Award-Winning ISEE Tutors
serving San Jose, CA
ISEE
Tutors in San Jose
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

I'm on your wavelength. In college I was a classroom volunteer tutor for the Preuss Charter School in San Diego, and I've been working for nearly two years now as a professional tutor, and have thorough experience with a range of subjects and standardized test formats. I also write pop culture articles on the side, and aspire to be a college professor of literature; consequently, I most enjoy teaching English and composition, and pride myself on being able to break down essay-writing to its most fundamental, obvious-as-peanuts basics. When I am not saving children from the abyss of school-related anxiety, I indulge in film photography, kung fu movies, and guitar.

I am a recent graduate of the University of Virginia living in Los Angeles. While at UVA, I earned a 3.95 GPA and graduated my major program with Highest Distinction. I have eight years of tutoring experience (including starting my own tutoring program) and have worked with students of all ages. I'm looking forward to helping people with their studies in any way I can.
I am currently an undergraduate student at UC Santa Barbara working on my Bachelor's of Science degree in General Biological Sciences. After graduation I plan to expand my health care education and pursue a career as a health care professional, either as a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. I am passionate about teaching because it has been my previous teachers who have inspired my inquisitiveness about the world around me and my excitement to learn. I now strive to pass on my knowledge to new students because I believe that education is important for a healthy, happy, and self-dependent life. As a result of my experience mentoring young children as a summer camp counselor and advising incoming freshmen at my university as an orientation advisor, I have developed a personal approach to helping others, specifically on a one-on-one basis. I teach students by working together, encouraging practice, requiring them to demonstrate what they've learned, and verbalizing positivity towards their success. I am a tutor for HSPT, ISEE, SSAT, SAT Writing, SAT Mathematics, and Algebra 1 and below. My favorite subject to tutor is math because it is a subject where you can, without ambiguity, prove that something is exact and correct. In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer, zumba, baking, card games, and playing with pets.
I am a graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American History. I recently received my Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and began my career as an attorney. I am passionate about continuing my work in education through tutoring. I enjoy tutoring many subjects, particularly History, SAT Reading and Writing, College Essays, and Spanish. I love assisting students in implementing simple but effective changes in their preparation for Standardized Tests that show immediate results. I find this motivates students to continue through struggles in their educational pursuits. When I am not working, I enjoy yoga, running, cooking, traveling and playing the cello.
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!
I am a senior physics major at Yale, and I have been tutoring non-stop since high school. I have three years of formal, test-prep tutoring experience with top companies in the New York City area. I absolutely love to help people out -- the most important thing I can do as a tutor is to find a new way of explaining something that just makes it click for you!
I am originally from New York City and am a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Political Science, Economics, and Psychology. Having gone through high school and the whole college process within recent memory, I am at the unique intersection of having a very current understanding of the challenges, and of having gained experience and perspective from college. I started tutoring as soon as I had real knowledge to share, which for me was in the eighth grade. In the way a six-year-old might feel an unwavering sense of duty and pride from being charged with returning scissors to the desk, I felt the true significance of the job I had been given. Tutoring has never lost this importance for me and I continue to approach each student with the same level of preparation and commitment as I did all those years ago. As both a nationally-ranked swimmer and a student I learned meticulous organization and time management. I have seen success in my own pursuits and in those of the students I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. I am invested, reliable, and capable. I look forward to meeting you!
I am a very patient tutor who tries to understand exactly where the student is struggling and how they can improve. Outside of the classroom, you can often find me baking or drawing!
I am a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with an undergraduate degree in Spanish, and I am currently a visual artist pursuing further studies in digital and web design.
I am no stranger to people getting tutors in order to succeed. An ambition to accomplish any academic goal was encouraged all my life; thus, I am accustomed to studying hard on top of participating in countless extra-curricular activities. I graduated highs school and received a diploma from the extremely rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and began attending an Ivy League college, the University of Pennsylvania, in 2016. With all this said, I am confident that I will be able to teach clients effective ways to solve any problems they have.
I am a graduate of McGill University (BA First Class Honors) and the University of Edinburgh (MSc First Class Honors with Distinction) with over eight years of tutoring experience. I am currently a curriculum developer for a company which creates relatable and culturally-literate courses for middle and high-schools, and am particularly adept at communicating and explaining concepts in a quirky, engaging, and intelligent manner. I was named Scotland International Young Thinker of the Year 2014 for exactly that sort of work. Much of my tutoring background is in test-prep and essay coaching, which I enjoy because it allows the tutor and student to think strategically together, and work as a team to achieve concrete results. I have worked with students ranging in age from 6-32, and believe that, in an educational context, a few jokes never hurt anybody. I love reading and learning, and my educational approach is centered around making the material just as engaging to students as it is to me. I think J.K. Rowlings, the writer of Harry Potter, is just as brilliant as Stephen Hawking, and in my free time, I manage my (terrible) fantasy baseball team, write songs for my comedy band, and crack jokes about terrible science-fiction movies with my friends.
