Search
Sam H.'s Photo

Expert SAT/ACT Prep & College Admissions
Sam H.

4.9 (129 ratings)

654 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $150
Contact Sam

Response time: 1 hour

Sam H.'s Photo

Expert SAT/ACT Prep & College Admissions
Expert SAT/ACT Prep & College Admissions
Sam H.

4.9 (129 ratings)

654 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
4.9 (129 ratings)

654 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Sam

Bio

Hello, and thank you for your interest! Here is a quick sketch of my background, experience, and why I believe I am the best tutor for your student!

About Me...

• Graduate of a top-25 university
• 98th percentile to perfect test scorer on 3 different standardized exams (SAT, ACT, & GRE)
• Former Columbia University researcher, studying psychology and neuroscience
• Published researcher/author
• Full-time tutor, specializing almost exclusively in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions...

Hello, and thank you for your interest! Here is a quick sketch of my background, experience, and why I believe I am the best tutor for your student!

About Me...

• Graduate of a top-25 university
• 98th percentile to perfect test scorer on 3 different standardized exams (SAT, ACT, & GRE)
• Former Columbia University researcher, studying psychology and neuroscience
• Published researcher/author
• Full-time tutor, specializing almost exclusively in SAT/ACT prep and college admissions (essays, consulting)
• I bring 8 years of tutoring experience, including the last 7 years devoted to SAT/ACT prep
• I am a top-rated WyzAnt tutor, former Master Tutor at a test prep company, and tutoring trainer/consultant
• I have produced dozens of elite test scorers who have achieved 99th percentile and perfect scores on the SAT and ACT
• I have consistently helped students achieve double-digit improvements in their ACT scores (up to 15 points), as well as 200+ point SAT section increases
• I have access to a wealth of SAT/ACT materials, including a breadth of official tests that goes well beyond other tutors’ and test prep companies’ collections
• I stay up-to-date with the latest test changes, take the most recently administered exams myself, and continuously optimize the topics and strategies I teach

Many of my former students have gone on to attend top colleges/universities across the country, including Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Dartmouth, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Emory, Boston College, Michigan, NYU, the University of Virginia, the University of Southern California, and more.

As a tutor, I pride myself on making even the densest content as simple and straightforward as possible for students. Since students are frequently afraid to admit they don't understand something, I emphasize explaining the material from several perspectives and interacting with the student through further examples until I believe he/she has fully grasped a topic. My approach centers on building a solid, genuine base of comprehension a

Read more

Education

University of Southern California
B.A., Philosophy
Columbia University
Other

Policies

Schedule

Loading...

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Subjects

Corporate Training

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
Latin,

Latin

As a student, I completed 3 years of high school Latin and 1 semester of upper-level college Latin, earning an "A" in each class. I scored a 760/800 on the SAT Subject Test in Latin and twice earned the highest distinction of "summa cum laude" on the National Latin Exam. I have tutored Latin for almost 7 years, working with students from 6th to 11th grade. I teach Latin to students looking to improve in their school courses, as well as to entirely new beginners who wish to learn the language and reap its benefits. With each student, I emphasize a true understanding of Latin and its grammar, rather than the "bits-and-pieces" comprehension that most students acquire from classroom instruction, causing them to fall behind--especially as the material becomes increasingly difficult. I pride myself in bringing an expert yet simple and easy-to-digest tutoring style to all of my Latin students, no matter the age or ability, showing them that they are capable of learning and conquering this often challenging language!
Statistics,

Statistics

I have taken college-level courses for statistics in the behavioral sciences and used many common statistical analyses (t-tests, ANOVAs, etc.) in my postgraduate research in psychology/neuroscience at Columbia University.
Grammar, Proofreading

Elementary Education

Elementary Math,

Elementary Math

I have over 9 years of tutoring experience across a wide range of subjects, including all elementary subjects from English to Math and beyond.
Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary

English

ACT English,

ACT English

For each session, students complete a practice ACT English section from an official or previously administered ACT exam. During sessions, I grade and review the practice section with the student, concentrating on questions he/she answered incorrectly. Since English grammar is a major focus of this section, I typically cover several grammar topics per session, with priority given to the topics that appear on the exam most frequently. I have students write down in a notebook each topic we cover, including several examples and complementary tips/strategies per entry. Taking notes allows students to process the content more thoroughly during sessions and have it for future reference between sessions, especially to study before the following practice test.
ACT Reading,

