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  • YaleUniversity
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Award-Winning HSPT Tutors

Helen

Certified Tutor

8+ years

Helen

Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering
Helen's other Tutor Subjects
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math
Calculus

I'm especially passionate about math and science and work in a research lab at Oregon Health and Sciences University. I love helping students do well on tests such as the ACT, SAT, SSAT and the HSPT especially. I am attending Johns Hopkins University and majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

Education

Johns Hopkins University

Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering

Denise

Certified Tutor

Denise

Bachelor's
Denise's other Tutor Subjects
SHSAT
MAP
HSPT
High School English

I am a passionate writer with a Bachelor's degree in English (Creative Writing) and Communications (Journalism) from the University of Washington. I have written professionally for nearly twenty years. I'm excited to work with middle school, high school, and adult students. My approach centers on b...

Education

University of Washington

Bachelor's

Certified Tutor

Shana

Masters, Bilingual Elementary Education (1-6)
Shana's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
College Algebra
Middle School Math
Elementary Math

I am looking forward to working with students eager to achieve.

Education

Pace University-New York

Masters, Bilingual Elementary Education (1-6)

Harvard University

Bachelors, Sociology

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Joseph

Master of Arts, Acting
Joseph's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Linear Algebra
Middle School Math
Geometry

I am not teaching, I enjoy going to the movies, spending time with my five younger brothers and sisters, and volunteering within MENSA. I believe that learning can always be made fun and is extremely rewarding when you put in the work. I look forward to sharing my love of all these subjects with you...

Education

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Master of Arts, Acting

University of Dallas

Bachelor in Arts, English

Test Scores
ACT
32

Certified Tutor

10+ years

Elisa

Bachelors
Elisa's other Tutor Subjects
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra
Middle School Math

I am constantly looking for opportunities to learn new things. Additionally, in my spare time I enjoy reading, board games, and rock climbing. I am excited to work as a tutor once again in order to give students a chance to learn one-on-one to get a deeper and more clear understanding of their study...

Education

Duke University

Bachelors

Certified Tutor

Moriah

Bachelor of Arts in Music
Moriah's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
College Algebra
Algebra 3/4
Arithmetic

I am a graduate of Cornell University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Currently, I am working as an Assistant Director at a preparatory school managing and teaching students simultaneously. In the recent years at the school, I have been focusing more on the Reading portions of standardized...

Education

Cornell University

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Test Scores
SAT
1550

Certified Tutor

8+ years

Bridget

Bachelor of Science, Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
Bridget's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
PSAT Writing Skills
SAT Reading and Writing

I am a graduate of Texas Christian University. I received my degree in Secondary Education with a Social Studies Emphasis and Mathematics Minor. I am currently pursuing my Masters of Education through the University of Notre Dame while teaching high school math and social studies. I have experience ...

Education

Texas Christian University

Bachelor of Science, Teacher Education, Multiple Levels

Test Scores
SAT
1460

Certified Tutor

8+ years

Kaitlyn

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
Kaitlyn's other Tutor Subjects
6th Grade Math
6th Grade AP Language Composition
Pre-Algebra
College Algebra

I am a medical student committed to helping your student succeed. I have been a tutor for 5+ years, and have experience teaching Math, Science, Spanish and Test Prep to students of all ages and ability. I believe every child has the potential to learn with positive one on one attention and I am comm...

Education

Fairfield University

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General

Test Scores
SAT
1500
ACT
33

Certified Tutor

Margot

Bachelors
Margot's other Tutor Subjects
Middle School Math
Calculus
Algebra
PSAT Writing Skills

I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, where I attended Menlo School, one of the top private high schools in California. Given my educational background, I am no stranger to the pressures facing today's students--from schoolwork to extracurriculars to college applications and test prep, it...

Education

Dartmouth College

Bachelors

Test Scores
SAT
1470

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Rithi

Masters, Biotechnology
Rithi's other Tutor Subjects
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra

I am now a medical student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Education

Johns Hopkins University

Masters, Biotechnology

Duke University

Bachelors

Test Scores
SAT
1550

Certified Tutor

Justin

Current Grad Student, Philosophy
Justin's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
Quantitative Reasoning
SSAT- Upper Level

I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Currently, I am in the master's program at the University of New Mexico where I am continuing my education in philosophy. Ultimately, I hope to go on to earn a PhD in Philosophy so that I can continue en...

