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Learn from an Ivy League PhD and former professor!
Matt J.

4,432 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Hourly Rate: $80
Response time: 11 minutes

About Matt


Bio

Hi! I'm a former professor doing some tutoring on the side as I set up my own business. I went to Yale for both undergrad and Ph.D., and I taught/tutored with Kaplan for eight years, so I think you'll find me well-qualified. My philosophy is that almost everyone can learn almost anything with a good teacher and mindset -- but I recognize everyone is different, and I'll work with you to form a tutoring relationship that fits your learning style. In fact, my research was on the neuroscience of...

Hi! I'm a former professor doing some tutoring on the side as I set up my own business. I went to Yale for both undergrad and Ph.D., and I taught/tutored with Kaplan for eight years, so I think you'll find me well-qualified. My philosophy is that almost everyone can learn almost anything with a good teacher and mindset -- but I recognize everyone is different, and I'll work with you to form a tutoring relationship that fits your learning style. In fact, my research was on the neuroscience of attention and memory, so I know a lot about how brains acquire new information -- which I'll gladly apply to your learning needs.

I'm a bit of a polymath (see below), so there are lots of subjects I can help you with! (The English major in me compels me to rephrase: "There are many subjects with which I can help you.") Because my focus is helping people learn HOW to learn, and to gain confidence in approaching unfamiliar subjects, I may even be able to help in subjects you don't see listed. I'll try to make things fun, or at least fairly painless, while also being efficient to save you time and money. I set my rates according to demand, but never raise them for established clients. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve your goals.

Qualifications. Perfect scores: SAT, GRE math/writing. Top 1%: GRE verbal, LSAT. Taught/tutored Kaplan SAT, GRE, LSAT (8 years). Undergrad: Double major, English and Cognitive Science (multidisciplinary major incl. computer science, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, more). Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience (incl. biology, physics, math, more computer science/psychology). High school math through AP Calc BC, linear algebra in college. Extensive work with statistics, linear algebra, and computer programming (~20 languages over 25+ years). Eight years as a psych professor at two universities; taught subjects incl. perception, intro neuroscience, intro cognitive science, statistics, intro psych, computer programming.


Education

Yale University
English,CognitiveSci
Yale University
PhD

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $80
  • Rate details: Discounts for longer sessions! For 90-minute sessions, I will only bill 80 minutes (effective rate: $71.11 per hour). For a 2-hour session or longer, I will bill at an effective rate of $60 per hour.
  • Lesson cancellation: 0 hours notice required
  • Background check passed on 2/19/2022

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Computer Science

Computer Science

Although my undergrad degree was in Cognitive Science and my PhD is in neuroscience, I took extensive computer science classes in high school and college, and have been programming both for work and on my own since I was approximately 15 years old. Over the years I have programmed in languages including C, C++, Objective-C, Python, Matlab, Perl, Pascal, Haskell, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Java, C#, Visual Basic, R, PHP, and more! I also have experience coding in a number of different situations, including scientific computing / data analysis, writing apps for desktop computers and smartphones, and web design. I am familiar with both theoretical computer science constructs (e.g. Turing machines, various algorithms, Big-O computational complexity) as well as practical computing approaches (e.g. MVC), and am familiar with source code management / version control software like Git.
Linguistics

Linguistics

I majored in cognitive science in undergrad (as well as English) and specialized in computational linguistics, with classes in syntax, semantics, neural networks, AI, and more. I have a PhD in neuroscience, specializing in cognitive neuroscience, with experience/publication in neurosemantic projects as well as additional experience in neural networks and machine learning more generally. I also have varying degrees of fluency in German, French, Indonesian/Malay, and Spanish, and have studied written Old Norse/Old Icelandic in the course of my my undergraduate linguistics pursuits.
Linux

Linux

I've been using Linux and Unix systems for scientific computing (cognitive neuroscience) since 2003. I have set up numerous actual computers and virtual machines powered by Linux (mostly Ubuntu, but other distributions as well), and currently run my website off a virtual Linux server powered by Linode. I am well-versed in both the Linux command line and the GUI of modern Linux distributions.
Macintosh

Macintosh

I've been a Mac user since about 1995, back in the days of System 7.5. I've used Macs essentially daily ever since on dozens of computers (my personal machines, and ones I used/administered at work), through every major hardware transition (e.g. PowerPC -> Intel -> Apple Silicon) and operating system version. I have also occasionally written software for Macs via Xcode (and the older compilers that were around before Xcode existed).
MATLAB

