Award-winning physics tutor | Harvard, UChicago PhD, IPhO Gold

Ohkyung K.

I am happy to work with 1. advanced high school students (AP and above, including physics olympiads or research projects), or 2. college students at all levels, either physics majors or those in other fields seeking help in physics for their career aspirations (e.g. for MCAT).

I am highly qualified. I won a gold medal in the International Physics Olympiad in high school, attended Harvard University for my bachelor's degree with high honors in physics, and hold a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in physics. I am an active academic, and my research work can be found at: https://www.ohkyungkwon.com/

I am a proven teacher and mentor. I formerly coached the Korean national team for the IPhO for two years, during which I led the design and implementation of a new training program. The team placed 1st in my first year as coach, and over the next five years, the median rank of the Korean team improved from 9th to 2nd place. I was also a standout teacher for college students at UChicago, for which I received the Gregor Wentzel Teaching Award and the College Core Tutor Award. I am able to work effectively across a wide range of cultural backgrounds; I have experience working with minority students, first-generation college students, students from exceptional religious backgrounds, and even students in conflict regions under political oppression.

My teaching philosophy is that students learn best when they take initiative and lead their own learning. Sometimes I have to be the source of hope and motivation for students who have been underserved by the education system, but otherwise I try to avoid guiding students through a curated curriculum from scratch. For students who have independently made an effort to do the work themselves and need extra help, I will absolutely be the best tutor possible, and I will patiently make sure they gain the understanding and thinking skills they need. I want my students to actually understand the physics, not just pick up techniques to score better grades.