Education

University of Chicago

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Current Grad Student, Philosophy

Test Scores
ACT
34

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Errin

Undergraduate Degree
Errin's other Tutor Subjects
SSAT- Elementary Level
ISEE- Middle Level
Regents
MAP

I have always loved school and have always had a passion for helping others. From a very young age, I especially loved to read, not only for myself but to others. I look forward to working with students and helping them to reach their goals, whatever they may be.

Education

Converse College

Undergraduate Degree

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Yvan

BS
Yvan's other Tutor Subjects
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra

I'm patient, personable, and have an incredible gift for explaining things in a way that makes sense. I majored in Math Education (with a minor in Computer Science), and I have more than eight years of experience teaching math and other STEM subjects.

Education

Brigham Young University-Provo

BS

Certified Tutor

2+ years

Karin

MFA
Karin's other Tutor Subjects
TOEFL
SAT Reading and Writing
ISEE- Upper Level
ISEE- Lower Level

Karin McKie, MFA, compiles curriculum and personalizes teaching for a broad spectrum of students. I know there is no better, nor more crucial, calling than helping learners communicate their voices and realize their educational dreams. I specialize in tutoring all standardized tests, including t...

Education

San Jose State University

MFA

James Madison University

MFA

Certified Tutor

8+ years

Shira

Current Undergrad Student, Biochemistry
Shira's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Calculus
Algebra
Neuroscience

I am a professional life science researcher and graduate of Brandeis University, where I earned both my masters and bachelors in biochemistry. I'm passionate about science, discovery, and teaching, which is why I am pursuing both research and tutoring. I am also an avid reader, writer, and learner.

Education

Brandeis University

Current Undergrad Student, Biochemistry

Test Scores
SAT
1550

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Justin

Calculus Tutor • +38 Subjects

I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Currently, I am in the master's program at the University of New Mexico where I am continuing my education in philosophy. Ultimately, I hope to go on to earn a PhD in Philosophy so that I can continue engaging in my passions for learning and teaching. While in school, I have spent countless hours coaching high school speech and debate both in person and working online with students across the country. My focus in coaching has been to emphasize philosophy and critical thought to prepare students to think through novel arguments on their own. I am passionate about teaching and tutoring because I love seeing students learn to be intellectually independent and think through problems on their own terms by developing their critical thinking skills. I have devoted my life to education because I am passionate about it, and I try to share some of my passion for learning with the students I work with. I tutor all sorts of Standardized Tests, and I particularly enjoy working on logic-based problems like analogies and math sections. When I am not tutoring or reading for school, I enjoy strategy games (both board games and video games), listening to music, hiking, playing basketball, and just relaxing with friends.

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Errin

SSAT- Elementary Level Tutor • +4 Subjects

I have always loved school and have always had a passion for helping others. From a very young age, I especially loved to read, not only for myself but to others. I look forward to working with students and helping them to reach their goals, whatever they may be.

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Yvan

AP Statistics Tutor • +55 Subjects

I'm patient, personable, and have an incredible gift for explaining things in a way that makes sense. I majored in Math Education (with a minor in Computer Science), and I have more than eight years of experience teaching math and other STEM subjects.

