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Yale Graduate | Creative College Admissions, SAT/ACT & Math
Rory B.

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Hourly Rate: $55
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About Rory

Bio

Hi, I'm Rory! I graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Music. I tutor students in college admissions, SAT/ACT Math, mathematics through Calculus BC, physics, music theory & composition, and effective learning strategies. My instructional approach has been shaped by both my own all-time favorite teachers (in calculus, Italian, astrophysics, and music history) and by my experience working with students as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor (semiweekly office hours for 2...

Hi, I'm Rory! I graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in Music. I tutor students in college admissions, SAT/ACT Math, mathematics through Calculus BC, physics, music theory & composition, and effective learning strategies. My instructional approach has been shaped by both my own all-time favorite teachers (in calculus, Italian, astrophysics, and music history) and by my experience working with students as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor (semiweekly office hours for 2 years), a private piano teacher for 5 students, and a hired Teaching Artist at Neighborhood Music School, New Haven, CT. From these experiences, I have learned to provide my students with positivity, empathy, and clear expectations.

My particular specialty is helping students with creative passions craft their college applications. In my own Personal Statement, I explored the unique ways I think about composing and improvising music – an approach my Yale admissions officer found particularly "refreshing to read." That experience shaped how I think about admissions: the strongest application isn't necessarily the one with the most impressive list of accomplishments, but the one that gives a reader a vivid sense of who the student is and how they uniquely see the world. I help students find the language to express that for themselves.

I also love working one-on-one with students on challenging academic material. I earned a 35 on the ACT, a 1510 on the SAT, and a score of 5 on 13 AP exams, including Calculus BC and Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism. Whether we're preparing for a standardized test, working through math or physics, or learning a piece of music, I focus on process-based understanding.

One of my favorite things to teach is how to learn. I share evidence-based strategies for understanding, remembering, and practicing difficult material that have transformed my own study habits over the years. Together, we'll find the practices that work best for your learning, making it more effective and more enjoyable!

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Education

Yale University
Music

Policies

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

I scored 36 on ACT English and 35 overall. As a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor for two years, I regularly explained complicated ideas to students with different levels of preparation, which strengthened my ability to diagnose misunderstandings and explain concepts clearly. I tutor the grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, organization, and rhetorical skills tested on ACT English, with practice focused on recognizing the rules behind recurring question types.
ACT Math

ACT Math

I scored a 36 on ACT Math and a 35 composite, with additional preparation in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. For two years, I served as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, holding weekly office hours and helping students identify gaps in their understanding and work through difficult problems. For ACT Math, I focus on the specific concepts and question types students miss most, then practice strategies for solving them accurately under time pressure.
Algebra 1

Algebra 1

I scored 36 on ACT Math and 760 on SAT Math, and I earned a 5 on AP Calculus BC. I also spent two years as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, where I worked one-on-one with students to identify exactly where their understanding broke down. In Algebra 1, I focus on making equations, functions, variables, graphs, and systems understandable enough that students can solve unfamiliar problems without relying on memorized procedures.
Algebra 2

Algebra 2

I scored 36 on ACT Math, 760 on SAT Math, and 5 on AP Calculus BC. My two years as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor gave me experience helping students move from procedural confusion to a concrete understanding of abstract concepts. I can tutor functions, polynomials, exponentials and logarithms, systems of equations, sequences, and other core Algebra 2 topics while connecting them to the calculus and quantitative reasoning they prepare students for.
Composition (Music)

Composition (Music)

I'm a professional composer with a B.A. in Music from Yale, magna cum laude, who has attended the prestigious Norfolk, Bowdoin, and Brevard summer composition festivals. My works have been performed by the Boston Pops, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Yale Glee Club, and Yale Wind Ensemble (twice), and I have collaborated with nationally recognized performers across the country. My music for saxophone quartet is published by Murphy Music Press.
Geometry

Geometry

I scored 36 on ACT Math and 760 on SAT Math, demonstrating proficiency with the algebraic, geometric, and quantitative reasoning tested on standardized exams. I also have two years of experience as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, where I worked with students individually to break complicated problems into manageable steps. In Geometry, I can help students with proofs, congruence and similarity, circles, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, and applying geometric relationships to unfamiliar problems.
Piano

Piano

I'm a professional classical & jazz pianist, composer, and piano teacher with a B.A. in Music from Yale. Repertoire of mine includes Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G Minor, Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata Mvm. 3, pieces by underrepresented composers, and works I composed myself. I have 1 year of prior teaching experience.
Precalculus

Precalculus

I scored 36 on ACT Math, 760 on SAT Math, and 5 on AP Calculus BC. I spent two years as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, where I developed experience identifying specific conceptual gaps and explaining abstract material in multiple ways. I can tutor functions, trigonometry, logarithms, sequences, analytic geometry, and other precalculus topics, with an emphasis on preparing students for the transition to calculus.
SAT Math

SAT Math

I scored 760 on SAT Math and 1510 overall, and I scored 36 on ACT Math. For two years, I was a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, where I held weekly office hours and helped students diagnose mistakes rather than simply giving them answers. In SAT Math tutoring, I combine targeted content review with practice identifying question types, choosing efficient solution methods, and avoiding common traps.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

I scored 750 on SAT Reading and Writing and 36 on ACT Writing. For two years, I served as a Yale Music Theory Peer Tutor, explaining complex concepts to other Yale students and helping them identify the source of their mistakes. I tutor the grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, transitions, organization, and rhetorical skills tested on SAT Writing, using targeted practice to help students recognize the patterns behind each question.
Music Theory
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Hourly Rate: $55
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