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Jean
Certified ISEE Tutor
Jean
BA Harvard College • Doctor of Medicine, Medicine Harvard Medical School
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a fourth year student at Harvard Medical School, and will start working as a pediatrician in July of 2016. However, if I had not decided to become a physician, I would have strongly considered becoming a teacher. Teaching is one of the most enjoyable activities I do, and I have taught in some capacity every year for the past ten years. I have taught subjects ranging from English to algebra, from physics to dance, and have taught students ranging in age from toddlers to adults. I have also provided advice on application essays, resumes, and interview strategies for Harvard College students applying to highly competitive scholarships. Each of these experiences has taught me how to communicate concepts in clear and engaging ways. For instance, while tutoring adolescents enrolled in the Boston-based Artists for Humanity program, I would often teach students whom I had never worked with before, and thus became adept at quickly discovering and implementing the strategies that worked best for a particular student (e.g., visual/tactile examples, analogies, and breaking down complex problems into smaller parts). While tutoring a janitorial staff member in preparation for the mathematics portion of her GED high school equivalency exam, I learned how to quickly identify the highest yield topics for a standardized exam and focus our efforts on those. Each of these experiences has been incredibly rewarding, and has inspired me to teach in some capacity throughout my career as a doctor.

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Max
Certified ISEE Tutor
Max
MS Simmons College • BA Cornell University
10+ Years Tutoring

I'm a scholar of history, and educating the youth is my deep and abiding passion. I work as a high school teacher in Boston and I have extensive experience teaching social studies and English language arts, as well as prepping my students for college admissions exams. I look forward to working with you to achieve your potential and find the success you've been looking for in your academic pursuits!

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Roel
BA California Institute of Technology
5+ Years Tutoring

I am also a fan of Super Smash Bros. Melee if you're into that.

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John
PhD Albany Medical College • BA Vassar College
10+ Years Tutoring

I am a graduate of Vassar College. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in English. After graduating, I worked at Weill Cornell Medical College and took graduate medical coursework at New York Medical College. I will be matriculating into medical school this fall.

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Nnang
BS Columbia University in the City of New York
10+ Years Tutoring

Having navigated the transition from South African secondary school to rigorous American honors and AP coursework in a single year, Nnang understands what it feels like to face an unfamiliar testing format with high stakes — exactly the situation most ISEE candidates are in. He applies that experience to the quantitative sections, where his strength in pre-algebra, geometry, and algebraic reasoning lets him break down comparison questions and word problems into steps that younger students can internalize quickly. His broader standardized test prep background also means he knows how to teach pacing and elimination strategies that keep students moving through timed sections.

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Katharine
BA Bowdoin College
1+ Years Tutoring

I am an avid skier and outdoorswoman, and a passionate fan of Boston sports. As a tutor, I offer a broad range of scientific subjects, including Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and I am particularly passionate about Biochemistry and Microbiology. I also offer and enjoy test prep, including the SAT and independent school entrance exams such as the ISEE and SSAT. As an educator, I am passionate about helping every student, because I believe that everyone has the potential to succeed in Science and excel on standardized tests. I love the subjects I tutor and I strive to help my students appreciate the value of knowledge so they understand not only the material, but why it is relevant and important in their lives.

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Maxwell
BA Knox College
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a Sophomore at Knox College seeking a double major in Philosophy and Creative Writing. My favorite subjects to tutor are English, Writing, and Psychology. I also enjoy helping students prepare for the ACT and the SAT. I invest fully in each student. This means attentive listening, personalized study plans, and genuine care. Outside of tutoring, I enjoy writing poetry, running, and playing chess.

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Margaret
BA Princeton University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am applying to medical school and I'm enrolled at the BU Medical school getting my Master's in Medical Science. As a recent graduate of Princeton University, I have realized the importance of the learning process. Often times the difficulty of the material comes from the unfamiliarity of the approach to it, rather than the inherent difficulty of the material. As a tutor, I hope to help my students realize that they can master the material when they learn the best learning strategies to approaching their various assignments.

