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Harvard Calculus and SAT Specialist
John Y.

5.0 (634 ratings)

2,613 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $135
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Response time: 2 hours
John Y.'s Photo
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Harvard Calculus and SAT Specialist
Harvard Calculus and SAT Specialist
John Y.

5.0 (634 ratings)

2,613 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
5.0 (634 ratings)

2,613 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About John

Bio

Hello students!

My name is John and my curiosity is insatiable. Although I have completed a B.S. in mathematics, a B.A. in philosophy, an M.S. in math education, and passed the national board exams for civil engineering, I still endeavor to learn and grow at every opportunity. After teaching math at the university level for two years and competing on the Spartan Race Pro Team, I decided to give away all my possessions and buy a one-way ticket to Alaska. I found a bicycle in Anchorage and...

Hello students!

My name is John and my curiosity is insatiable. Although I have completed a B.S. in mathematics, a B.A. in philosophy, an M.S. in math education, and passed the national board exams for civil engineering, I still endeavor to learn and grow at every opportunity. After teaching math at the university level for two years and competing on the Spartan Race Pro Team, I decided to give away all my possessions and buy a one-way ticket to Alaska. I found a bicycle in Anchorage and rode it solo and unassisted across North America to New York City, where I tutored for four years at Columbia. My journey has since taken me up the coast to Harvard and MIT, where study energy policy and nuclear fusion engineering. I still ride the same bicycle to meet my students, rain or shine.

I chose tutoring over traditional classroom instruction because of the higher degree of freedom it allows me to tailor my lessons to individual students. The advantage of working in a one-on-one setting is that I can meet the student at his or her level of understanding and progress through the material in a logical way from that point. I believe in working at the student's pace and taking time to fill gaps in foundational knowledge. It is critical that the student constructs understanding through his/her own reasoning. Therefore, I typically don't lecture; I don't allow my students to be passive listeners.

What distinguishes me most from other tutors is that I have no lesson plans when working with students . I am trained as an inquiry-based teacher, which means, for each student, I create a progression of exercises that leads him/her along the path to understanding. While most beginning tutors are quick to demonstrate how much they know by doing the thinking for their students, I insist that my students complete assignments using their own critical thought.

Please take a moment to read my reviews to see how other students find my teaching style. I look forward to working with you!

John Y

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Education

Columbia University
Philosophy and Math
MIT
Enrolled
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Enrolled

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Business

GRE

GRE

John’s score: 169V/170M Student: How much time should I study for the GRE? John: Study for 100 hours. If you’re really feeling ambitious and want to improve your vocabulary, essay writing, and logic skills, then spend up to 200 hours prepping. Returns diminish after that, and you may go crazy if you try. Student: Do I really need to study vocabulary? John: It depends. If you are applying to a STEM program that only needs you to demonstrate basic literacy, then no. However, if your target program cares about the verbal score, then yes. The GRE is a vocab-heavy exam. I systematically learned more than 1,000 new words before I took the GRE, and doing so helped a lot! Several of my words even appeared on the actual exam. Student: What material do you recommend to study for the exam? John: Work almost exclusively with the material that has been released by ETS (I say almost because you may actually want to use the old LSAT exams to study for the GRE). The quality of everything else is a big step down, and if you’re gunning for a high score, then using low quality material can actually be discouraging and detrimental to your efforts. Every GRE taker should purchase the official GRE general book, the official GRE verbal book, the official GRE quant book, and the three Powerprep Plus tests online. You also need to print off the two ETS paper tests that have been released. The old one can be difficult to track down on the internet, but I can send it to you. I recommend you do not purchase additional material. In general, don’t read about the test; practice the test. It’s like learning to play basketball or the piano: you can’t just read about it; you need to get your hands on it. Student: Should I register for a GRE course? John: No. The biggest advantage of a course is that it provides structure and accountability to your studying. However, the test prep industry is filled to the brim with charlatans. You never get to see ratings or reviews for these people because they hide behind their storefronts. The demand for

