Most PSAT Critical Reading mistakes come from the same place: students pick the answer that sounds right instead of the one supported by the text. John teaches a line-reference method that turns every question into a scavenger hunt for evidence, which removes the guesswork from both literature and social-science passages. His dual background in English and drama gives him a sharp eye for tone, argument structure, and the rhetorical moves the test loves to ask about.

I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.

Critical reading on the PSAT comes down to one skill most students underestimate: identifying what the author is actually arguing versus what the passage merely mentions. Elliot's training in cognitive science — where parsing dense academic writing is a daily requirement — makes him particularly effective at teaching students to track an author's reasoning across long passages. His 5.0 rating and 1540 SAT score back up that expertise.

I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.

Medical school admissions required Anna to digest vast amounts of dense, argument-driven prose under pressure — a skill that maps directly onto the PSAT Critical Reading section's evidence-based questions. She teaches students to identify exactly where a passage's reasoning shifts, which is the moment the College Board tends to plant its most convincing wrong answers. Her 1590 SAT and 5.0 rating confirm she can execute that precision when the clock is running.

I am currently a resident physician at Northwestern Hospital.

The PSAT Critical Reading section rewards a very specific skill: finding the one answer choice fully supported by the passage, even when two or three look plausible. Alex teaches students to identify the textual evidence that eliminates distractors, a technique he refined through his own 1590 SAT performance and years of coaching students through tricky inference and vocabulary-in-context questions.

I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.

I am a second year law student at the University of Chicago who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area! I tutor the SAT, ESL, and Spanish. I was an AVID tutor in high school, and after college I taught an ESL class and tutored a high school student in Spanish. In law school, I am involved with the Lawyers in the Classroom program. My tutoring philosophy is based on listening to students work through problems and helping them to spot their confusions or incorrect assumptions. I believe students learn much better when they aren't simply told the right answer or right reasoning; they need to get there on their own.

The PSAT Critical Reading section rewards students who can distinguish an author's central claim from supporting details under tight time pressure. Nishad, who earned a 1580 SAT composite, breaks down passage types — science, social science, literature, historical documents — and teaches a different attack strategy for each. That structural awareness is what separates National Merit contenders from students who plateau in practice.

I am available to tutor a range of middle school and high school subjects, but I am most excited about tutoring test prep. I remember how stressful preparing for college can be and I am eager to do my part in helping students fulfill their college goals. I believe that learning is a collaborative process and I am committed to being as actively involved in the student's learning as I can. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, going to the movies (I try to see each Oscar nominee before the ceremony every year.), and am a huge Michigan sports fan.

I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, with a bachelor's degree in psychology and linguistics. Currently, I am pursuing a master's degree in speech-language pathology at Teachers College, Columbia University. In the past, I have worked as a teacher's aide in a public school classroom, a mentor to middle school girls, an instructor and tutor at the literacy education organization 826, and a summer camp counselor. I tutor a diverse range of subjects, and I find that I especially enjoy tutoring language arts, reading, and writing at all levels, from elementary school all the way up to college/grad school test prep. As a tutor, I am committed to helping students reach their full potential as learners. Throughout my years as an educator, I have seen firsthand the remarkable academic growth that can occur when tutors provide students with the individualized support that they need. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, journaling, and learning about other languages and cultures.