Stanford Math & CS Grad | AIME & USAMO | Meta | Perfect SAT & ACT
Laney Z.

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2 hours tutoring

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About Laney

Bio

I’m a Stanford-trained mathematician with a passion for competition math and a talent for making hard concepts click! I work with middle school, high school, and college students in math, computer science, and test prep. My focus is on helping students to actually understand and visualize why things work, not just memorize procedures. I tutor math and CS at levels ranging from introductory to college-level.

I tutored extensively through high school and college and taught introductory CS as...

I tutored extensively through high school and college and taught introductory CS as a section leader at Stanford. I then spent 14 years as a software engineer at Meta, where mentoring and teaching junior engineers was a major part of my role.

More about my background: I’m a USAMO qualifier and 4-time AIME qualifier. I attended Canada/USA Mathcamp and the Research Science Institute at MIT. My scores of 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT earned me recognition as a U.S. Presidential Scholar. I attended Stanford, where I got a BS in Mathematics and MS in Computer Science (AI specialty). I then spent 14 years working at Meta as a software engineer, where I served as tech lead for various high-impact projects and conducted over 400 technical interviews.

I have a deep love for math and computer science that I hope comes through in every session. I’d love the chance to share it with you or your student!

Education

Stanford University
Mathematics

Stanford University (Computer Science)
Masters

Policies

Hourly Rate: $130
Lesson cancellation: 24 hours notice required
Background check passed on 5/5/2026
Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

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Approved Subjects

ACT Math

I scored a perfect 36 composite on the ACT, including an 36 on the math section. I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA, and I have a background in competition math (USAMO qualifier, 4xAIME qualifier). I tutored math throughout high school and college. I take pride in helping students not just memorize tricks but genuinely understand the material so they can handle any problem the test throws at them.

Algebra 1

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. My competition math background (e.g. AIME and USAMO qualifier) means I have a deep understanding of the algebraic foundations that underlie all of higher mathematics. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I focus on helping students visually understand the underlying concepts rather than memorizing procedures or formulas.

Algebra 2

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. My math coursework plus my background in competitive math (AIME and USAMO qualifier) give me a deep understanding of the algebraic foundations that underlie all of higher mathematics. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I focus on helping students visually understand the underlying concepts rather than memorizing procedures or formulas.

AMC (Competition math)

I am a USAMO qualifier who also qualified for the AIME four times, earned a USAMTS gold medal, represented Ohio on the ARML team, and placed second overall at the Ohio High School Mathematics Olympiad. I attended Canada/USA Mathcamp and the Research Science Institute at MIT. I earned a BS in Mathematics from Stanford, where I placed in the top 500 on the Putnam Competition twice. I tutored math throughout high school and college and am very familiar with the AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and AIME problem styles and strategies. I would love to help your student build the problem-solving skills and mathematical intuition needed to excel in competition math.

Calculus

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. I also excelled in competition math in high school (4 time AIME qualifier, USAMO qualifier) and college (placed in the top 500 in the Putnam competition twice). I tutored math throughout high school and college, and took relevant coursework at Stanford including Honors Multivariable Mathematics, Lebesgue Integration and Fourier Analysis, and Fundamental Concepts of Analysis. I focus on helping students visually understand the material rather than just memorizing procedures. I am comfortable teaching everything from the basics of limits and derivatives through multivariable calculus and introductory real analysis.

Career Development

I spent 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, where I was promoted from IC3 to IC7 -- navigating multiple levels of the individual contributor track and developing a deep understanding of what it takes to grow and advance in a top tech company. I served as tech lead on multiple high-impact teams, mentored numerous engineers at various stages of their careers, ran Meta Boston's new engineer Bootcamp program for several years, and served as Boston Site Lead during a period of rapid office growth. I also conducted over 400 technical interviews and trained Meta interviewers, giving me a comprehensive view of the hiring and career development process from every angle. Whether you're trying to break into the industry, navigate a promotion, transition into a tech lead role, or figure out your next career move, I've lived it firsthand at one of the world's major technology companies.

Computer Programming

I hold a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science (specializing in AI) from Stanford, where I took courses in algorithms, machine learning, AI, cryptography, natural language understanding, and computer systems, earning A+ grades throughout. I conducted AI research at Stanford's AI Lab under Prof. Daphne Koller and served as a section leader for introductory CS courses. I then spent 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, serving as tech lead on multiple major projects, co-authoring a paper at SOSP 2021, and speaking at international conferences including ReactEurope and Nordic.js. I conducted over 400 technical interviews at Meta and am deeply familiar with what strong programming fundamentals look like at every level.

Computer Science

Data Structures

I earned an MS in Computer Science from Stanford, where I took courses in algorithms, mathematical foundations of computing, automata and complexity theory, computer organization and systems, and optimization and algorithmic paradigms -- all with A+ grades. I served as a section leader for Stanford's introductory CS sequence, helping students master foundational programming and data structures concepts. After Stanford, I spent 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, where I regularly worked with complex data structures in production systems at massive scale. I conducted over 400 technical interviews at Meta, many of which tested data structures and algorithms directly.

Discrete Math

I hold a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science from Stanford, where I took Mathematical Foundations of Computing (A+), Introduction to Combinatorics and its Applications under Prof. Persi Diaconis (A+), Mathematical Logic (A), and Elementary Theory of Numbers (A+). My math competition background — including qualifying for the USAMO — gave me a deep grounding in the combinatorial and number-theoretic thinking that underpins discrete math. I am comfortable teaching discrete math at the high school and college levels.