Elementary Education

Elementary Math

Elementary Math

When working with students, I try to target the source of misunderstanding and then lead them through their own series of logic to understand the process. My job is to clarify any ambiguity the student might encounter. To do this, I often create simpler problems for the students which illustrate a point and then generalize the point to the problem at hand. For example, a student might ask, "Does 4/52 plus 4/52 equal 8/104?" And I would respond by placing two measuring cups on the table and asking, "Does 1/3 cup plus 1/3 cup equal 2/6 cups?" This technique takes longer than simply dictating, "Add numerators and keep denominators the same." But I believe it is more meaningful to distill the idea down to an accessible form than to offer baseless formulas to memorize.

English

SAT Writing

SAT Writing

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Writing score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. I consider the Writing section to be the most learnable on the SAT. My fist score on this test was 590; my last score on the official SAT was 800. Most people approach this section confidently, but then stagger through as they realize their ears cannot always catch the mistakes. These questions are cleverly designed to trick the ears of native English speakers. I can do it too! Try to spot the error in this one: "The boy, together with his friends and accompanied by several highly renowned scholars, examine the document." This is an example of a subject-verb agreement error, a favorite of the test makers that you are guaranteed to see on the exam. One mantra to repeat on the Writing section is, "Get rid of the junk." Distill each clause into its subject, verb, and object by omitting the modifiers and appositives. "The boy examines the document." There really aren't many ways to trick the ear like this, so I will show you how to spot all the ones that may show up on the test. My course pack includes lessons on tense, faulty parallelisms, misplaced modifiers, pronouns, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and other miscellaneous topics that you need to know. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me prepare for the test. His lessons were tailored to my weaknesses and he even offered feedback for each of my essays during our sessions. During the eight weeks I worked with

Homeschool

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

I have 13+ years of experience working algebra students of all ages.
Calculus,

Calculus

Calculus is my strongest and most popular subject. As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Calc I to Calc III at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. My goal is for my students to understand calculus in the way that Newton and Leibniz did when they created it. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the material for these courses; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math and have used that knowledge to develop an inquiry-based style of teaching. When searching for the right tutor, it is essential that you look at reviews to see evidence of positive results. Please take a moment to read a few of mine: ………………………………… “I Wholeheartedly Recommend John!” Over the summer of 2017, I was working full time at JPMorgan and decided to take accelerated math courses at Columbia University in Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and Linear Algebra. Within the 12 weeks, my goals were to learn as much and as quickly as possible, but I knew that it would be difficult juggling both demanding classes and a job. When I reached out to John about tutoring, I was nervous about completing the classes at the level I was looking to achieve. Both classes were extremely difficult, but John supported me every step of the way, helping me understand difficult concepts in a relatable way and encouraging me to push and believe in myself. I left the 12 weeks with an A in Multivariable Calculus and an A+ in Linear Algebra. However, the most notable thing about my experience with John wasn't that he helped me get the grades I was hoping to achieve. Throughout my time with him, he listened to my questions and con
Physics,

Physics

I have passed the board exams for civil engineering and routinely tutor Columbia students in General Physics I and II. I also volunteer as a structural engineering mentor to the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Precalculus,

Precalculus

As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Precalculus I to Calc IV at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the Precalc material after teaching it at the university level; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math.
SAT Math,

SAT Math

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Math score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. That said, this is a strange math test, unlike anything you will encounter in the classroom. It's not enough to be good at math (and if you aren't, don't worry. There's hope!). I have two degrees in mathematics and I can tell you that nothing I have learned in class since 9th grade is helpful on the SAT. I scored a perfect 800 on the official SAT Math section in high school because I specifically studied "SAT Math", which is a totally different animal. Fortunately for you, the problems are not actually that complicated. The College Board can only test material that every high school junior in the country has seen. So this ties their hands considerably. Just like in the Writing section, the list of rules you need to know in the Math section is both finite and manageable. Mostly it boils down to the formulas you learned (in theory) back in algebra and geometry. Here's the snag- you probably won't have enough time to solve all the problems in the same way you would in your algebra and geometry classes. Some questions REQUIRE you to use the multiple choice answers or strategically make up values for particular variables. If you don't know this is coming or how to spot these types of questions, then you most likely won't figure it out in the minute you're given for each problem. I can show you how to move through this section quickly. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me p
Algebra 2, Prealgebra