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Nicole
BA Mcgill University
13+ Years Tutoring

I am a graduate of McGill University and have a double major in Chemistry and English Literature. In the two years post college, I taught in two different school districts through AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps. Last year,I taught K-5 grade in small group settings and managed a homework club. This year, I advise high school students on the college admissions process. I enjoy working with students and helping them achieve their personal best! I look forward to tutoring students this year and assisting them in their studies.

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Alex
MS Harvard University • BA Bowdoin College
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a recent graduate of Bowdoin College with a BA in Biology, English, and Theater. I have been tutoring pretty steadily in one form or another since middle school and am quite comfortable tackling diverse subjects in both the arts and sciences. As a native Spanish speaker, reader, and writer I have years of experience tutoring students at all proficiency levels in the language. My bilingual background has also given me the opportunity to work with native Spanish speakers in other academic subjects. I bring a compassionate and collaborative approach to teaching. I strongly believe that a tutor must treat his or her student as a teammate and not as someone who merely needs instruction. The goal of any tutoring session should be to bring out and foster a student's own capacity to understand and excel in a given field, which begins with respect. I am currently pursuing a graduate study in biology- where my interests primarily lie in evolution and bioanthropology.

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Charlotte
BA Colgate University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a graduate of Colgate University where I earned a B.A. in Mathematics and French Language and Literature. While at Colgate I tutored three Calculus I classes for three consecutive years. I have always been dedicated to developing a passion of mathematics in young people, especially young women. In the last year, I have visited 52 different towns and cities across much of Western Europe while living in France. While there, I was an English Teaching Assistant in Tours, located along the banks of the Loire river. I taught at a school of predominately underprivileged students of North African descent and was lucky enough to learn about their traditions and experiences in France. I have a real passion for travel and exploring other cultures. Especially all their food! I love to cook and bake, and attempt to bring some of my favorite French treats into my own home. I love tutoring French because I have a passion for spreading this appreciation for other cultures. I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio where I started learning French in my elementary school class. When I'm not tutoring or trying to teach myself something new, I love yoga, running and wandering around the beautiful Boston area.

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Leonid
BA University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am a motivated Mechanical Engineering student at UMass Amherst, with a strong passion for teaching. In my free time, I rock climb, dance, and build crazy robotics projects. I love helping students of all ages build understanding and excitement for various subjects. I believe that, with patience and the right set of tools, you can grow to enjoy any subject. As someone who used to be terrible at math and was taught to love it, I can attest to the fact that the right teacher can make a world of difference. I hope to work with you and help you accomplish whatever you set your mind to.

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Sarah
MS University of Pennsylvania • BA Georgetown University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am a committed educator with years of experience as both a classroom teacher and private tutor in a wide array of subjects. I am committed to working with students to support them in achieving their full potential. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Zachary
BA Northwestern University • Studied Cognitive Science Northwestern University
10+ Years Tutoring

I am pursuing a career as an actor, but am thrilled to continue to flex my intellectual side and share my passion for learning with the next generation. In college, I studied Cognitive Science, not so much as a fallback career, but because I am fascinated by the subject. I succeeded in getting into Northwestern without the aid of any academic tutors or test prep classes. As such, I am confident in my standardized test-taking abilities, and happy to share the strategies I used for the ACT, SAT II, and AP tests. I am also prepared to tutor a variety of academic subjects as well, as reflected by my approved courses. I look forward to working with you!

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Noah
BA University of Chicago
1+ Years Tutoring

I am primarily an SAT and writing tutor with two years of experience and over 60 former students. I have spent hundreds of hours familiarizing myself with dozens of real SAT tests and SAT format-specific strategies. While a tutor, and later general manager, at a boutique university admissions consulting company in Cairo Egypt, I applied my teaching experience to a leading role developing SAT curricula for a variety of skill levels.

