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Multidisciplinary College Tutor, Instructor, and Writing Consultant
Paul P.

5.0 (325 ratings)

876 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $45
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Response time: 2 hours

About Paul

Bio

When I tell strangers that I am an ABD (All But Dissertation) graduate student in philosophy, they might perceive me as a limited specialist, with skills pertinent only to my dissertation on social epistemology and other philosophical topics, including social-political thought and Chinese philosophy. I'm actually an academic Swiss Army Knife, a flexible mind trained in 20th century intellectual history and science and technology studies (a result of my MA in philosophy from Virginia Tech), a...

When I tell strangers that I am an ABD (All But Dissertation) graduate student in philosophy, they might perceive me as a limited specialist, with skills pertinent only to my dissertation on social epistemology and other philosophical topics, including social-political thought and Chinese philosophy. I'm actually an academic Swiss Army Knife, a flexible mind trained in 20th century intellectual history and science and technology studies (a result of my MA in philosophy from Virginia Tech), a tutor of college students in nearly every 100-200 level course (from American history and communications to writing and math), a writing consultant who helped writers find their voice in a plethora of projects, and a test prep teacher and tutor for the SAT, ACT, MCAT, and LSAT.

I'm here to help you develop and grow as a person, by aiding you to become a better student, a more effective communicator, and a better critical thinker. If you need help passing a class, I know what professors think and what they expect--the result of over ten years teaching and tutoring across the humanities. If you need help writing a paper, I have the experience, as a graduate writing consultant at UB's Center for Excellence in Writing, to work on an array of projects (resumes and CVs, personal statements, English essays, graduate work in a plethora of disciplines). If you need to pass a standardized test, I have worked for over five years as a tutor and teacher at three different companies, developing a unique, specialized approach to tutoring that has yielded success for students taking college and graduate-level tests. Finally, I tutor students in a variety of subjects and look forward to helping anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge, developing their skills, or simply learning about an array of subjects across the humanities.

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Education

Hillsdale College
Philosophy
Virginia Tech
Masters
University at Buffalo
Graduate Coursework

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $45
  • Rate details: I am happy to discuss rate adjustments, as well as discounting previous students.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 7/14/2022

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

ACT English

ACT English

I am an experienced ACT and SAT tutor, first trained by Princeton Review and now, after the company left my area, working for several private tutoring companies. In addition to teaching classes and individuals, I have worked with a variety of different students--from international students to first-generation learners--to gain the scores they need for their dream schools. I specialize in helping students figure out where they are stuck in improving their scores, devising unique practice regimens, and focusing on techniques to give test takers control of the test.
American History

American History

As an ABD (All But Dissertation) student in philosophy, I have taken a number of American history courses, which dovetail with my work as an undergrad in history (one credit away from a BA in history). In addition to extensive US history tutoring on Wyzant, I have been the primary tutor for a number of American history classes, and my own philosophy teaching emphasizes the unique role of historical context for thought, whether in philosophy of art, Eastern philosophy, or business ethics. I received a 5 on the AP US history exam, in addition to graduating summa cum laude as an undergrad, with most of my time spent as an undergraduate history major.
Bible Studies

Bible Studies

I have led several bible studies on Catholic thought, on subjects diverse as the sacraments and prayer to inter-religious dialogue between Catholics and Buddhists. In addition to being a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers since 2005 and presenting a paper at the Society of Christian Philosophers' Eastern Regional Meeting in 2009, I have read Christian philosophy extensively and been a member of the Christian Philosophy Reading Group since I came to Buffalo in 2011. My background in philosophy allows me to read technical work across Christianity with relative ease; I can equally appreciate Thomas Merton's New Seeds of Contemplation, classic and current theologians (i.e. the Christian philosophers who composed the excellent Reason For the Hope Within), and contemplative works (Nouwen, Keating). I am also well-versed in comparative literature: I have taught Asian Wisdom, a review of Chinese (Confucian, Daoism, Buddhism) and Indian (Hinduism) thought, as PHI 154 during the Spring 2013 semester at the University at Buffalo; and I have taken a number of classes in relation to religion, notably a seminar in Daoist thought, and presented a paper on Daoism at the 18th International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy.
English