Math

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

I have 13+ years of experience working algebra students of all ages.
Calculus,

Calculus

Calculus is my strongest and most popular subject. As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Calc I to Calc III at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. My goal is for my students to understand calculus in the way that Newton and Leibniz did when they created it. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the material for these courses; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math and have used that knowledge to develop an inquiry-based style of teaching. When searching for the right tutor, it is essential that you look at reviews to see evidence of positive results. Please take a moment to read a few of mine: ………………………………… “I Wholeheartedly Recommend John!” Over the summer of 2017, I was working full time at JPMorgan and decided to take accelerated math courses at Columbia University in Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and Linear Algebra. Within the 12 weeks, my goals were to learn as much and as quickly as possible, but I knew that it would be difficult juggling both demanding classes and a job. When I reached out to John about tutoring, I was nervous about completing the classes at the level I was looking to achieve. Both classes were extremely difficult, but John supported me every step of the way, helping me understand difficult concepts in a relatable way and encouraging me to push and believe in myself. I left the 12 weeks with an A in Multivariable Calculus and an A+ in Linear Algebra. However, the most notable thing about my experience with John wasn't that he helped me get the grades I was hoping to achieve. Throughout my time with him, he listened to my questions and con
Discrete Math,

Discrete Math

I have worked with students in discrete math courses at Boston University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. I also did my undergraduate research in discrete mathematics.
Logic,

Logic

I am the grader for Symbolic Logic at Columbia University, a course in which I received an A+. I also have experience working with computer science students to complete the logic requirements for their majors.
Physics,

Physics

I have passed the board exams for civil engineering and routinely tutor Columbia students in General Physics I and II. I also volunteer as a structural engineering mentor to the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Precalculus,

Precalculus

As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Precalculus I to Calc IV at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the Precalc material after teaching it at the university level; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math.
SAT Math,

SAT Math

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Math score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. That said, this is a strange math test, unlike anything you will encounter in the classroom. It's not enough to be good at math (and if you aren't, don't worry. There's hope!). I have two degrees in mathematics and I can tell you that nothing I have learned in class since 9th grade is helpful on the SAT. I scored a perfect 800 on the official SAT Math section in high school because I specifically studied "SAT Math", which is a totally different animal. Fortunately for you, the problems are not actually that complicated. The College Board can only test material that every high school junior in the country has seen. So this ties their hands considerably. Just like in the Writing section, the list of rules you need to know in the Math section is both finite and manageable. Mostly it boils down to the formulas you learned (in theory) back in algebra and geometry. Here's the snag- you probably won't have enough time to solve all the problems in the same way you would in your algebra and geometry classes. Some questions REQUIRE you to use the multiple choice answers or strategically make up values for particular variables. If you don't know this is coming or how to spot these types of questions, then you most likely won't figure it out in the minute you're given for each problem. I can show you how to move through this section quickly. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me p
Trigonometry,

Trigonometry

I have 13+ years of experience tutoring trigonometry to students of all ages. Many of my non-traditional students at Columbia have been away from school for several years and need crash courses in trig. I tailor my instruction to suit your course and your needs.
Algebra 2, Prealgebra