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Jane
Current Undergrad Student, English Princeton University
9+ Years Tutoring

I am a current student at Princeton University, obtaining a major in English with minors in Environmental Studies and Musical Theater. I graduated from Sewickley Academy in 2016 as a member of the Cum Laude Society with highest honors for all semesters. I am an AP Scholar with Honors, an Academic All American, and a recipient of the Harvard Book Award. When on breaks from school, I take care of children ages 5-11 and teach them reading, writing, and mathematics. Though I enjoy teaching a wide range of subjects, I am most passionate about English. I have the most fun teaching students reading, writing, and grammar for test preparation and general school help. I believe that the ability to read and write proficiently is a foundation for a well-rounded individual and allows the student to have the best chances in any academic or employment field they may pursue. To be able to express oneself eloquently and concisely is essential for academic and personal success. This does not come without skill in logical mathematic thinking, however. I firmly believe that anyone can succeed no matter where they are in the educative process as long as they have the tools and strategies for efficient learning. The best advise any teacher gave me was "study smarter, not harder". There are strategies that take time to learn, but once mastered, studying and preparing for any academic venture become much easier. In my free time, I enjoy participating in musical theater, golfing, reading, and yoga.

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James
BA Harvard University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I 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 or she works hard to get to know the format of the tests and the most popular types of questions. I tutor because I love seeing students develop a genuine passion for the subjects they once disliked (such as math and science), once they understand the power of these subjects and their applications to the real world.

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Samantha
BA Northwestern University • Current Undergrad, Political Science & Legal Studies Northwestern University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am currently a senior at Northwestern University and I will be receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Legal Studies this spring. In the fall, I will begin attending law school at Northwestern Law. For many years, I tutored a wide range of students in Spanish, English literature, and writing. I have also continued to help many high school seniors with college application essays. While I tutor a variety of subjects, I am very passionate about helping students improve their reading and writing skills, and I really enjoy helping students with Critical Reading and Writing portions of Standardized Tests. I love working with students and helping them realize their full academic potential. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, exploring Chicago, reading, and cooking.

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Badeel
BA University of Punjab
9+ Years Tutoring

I am a working professional with a passion for teaching. I have been tutoring for 5+ years and have had great success with students ranging from middle school to college-age, as well as non-traditional students. I began tutoring by helping my peers, which in the later years, converted into more formative private tutoring. My experience so far includes teaching Urdu and English Literature, exam prep for all ages (especially ACT and SAT), general help with homework, and support for both enrichment and struggling students. I prefer one-on-one tutoring and enjoy engaging my students with fun and challenging problems. I like to apply problems to real world situations to allow my students to get a command on the concept and get comfortable with the topic in question.

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Moriah
BA Cornell University
1+ Years Tutoring

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.

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Karin
MFA San Jose State University • MFA James Madison University
2+ Years Tutoring

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.

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Miranda
BA Pomona College
1+ Years Tutoring

I am a new graduate of Pomona College, in Claremont, CA, where I studied Religion and Philosophy. While there, I wrote many papers of a wide variety, working on strong arguments, organization, and phrasing. I peer edited as well as volunteering with groups that mentored high school students, focusing on college admissions work, continuing and expanding my experiences from high school of tutoring for standardized testing. Additionally, I taught beginning violin to younger children.

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Suzie
BA Princeton University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am currently working towards my MD/PhD degree at Michigan Medical School.

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Conor
BA Yale University
1+ Years Tutoring

I am currently a sophomore at Yale University working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. I began tutoring in high school at local elementary schools and continued tutoring into my college career with older students. I am capable of tutoring subjects ranging from Algebra and Calculus to Economics, standardized tests, Statistics, and more. Tutoring is something I enjoy because I love helping students achieve their goals and maximize their potential through practice and hard work. I'm a firm believer that the best way to improve in any area of academics is through practice. Once you become accustomed to the style of question, you will begin to realize why you are making mistakes and how to avoid making them in the future. Outside of tutoring, I am an avid sports fan and video game enthusiast.

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Worked with an ISEE Tutor

Your customer interface is A+, being your agents or your site, The tutor you found for me is perfect, no formulas or canned lectures but easy flowing lecture addressing my needs. Congratulations for a job well done.

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Heejin has been very patient with me. I work a full time job sometimes even on the weekends. It has been a slow process with my Korean classes, but Heejin has been wonderful and patient.