English

I am a former writing consultant, having been employed for two years by the University at Buffalo’s Center for Excellence in Writing. As a writer, I have published a number of pieces in academic journals and popular sources. As a teacher and tutor, I have helped writers work on drafting and revising, meeting prompt or other paper requirements, and, most importantly, finding their voice. I will help you put on paper what you are thinking.
Logic

Logic

With my background in philosophy, I have taken a number of classes in logic: I aced undergraduate logic in two separate courses between undergraduate institutions, while I did well in my two graduate-level logic courses. My strength as a logic tutor comes from teaching logic at the 200-level: I appreciate how students can be confused about different issues in logic, from translations in ordinary language and moving from propositional to more complex logics to proof work and understanding how to craft and critique arguments. I did not come to my understanding of logic without struggle. Even the undergrad courses I aced came through battling my difficulty in understanding the material. I will help you gain a wholistic understanding of what you are trying to learn, while helping you answer specific problems.
MCAT

MCAT

I specialize in the Critical Analysis and Reasoning portion of the MCAT, the reading comprehension section frequently referred to as CARS. Trained by Princeton Review, I have taught several classes devoted to CARS, helping students improve their score by understanding how to read for the test, approach different questions, and deal with issues unique to the student, including timing, vocabulary, and passage type. Furthermore, I have been trained by Princeton Review to tutor and teach the SAT and ACT, which feature reading sections that pose similar challenges to students (timing, reading for standardized tests, unusual questions). Tutoring the GRE and LSAT--graduate-level standardized tests--has allowed me to see a variety of complex passages and questions, as well as appreciating the variety of ways advanced undergraduates struggle on more challenging reading sections. I also scored in the 99th percentile on verbal section of the GRE, which features reading compression questions.
Philosophy

Philosophy

I am a graduate student in Philosophy, specializing in epistemology, social-political thought, and early Chinese philosophy. I have taught nearly every 100-200 level philosophy course at the college level, including critical thinking, bioethics, introduction to ethics, introduction to philosophy, business ethics, Asian thought, philosophy of the arts, personal identity, and other courses. Most of my tutoring on Wyzant has been devoted to a variety of philosophy topics, including ethics, social-political philosophy, and logic.
Political Science

Political Science

I have taken classes at the graduate and undergraduate level in political economy, economics, political science, and political philosophy, and I received a certificate in Social, Political and Cultural Thought with my MA from Virginia Tech. I have presented several papers on topics in political science, including science and technology policy and comparisons of ancient Chinese and 20th century political theory. My dissertation concerns social epistemology and has several chapters concerning the social-political significance of knowledge. I taught several courses with significant political content, including ethics, business ethics, and bioethics. As a high school student, I received a five on the AP US Government and Politics test.
Public Speaking

Public Speaking

I have been doing public speaking for most of my life. I have taught over ten years as the primary instructor, in which I had to speak in each class to explain concepts and help students understand complex ideas. Another part of my career is making presentations at professional conferences: I have made over twenty such presentations at a variety of venues. I am also a member of the Downtown Buffalo chapter of Toastmasters, including multiple years as an officer, in addition to winning Toastmaster contests with my speeches. I want to share my experience with others, who may face similar anxieties and physiological issues that kept me from speaking. Despite now being an active, successful speaker, I began my speaking career battling panic attacks and speaking pathologies. Through practice, breathing, and other methods, I slowly began to find my voice and work past the hurdles that kept me from communicating professionally.
Religion

Religion

I have taught Asian Wisdom, a review of Chinese (Confucian, Daoism, Buddhism) and Indian (Hinduism) thought, as PHI 154 during the Spring 2013 semester at the University at Buffalo. I have taken a number of classes in relation to religion, notably a seminar in Daoist thought, and presented a paper on Daoism at the 18th International Conference of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy, a conference I co-organized and featured a number of presentations on Eastern and Western religion. In addition to being a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers since 2005 and presenting a paper at the Society of Christian Philosophers' Eastern Regional Meeting in 2009, I have read Christian philosophy extensively and been a member of the Christian Philosophy Reading Group since I came to Buffalo in 2011. My readings have lead me to lead several bible studies on Catholic thought, on subjects diverse as the sacraments and contemplation to inter-religious dialogue between Catholics and Buddhists.
SAT Reading