ACT Reading

Unlike the SAT Reading, the difficulty of the ACT Reading section lies primarily in its strict time requirement: 4 passages/40 questions to be completed in 35 minutes. Accordingly, I work with students to identify the general Reading strategy/approach that will best allow them to complete the section in time, while maximizing their comprehension. As with other test areas, students are typically asked to complete a full practice ACT Reading section for each session. During sessions, we work to address timing/pacing, comprehension strategies, and the optimal approach to each question.
English,

English

I have over 6 years of experience tutoring students in English, entailing all aspects of the language: spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and the full application of these skills in writing. From 2007-2008, I served as a Writing Consultant in the Pace University Writing Center (New York City). Since 2011, I have continued tutoring English and language skills in general, while also dedicating much time to preparing students more specifically for the verbal components (English, reading, writing/essay) of the SAT/ACT. In the course of my tutoring, I've worked with hundreds of students to hone their language skills in order to meet the demands of school subjects, standardized testing, and college admissions essays.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

Over the past 7 years, I have tutored hundreds of students for the SAT and ACT English/Reading sections. My uniquely comprehensive teaching style and methods have produced dozens of students who have achieved 99th percentile or perfect scores.
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

Besides helping students more generally with English and Writing, I am also available to tutor students in the parts of the ACT and SAT relating to these subjects--namely, the ACT English, ACT Writing, and SAT Writing sections. Several of my students have increased their English/Writing scores on the SAT & ACT dramatically.
Writing,

Writing

I have experience tutoring students aged 10 to 40 in English, particularly writing. As mentioned above, I worked in the Writing Center at Pace University, assisting college students in English writing, especially in the context of specific essays and other written assignments given as undergraduate or graduate coursework across various disciplines. While an undergraduate, I took three courses in writing and was editor of the Journal of Law and Society at the University of Southern California. College Admissions Essays: ------------------------- I am available to help students with their college admissions essays. I have worked with many students (often applying to highly competitive colleges and universities) to create stellar essays that accentuate the student's key attributes and complement the more objective criteria (GPA, SAT scores, etc.) that colleges see elsewhere in the applications. Several of my own admission essays have been purchased by websites in order to be published for prospective students to use as guides. The process for developing excellent admissions essays typically involves three stages: (1) an outlining/brainstorming session, in which the student and I choose what the student will be writing about and the general organization of the essay; (2) a review/revision of a rough draft the student creates; and (3) one or more follow-up sessions to perfect subsequent drafts, ensuring that the organization and writing is clear, and there are no grammatical/spelling errors. *If you would like to see examples of some of the great essays my past students have written, please email me.
Grammar, Proofreading, Spelling, Vocabulary

History

Philosophy

Philosophy

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Southern California (currently ranked 11th nationally for study in Philosophy). My cumulative GPA in the Philosophy major (total of 10 classes taken) was a 3.83. My studies were diverse and included courses in Ethics, Metaphysics, Formal Logic, the History of Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, and 19th- and 20th- Century Philosophy), Philosophy of Religion, and Philosophy of Language.

Homeschool

English,

English

I have over 6 years of experience tutoring students in English, entailing all aspects of the language: spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and the full application of these skills in writing. From 2007-2008, I served as a Writing Consultant in the Pace University Writing Center (New York City). Since 2011, I have continued tutoring English and language skills in general, while also dedicating much time to preparing students more specifically for the verbal components (English, reading, writing/essay) of the SAT/ACT. In the course of my tutoring, I've worked with hundreds of students to hone their language skills in order to meet the demands of school subjects, standardized testing, and college admissions essays.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

Over the past 7 years, I have tutored hundreds of students for the SAT and ACT English/Reading sections. My uniquely comprehensive teaching style and methods have produced dozens of students who have achieved 99th percentile or perfect scores.
Statistics,

Statistics

I have taken college-level courses for statistics in the behavioral sciences and used many common statistical analyses (t-tests, ANOVAs, etc.) in my postgraduate research in psychology/neuroscience at Columbia University.
Writing,