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Karin

TOEFL Tutor • +39 Subjects

Karin McKie, MFA, compiles curriculum and personalizes teaching for a broad spectrum of students. I know there is no better, nor more crucial, calling than helping learners communicate their voices and realize their educational dreams. I specialize in tutoring all standardized tests, including the LSAT, SAT, PSAT, ACT, GRE, HSPT, ISEE, Accuplacer, STAAR, TOEFL/IELTS, ASVAB, all AP/IB English and history classes, and more. I also created and published a simple reading annotation system and related strategies specifically to tackle timed tests, as well as teaching critical reading, comparative literature, public speaking, and theater. As a professional writer and editor, I coach students in persuasive writing for schoolwork, college application and supplemental essays, internship and job applications, and the like. For decades, I've taught and lectured at universities, schools, and with individuals in Chicagoland and the Bay Area, and to online students of all ages around the world. I customize study plans with learners and their advocates to utilize existing abilities and add new techniques to reach personal and scholastic goals. I have a BS in Communications and Theater, and an MFA in Creative Writing. I have completed Continuing Education courses at Stanford, Northwestern and DePaul Universities. I'm a professional features writer and culture critic. I've edited Perspective design journal and Reed literary magazine and have performed memoir essays I've written on Chicago Public Radio. I come from a family of teachers and was fortunate to grow up at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, where my anthropologist mom was Education Director. Since early childhood, I've been immersed in multicultural and ELL education. I've devoted my personal and professional time to diversity and storytelling, starting at public TV station WETA in my hometown outside Washington, D.C., where I was certified as a trainer with Sesame Street's Preschool Education Project. I've also taught creativity and teambuilding through improvisation to all ages (as well as creating a kids summer camp), reading for the SAG Foundations BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) program, plus reading and writing skills to at-risk students through the Park District's Kraft Great Kids Program. I've assisted many of my arts marketing clients, including Barrel of Monkeys and Kidworks Touring Theatre, with youth literacy programs at schools and libraries throughout the Windy City.

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Shira

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +55 Subjects

I am a professional life science researcher and graduate of Brandeis University, where I earned both my masters and bachelors in biochemistry. I'm passionate about science, discovery, and teaching, which is why I am pursuing both research and tutoring. I am also an avid reader, writer, and learner.

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Melinda

PSAT Writing Skills Tutor • +23 Subjects

I love to help students to do well on the SAT and ACT Verbal, Reading, and English sections. I have tutored these areas of standardized tests for more than 3 years. My approach is not "standardized" because I enjoy working one-on-one with clients to tailor learning experiences that address each person's unique needs. As a former professor of communication, I also have the skills to help professionals and graduate students with their research and writing. I am currently helping a doctoral student with her dissertation.

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Byron

AP Statistics Tutor • +9 Subjects

I like helping students. I am very patient. I have experience teaching Calculus classes at the University of Miami. I have done private tutoring for all levels of math up to Calculus, as well as Statistics, Business Math, and Math Finance. I have worked in the actuarial field. I have an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in mathematics from the University of Miami. I worked for The Princeton Review as a tutor for the SAT. I did very well on both the SAT and ACT, and like teaching students how to do better on those. I like history, too, and always find it fun to tutor history.

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Ashwin

SSAT- Middle Level Tutor • +7 Subjects

Tutoring is about a lot more than studying, tests, and knowledge. I believe the interpersonal relationship involved with teaching greatly benefits both parties. Learning is fundamental to life- and turning otherwise cumbersome and difficult tasks like passing a hard class into a lightbulb moment is where I find my satisfaction. Turning such a familiar struggle into newfound realization and understanding is what I aim for.

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Stephen

College Algebra Tutor • +5 Subjects

I love math and physics, particularly as it relates to geology. Ask me about rocks in my spare time! Also a casual American history and constitutional/political buff. APUSH Text: Henrietta Calculus Text: Stewart Physics Text: Knight

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Susan

SAT Tutor • +8 Subjects

I am fortunate; I get to do the best job in the world. While teaching is my second career, it was always what I wanted to do. When I graduated from college, I was offered a position with my college's admissions and marketing office, where I had been working to put myself through school. It was a tremendous opportunity, and launched an eighteen-year career helping high school students make important decisions about their futures, and navigate an often complex admissions and financial aid system. I loved working with students, being around bright, engaging people, and doing work that made a difference. But each time I walked through a high school to present a workshop on writing college essays or preparing for college interviews, I was reminded of how deeply I still wanted to be in a classroom. So I took the plunge, and now spend my days teaching social studies to great students at a great school. I have taught world history, American history, sociology, psychology, economics, and even developed a high school course in teaching for students seeking a career in education. I am passionate about understanding how the past has shaped the present, and helping students recognize their critical role in protecting and preserving democracy. In addition to teaching course curricula, I work with students on writing skills, standardized test preparation, and college essays, because all of these skills will help them reach their academic goals. As a teacher, I believe that it is critical to help students develop the ability to regulate their own learning, and implement meta-cognitive strategies that will serve them in college and beyond. When I'm not teaching, I am a mom to a high school sophomore, a long-distance mom to two college students, a gardener who grows lots of organic vegetables, and an avid reader of anything historical. If I can help you in a specific subject area, or with essays, test preparation, or homework support, either face-to-face or on-line, let me know!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Pacing is one of the biggest challenges on the HSPT since you have limited time per question across all five sections. Tutors work with students to develop section-specific strategies—for example, in Verbal Skills, learning to quickly identify synonyms and analogies without overthinking, while in Math, recognizing which problems to tackle first and which to skip strategically. Practice with timed drills helps build automaticity so you're not spending precious seconds on easier questions, and working through full practice tests under real test conditions reveals exactly where you're losing time.