SAT Reading

I am an experienced SAT tutor, first trained by Princeton Review and now, after the company left my area, working for several private tutoring companies. In addition to teaching classes and individuals, I have worked with a variety of different students--from international students to first-generation learners--to gain the scores they need for their dream schools. I specialize in helping students figure out where they are stuck in improving their scores, devising unique practice regimens, and focusing on techniques to give test takers control of the test.
SAT Writing

SAT Writing

I am an experienced SAT tutor, first trained by Princeton Review and now, after the company left my area, working for several private tutoring companies. In addition to teaching classes and individuals, I have worked with a variety of different students--from international students to first-generation learners--to gain the scores they need for their dream schools. I specialize in helping students figure out where they are stuck in improving their scores, devising unique practice regimens, and focusing on techniques to give test takers control of the test.
Soccer

Soccer

I received my Grade 8 referee licence in 2002, and used my knowledge of the game to present a lecture on the offside rule to secure a job in teaching for Princeton Review. After my high school soccer career was cut short, I have been a rabid fan, attending many US and international soccer games, including all of the US-Mexico World Cup qualifiers hosted in Columbus, Ohio. My knowledge of the game is evinced by my success in ESPN's EPL fantasy : I have been in the top three percent in the 2015 and 2016 contests (the seasons are split in two sessions, early and late, and I have been in the 97th percentile in each of the four sessions).
Social Studies

Social Studies

My study of social studies began as a high school student; I received fives on the US history and US Government and Politics tests. I was admitted into Ohio's Honors Tutorial College, and nearly finished with a degree in history after changing my major to philosophy. As a graduate student in philosophy, I have continued to study the history of ideas and cultures: I received certificates in Science and Technology Studies and Social, Political, and Cultural Thought at Virginia Tech. I taught several courses with significant social studies content, including Asian Wisdom (a course on Chinese and Indian Philosophy). I would gladly send a list of graduate coursework to substantiate my claims on this subject and others.
Speech

Speech

I have been doing public speaking for most of my life. I have taught eight classes as the primary graduate instructor, in which I had to speak in each class to explain concepts and help students understand complex ideas. Another part of my career is making presentations at professional conferences; I have made over twenty such presentations at a variety of venues. I am also a member of the Downtown Buffalo chapter of Toastmasters.
Writing

Writing

I have extensive experience as a published author: I published parts of my senior thesis in a professional journal, while two other pieces have been published as I worked on my dissertation. Working as a writing consultant at the University at Buffalo's Center for Excellence in Writing advanced my understanding of how to communicate, how to help others find their writing voice, and how to complete an array of writing assignments (from Resumes and CVs to dissertation chapters and term papers). After working as a tutor for college courses and as an instructor who works with my students to improve their writing, I am confident that I can help anyone improve their writing and develop their voice.
ACT Reading
Geography
Government & Politics
Literature
Reading
Vocabulary
World History
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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (325 ratings)
5 star
(321)
4 star
(2)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(1)

Reviews

Excellent tutor for MCAT CARS

Paul helped me tremendously while studying for the CARS section in the MCAT. He takes a very personalized approach and find strategies that work for you. In the few months I worked with him I saw a 3+ point increase in my CARS score and I truly believe I could not have done it without his help. I highly recommend his sessions for other MCAT students.

Lydia, 8 lessons with Paul

Well informed philosophy professor

Paul was knowledge on various Ethics topics and was instrumental at helping me jump start ideas and formats related to an upcoming paper.

Christine, 3 lessons with Paul

Well informed philosophy professor

Paul was knowledge on various Ethics topics and was instrumental at helping me jump start ideas and formats related to an upcoming paper.

Christine, 3 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Above & Beyond

Paul is incredible. He is caring, patient & extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter. He is also very organized and manages the time efficiently. Very fortunate to have him as my college student son’s political science tutor.

Helena, 106 lessons with Paul

Paul is a very good tutor for 20th c World History

Paul is articulate, savvy on the issues of contemporary world history and upbeat. He pointed out issues with my paper and provided answers to factual content as well as interpretation of global power plays. He also gave me sound advice on the technical advice of making the paper. Will see him again.

Scott, 3 lessons with Paul
Hourly Rate: $45
Response time: 2 hours
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