Writing

I have experience tutoring students aged 10 to 40 in English, particularly writing. As mentioned above, I worked in the Writing Center at Pace University, assisting college students in English writing, especially in the context of specific essays and other written assignments given as undergraduate or graduate coursework across various disciplines. While an undergraduate, I took three courses in writing and was editor of the Journal of Law and Society at the University of Southern California. College Admissions Essays: ------------------------- I am available to help students with their college admissions essays. I have worked with many students (often applying to highly competitive colleges and universities) to create stellar essays that accentuate the student's key attributes and complement the more objective criteria (GPA, SAT scores, etc.) that colleges see elsewhere in the applications. Several of my own admission essays have been purchased by websites in order to be published for prospective students to use as guides. The process for developing excellent admissions essays typically involves three stages: (1) an outlining/brainstorming session, in which the student and I choose what the student will be writing about and the general organization of the essay; (2) a review/revision of a rough draft the student creates; and (3) one or more follow-up sessions to perfect subsequent drafts, ensuring that the organization and writing is clear, and there are no grammatical/spelling errors. *If you would like to see examples of some of the great essays my past students have written, please email me.
Algebra 1, Prealgebra, Spelling

Language

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
Latin

Latin

As a student, I completed 3 years of high school Latin and 1 semester of upper-level college Latin, earning an "A" in each class. I scored a 760/800 on the SAT Subject Test in Latin and twice earned the highest distinction of "summa cum laude" on the National Latin Exam. I have tutored Latin for almost 7 years, working with students from 6th to 11th grade. I teach Latin to students looking to improve in their school courses, as well as to entirely new beginners who wish to learn the language and reap its benefits. With each student, I emphasize a true understanding of Latin and its grammar, rather than the "bits-and-pieces" comprehension that most students acquire from classroom instruction, causing them to fall behind--especially as the material becomes increasingly difficult. I pride myself in bringing an expert yet simple and easy-to-digest tutoring style to all of my Latin students, no matter the age or ability, showing them that they are capable of learning and conquering this often challenging language!

Math

Statistics,

Statistics

I have taken college-level courses for statistics in the behavioral sciences and used many common statistical analyses (t-tests, ANOVAs, etc.) in my postgraduate research in psychology/neuroscience at Columbia University.
Algebra 1, Prealgebra

Most Popular

English,

English

I have over 6 years of experience tutoring students in English, entailing all aspects of the language: spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and the full application of these skills in writing. From 2007-2008, I served as a Writing Consultant in the Pace University Writing Center (New York City). Since 2011, I have continued tutoring English and language skills in general, while also dedicating much time to preparing students more specifically for the verbal components (English, reading, writing/essay) of the SAT/ACT. In the course of my tutoring, I've worked with hundreds of students to hone their language skills in order to meet the demands of school subjects, standardized testing, and college admissions essays.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
Statistics,

Statistics

I have taken college-level courses for statistics in the behavioral sciences and used many common statistical analyses (t-tests, ANOVAs, etc.) in my postgraduate research in psychology/neuroscience at Columbia University.
Writing,

Writing

I have experience tutoring students aged 10 to 40 in English, particularly writing. As mentioned above, I worked in the Writing Center at Pace University, assisting college students in English writing, especially in the context of specific essays and other written assignments given as undergraduate or graduate coursework across various disciplines. While an undergraduate, I took three courses in writing and was editor of the Journal of Law and Society at the University of Southern California. College Admissions Essays: ------------------------- I am available to help students with their college admissions essays. I have worked with many students (often applying to highly competitive colleges and universities) to create stellar essays that accentuate the student's key attributes and complement the more objective criteria (GPA, SAT scores, etc.) that colleges see elsewhere in the applications. Several of my own admission essays have been purchased by websites in order to be published for prospective students to use as guides. The process for developing excellent admissions essays typically involves three stages: (1) an outlining/brainstorming session, in which the student and I choose what the student will be writing about and the general organization of the essay; (2) a review/revision of a rough draft the student creates; and (3) one or more follow-up sessions to perfect subsequent drafts, ensuring that the organization and writing is clear, and there are no grammatical/spelling errors. *If you would like to see examples of some of the great essays my past students have written, please email me.
Algebra 1, Prealgebra

Other

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
Philosophy

Philosophy

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Southern California (currently ranked 11th nationally for study in Philosophy). My cumulative GPA in the Philosophy major (total of 10 classes taken) was a 3.83. My studies were diverse and included courses in Ethics, Metaphysics, Formal Logic, the History of Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, and 19th- and 20th- Century Philosophy), Philosophy of Religion, and Philosophy of Language.

