reinforce it with practice questions and lesson summaries. I’m happy to help with study strategies, quiz/exam prep, and AP/SAT/MCAT exam preparation, and I also focus on study habits and time management, so students improve between sessions.

In terms of teaching experience, I have two summers of experience as a teaching assistant for a college biology lab course, where I supported students in understanding lab concepts and course material. I have also held weekly tutoring sessions in a volunteer capacity across a variety of subjects (primarily math and science) for two years and have mentored undergraduate students one-on-one in research labs for three years.

Please feel free to message me with any questions or to schedule a session.

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Education

Yale College
Biochemistry

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $100
  • Rate details: MCAT and SAT rates: $120/hr. Cancellations and reschedules to lesson time with less than 12 hour notice, and no-shows, are subject to the full cost of the lesson.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 2/26/2026

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

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Approved Subjects

Biology

Biology

I tutor biology at the high school, AP and IB Biology, and college level, including molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; ecology and evolutionary biology; biochemistry; and genetics. I was awarded a B.S. from Yale in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and have conducted molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics research over the course of four years. During tutoring sessions, I ensure that students have a strong foundation in the content covered in their course by simplifying difficult-to-understand concepts and asking them questions to check their understanding throughout the lesson. I focus on making sure my students understand the mechanisms underlying the concepts they are learning, as well as teaching them how to interpret experimental data and spot trends in plots and charts presented on problem sets and exams.
Genetics

Genetics

I tutor genetics at the AP Biology and college level, including inheritance and probability (pedigrees, Hardy–Weinberg), gene expression and regulation, and how DNA variation leads to phenotype. I hold a B.S. from Yale in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and conducted undergraduate lab research on how point mutations affect enzyme function and phenotypes associated with genetic disorders. In my post-baccalaureate work, I use transcriptomics and comparative genomics approaches, which has enabled me to teach genetics through ensuring understanding of experimental data and mechanisms. My sessions emphasize clear mechanistic explanations, based in first principles and knowledge of fundamentals, and guided practice with the types of problems that you encounter on quizzes or exams.
MCAT

MCAT

I earned a 518 on my only attempt of the MCAT (95th percentile, taken August 2023) with a 130 in CARS (98th percentile) and a 130 in Psych/Soc (93rd), and I work with students across all MCAT sections. I am a Yale graduate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (with distinction) with extensive research experience that translates well to data interpretation and passage-based reasoning; for Psych/Soc, I teach my students a deeper understanding of high-yield concepts and the underlying themes behind the information tested on this section, followed by targeted practice with common question types. For CARS, I teach a reproducible approach that focuses on pattern recognition for questions as well as how to efficiently obtain information from passages under a time constraint. Across all sections of the exam, I help students design study plans, fill in content gaps, and enhance time management and problem solving skills.
Personal Statements

Personal Statements

I am a 2024 Yale graduate (Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry) and was admitted to Yale in single-choice / restrictive early action. Having successfully been through high-stakes application writing, I learned how to make personal essays compelling and persuasive, while simultaneously enabling applicants' true voice and story to shine through the writing. I am happy to walk through any step of the writing process with you, from brainstorming ideas to polishing final drafts to prepare them for submission. I provide detailed feedback on content, organization, tone, and grammar, along with guidance on how to tailor your statement to specific programs.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

I earned a 1560 on the SAT (99th percentile, March 2019), with a 760 in Reading (99th percentile) and 800 in Math (99th percentile), and I work with students aiming to increase their score in SAT Reading. I earned a Bachelor of Science from Yale University in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, graduating with distinction in the major. I took advanced English and comparative literature courses at Yale, which enable me to teach students how to effectively read and extract information from passages on the SAT. My tutoring sessions for SAT Reading typically focus on identifying gaps in reading comprehension and test-taking strategy using a diagnostic set of SAT passages, followed by developing a targeted plan to increase the section score, with homework assigned and regular progress checks completed.
Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics

I tutor thermodynamics at the college level, including thermodynamics in physical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, as well as engineering thermodynamics. As a Yale graduate in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (graduated with distinction in the major), I have a strong foundation in thermodynamics from Physical Chemistry and advanced biochemistry/biophysics coursework and have worked on chemical biology research in which I applied essential thermodynamics concepts to experimental set-ups and data analysis. In each session, I focus on first principles, the 'why' behind each concept and mechanism, and ensure that students are comfortable with the sign and symbol conventions. I then help students apply the concepts to problems presented in the course and exam-style questions until the steps we have covered feel reproducible, and students can solve problems independently.
Biochemistry
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Response time: 28 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

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Reviews

Highly recommend!

I had Sara as a tutor for my MCAT. I utilized her services within the last 2 weeks of my studying, and she helped me improve my score by 5 points in just 2 weeks. She gave me excellent strategies to improve my Psych/Soc score as well as Chem/Phys. I would definitely recommend Sara if you need support with MCAT prep!

Madison, 5 lessons with Sara

Great Tutor

I’ve had three lessons with so far and have had a very positive experience. She is patient, well-prepared, and explains concepts clearly. The lessons are engaging and tailored to my learning goals. I’m looking forward to continuing our sessions and would recommend.

Vivian, 3 lessons with Sara

Patient and Flexible

Sara made herself available to help prepare my son for a test retake over the weekend. She also extended the time to get through the material as needed. My son said he better understands the materials and that she explained things very simply. We will definitely re-book with Sara for Biology.

Jennifer, 1 lesson with Sara
Hourly Rate: $100
Response time: 28 minutes
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