Most Popular

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

I have 13+ years of experience working algebra students of all ages.
Calculus,

Calculus

Calculus is my strongest and most popular subject. As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Calc I to Calc III at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. My goal is for my students to understand calculus in the way that Newton and Leibniz did when they created it. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the material for these courses; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math and have used that knowledge to develop an inquiry-based style of teaching. When searching for the right tutor, it is essential that you look at reviews to see evidence of positive results. Please take a moment to read a few of mine: ………………………………… “I Wholeheartedly Recommend John!” Over the summer of 2017, I was working full time at JPMorgan and decided to take accelerated math courses at Columbia University in Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and Linear Algebra. Within the 12 weeks, my goals were to learn as much and as quickly as possible, but I knew that it would be difficult juggling both demanding classes and a job. When I reached out to John about tutoring, I was nervous about completing the classes at the level I was looking to achieve. Both classes were extremely difficult, but John supported me every step of the way, helping me understand difficult concepts in a relatable way and encouraging me to push and believe in myself. I left the 12 weeks with an A in Multivariable Calculus and an A+ in Linear Algebra. However, the most notable thing about my experience with John wasn't that he helped me get the grades I was hoping to achieve. Throughout my time with him, he listened to my questions and con
Physics,

Physics

I have passed the board exams for civil engineering and routinely tutor Columbia students in General Physics I and II. I also volunteer as a structural engineering mentor to the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Precalculus,

Precalculus

As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Precalculus I to Calc IV at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the Precalc material after teaching it at the university level; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math.
Algebra 2, Prealgebra

Science

Physics

Physics

I have passed the board exams for civil engineering and routinely tutor Columbia students in General Physics I and II. I also volunteer as a structural engineering mentor to the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

Summer

Algebra 1,

Algebra 1

I have 13+ years of experience working algebra students of all ages.
Calculus,

Calculus

Calculus is my strongest and most popular subject. As a certified calculus teacher, I have worked with students from Calc I to Calc III at dozens of top prep schools and colleges including UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Rather than simply offering rules and procedures to my students, I guide them through individually tailored exercises so they can construct their own understanding of concepts. My goal is for my students to understand calculus in the way that Newton and Leibniz did when they created it. What sets me apart from other tutors is that I completed a graduate degree in math education specifically to become a full-time professional tutor. I am not just familiar with the material for these courses; I have also spent thousands of hours studying how students most effectively learn math and have used that knowledge to develop an inquiry-based style of teaching. When searching for the right tutor, it is essential that you look at reviews to see evidence of positive results. Please take a moment to read a few of mine: ………………………………… “I Wholeheartedly Recommend John!” Over the summer of 2017, I was working full time at JPMorgan and decided to take accelerated math courses at Columbia University in Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and Linear Algebra. Within the 12 weeks, my goals were to learn as much and as quickly as possible, but I knew that it would be difficult juggling both demanding classes and a job. When I reached out to John about tutoring, I was nervous about completing the classes at the level I was looking to achieve. Both classes were extremely difficult, but John supported me every step of the way, helping me understand difficult concepts in a relatable way and encouraging me to push and believe in myself. I left the 12 weeks with an A in Multivariable Calculus and an A+ in Linear Algebra. However, the most notable thing about my experience with John wasn't that he helped me get the grades I was hoping to achieve. Throughout my time with him, he listened to my questions and con
Physics,

Physics

I have passed the board exams for civil engineering and routinely tutor Columbia students in General Physics I and II. I also volunteer as a structural engineering mentor to the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
SAT Math,

SAT Math

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Math score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. That said, this is a strange math test, unlike anything you will encounter in the classroom. It's not enough to be good at math (and if you aren't, don't worry. There's hope!). I have two degrees in mathematics and I can tell you that nothing I have learned in class since 9th grade is helpful on the SAT. I scored a perfect 800 on the official SAT Math section in high school because I specifically studied "SAT Math", which is a totally different animal. Fortunately for you, the problems are not actually that complicated. The College Board can only test material that every high school junior in the country has seen. So this ties their hands considerably. Just like in the Writing section, the list of rules you need to know in the Math section is both finite and manageable. Mostly it boils down to the formulas you learned (in theory) back in algebra and geometry. Here's the snag- you probably won't have enough time to solve all the problems in the same way you would in your algebra and geometry classes. Some questions REQUIRE you to use the multiple choice answers or strategically make up values for particular variables. If you don't know this is coming or how to spot these types of questions, then you most likely won't figure it out in the minute you're given for each problem. I can show you how to move through this section quickly. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me p
Algebra 2

