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The College Lad - Leading Test Expert & Writing Coach
Nick S.

5.0 (585 ratings)

1,939 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $150
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Response time: 45 minutes
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About Nick

Bio

Hey!

I'm Nick.

For almost 10 years now, I've been a leading test prep guru and writing coach based in sunny Southern California, though my students stretch across the country and even across the Atlantic.

As the author of original The College Lad curriculum and the tutor of choice for students who are committed to hitting 1500+ on SAT or 34+ on ACT, I've tutored on-set with some of America's brightest young on-screen talent and presented on application essays and test strategy to...

Hey!

I'm Nick.

For almost 10 years now, I've been a leading test prep guru and writing coach based in sunny Southern California, though my students stretch across the country and even across the Atlantic.

As the author of original The College Lad curriculum and the tutor of choice for students who are committed to hitting 1500+ on SAT or 34+ on ACT, I've tutored on-set with some of America's brightest young on-screen talent and presented on application essays and test strategy to parents and students all over the Los Angeles area.

My writing has been published in over a dozen outlets, and I’ve helped hundreds of students perfect straightforward, practical techniques for improving their own writing. My strength is listening to and understanding what my students really want to say, then helping them shape it into an original, compelling essay.

Year in and year out, my students have earned admission to every Ivy League school, Stanford, MIT, Georgetown (my alma mater), Duke, Northwestern, and other top-ranked institutions.

I want to get you there too.

Looking forward to getting started!

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Education

Georgetown University
Econ and English

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

If you want to crack 34 on ACT or break through any plateau, look no further! For the past six years, I've scored a perfect 36 on ACT English and helped my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. You will struggle to break 34 on ACT English by only trusting "what sounds right" or "what flows well". Many students have a solid "ear" for grammar rules, but on this test, what sounds right is not always right. Solid knowledge of just a few key grammar rules goes a long way towards consistency and is one of the most efficient ways to improve your overall score fast. We'll also work on strategies to crack the 'style' and 'organization' questions on ACT English. A common misconception about ACT is that multiple answers "could" work. This is not true. The wrong answers are simply wrong. In order to make the test "objective", the ACT plants small, but specific, technical errors in the wrong answers so that there's no room for debate. We'll learn to identify those small cues to simplify even the hardest questions on ACT English. ACT English is often overlooked as a way to improve your overall "composite" score since even high scorers can pick up a few extra points by sharpening grammar knowledge.
ACT Math

ACT Math

If you want to crack 34 on ACT or break through a plateau at any level, look no further! I've scored a perfect 36 on ACT Math for the past four years and helped my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. You will struggle to score over 34 on ACT Math until you learn how to hack questions you're not sure how to set up. We'll focus on how to handle those questions you get stuck on in three ways: 1. Leveraging the multiple choice format of the test to test out numbers 2. Apply logic and the 'rules' of ACT to use process of elimination on answer choices 3. Use the calculator to maximum effectiveness (Most students know how to do basic and intermediate functions on their calculators but don't know that the hardest problems can also be easily solved with some of the advanced graphing and matrix functions) We'll also focus on how to improve timing by optimizing the order you do questions in and spend time on content review with a special emphasis on all those old rules and tricks from pre-algebra, geometry, etc. If your fundamentals on ACT Math are already in order, we can move to the most difficult questions, where test familiarity and test strategies factor in most prominently!
ACT Reading

ACT Reading

If you want to crack 34 on ACT Reading or break through a plateau at any level, look no further! I've scored a perfect 36 on ACT Reading for the past four years and helped my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. You will struggle to break through plateaus until you learn how to stop trying to interpret and start scanning efficiently then applying process of elimination. ACT Reading is easy to overthink. Most of the questions simply ask you to efficiently locate details in the passage, not interpret or analyze. We'll work on a good method search passages quickly and accurately to be sure you get through all four passages in time. A common misconception about ACT Reading is that multiple answers "could" be right. This isn't true. The wrong answers are wrong. So, I encourage my students to approach ACT Reading using thorough Process of Elimination based on the 3 types of wrong answers every ACT Reading question falls into.
ACT Science

