Award-Winning HSPT Tutors
serving Round Lake Beach, IL

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.

I am a retired math teacher, who just has too much time on her hands!!!

I am a graduate of Loyola University Chicago, where I majored in political science. I am currently a law student at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and aspire one day to practice corporate law with a focus on financial compliance.

I am a student at DePaul University currently working toward a Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Journalism. Previously in my academic career, I tutored students at a bilingual elementary school in southwest Detroit. I also worked extensively as a tutor among high school age students during my time as an upperclassman. I specialize in literature, language arts, and writing. Currently, I hold a job as a Peer Writing Tutor at DePaul University's Center for Writing-based Learning. I enjoy tutoring because it allows me to share my passion for learning and ensure that others are optimizing their educational experience. I encourage students to dig deep and form original ideas, rather than taking shortcuts. This way, lessons have a meaningful and lasting impact.

I am a student at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, majoring in French and minoring in English. Upon completing my bachelors degree, I intend to pursue a masters degree in French-English translation. I have a passion for languages and the crucial role they play in our world, and I am endlessly looking for more opportunities to learn. I am inspired to tutor because I value education as one of the greatest opportunities a person can be given, and I love seeing the ideas and ambitions of language students. My favorite subject to tutor is French, as the language is incredibly dear to my heart. The French language has so much history and rich culture, and it is easy to be inspired by its beauty. In my spare hours I enjoy immersing myself in the worlds of literature, exploring the real world around me, and creating art, food, and poetry.

I am a math and science tutor with years of experience and a passion for helping young students realize their potential and achieve their goals.

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

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 committing to helping you student learn how they study best, and become a more independent learner. I look forward to meeting you, and helping you achieve your goals!

I am well aware of that, and as a tutor, I consider it my job to give my students the confidence to apply the knowledge they have gained. That confidence will serve them well not only now but in future endeavors as well.

I am about to begin graduate school as a PhD Student in Condensed Matter Physics. I am currently working at an experimental physics lab at the University of Maryland, College Park.

I have had the opportunity to teach and to tutor thousands of students over my 33 year teaching career. I believe that each student is unique, and that academic skills and weaknesses should be assessed and targeted for the best results. I also hope that it can be a FUN learning experience! I love it when students develop a passion for a subject like Biology, or develop an understanding and/or respect for Algebra, Geometry, etc. Most important to me is that the student ultimately feels successful, and sees improvement. Learning is a lifelong skill, and the desire to become better academically or to pass a class with a particular grade provides the motivation and opportunity to grow! I feel fortunate to be able to assist in those endeavors!

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.

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 tests but have at times assisted students in the math and science portions as well usually one-on-one. I strongly believe that every students has their own style of learning and must learn at their own pace. Although, sometimes giving them too much leeway may not always be the best solution, I am there to also provide encouragement and challenge to make the learning process enjoyable and beneficial. Apart from work, I do enjoy reading, jogging, exploring New York City, and playing the violin during my spare time.

I am a student at Wellesley College pursuing a double major in Chemistry and Computer Science. I have been tutoring both middle schoolers and high schoolers in math for four years now - I specialize in math tutoring and test prep at all levels. I am very goal oriented and I bring this into my sessions - my students and I are constantly setting and readjusting our performance and learning goals. I have worked with both groups and private clients through various different outlets and have experience with both in person and online tutoring - however, through Varsity Tutoring I will only be doing online tutoring sessions. If you have specific questions about my experience or would like to learn more about my tutoring methods please reach out - I would love to chat! interests/hobbies: I am a chemistry and computer science double major with a concentration in math. At Wellesley College, I am a member of the varsity tennis team and I hold positions on eboards for various student organizations such as the engineering society and UNICEF. I have a passion for mathematics and learning which I love to share with my students! I am looking to eventually go to graduate school and then work in drug development or another field of chemistry.

During sophomore year of college, I had the opportunity to help high school students from underprivileged backgrounds study for the SAT. There were about 30 students in each room with just two teachers, and I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I wanted to make a difference in an important time in their lives as they studied the math and English skills needed to do well on the exam and get accepted to the colleges they desired. Every time I saw a score increase on a practice test, I knew I was making a difference, and that gave me deep satisfaction. On the elementary and middle school level, I've helped family friends who were having difficulty in their classes understand concepts through easy-to-learn tools that simplified what may have seemed complicated before. When they do well on an exam, I know I served them well. I look back on the quote I chose in my high school yearbook from Jackie Robinson, the first Major League Baseball player to cross the color barrier: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." I hope I can make a positive impact on the lives of you and your child.

As a student, I know how it can be difficult to study on your own sometimes. You don't really know you what you don't know, so making progress could be hard! I focus on breaking down concepts to foster a deep understanding that allows you to apply it to any possible question. I aim to understand what ways you learn best and guide you to perform well in your studies.

My tutoring approach is one of coaching, mentoring, and helping the student understand exactly what level and detail of help that they need to get ahead. Combining the personal discipline learned during 20 years as a Naval Officer with the unique expertise learned in one-on-one communication with peers and sailors as well as my five children, I can help you or your child succeed. A Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, and a Math Minor help qualify me for tutoring in many subjects. My individualized tutoring methods also raised my step-son's Physics grade from a C to an A in one semester. I specialize in mathematics (basic arithmetic through calculus) but can help in many other subjects. Learning should be fun, but should also, at times, bring "Instant" results. I work to keep positive encouragement in every lesson, tutoring, or test preparation session. I speak fluent Spanish!

I am a recent graduate of the University of Rochester in upstate New York, with degrees in English Literature and French. I have experience tutoring students of all ages, from those who have just finished kindergarten all the way up to college students. I tutor in English (including reading for both younger and older students, essay prep including college essays, and editing), French of all levels, and test prep including SAT, PSAT, and AP tests in English and French. I believe that individualized teaching is most effective, and work to find methods that work best for each individual student. Some of my most rewarding teaching experiences have been young students learning to read, but also love to see a student who goes from struggling to success on their standardized tests. I believe that an education is one of the most influential things a person can possess, and am passionate about helping students succeed academically and helping them overcome frustration they may feel to begin to enjoy their education, too. Beyond academics, I passionately love to read, cook, and do yoga, which takes up much of my free time.