I'm passionate and interested about the subjects I teach and tutor, and I believe strongly in showing my students how interesting those subjects can be and how enjoyable it is to learn. I've been tutoring my friends, peers, and neighbors since I was in high school all the way until I graduated from ASU this year with a bachelor in Conservation Biology. I'm most comfortable teaching biology, chemistry, physics, math, and history, and I believe that the purpose of a tutor is not to do the student's homework, but to teach them to do it themselves.

I am a senior at Arizona State University studying Political Science, with a focus on international relations. I am also a participant in the federally-sponsored Chinese Language Flagship program that supports students in attaining full business proficiency in Mandarin. I have previously studied abroad in Shanghai, China, during which I worked as a volunteer English teacher for elementary school children. While I currently tutor a broad range of subjects, I am most passionate about teaching Mandarin, political science, government, and world history. As a second-language learner myself, I understand the struggles one may encounter when trying to memorize vocabulary or understand new grammar structures. It brings me much joy to share my strategies for overcoming these struggles with students & watch as their grasp on the language improves! In regards to the other subjects, understanding politics & history is essential to helping students make better sense of the world they live in. I will help students better comprehend the historical context for certain modern developments, different political frameworks, and important terminology used in the field.

Engineering coursework at Washington and Lee gave Alex daily practice with the exact math the SAT tests at its hardest level: systems of equations, quadratic modeling, and interpreting complex data tables. He scored a 1590 composite and now teaches students to distinguish between problems that reward algebraic manipulation and those better solved by plugging in values or back-solving. That strategic flexibility is often what separates a 700 from a 780.

Engineering coursework means Alex solves math problems all day, but SAT Math has its own quirks — questions that look harder than they are and answer choices designed to punish rushing. He teaches students to identify those traps, especially on passport-to-advanced-math questions involving quadratics and exponential relationships. His 1560 SAT score backs up the approach.

I am a graduate student at Arizona State University studying Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology, and am passionate about the value of education at all levels. Previously I worked at the US Department of Energy on energy technology in Washington, DC. I have enjoyed setting up roots in Phoenix over the past few years, and am excited about sharing my knowledge and passion for learning with others in the area.I have a knack for explaining complicated ideas to people in simple terms, enjoy deepening people's understandings of issues, and value education highly. All of these characteristics make me an ideal tutor for Varsity Tutors, and I look forward to the opportunity to share my academic experiences and skills with tutees. In addition, I can give an expert's perspective on a wide range of topics including political science, public policy, various topics in science and technology, as well as an academic success-oriented mindset.

Jake's 1580 SAT composite came partly from treating the math section like a language — learning the College Board's specific way of phrasing linear relationship questions, disguising percent problems, and burying geometry inside data tables. He now teaches students to decode that language, so the math itself becomes the easy part. Rated 4.9 by students.

Heart-of-Algebra and Passport-to-Advanced-Math questions make up the bulk of SAT Math scoring, and Amanda treats them as two distinct skill sets that need different preparation strategies. She earned a 1550 composite on the SAT and now teaches students to translate word problems into equations quickly and to recognize which calculator-permitted questions are actually faster by hand.

Lindsay scored 1480 on the SAT and brings a math-heavy academic background — a biology degree plus a mathematics minor — to breaking down the SAT Math section. She zeroes in on the areas where students lose the most points, like translating word problems into equations and navigating the no-calculator section's emphasis on algebraic fluency.

I'm Liz! I'm so excited to help my students reach their academic goals. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Government and Performance and Communication Arts, and a Master's Degree in Chinese Politics. With a long academic career and lots of experience with standardized tests, I'm ready help prepare my students for their next steps and help them succeed and build confidence where they are now. I can't wait to meet you!

Scoring a 1570 on the SAT himself, Yurok knows exactly where the College Board hides difficulty — the multi-step word problems in the calculator section, the tricky quadratic and systems questions in the no-calculator portion. As a physics and math double major at Emory, he doesn't just teach shortcuts; he makes sure students understand the underlying algebra and data analysis so they can handle any variation the test throws at them.

Scoring 1550 on the SAT herself, Emily knows the specific traps the math section sets — misread graphs, unnecessary information in word problems, and algebra shortcuts that save critical minutes. As a math major at Smith College, she teaches the underlying reasoning behind each problem type so students can adapt when questions look unfamiliar.