Science

Philosophy,

Philosophy

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Southern California (currently ranked 11th nationally for study in Philosophy). My cumulative GPA in the Philosophy major (total of 10 classes taken) was a 3.83. My studies were diverse and included courses in Ethics, Metaphysics, Formal Logic, the History of Philosophy (Ancient Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, and 19th- and 20th- Century Philosophy), Philosophy of Religion, and Philosophy of Language.
Psychology

Summer

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

My tutoring experience in English and writing also extends to ESL (English as a second language), and I have helped many foreign students, including adults, grasp and apply to writing the grammar, syntax, and other necessary principles of the English language.
Statistics,

Statistics

I have taken college-level courses for statistics in the behavioral sciences and used many common statistical analyses (t-tests, ANOVAs, etc.) in my postgraduate research in psychology/neuroscience at Columbia University.
Writing,

Writing

I have experience tutoring students aged 10 to 40 in English, particularly writing. As mentioned above, I worked in the Writing Center at Pace University, assisting college students in English writing, especially in the context of specific essays and other written assignments given as undergraduate or graduate coursework across various disciplines. While an undergraduate, I took three courses in writing and was editor of the Journal of Law and Society at the University of Southern California. College Admissions Essays: ------------------------- I am available to help students with their college admissions essays. I have worked with many students (often applying to highly competitive colleges and universities) to create stellar essays that accentuate the student's key attributes and complement the more objective criteria (GPA, SAT scores, etc.) that colleges see elsewhere in the applications. Several of my own admission essays have been purchased by websites in order to be published for prospective students to use as guides. The process for developing excellent admissions essays typically involves three stages: (1) an outlining/brainstorming session, in which the student and I choose what the student will be writing about and the general organization of the essay; (2) a review/revision of a rough draft the student creates; and (3) one or more follow-up sessions to perfect subsequent drafts, ensuring that the organization and writing is clear, and there are no grammatical/spelling errors. *If you would like to see examples of some of the great essays my past students have written, please email me.
Algebra 1

Test Preparation

ACT English,

ACT English

For each session, students complete a practice ACT English section from an official or previously administered ACT exam. During sessions, I grade and review the practice section with the student, concentrating on questions he/she answered incorrectly. Since English grammar is a major focus of this section, I typically cover several grammar topics per session, with priority given to the topics that appear on the exam most frequently. I have students write down in a notebook each topic we cover, including several examples and complementary tips/strategies per entry. Taking notes allows students to process the content more thoroughly during sessions and have it for future reference between sessions, especially to study before the following practice test.
ACT Reading,

ACT Reading

Unlike the SAT Reading, the difficulty of the ACT Reading section lies primarily in its strict time requirement: 4 passages/40 questions to be completed in 35 minutes. Accordingly, I work with students to identify the general Reading strategy/approach that will best allow them to complete the section in time, while maximizing their comprehension. As with other test areas, students are typically asked to complete a full practice ACT Reading section for each session. During sessions, we work to address timing/pacing, comprehension strategies, and the optimal approach to each question.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

Over the past 7 years, I have tutored hundreds of students for the SAT and ACT English/Reading sections. My uniquely comprehensive teaching style and methods have produced dozens of students who have achieved 99th percentile or perfect scores.
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

Besides helping students more generally with English and Writing, I am also available to tutor students in the parts of the ACT and SAT relating to these subjects--namely, the ACT English, ACT Writing, and SAT Writing sections. Several of my students have increased their English/Writing scores on the SAT & ACT dramatically.
SSAT

SSAT

Preparing students for standardized tests--from elementary school to college--has been a hallmark of the 6+ years I've spent tutoring. In addition to the SAT/ACT, I am available to tutor students in SSAT and ISEE, at all levels of these exams and across all sections, from verbal to math. In tutoring with me for any exam, students can expect an expert yet patient approach that stresses true understanding of the content paired with the most efficient test-taking strategies. I believe students and parents will find my emphasis on slow, patient instruction--aided by the use of simple explanations and examples--to be conducive to an enjoyable and successful program of test preparation with students of all ages, but especially those who are younger.