MATLAB

I have been using MATLAB for about 20 years now, ever since my undergraduate days. Since 2003, when I began working in cognitive neuroscience, I have used it on a nearly daily basis and have written thousands upon thousands of lines of MATLAB code for cognitive neuroscience experiments and data analysis. I have also taught a college course on MATLAB and Python programming for psychologists.
Neuroscience

Neuroscience

I received my Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program at Yale University in 2011. Subsequently I worked as a professor of psychology and cognitive neuroscience for several years. My specialties were in fMRI and EEG of working memory, attention, and high-level perception, but I have also taught courses that span the entire field of neuroscience at the undergraduate level.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

In my academic career as a researcher and professor, I've taught hundreds of class sessions in front of varying class sizes and given numerous research talks to audiences large and small. I also acted in and/or directed numerous theatrical productions back in my college days, which gave me extensive experience being onstage myself and helping other actors become comfortable there as well. I also directed an improv theater group, which was extremely useful in learning to think on my feet and losing my fear of public speaking/performance.
Algebra 1
C
Computer Programming
Elementary Math
English
General Computer
Grammar
JavaScript
Literature
Prealgebra
Proofreading
Psychology
Python
Reading
SAT Math
SAT Reading
Statistics
Vocabulary
Writing
Matt J.'s Photo

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Response time: 11 minutes

Ratings and Reviews


Rating

5.0 (1,659 ratings)
5 star
(1,650)
4 star
(8)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Knowledge and patient tutor

I'd found Matt from Wyzant based on his educational and experience posted on Wyzant, along with the comments from his student. I was looking for a tutor neuroscience and psychology background with very tight schedule for my son. Luckily, Matt had replied to me on his availability and can schedule the classes for my son. He had provided very informative information and went through the homework requirement with my son. i really appreciate for all the help. Thanks a lot!!!

Alice, 15 lessons with Matt

Extremely patient and knowledgeable teacher!

My kid was struggling with dealing with long reading passages over two years . We were worried since he’d go to a high school soon. Since he started a session with Matt a few months ago, he has improved a lot and gained a lot of confidence with reading. His state testing and MAP scores dramatically have improved. Meeting Matt is a game changer! We can’t describe how grateful we are! We look forward to many, many classes with Matt until our kid finishes his high school journey. Thank you very much, Matt!

Sophia, 28 lessons with Matt

Dr J is very patient with me and is very knoweledeable regarding his subject.

We reviewed and tabulated the t-test for Dale's depression to determine whether or not the intervention/treatment was effective. He also guided me concerning my documentation of the data

Noel, 16 lessons with Matt

Really knowledgable and patient!

So far has helped me understand concepts relating to machine learning problems which I previously had no experience with. Very kind and patient, gauges learning styles and very understanding of novelty of material.

Ana, 5 lessons with Matt

knowledgeable tutor with a gift for teaching

I called on Matt very last minute to help my son prep for a test the next day. He explained in an hour what his math teacher had not been able to explain in weeks!

Allison, 5 lessons with Matt

Highly Recommend – Great Tutor for SAT Prep!

Matt is an incredibly dedicated and hardworking teacher. During the final month of David's SAT prep, Matt not only reviewed questions but also taught him valuable strategies and techniques that significantly improved his problem-solving skills. We feel very fortunate to have found Matt, and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a fantastic tutor. He’s truly awesome!

Shuang, 12 lessons with Matt

great tutor!

Matt has been exceptional. He is not only patient but also highly knowledgeable across a range of subjects, particularly in English. He has tailored the lessons to address her specific needs, extending the content based on her test results to expose her to broader concepts and knowledge. His engagement during lessons is remarkable, incorporating materials my daughter recently read and discussed with her. We truly appreciate his teaching style and the way he keeps the sessions both informative and interactive. We love his lessons!

Erdan, 42 lessons with Matt

Excellent learning session

First rate experience, learning, and interactive discussion on text analysis approaches. Based on this discussion I’m inspired and look forward to more learning in this area given what was shared in the session.

Jeremy, 1 lesson with Matt

excellent teacher

Matt is a great teacher. He listens to our concerns and works with our son to improve his writing and reading skills. We will be working with Mr. Matt for a very long time. Matt is professional and polite. He understands the material well and effectively conveys his ideas to our son. We are delighted. Matt, you are the best!

Sanjeet, 8 lessons with Matt

Matt is fantastic

I feel really lucky to have Matt's help. I'm a Ph.D. Student studying the electrophysiology of human memory processing and he has relevant skills to easily help me, especially in programming (my weak area). I'll definitely keep going back to him as long as he's available. Thanks, Matt!!!!

Mollie, 91 lessons with Matt
Hourly Rate: $80
Response time: 11 minutes
Contact Matt