Test Preparation

GRE,

GRE

John’s score: 169V/170M Student: How much time should I study for the GRE? John: Study for 100 hours. If you’re really feeling ambitious and want to improve your vocabulary, essay writing, and logic skills, then spend up to 200 hours prepping. Returns diminish after that, and you may go crazy if you try. Student: Do I really need to study vocabulary? John: It depends. If you are applying to a STEM program that only needs you to demonstrate basic literacy, then no. However, if your target program cares about the verbal score, then yes. The GRE is a vocab-heavy exam. I systematically learned more than 1,000 new words before I took the GRE, and doing so helped a lot! Several of my words even appeared on the actual exam. Student: What material do you recommend to study for the exam? John: Work almost exclusively with the material that has been released by ETS (I say almost because you may actually want to use the old LSAT exams to study for the GRE). The quality of everything else is a big step down, and if you’re gunning for a high score, then using low quality material can actually be discouraging and detrimental to your efforts. Every GRE taker should purchase the official GRE general book, the official GRE verbal book, the official GRE quant book, and the three Powerprep Plus tests online. You also need to print off the two ETS paper tests that have been released. The old one can be difficult to track down on the internet, but I can send it to you. I recommend you do not purchase additional material. In general, don’t read about the test; practice the test. It’s like learning to play basketball or the piano: you can’t just read about it; you need to get your hands on it. Student: Should I register for a GRE course? John: No. The biggest advantage of a course is that it provides structure and accountability to your studying. However, the test prep industry is filled to the brim with charlatans. You never get to see ratings or reviews for these people because they hide behind their storefronts. The demand for
ISEE,

ISEE

I am a perfect score SAT Math and Writing tutor with experience teaching both the ISEE and SSAT (though I recommend my students focus on one). I assign a practice test before each meeting, then spend our time focusing on the specific content in which the student has difficulty. I teach all sections of these exams. Like the SAT, the SSAT is a very learnable test. I have seen my students improve their percentile scores by 30% and go on to some of the top 5 high schools in the US. The key to success in my experience is familiarity with the content and practice with the exams. The difficulty with this test is that the study guides and practice exams available tend to be of poor quality. I help my students navigate the ocean of study materials on the market, structure their studying, and understand the content tested. I teach all sections of this exam. Please read what my students are saying about the service I provide: "Simply the best! We hired John to tutor our 13-year old, attention-challenged son on the SSAT and the ISEE. We can't say enough good things about John. Our son improved his scores by 3-4 stanine points across the board!! John was professional, dependable and super-organized. He kept my son motivated and eager to do well. He offered just the right combination of encouragement and reality check. He made "being smart" cool - and there was absolutely nothing that he didn't seem to know . He was also super accommodating and gave great feedback. Given that John is a true renaissance guy, I imagine that he offers something of interest for every kid or grown-up to connect to. My son was particularly taken with his Spartan competitions and will likely be signing up for Spartan, Jr. as soon as he finds some free time;) If you need a tutor for the SSAT or the ISEE (or anything for that matter), John is your man. You'll be lucky to have him on your team." Amy, 17 lessons with John
SAT Math,

SAT Math

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Math score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. That said, this is a strange math test, unlike anything you will encounter in the classroom. It's not enough to be good at math (and if you aren't, don't worry. There's hope!). I have two degrees in mathematics and I can tell you that nothing I have learned in class since 9th grade is helpful on the SAT. I scored a perfect 800 on the official SAT Math section in high school because I specifically studied "SAT Math", which is a totally different animal. Fortunately for you, the problems are not actually that complicated. The College Board can only test material that every high school junior in the country has seen. So this ties their hands considerably. Just like in the Writing section, the list of rules you need to know in the Math section is both finite and manageable. Mostly it boils down to the formulas you learned (in theory) back in algebra and geometry. Here's the snag- you probably won't have enough time to solve all the problems in the same way you would in your algebra and geometry classes. Some questions REQUIRE you to use the multiple choice answers or strategically make up values for particular variables. If you don't know this is coming or how to spot these types of questions, then you most likely won't figure it out in the minute you're given for each problem. I can show you how to move through this section quickly. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me p
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