Geometry

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. As a USAMO qualifier and four-time AIME qualifier, I have extensive experience with both Euclidean geometry and the more creative geometric problem-solving that comes up in math competitions. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I like to help students visually understand the material rather than memorizing procedures or formulas. I am comfortable teaching geometry at any level, from basic proofs and theorems through the more advanced geometric concepts that appear on standardized tests and competitions.

Interview Prep

I conducted over 400 technical interviews (including coding, system design, and behavioral) during my ~14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, and also trained numerous Meta interviewers, giving me a deep understanding of what interviewers are looking for and where candidates fall short. I also ran Meta Boston's new engineer Bootcamp program for several years and co-created Meta's AI-enabled software engineering interview format, helping the company rethink technical hiring in the age of AI coding assistance. I hold an MS in Computer Science from Stanford specializing in AI, and my background in algorithms, data structures, and systems means I can help candidates build genuine mastery of the material, not just memorize solutions. Whether you're preparing for FAANG-level interviews or breaking into the industry for the first time, I know exactly what it takes to succeed.

JavaScript

I spent 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, where JavaScript was central to my daily work across multiple major projects. I was an early contributor to Relay, Meta's open-source JavaScript data-fetching framework for React applications, and spoke at ReactEurope and Nordic.js about my work. I hold an MS in Computer Science from Stanford specializing in AI, and served as a section leader for introductory CS courses. I can help students learn JavaScript from scratch or work through more advanced topics.

Logic

I hold a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science from Stanford, where I took courses including Mathematical Logic (A) ,Mathematical Foundations of Computing (A+), and Automata and Complexity Theory (A+). My background in pure mathematics — including coursework in set theory, modern algebra, and real analysis — gives me a strong foundation in formal reasoning and proof. I also have deep experience with the logical thinking required in computer science through my 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta.

PHP

PHP was my primary programming language throughout my 14-year career as a Software Engineer at Meta, where the codebase is built on Hack, Meta's PHP-derived language. I used PHP/Hack daily across a wide range of projects, including real-time infrastructure, data-fetching frameworks, and privacy and integrity systems, serving as tech lead on multiple major initiatives. I have a deep understanding of PHP's syntax, patterns, and best practices, as well as its quirks and pitfalls. I can help students learn PHP from scratch or work through more advanced topics.

Prealgebra

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. My college math coursework plus my background in competitive math (AIME and USAMO qualifier) give me a deep understanding of the foundational math concepts that are covered in pre-algebra. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I focus on helping students visually understand the underlying concepts rather than memorizing procedures or formulas.

Precalculus

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. My college math coursework plus my background in competitive math (AIME and USAMO qualifier) give me a deep understanding of the trigonometric, algebraic, and functional concepts that are covered in precalculus. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I focus on helping students visually understand the underlying concepts rather than memorizing procedures or formulas.

Probability

I hold a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Computer Science (specializing in AI) from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA, where I took Introduction to Probability for Computer Scientists (A+) and Structured Probabilistic Models (A+). Probability is also central to AI and machine learning, which was my area of focus for my MS and central to my research at Stanford's AI Lab. I also have a background in competition math in high school (AIME and USAMO qualifier) and college (top 500 in Putnam twice), so I understand the combinatorics and counting approaches that are most useful in a competition setting. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I like to help students visually understand the material rather than memorizing formulas. Probability in particular benefits enormously from building real intuition rather than mechanically applying rules.

React

I spent 14 years as a Software Engineer at Meta, where I worked extensively with React and GraphQL in large-scale production environments. I was an early contributor to Relay, Meta's open-source data-fetching framework for React applications, and I spoke at JSConf, ReactEurope, and Nordic.js about my work. I also served as tech lead on Real-Time GraphQL, a framework supporting over one trillion updates daily across Meta's family of apps. I am well-equipped to help students learn React from the ground up or deepen their understanding of advanced patterns and real-world React usage.

Real Analysis

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA, where I took Honors Multivariable Mathematics (A+), Fundamental Concepts of Analysis (A+), Lebesgue Integration and Fourier Analysis (A+), Differential Geometry (A), Modern Algebra I and II, Set Theory (A+), and Elementary Theory of Numbers (A+). My mathematical competition background — including qualifying for the USAMO and placing in the top 500 on the Putnam Competition twice — gave me early exposure to rigorous proof-based thinking. I am comfortable teaching real analysis at the undergraduate level.

SAT Math

I scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT, including an 800 on the math section, and perfect 800s on both SAT II Math Level 1 and Math Level 2. I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA plus a background in competition math (USAMO qualifier, 4xAIME qualifier). I tutored math throughout high school and college. I take pride in helping students not just memorize tricks but genuinely understand the material so they can handle any problem the test throws at them.

Trigonometry

I hold a BS in Mathematics from Stanford with a 4.21 GPA and scored a perfect 5 on AP Calculus BC, a perfect 2400 on the SAT, and a perfect composite 36 on the ACT. As a USAMO qualifier and four-time AIME qualifier, I have extensive experience with the trigonometric reasoning that appears throughout competition math and standardized tests. I tutored math throughout high school and college, and I like to help students visually understand the material rather than memorizing formulas. Building a visual intuition for the material is especially useful for trigonometry, and I hope to help your student do so!

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