Experienced SAT and ACT tutor

Sebastian D.

Hi, I’m Sebastian! I graduated with General and Departmental Honors from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor’s degree in Writing Seminars and Film & Media Studies, and I’ve been tutoring the SAT and ACT full-time since 2020. When I took the SAT in high school, I scored a 2290 (800 Writing, 750 Math, 740 Reading) without studying—a mistake I make sure my students don't repeat! Today, I consistently score 1590–1600 on the current formats because I take every single practice test myself before I assign it. I work exclusively online, one-on-one, with high schoolers (ages 14–18) who are highly motivated and ready to put in the work. Let’s be honest: test prep can be a grind. That’s why my teaching style is casual, funny, and highly engaging. My students frequently tell me they actually look forward to our meetings, and just recently, a student told me his friends made him share his notes from our sessions because my test-taking tips were so effective!

My core philosophy is that the SAT and ACT aren’t just testing your math and English basics; they are testing your problem-solving and critical thinking. The best way to dominate the test is to understand exactly what it is asking you. For instance, on the Reading section, the test loves to "whisper" wrong answers to you—suggesting logical-sounding ideas that aren't actually grounded in the text. I train my students to spot and ignore those traps. In a typical 60- to 90-minute session, we review official Bluebook practice tests and do targeted concept review for specific areas you might be shaky on, like punctuation rules or advanced math concepts. Through this targeted approach, my students regularly see 300–400+ point increases, and I have a strong track record of helping already high-performing students push their scores to the absolute maximum. If you're ready to master the test and actually enjoy the process, feel free to reach out to schedule a lesson!