Jonathan

Certified Tutor

Tutoring isn't just about helping a student get good grades. Of course, test scores help students measure their academic success, but I'd rather think of good scores as a reflection of success as opposed to success itself. Then what is success? Success is taking command of your learning and finding your own reasons to love a subject. It's gaining an understanding of a course's material because you find it empowering to do so, and because it fuels your curiosity about the world.

I tutor the LSAT, the SAT, ACT and Latin. The LSAT because I spent hundreds of hours self-studying for it, grew to enjoy the process even though it's undeniably grueling, and ended up doing quite well. I know a lot about what it takes, both mentally and emotionally, to lift your score into the 170+ range, and I can help you get there.

The SAT and ACT because developing good test-taking strategies is what will allow you to achieve a score that shows colleges that you're not only smart, but even more importantly, you take pride in working way harder than the average student. Back in the day, a great tutor helped me achieve a score I could be proud of on the SAT, and I enjoy paying it forward.

Finally, Latin because that was my major I studied Classics at Brown University. Classics is all about making connections between the literature, art, politics and philosophy of ancient Rome and Greece to form a narrative of the way these societies lived a long long time ago, and how this shapes the way we live today. I found Classics an incredibly rewarding area of study and I can help you make serious improvements in your grasp of Latin, while showing you how studying it helps you with your writing in English as well.

Outside of tutoring, reading and music are my two major passions. Reading has always been so important to me, and I think it can (and probably should) be for everyone. There's nothing like nonfiction for gaining an understanding of what's going on in the world, both ours and the ones that came before us. And there's nothing like a great novel for getting into the minds of characters and gaining empathy for experiences different from your own. I'm a classical and jazz singer, I've performed in choruses, musicals and open mics since moving to New York, but I listen to a bunch of different genres. Lately I've really gotten into the house music scene that's where the fun is at in Brooklyn, where I live.

Studying hard is obviously essential, but so is taking care of yourself. I'm a huge fan of exercise, yoga and meditation. They all help relieve your stress, and help you become more focused and disciplined as a person in general. I can't recommend them highly enough for students, especially if you're Type A like me.