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Angela Hussein
Worked with an ISEE Tutor

My son has had many quality tutors through this convenient service, and he can hop on at any time of day to get support for a homework assignment or test. It's very convenient and effective.

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Worked with an ISEE Tutor

I've been working with my tutor for a few months now and the progress has been remarkable. The personalized attention and tailored lessons made all the difference compared to in-classroom learning.

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Michael Chen
Worked with an ISEE Tutor

The flexibility of scheduling combined with the quality of instruction is unmatched. I can get help exactly when I need it, whether that's late at night or early in the morning before a test.

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Priya Patel
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My daughter went from dreading her sessions to looking forward to them. The tutor made the material engaging and built her confidence in ways I never thought possible. Highly recommend.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) has a distinct structure and content focus compared to similar tests. It includes four sections—Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Math Achievement—and uses a different scoring scale (760-940) than the SSAT. Importantly, the ISEE is scored on a percentile basis relative to other test-takers in your grade level, meaning competition varies by grade. For students in Boston applying to independent schools, understanding these differences is crucial since many local institutions accept either test but may weight sections differently based on their priorities.

Most students benefit from 2-4 months of focused ISEE preparation, though the right timeline depends on your starting point and target schools. Students who begin with strong foundational skills may need 8-10 weeks, while those addressing specific skill gaps often benefit from a longer runway. Personalized tutoring can accelerate progress by identifying your exact weak points—whether that's logic-based Verbal Reasoning questions or multi-step word problems—rather than spending time on content you've already mastered. Starting preparation in fall or early winter is typical for students applying to Boston-area independent schools for the following year.

Students preparing for the ISEE frequently struggle with three key areas: Verbal Reasoning questions (which test logic and relationships rather than vocabulary alone), multi-step word problems in Math Achievement, and pacing across all four sections. The Verbal Reasoning section is particularly tricky because it requires understanding complex sentence structures and subtle distinctions between answer choices. Additionally, many students underestimate the Reading Comprehension section, which demands both speed and deep comprehension of unfamiliar passages. Personalized instruction helps identify which of these areas affect your performance specifically, so you can focus your practice where it matters most.

Boston's 32 independent and selective schools have varying ISEE expectations based on their selectivity and grade level. Highly competitive schools typically look for scores in the 85th-99th percentile range, while other strong schools may be satisfied with 60th-75th percentile scores. Since ISEE scores are reported by percentile relative to your grade cohort, knowing your target schools' historical performance ranges helps set realistic preparation goals. Connecting with tutors who understand Boston's school landscape—from schools like Boston Latin to private institutions—ensures your preparation strategy aligns with where you're applying.

Personalized tutoring adapts in real-time to your learning patterns and gaps, whereas classroom prep covers a standard curriculum at a set pace. A tutor can identify why you're missing questions in Quantitative Reasoning—perhaps you're rushing through calculations, misunderstanding word problem setups, or forgetting specific formulas—and target instruction accordingly. Generic practice books don't adjust based on your performance. Research on effective learning shows that 1-on-1 instruction significantly outpaces group settings for standardized test preparation because every minute focuses on closing your specific gaps rather than reviewing concepts you've already mastered.

The ISEE takes about 3 hours total, including breaks, and is administered at your target school or a testing center. You'll complete four sections in this order: Verbal Reasoning (20 min), Quantitative Reasoning (35 min), Reading Comprehension (25 min), and Math Achievement (30 min), with breaks between sections. The test is not adaptive—every student sees the same questions regardless of performance—which means pacing strategy matters significantly. Tutors help you develop a test-day plan, including how to allocate time per question in each section and strategies for managing anxiety. Many Boston-area students take the test at their prospective school, so familiarity with the testing environment can reduce stress on test day.

Yes, you can retake the ISEE, and most schools will see all your scores. However, there are limits: you can test a maximum of once per testing season (fall, winter, spring) and only twice total in a school year. Many independent schools will consider your highest score, though some may look at both attempts. If you're planning a retake, it's wise to identify what went wrong on your first attempt—whether timing issues, specific content gaps, or test anxiety—and address those directly. Personalized tutoring between attempts can be particularly valuable for turning weak areas into strengths before your next test date.

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