ACT Science

If you want to crack 34 on ACT or break through a plateau at any level, look no further! I've scored a perfect 36 on ACT Science for the past four years and helped my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. You will struggle to score over 34 on Science until you learn how to hack the wording of answer choices. Many students start out finding ACT Science intimidating because they think of it as an actual science knowledge test rather than a reading comprehension test. Though the wording can be confusing and the content rather dense, the questions on ACT Science require only superficial understanding of the passages. I teach my students to break down answer choices in parts so they can apply process of elimination efficiently to avoid the traps and tricks ACT Science likes to use. We'll also work on timing. A common misconception is that the best way to handle the tough timing constraints of ACT Science is to rush. This is not true. You will get faster by getting more familiar and comfortable with the questions. Once you learn how to compare and work through answers, you'll find that you're getting through ACT Science in plenty of time. While the ACT has moved to make its Science section optional starting in 2025, consider that many students find it surprisingly manageable, or even easy, after working on it. It could still very well work to your advantage!
American History

American History

If you have your eye on a 5 for AP US History, look no further! I've helped students perfect the process of writing the DBQ, LEQ, and short answers, using the College Board's rubrics as a guide for how to maximize the points you earn. Many students overlook just how many "easy" points there are to gain on the APUSH exam, not to mention the relatively low threshold for a high score. We'll focus on building comprehension for the most important events, people, trends, and concepts in order to avoid memorizing a pile of random facts that won't translate into points. From there, we can learn how to "guarantee" yourself critical points on the free response section, even when you don't know the topic inside and out!
College Counseling

College Counseling

Many students and parents have the college game backwards. They try to conform to what they think colleges want, but "what colleges want" is unique students with profiles of specific talents and interests. They want a class of specialists and budding niche experts. With my knowledge of special "backdoors" many accepted students use to get an edge at top schools, I can help you identify a specialty and tailor your profile through college essays/extracurriculars/majors to a niche that will maximize your chances of admission at top-ranked schools. Year after year, my college counseling students have earned acceptance to every Ivy League school, MIT, Stanford, Georgetown (my alma mater), Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and more. A huge part of this success is that my students end up with top-notch application essays. My own writing has been published in over a dozen outlets and my years of experience writing web copy have taught me how to apply that punchy style to college essays in order to grab a reader's attention. I don't believe that simply writing or editing college application essays for my students will help them; I emphasize teaching them writing strategies that will be valuable far beyond their years in college.
COOP/HSPT

COOP/HSPT

While not as commonly taken as other K-12 standardized tests, the HSPT is actually one of the most challenging. Over a decade teaching HSPT, I've seen how, more than any other test, it requires developing a strong "feel" for the style of the questions, which means lots of strong guided practice. With HSPT, my students and I work to make literal what the test is "looking for," while also also reviewing any relevant material that may be helpful. I work with students across percentile levels for the HSPT using an approach designed to scale upwards as a student approves. Let's talk to figure out where you're starting and where we go from here!
Creative Writing

Creative Writing

Storytelling is hard but profoundly rewarding. In addition to my teaching, I work as a professional screenwriter and story analyst, breaking down what makes a narrative tick and how to create an immersive world of characters for your audience. While I primarily write for the screen, I can help you with any kind of narrative writing project, whether you're just getting started, looking to troubleshoot, or looking for feedback on a finished piece!
English

English

Write it as you would say it. Show don’t tell. Don’t end sentences with a preposition. Tie it all together in your conclusion. Don’t use adjectives or adverbs. Use nouns and verbs. Vary your sentence structure. Please! No more! I don’t know if I can tell you what learning to write is, but it sure isn’t memorizing rules. Many students never get direct guidance on their writing in school. They end up with rushed, superficial, often contradictory guidance. Unfortunately, the name of the game in school writing is to impress the teacher, not learn to communicate effectively. That’s where I come in. Working one-on-one, you’ll develop the ability to write with purpose, to fuse what’s in your mind and what’s on the page. Whether it’s figuring out what you really want to say, structuring your essay, or just punching it up for extra kick, we can help turn your writing into a powerful asset.
Essay Writing

Essay Writing

Hey! I'm Nick. For almost 10 years now, I've been a leading test prep guru and writing coach based in sunny Southern California, though my students stretch across the country and even across the Atlantic. My writing has been published in over a dozen outlets, and I’ve helped hundreds of students perfect straightforward, practical techniques for improving their own writing. My strength is listening to and understanding what my students really want to say, then helping them shape it into an original, compelling essay. Year in and year out, my students have earned admission to every Ivy League school, Stanford, MIT, Georgetown (my alma mater), Duke, Northwestern, and other top-ranked institutions. I want to get you there too. Looking forward to getting started!
European History

