In the film Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr asks a young Robert Oppenheimer: "Algebra's like sheet music. The important thing isn't can you read music, it's can you hear it. Can you hear the music, Robert?" I think about that line constantly. Most students who feel stuck can read the music fine, they execute the steps, they've memorized the formulas, but nobody has helped them hear what a problem is actually asking. Closing that gap is the whole of my job.
I'm Andrew, a Bay Area native and recent...
In the film Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr asks a young Robert Oppenheimer: "Algebra's like sheet music. The important thing isn't can you read music, it's can you hear it. Can you hear the music, Robert?" I think about that line constantly. Most students who feel stuck can read the music fine, they execute the steps, they've memorized the formulas, but nobody has helped them hear what a problem is actually asking. Closing that gap is the whole of my job.
I'm Andrew, a Bay Area native and recent University of Chicago graduate now living in the DC area. I scored a 1580 on the SAT, earned 4s and 5s on 14 AP exams, and was a National Merit semifinalist. I debated through high school and college, qualifying for the Tournament of Champions, competing at Collegiate Nationals, and representing Chicago at the World Universities Debating Championships, useful training for SAT Reading and Writing, which rewards the same instinct. My academic work was in developmental economics, at the University and with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I've tutored the SAT one-on-one with many high school students and work with SAT students weekly now. I also taught English to international students in China, tutored math privately through high school, and coached the Glenbrook South debate team in Chicago.
Here's how I work. Our first session is a diagnostic evaluation. I'd rather spend an hour finding exactly where things break down than assume I know. The wrong answer you chose tells me more than the miss itself. After that, each session targets a named weakness, and I'll ask you to walk me through your thinking out loud rather than just confirm you followed along.
For standardized tests, I've compiled catalogs of the recurring question types and the method for each. The SAT reuses its own patterns relentlessly, and once you can name the pattern in front of you, the test stops feeling unpredictable.
If you're looking for a new tutor, welcome! Tell me what you're preparing for, where you're stuck, and let's find solutions togethe
