I am a recent high school graduate heading to Northwestern University this fall as a Questbridge Matched Scholar, having ranked first in my class of 550 students at Walnut High School with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. I scored a 36 on the ACT (a perfect score) and earned 5s on ten AP exams, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Psychology, AP Precalculus, AP Chinese, AP Macro/Microeconomics, and 7s on both IB Mathematics AA HL and IB Chemistry HL. Beyond...
I am a recent high school graduate heading to Northwestern University this fall as a Questbridge Matched Scholar, having ranked first in my class of 550 students at Walnut High School with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. I scored a 36 on the ACT (a perfect score) and earned 5s on ten AP exams, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Psychology, AP Precalculus, AP Chinese, AP Macro/Microeconomics, and 7s on both IB Mathematics AA HL and IB Chemistry HL. Beyond standardized performance, I have also conducted and published original research: my peer-reviewed paper on treatment approaches for drug-resistant epilepsy appeared in the National High School Journal of Science, and I completed 200+ hours of genetics research at UC Santa Barbara using advanced tools including fluorescence microscopy.
My teaching experience spans both one-on-one and group settings. As President of STEM Explorers, I led weekly after-school tutoring sessions for 50+ middle school students across biology, chemistry, and physics, and guided a team of 15 students through competitive Science Olympiad events. These sessions were informal but consistent: I learned quickly how to identify where a student's understanding breaks down and how to rebuild it from the right foundation rather than just re-explaining the same material louder. I have worked with students ranging from middle school age through AP-level high schoolers.
My approach centers on understanding over memorization. For AP sciences, I focus on mechanisms: if a student can explain why something happens, the exam questions take care of themselves. For SAT and ACT prep, I emphasize pattern recognition and test-specific strategy rather than content review alone. For college essay coaching, I draw on my own successful application process to help students find and articulate their genuine stories. I am comfortable working one-on-one online or in person, and I adapt my pacing and style to each student.