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

4.9 (129 ratings)
5 star
(116)
4 star
(12)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Show reviews that mention

See all reviews focused flexible critical invaluable helped me prepare

Well prepared

My son had his first tutoring session with Sam. Sam arrived to the session well prepared. He is very knowledgeable and dove right into the material. We're happy to be working with Sam and believe he will help our son. We feel like we've found just the right person.

Theresa, 7 lessons with Sam

Knowledgeable, Patient and Great Results Tutor

Sam has worked with my daughter to prepare her for the ACT, he has done a great job and more important my daughter is very happy and grow as student, he brought her from a composite score of 23 to a 32. He is very patient and always addressed my questions/concerns in a very comprehensive way and with suggestions and options on the way forward. My wife and I are very happy with Sam and do not hesitate to recommend him. From my Daughter: Having Sam as my tutor for the ACT was one of the best decisions ever. My overall composite score went from a 23 to a 32 with his help and hard work. English and reading never been my strong suits in school and he helped bring my English score from a 23 to a 35, and my Reading score from an 18 to a 33. Along with being incredibly smart and an amazing tutor, Sam is great to talk to about anything and has a lot of advice for future careers and decisions in which most kids are clueless. He gave me an insight and point of view that no other adult has given me. He also teaches you things in many different ways until you can understand and fully comprehend, and until you figure out the best method for yourself. Overall 11/10 recommend because he’s pretty much the best at what he does and I’m forever grateful he was able to help me bring reach my full potential on the ACT, especially since I can now look to apply to much better, higher ranked schools.

Sergio, 28 lessons with Sam

College Essay Tutor

We hired Sam to help our daughter with writing her college admission essays. She was lost with how to start or even how to approach the brainstorming for the Common App essay. Sam encouraged her to jot down anything and everything that came to mind, and really helped her flesh out her thoughts. He encouraged her to really think deeply about how certain characteristics of herself related to how she approached each question. The time she spent with Sam was never wasted, and he made her feel like all of her ideas had value and could be a jumping off point for a great essay. Once they narrowed down a few topics, she took the reigns and drafted a couple of copies. After a few revisions, they picked the final version to move forward with. Sam not only helped her find her voice on paper for the Common App essay, but also the tools to pull together the insight questions for her other applications.

Christine, 5 lessons with Sam

He is very knowledgeablele and patient

We are working on the gramer part of the SAT and I am pleased with his knowledge and strategy . My sat score and knowledge has increased a lot within three weeks. We are planning to work on reading part next.

Enana, 11 lessons with Sam

Sam knows how to target needs and get results

Sam was able to pin point exactly what our son needed to bring up his score on the SATs. He saw the areas of weakness and focused on those and our son was able to get top scores which will likely earn him merit scholarships. We are so thankful for Sam's expertise and patience, and we highly recommend him to others.

Christian, 7 lessons with Sam

Amazing Latin tutor

I contacted Sam after my son, who had made As and Bs for most of his freshman year, suddenly found himself unable to understand Latin grammar having relied on brute memory skills until the final quarter. Sam quickly assessed my son's weak spots and concentrated on having my son understand the underlying concepts of Latin grammar rather than just memorization. It made a tremendous difference, and we plan to continue with Sam once a week during the summer since second year Latin is supposedly harder than the first. I know, however, that with Sam's help my son will succeed in this difficult class.

Anne, 31 lessons with Sam

Exceptional program and great tutor

My son was with Sam for less than 10 sessions for critical reading and writing. His score improved from 1330 to 1490 for those two sections. Sam found out exactly where to focus the help and set realistic goals. We really appreciated.

Jimmy, 10 lessons with Sam

Excellent Tutor

My son was at a loss as to how to decide between several ideas for his college essay topic. Sam was very patient and spent time discussing the pros and cons of each idea. He never made my son feel as if an idea was "bad", but really helped him to develop each idea and ultimately make his decision. Once the choice was made, he gave guidance and a plan of action, but did not write the essay for him. Sam was prompt and reliable, very easy to communicate with and very pleasant to work with. As an aside, my son was accepted to his first choice college.

Cathryn, 3 lessons with Sam

Great tutor, very thorough

Sam teaches the content well, and is very good at ensuring that the student understands and remembers the subject matter covered in each lesson.

Lynette, 9 lessons with Sam
Hourly Rate: $150
Response time: 1 hour
Contact Sam