Reading Comprehension trips up many students because the HSPT's passages are dense and time is tight—you need to extract key information quickly without getting lost in details. Quantitative Skills also challenges students who haven't solidified foundational concepts like ratios, percentages, and word problem setup. Verbal Skills, while testing vocabulary and logic, can feel unfamiliar since it emphasizes synonym and analogy patterns that don't always appear in regular schoolwork. A tutor can identify which section is dragging your score and create targeted practice to address the underlying skill gaps.

The HSPT's Verbal Skills section uses synonym and analogy questions in a format you might not see in regular classes, requiring you to think about word relationships rather than just definitions. Reading Comprehension questions ask for main ideas, inferences, and detail recall under time pressure—different from classroom reading where you can reread. Quantitative questions mix basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry in ways that test problem-solving speed, not just computation. Tutors break down each format, show you the patterns and tricks to recognize, and have you practice until these question types feel natural rather than surprising.

Score improvement depends on your starting point and how consistently you practice. Students who work with a tutor for 4-8 weeks with regular practice typically see 50-100 point gains, though this varies based on your baseline and the areas you're targeting. The biggest improvements come when you identify specific weak sections—say, Reading Comprehension or Quantitative Skills—and focus there rather than trying to improve everything at once. Consistent practice with timed drills and full-length tests, combined with targeted instruction on question formats and strategy, creates the conditions for meaningful gains.

Test anxiety often stems from unfamiliarity with question formats or uncertainty about timing strategy—both things tutoring directly addresses. When you've practiced the exact types of questions you'll see, worked through pacing strategies under timed conditions, and built confidence in your ability to recognize patterns, anxiety naturally decreases. Tutors also help you develop a realistic sense of which questions to prioritize, when to move on, and how to manage your mental energy across all five sections, so you feel in control rather than overwhelmed on test day.

Practice tests are essential because they reveal your actual pacing, timing, and weak areas under conditions that mirror the real exam. Rather than taking a practice test once and moving on, use them diagnostically: take one untimed to identify content gaps, then take several under timed conditions to work on speed and strategy. Between practice tests, focus on drilling the specific sections where you stumbled—for instance, if Reading Comprehension dragged you down, do targeted passages and timing work. Your tutor can review your practice test results to pinpoint patterns, like whether you're running out of time or making careless errors, and adjust your study plan accordingly.

A strong HSPT tutor understands the test's unique structure—the five sections, their different question formats, and the specific timing constraints—and can teach you strategies tailored to each. They should be able to diagnose exactly where you're losing points, whether it's vocabulary knowledge in Verbal Skills, conceptual gaps in Quantitative, or reading speed in Comprehension. Beyond content, they should be skilled at teaching you to recognize question patterns, manage time strategically, and build the confidence that comes from practicing under realistic test conditions. Look for someone who uses actual HSPT materials, tracks your progress across sections, and adjusts the approach based on what's actually holding back your score.

Most students benefit from 4-8 weeks of focused HSPT prep, though this depends on your starting point and target score. A typical weekly schedule might include 2-3 tutoring sessions focused on strategy and weak areas, plus 3-4 hours of independent practice with drills and timed sections between sessions. Starting with diagnostic practice to identify weak areas, moving into targeted skill-building, and finishing with full-length timed practice tests creates a logical progression. Your tutor can customize the timeline and intensity—if you're starting further behind or aiming for a very competitive score, you might need more time; if you're already strong in most areas, you might focus heavily on one or two sections.

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