Looking for a professional to help bring up that SAT Writing score? I’m your guy. I know the SAT inside and out and I can assure you this test is learnable. I consider the Writing section to be the most learnable on the SAT. My fist score on this test was 590; my last score on the official SAT was 800. Most people approach this section confidently, but then stagger through as they realize their ears cannot always catch the mistakes. These questions are cleverly designed to trick the ears of native English speakers. I can do it too! Try to spot the error in this one: "The boy, together with his friends and accompanied by several highly renowned scholars, examine the document." This is an example of a subject-verb agreement error, a favorite of the test makers that you are guaranteed to see on the exam. One mantra to repeat on the Writing section is, "Get rid of the junk." Distill each clause into its subject, verb, and object by omitting the modifiers and appositives. "The boy examines the document." There really aren't many ways to trick the ear like this, so I will show you how to spot all the ones that may show up on the test. My course pack includes lessons on tense, faulty parallelisms, misplaced modifiers, pronouns, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and other miscellaneous topics that you need to know. Please see my reviews to learn more about my teaching style and results: …………………. “Easy to work with” Always on time, and easy scheduling. My daughter met with John once a week at our local library for SAT prep. She enjoyed working with him and he was very motivating. She was able to improve her score by 400 points by giving her useful tips and challenging her to push through on the areas she struggled with. Highly recommended! Randi, 10 lessons with John “SAT Master” John’s SAT program was extremely beneficial in helping me prepare for the test. His lessons were tailored to my weaknesses and he even offered feedback for each of my essays during our sessions. During the eight weeks I worked with
SSAT

SSAT

Like the SAT, the SSAT is a very learnable test. I have seen my students improve their percentile scores by 30% and go on to some of the top 5 high schools in the US. The key to success in my experience is familiarity with the content and practice with the exams. The difficulty with this test is that the study guides and practice exams available tend to be of poor quality. I help my students navigate the ocean of study materials on the market, structure their studying, and understand the content tested. I teach all sections of this exam. Please read what my students are saying about the service I provide: "Simply the best! We hired John to tutor our 13-year old, attention-challenged son on the SSAT and the ISEE. We can't say enough good things about John. Our son improved his scores by 3-4 stanine points across the board!! John was professional, dependable and super-organized. He kept my son motivated and eager to do well. He offered just the right combination of encouragement and reality check. He made "being smart" cool - and there was absolutely nothing that he didn't seem to know . He was also super accommodating and gave great feedback. Given that John is a true renaissance guy, I imagine that he offers something of interest for every kid or grown-up to connect to. My son was particularly taken with his Spartan competitions and will likely be signing up for Spartan, Jr. as soon as he finds some free time;) If you need a tutor for the SSAT or the ISEE (or anything for that matter), John is your man. You'll be lucky to have him on your team." Amy, 17 lessons with John

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (634 ratings)
5 star
(630)
4 star
(4)
3 star
(0)
2 star
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Reviews

I Wholeheartedly Recommend John!

Over the summer of 2017, I was working full time at JPMorgan and decided to take accelerated math courses at Columbia University in Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and Linear Algebra. Within the 12 weeks, my goals were to learn as much and as quickly as possible, but I knew that it would be difficult juggling both demanding classes and a job. When I reached out to John about tutoring, I was nervous about completing the classes at the level I was looking to achieve. Both classes were extremely difficult, but John supported me every step of the way, helping me understand difficult concepts in a relatable way and encouraging me to push and believe in myself. I left the 12 weeks with an A in Multivariable Calculus and an A+ in Linear Algebra. However, the most notable thing about my experience with John wasn't that he helped me get the grades I was hoping to achieve. Throughout my time with him, he listened to my questions and concerns that extended beyond the academic classes. He listened to me share my thought and dreams of what I wanted to do with my life, becoming both a role model and confidant. After our sessions concluded, I was confident that I not only learned a great deal, but that I also gained a friend that I can count on. I only have the best things to say about John and wholeheartedly recommend him as a tutor. He's the best!

