My name is Varun, and I'm a Biochemistry and Neuroscience graduate from UMass Amherst! I love tutoring and helping spread my love for all subjects, especially science!
Read more
...successful and meaningful life. My passion for learning has opened countless doors for me in my life, and I hope to create those same opportunities for other students through diligent, compassionate instruction. I have been a tutor since I was in the eighth grade and have helped my younger siblings and cousins with homework ever since I was a child. I come from a single-parent home, but was a very driven student who graduated as...
Read more
...in mathematics and the English language, but I also quite enjoy helping students cultivate their test taking skills. Every standardized test boils down to a game of strategy, which everyone can practice and win. I am a firm believer in the importance of cultivating joy and passion in each and every learning experience. I understand that everyone learns differently and every concept can be understood in a variety of ways. I strive to figure out...
Read more
...When I had children of my own I realized how precious their development as thinkers would be. So, I began to teach them to read and math starting at a young age. As they grew up, I went back to school to learn how to be a certified teacher...and loved it!!! I keep learning because I find it so interesting to understand the world around me. I have retired from the traditional schoolhouse and find...
Read more
...to an ever willing student for the sole aim of success. I obtained my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering some years back and recently completed my masters degree in the same field. I have worked with students between grade 4 to college standing in the past. I'm proficient in math, physics, and science generally. I love tutoring math, it gives me a sense of purpose to explain defining concepts. I expose students to different problems...
Read more
Hello :) I am a recent graduate from Macaulay Honors program at Baruch College. Since graduation, I have worked as a financial associate in a global bank. I have tutored students since 11th grade in a variety of English and math subjects, including standardized prep. I love helping students improve their knowledge, and am sure I can be of help to you, especially in grammar! ... As a tutor specializing in standardized exam preparation, I start...
Read more
...all aspects of the subject With any of these Writing/English subjects, I like to ask the student lots of questions about his or her work. I want to know the ideas that are driving their argument or thesis, whether or not they are answering the assigned question or problem, and how they are attempting to achieve a coherent, engaging piece. If the student has trouble answering questions about their piece, we work through the trouble...
Read more
I believe that learning is fun, and I enjoy learning new things. I want to find out what my students enjoy, and make school subjects and test preparation fun for them, too.... Making learning fun for students is the most important thing I do.... I would definitely see what their strengths and weaknesses are to focus on in future sessions, and give some tips and strategies to start working on to improve test-taking skills right away.
Read more
...Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. I have privately coached students online and created over 40 hours worth of educational and entertaining videos. I teach a variety of subjects at a high school level and lower, but I am most comfortable with math and sciences. My favorite subject is Statistics, as it has several practical uses that I apply in my life nearly every day. I start by getting to know a student and...
Read more
...a lifelong teacher. I hold a New York State teaching certification in art and live on Long Island, in New York, where I have tutored professionally since 1985. Over these many years, I have worked with students from 5 years through 80 years of age, and at all levels of academic achievement, including students who were home schooled and those with IEPs. I have tutored the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT exams for students who were...
Read more
...a MS in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts, and I am currently doing cancer research at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. As a student I was never been able to decide on a favorite subject because I felt anything I studied in school could be fun and much easier if approached with the right attitude. Instead of boring memorization, I like to look for patterns and think of creative approaches to study subjects that...
Read more
I have been tutoring for over 12 years. I have worked with many different students in many different subjects. I've worked as a classroom teacher and instructional content creator, as well. My favorite part of tutoring is knowing that I am making a real difference for my students. I am looking forward to helping more students achieve their academic goals!
Read more
...who has had decades of success motivating and preparing people for a range of tests and tasks. I also walk/jog 50-plus miles a week, do yoga, and exercise my critical thinking skills regularly. My students since 1979 have ranged from middle school urban and rural to university level juniors and seniors. While I spent almost ten years teaching higher ed. English Composition, Literature, and Research, the majority of my teaching time was in college preparatory...
Read more
...of Central Florida, with a minor in Creative Writing and certificate in German language. I was very involved in my high school's honor societies and band program, and through these have taught many students, be it in music or academics. I have also worked as a Graphic Designer, both for volunteer work as well as paid gigs, and have proficiency in Photoshop and Illustrator. Likewise, I have studied writing since high school and was the...
Read more
...capacity to improve in any area, and as a tutor my sole objective is to help my tutee to do so. I like to think of tutors as catalysts, guiding students through the learning process while allowing enough room for them to develop their own skill set and walk away from a tutoring session as a more confident independent learner. Working as a writing tutor, I developed the active listening skills and aptitude for constructive...
Read more
...College of Georgia this fall, where I will pursue my MD. I have over a decade of tutoring and teaching experience. I have worked for public schools and universities, including "alternative" schools, and private tutoring companies, like Varsity. As a result, I have worked with students from a wide variety of backgrounds, including children as young as four, high-school and college students, adult learners, ESL students, and students with learning differences, like dyslexia, ADHD, and...
Read more
...study chemistry, and I'll be attending Columbia Medical School next year. I have years of experience tutoring college students in math (mostly calculus) and chemistry including both general and organic chemistry. In addition, I am very familiar with all sections of the SAT and ACT having prepared several high school students for these tests. I believe that every student is capable of boosting his or her baseline score on these tests, so long as he...