I am an undergraduate student studying Economics and Public Policy at the University of Chicago. I attended the Horace Mann School in New York City. I love teaching and working with students because I feel that there is nothing more rewarding than being able to provide the extra push that students might need to be successful. I am passionate about helping students learn and making sure they are having fun doing so. I'm also happy to talk about anything a student might want to talk about, academically, extracurricularly, or otherwise.
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's easy to feel overwhelmed. That's why one of my main goals as a tutor is to ease the stress in students' lives. I'm here to help your workload feel manageable (and hopefully fun!) and to encourage you to do your best work. I take this attitude and my teaching style and adapt it to the needs of each individual student. We'll work together to figure out how YOU learn best, what approaches work well for you, and ultimately, how we can achieve your goals. Whether you're a struggling student who needs a patient and a new way of explaining concepts, or a star student who wants a tutor who will challenge you at new levels, I can help you get there. I am passionate about making every student feel confident and prepared, no matter the academic situation.
I'm an international Affairs major at Princeton University minoring in Creative Writing and Chinese. I graduated from The Brearley School in New York City in 2011. At Princeton, I work in the writing center tutoring fellow students in critical thinking, analysis, and academic writing. I also have a good deal of experience helping elementary and junior high students with math, reading, and French. Still, writing remains my favorite subject to tutor, largely because of the discussions that accompany it. Outside of the classroom, I'm a varsity cross-country and track runner; an enthusiastic fan of the New Yorker fiction podcast; and am fascinated by military history and policy.
I'm a recent graduate of Northwestern University, a native New Yorker, and a recent addition to Varsity Tutors. I grew up in Westchester County, where I volunteered as an assistant creative writing teacher in high school. After high school, I moved to Evanston, Illinois for school. I studied a wide variety of subjects in college: from Medieval Literature to Buddhist Psychology. I moved back to New York after graduating to pursue a career in the arts. I currently work as a reader for the literary director of an Off-Broadway theatre company.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is a standardized test used for admission to independent and private schools. Students in San Jose typically take the ISEE in grades 4-11 when applying to selective private institutions in the Bay Area and beyond. The exam assesses verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, and math achievement—skills that go beyond typical classroom curriculum.
The ISEE tests advanced reasoning skills and problem-solving strategies that differ significantly from standard classroom instruction. Many students struggle with the verbal reasoning section, which requires sophisticated vocabulary and inference skills, as well as the quantitative reasoning section, which emphasizes logic puzzles over straightforward math computation. Time management is another common challenge—students must work quickly and accurately across multiple sections without a calculator on certain portions.
Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to identify your specific weak areas—whether that's vocabulary retention, geometry concepts, or test-taking strategy—and focus exclusively on those gaps. In a classroom setting, teachers must move at the pace of the group, but personalized tutoring adapts to your learning speed and style, allowing you to master challenging concepts before moving forward. This targeted approach typically results in faster, more significant score improvement than general test prep courses.
Most students benefit from 2-4 months of consistent preparation, though this varies based on starting point and target score. Students beginning with strong fundamentals might need 8-12 weeks, while those addressing significant gaps in math or reading may benefit from longer preparation. Working with a tutor allows you to compress this timeline by focusing on high-impact areas rather than reviewing material you've already mastered.
The ISEE has four levels: Primary (grades 2-3), Lower (grades 4-5), Middle (grades 6-7), and Upper (grades 8-11). Your student takes the level corresponding to the grade they'll enter at their target school. Each level has age-appropriate content and difficulty—for example, the Middle Level emphasizes pre-algebra and intermediate reading comprehension, while the Upper Level includes algebra, geometry, and advanced verbal reasoning.
Your first session typically includes a diagnostic assessment to identify your current strengths and areas for improvement across all four ISEE sections. The tutor will review your target school's typical score ranges, discuss your goals, and create a personalized study plan that prioritizes the concepts and skills that will have the biggest impact on your score. This foundation ensures every subsequent session is focused and efficient.
Score improvement depends on your starting point and effort, but students working with personalized tutors typically see meaningful gains within 8-12 weeks of consistent preparation. Many students improve by 5-15 percentile points or more by mastering test-specific strategies and filling conceptual gaps. The key is identifying which sections offer the most opportunity for improvement and targeting those areas strategically.
Expert ISEE tutors should have deep knowledge of the exam's format, question types, and scoring, plus strong teaching skills in verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, and mathematics. Look for tutors with a track record of helping students improve their scores and experience working with your student's grade level. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who understand both the ISEE's unique demands and how to teach the reasoning skills it requires.
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