Harvard PhD Candidate with Passion for Learning (Stats, R, Government)

Dominic V.

Learning is my passion. However, I wasn't born with that passion - it took time and effort to discover and refine strategies that work for me. As a lifelong student, I know how difficult it is to learn, how frustrating it can be, and how wondrous it is once something clicks. My goal as a tutor is to help students along this journey, whether it be with statistics, programming, writing, taking standardized tests, applying to schools, or beyond. I believe the best way to learn is to figure out how to enjoy it - people perform better at the things they enjoy, after all. But positivity alone is not enough: practice, practice, practice makes perfect. I strive to make practice more enjoyable so that students are motivated to learn at all times, not only during the small fraction of time they are with me.

I am currently finishing my PhD - expected 2025 - in Government at Harvard University after having received my master's in Political Science, also from Harvard. When applying to PhD programs, I was accepted to all 11 schools to which I applied, including Stanford, Princeton, MIT, UCLA, Berkeley, and Columbia. I received my bachelor's from the University of Michigan in statistics and political science, where I graduated with Highest Honors and was awarded the prize for best thesis in political science.

I have three years of experience teaching at Harvard, including data science, statistics, political science, behavioral economics, and psychology at the undergraduate, master's, and PhD levels. Teaching at Harvard has been the most rewarding part of my PhD experience - I still keep in contact with many students and love to see folks utilize and expand upon the things we learned. Before and during my time at Harvard, I also have experience with one-on-one tutoring at the high school level and above in subjects ranging from math, science, English, social studies, and history.