Johnny, 9 lessons with John

Absolutely everything you could want in a tutor- keenly insightful, patient, & adaptable.

I reached out to John 10 days before I needed to take the GRE for a third time, with the goal of significantly improving my quant score. I had been using the larger, more traditional tutoring offerings that had not gotten me to where I needed to be. John was the best tutor I have ever had- he doesn't just feed you answers and makes sure you are able to understand concepts on your own which in this scenario is essential. I was able to improve my score an aggregate 12 points across quant & verbal, thanks to John!

Patrick, 4 lessons with John

John is an excellent tutor.

John brought in a fresh perspective and very valuable insights. If you are looking for a perceptive and astute tutor, John is your man! Highly, highly, highly recommended!

Randy, 35 lessons with John

Knowledgable Tutor

John helped me study for the General GRE Exam. He is very knowledgable at all three parts of the exam which are the essays, quantitative section, and qualitative section. He taught me the material I needed to know to write a great essay and he helped me get a near perfect score on the quantitative section which was my overall goal. I like John's teaching style because he wants the student to understand the material. He is very good at explaining a problem in many solutions which comes in hand when you want to solve a problem in the fastest way possible.

Anonymous, 10 lessons with John

John is a professional

Above and beyond tutoring, John is helping my 10 year old boy with fundamental linguistic and communication skills. We look forward to building a meaningful long term relationship with John.

Howard , 21 lessons with John

Simply the best!

We hired John to tutor our 13-year old, attention-challenged son on the SSAT and the ISEE. We can't say enough good things about John. Our son improved his scores by 3-4 stanine points across the board!! John was professional, dependable and super-organized. He kept my son motivated and eager to do well. He offered just the right combination of encouragement and reality check. He made "being smart" cool - and there was absolutely nothing that he didn't seem to know . He was also super accommodating and gave great feedback. Given that John is a true renaissance guy, I imagine that he offers something of interest for every kid or grown-up to connect to. My son was particularly taken with his Spartan competitions and will likely be signing up for Spartan, Jr. as soon as he finds some free time;) If you need a tutor for the SSAT or the ISEE (or anything for that matter), John is your man. You'll be lucky to have him on your team.

Amy, 17 lessons with John

Great ISEE Test Preparation

John is brilliant, professional, thorough, patient, task oriented, and student centered. He's an incredibly competent tutor, relates well to young people, and knows how to help each student learn the requisite material. If you are looking for a tutor in the NYC area, you simply can't do better.

John, 11 lessons with John

Great SAT Math Tutor

John is a great Math tutor. He showed my Nephew several techniques to help him on his SAT test. He did a very good job explaining better ways to approach problems on the test.

Mark, 1 lesson with John

Simply the BEST mathematics tutor!

After my daughter's first session with John, I asked her how it went, and she replied that she was finally able to understand five major concepts with vectors that she could not understand before the session. It just doesn't get better than this. John is an excellent tutor. We are so lucky to have found him!

April, 62 lessons with John

Best Calculus Tutor in New York

I have worked with John for two years now on Calculus 1 through Calculus 4. He has a true command of the subject as well as the dedication to his students and their learning. Using creative examples like a piece of paper to represent a 3 dimensional plane or clear and descriptive definitions for vague concepts, John has not only helped me through the journey of upper level calculus, but has inspired a love of mathematics following our work. I surely would not be where I am without him, and cannot express my gratitude enough. If you are looking for an excellent tutor who will stick through to the end when things get hard, and push you through the toughest times you will encounter, look no further than John Y. And if you’re reading this John, thank you for everything.

Mindunn, 94 lessons with John
Hourly Rate: $135
Response time: 2 hours
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