European History

If you have your eye on a 5 for AP European History, look no further! I've helped students perfect the process of writing the DBQ, LEQ, and short answers, using the College Board's rubrics as a guide for how to maximize the points you earn. Many students overlook just how many "easy" points there are to gain on the AP Euro exam, not to mention the relatively low threshold for a high score. We'll focus on building comprehension for the most important events, people, trends, and concepts in order to avoid memorizing a pile of random facts that won't translate into points. From there, we can learn how to "guarantee" yourself critical points on the free response section, even when you don't know the topic inside and out!
Film

Film

After studying film at the undergraduate level, I worked at film production companies as a story analyst in the development department before beginning to make my own films in 2019. I've learned enough to place highly in competitive script competitions and win at multiple festivals for my narrative projects. Whether you're studying film or making something of your own, I'm always thrilled to be able to help!
Interview Prep

Interview Prep

Interviews require preparation but they also require simplification. A great interview comes from knowing your stuff but also being yourself. Using my background running multiple student internship programs and serving as an alumni interviewer for Georgetown University, I work with my counseling and essay students to prepare them for interviews, focusing on creating comfort and confidence to show up both knowledgeably and authentically. This means more than just preparing talking points; it means dispelling myths about interviews and focusing on ways to create the magic of familiarity with your interviewer quickly.
ISEE

ISEE

While many schools devote substantial time and attention to familiarizing their students for SAT and ACT, the same unfortunately cannot be said for younger students preparing for ISEE. As a result, many students head into the tests with little familiarity of how to take advantage of the test format or even what material they really need to know to succeed. I've worked worked with ISEE students across the country since 2014, specializing in high scorers who are looking to consistently hit the 7-9 range in all subjects. By reviewing not just material, but also strategies for moving quickly through the test, I help students improve their scores fast.
SAT Math

SAT Math

If you want to crack 1500 on SAT or break through a plateau at any level, look no further! I've scored a perfect 800 on SAT Math for the past six years and helped my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. You will struggle to break 750 on SAT Math until you learn how to hack questions you don't really know how to set up. We'll focus on how to handle those questions you're not sure how to do by leveraging the multiple choice format of the test to test out numbers and work with the answer choices. It's also essential to keep improving math knowledge in the course of your SAT Math prep, so we will review key rules and formulas, especially those old ones from pre-algebra, geometry etc., as well as the challenging concepts surrounding quadratics where SAT Math questions break away from typical school curriculum.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

If you want to crack 1500 or break any plateau on SAT Reading and Writing, look no further! I help my my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. SAT Verbal is challenging but consistent. You will struggle to break 750 verbal if you approach it by only 'looking for the right answer'. We flip the script. A common misconception about SAT is that multiple answers "could" work, but this is not true. The wrong answers are wrong. In order to make the test "objective", the SAT plants small, but specific, technical errors in the wrong answers so that there's no room for debate. Every single wrong answer on SAT Verbal is wrong for one of the same three reasons over and over again - even those tricky 'Evidence' questions! We'll learn to break down every one of the question types SAT throws at you and find the best answer using process of elimination driven by those three reasons answers are wrong. In the 15 years that I've taught SAT Reading, I've also found that, even for high-scoring students, getting as close to perfect on SAT Grammar, Transitions, and Rhetorical Synthesis (bullet point questions at the end) is critical, since it gives leeway on the more complex questions. We'll take the time to review the underlying concepts and build in some self-checks to ensure consistent accuracy.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

If you want to crack 1500 or break any plateau on SAT Verbal, look no further! I help my my high-scoring students finally reach the 99th percentile to be competitive at top colleges. SAT Verbal is challenging but consistent. You will struggle to break 750 verbal if you approach it by only 'looking for the right answer'. We flip the script. A common misconception about SAT is that multiple answers "could" work, but this is not true. The wrong answers are wrong. In order to make the test "objective", the SAT plants small, but specific, technical errors in the wrong answers so that there's no room for debate. Every single wrong answer on SAT Verbal is wrong for one of the same three reasons over and over again - even those tricky 'Evidence' questions! We'll learn to break down every one of the question types SAT throws at you and find the best answer using process of elimination driven by those three reasons answers are wrong.
United States History

United States History

Whether it's APUSH or any other US History class, I can help you out! One of the biggest challenges with learning history is finding a way to keep track of all the information. We emphasize the "story" in "history" as a way of linking together trends and events, making it easier to understand and often even fascinating. I've spent almost a decade prepping students for AP exams in particular, so I can also help you with test strategies for the MCQs and tactics for consistently scoring well on the FRQs: the DBQ, the LEQ, and the SAQs. Plenty of acronyms to go around ;) I've tutored over a hundred students to 4's and 5's on their APs, using an efficient but effective program that focuses on the most critical events and strategies that will help you not just score more points, but actually understand better why these things matter and how they're connected!
World History