Read more
...double majored in Economics and History and minored in Spanish. Since graduating over four years ago, I have held two very different jobs! Directly after graduating, I served as a Youth Developement Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru. For two years I lived with a host family in the Andes Mountains and developed sustainable programs in preventative healthcare and education! After Peace Corps I helped launch a technology startup in New York City that partnered with...
Read more
...and Business Management as an undergraduate and worked on Wall Street before discovering a love of teaching. I call upon both my humanities and math sides in tutoring for all sections of the SAT and ACT. My SAT and ACT students have been admitted to colleges including Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Hamilton. I also have abundant experience working with younger students for private school entrance exams and my ISEE, HSPT and SSAT students have been...
Read more
...degree in English and Education. For the last few years, I have taught both Special Education and English in a high school setting. I have worked with students of various economic levels to prepare them for college and entrance exams. Working with my students individual needs, they have made excellent strides in critical thinking skills and practical writing pieces. I view education as the great equalizer, giving people from various backgrounds opportunities to grow and...
Read more
Our interview process, stringent qualifications, and background screening ensure that only the best ISEE- Upper Level tutors work with Varsity Tutors. To assure a successful experience, you're paired with one of these qualified tutors by an expert director - and we stand behind that match with our money-back guarantee.
Receive personally tailored ISEE- Upper Level lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.
ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring FAQ
The Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE, is leveraged by independent and private schools for admissions and placement. It is offered for three different levels: Upper, Middle, and Lower. Each test includes questions in multiple-choice format, as well as an essay question. The amount of time given, the difficulty of the questions, and the number of questions is dependent upon the level taken. Varsity Tutors can help you find a skilled tutor who can help your child study for the ISEE Upper Level exam.
The Upper Level is for students who are entering grades 9-12. The test consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the essay. Your student will have 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the entire exam.
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of sentence completion and synonym items. They assess your child's vocabulary knowledge, and his or her ability to reason. Children have 20 minutes to complete the 40 questions on this portion of the exam. Your child's ISEE Upper level tutor may work with your child to increase his or her vocabulary by utilizing flashcards with grade-level appropriate words, or they may use other techniques based on your child's current level of mastery.
The Quantitative Reasoning section of the exam uses multiple-choice questions to determine your child's ability to problem-solve and to think mathematically. It does not assess specific math skills. Your child will have 35 minutes to complete 37 items. The ability to think critically is a key factor in answering these questions correctly. Your child's tutor may work with your student on identifying what the question is asking, as well as time management techniques.
Both the Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement portions of the exam are designed to measure your child's ability to answer grade-level questions in math and reading. Your child will be given 35 minutes to answer the 36 questions in the Reading Comprehension section, and 40 minutes to answer the 47 questions in the Mathematics Achievement section. These sections are skill-based, and your child's tutor will spend time determining which skills your student needs to focus on in order to pursue the highest score possible.
The final section of the exam is a single essay question, which is not graded by the ISEE. Instead, it is sent to the school or schools identified on the registration form. While it will not be part of the ISEE grade, it is an important factor in admissions for many schools and should be given the same care and attention as the other sections. Your child's tutor may work with him or her on creating a clear and concise outline to answer writing prompts in preparation for this portion of the exam.
It is important to note that the ISEE only looks for the number of correct answers and does not impose a penalty for those items that are answered incorrectly. Because of this, your child's tutor may also work on making educated guesses, as there is no benefit to leaving a question blank.
The Varsity Tutors live learning platform allows you to schedule your child's private ISEE Upper Level tutoring session at a time and location that is most convenient for your schedule. Private tutoring sessions can be scheduled in a virtual setting or in person. To connect with a tutor who is eager to work with your child, contact Varsity Tutors today.
4.9/5.0 Satisfaction Rating*
Your Personalized Tutoring Program and Instructor
Identify Needs
Our knowledgeable directors help you choose your tutor with your learning profile and personality in mind.
Customize Learning
Your tutor can customize your lessons and present concepts in engaging easy-to-understand-ways.
Increased Results
You can learn more efficiently and effectively because the teaching style is tailored to you.
Online Convenience
With the flexibility of online tutoring, your tutor can be arranged to meet at a time that suits you.
Recent ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring Session Notes
I first went over some practice tests the student did in the prep book. He did rather well on them. We then worked on an essay the student had started previously, so he finished writing it. After that, we worked on some more complicated square root problems, and finally finished with some synonyms practice.
We started to look the math section and began with geometry. We went through questions on squares, rectangles, parallelograms, rhombi, other quadrilaterals, kites, and hexagons. I had the student find the measure of angles, length of sides, area, perimeter, and diagonals. Some of the questions included other material such as finding the mean or a percentage. She needs to break the problems down into smaller parts and diagrams are very helpful. She is used to working with the metric system but the ISEE includes questions in both English and metric; she's going to need to learn how to convert between the two systems and within the English system. She also needs to make sure to read questions carefully so that she answers the question being asked. We will work together to make her proficient in all these areas.
We made some great progress with math. We're going through each concept covered on the test and reviewing things he forgot. We also did an overview of reading comp strategy and how to look at the questions given. Great work!
It was great meeting this student today! She's a very bright, very friendly student, and I appreciate the amount of hard work that she puts into our sessions. We began by reviewing the way that the ISEE is structured and basic math vocabulary. When it was clear that she could jump into more advanced topics, we immediately started working on percentages and word problems associated with algebra and percentages. She did a great job with translating those word problems into equations.
The student finished the lessons for all sections on the ISEE today. She feels confident about her progress thus far and is using the notes we took as a guide.