World History

If you have your eye on a 5 for AP World History, look no further! I've helped students perfect the process of writing the DBQ, LEQ, and short answers, using the College Board's rubrics as a guide for how to maximize the points you earn. Many students overlook just how many "easy" points there are to gain on the AP World exam, not to mention the relatively low threshold for a high score. We'll focus on building comprehension for the most important events, people, trends, and concepts in order to avoid memorizing a pile of random facts that won't translate into points. From there, we can learn how to "guarantee" yourself critical points on the free response section, even when you don't know the topic inside and out!
Writing

Writing

Write it as you would say it. Show don’t tell. Don’t end sentences with a preposition. Tie it all together in your conclusion. Don’t use adjectives or adverbs. Use nouns and verbs. Vary your sentence structure. Please! No more! I don’t know if I can tell you what learning to write is, but it sure isn’t memorizing rules, especially when it comes to college application essays, like the personal statement. Many students never get direct guidance on their writing in school. They end up with rushed, superficial, often contradictory guidance. Unfortunately, the name of the game in school writing is to impress the teacher, not learn to communicate effectively. That’s where I come in. Working one-on-one, you’ll develop the ability to write with purpose, to fuse what’s in your mind and what’s on the page. Whether it’s figuring out what you really want to say, structuring your essay, or just punching it up for extra kick, we can help turn your writing into a powerful asset in school or in admissions!
Algebra 1
Algebra 2
Geometry
Literature
Prealgebra
Precalculus
PSAT
SSAT
Trigonometry
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Response time: 45 minutes

Ratings and Reviews

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Reviews

Knowledgeable and laid back

My daughter says Nick's run-through helped her fine-tune on what she already knew how to do, yet still missed. We only had one lesson, and my daughter has been applying his tips, and she is seeing the effectiveness of them. Personally, as a parent, Nick's laid-back demeanor helped my daughter ease up on the verbal section: Mostly like we will schedule more as she accumulates some actual questions to go over with him before the exam.

Sinai, 1 lesson with Nick

Knowledgeable and enthusiastic tutor

Nick helped our daughter to begin learning test-taking strategy as well as made the content material fun and exciting. Our daughter finished the lesson and immediately did another 45 minutes of practice that Nick had given her, and remains focused and excited to study for her exam.

Heather, 1 lesson with Nick

Great tutor!

We brainstormed my UC Application, it was great and Nick provided lots of details in how to structure my essay! He also draw notes down to a google doc and it was a detailed source for me to refer back when I’m actually writing my essay:)

Erin, 1 lesson with Nick

Great Tutor

Nick is an amazing tutors. He is very patient and knowledgeable about the subject. My daughter enjoys her lesson with him. He is supportive and encouraging- the exact kind of influence you need in order to continue working and studying on an exam.

Raha, 2 lessons with Nick

Knowledgeable, patient and fun/positive

Nick is always upbeat and my son really likes to work with him. He leaves the session smiling and has a positive outlook on what they accomplished. Excellent tutor!

MaryAnn, 10 lessons with Nick

Very effective tutor

I contacted Nick to work with my son on the ACT science section the week before the exam. Nick quickly assessed where my son needed to improve, and gave him insights on how to think about the test that really boosted his confidence. We saw immediate improvement and my son was scoring 35-36 on practice tests the day before the test. Thank you Nick.

Michael, 3 lessons with Nick

Knowledgeable

I asked my son and I was surprised by how comfortable he was with Nick. So far so good I’m glad he is looking forward to continuing with multiple lessons. He said he is getting great tips and a different way at looking at the act.

Andy, 12 lessons with Nick

Great tutor

Had first session with Nick, clearly he knows what he is doing. Very happy and will continue for SAT Prep, and writing in the next couple years. Good communicator, responsive to msgs and can connect with high schoolers.

Henli, 8 lessons with Nick

Great tutor! very insightful and intelligent.

Nick is a wonderful patient tutor that has help me with a ton of college work. Such as my personal essay and supplemental’s. He’s quick with thinking of how to broaden your ideas.

Remy, 6 lessons with Nick

Amazing Tutor!

Nick is truly a very perceptive, knowledgeable, kind tutor! My daughter thought his comments were targeted and extremely helpful. Don't waste your time looking for other tutors.

Rachel, 2 lessons with Nick
Hourly Rate: $150
Response time: 45 minutes
Contact Nick