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Award-Winning Computational Chemistry Tutors

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Yangbo
Ever since bringing refugee children up to and beyond grade-level mathematics while tutoring in the mid-2000s, I have always been motivated by a spirit of service to community, society, and humanity at large. Teaching and tutoring is one small but essential part of that ethos.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science, Economics

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Jane
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 Al...
Princeton University
Current Undergrad Student, English

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Anna
With each of my experiences working with children my passion for education has grown. I first came to Austin to work with a Spanish literacy intervention program through Americorps called A Community for Education (ACE). After my service with ACE I taught at a dual language (Spanish-English) school ...
Oberlin College
Bachelors, Comparative American Studies
The University of Texas at Austin
Current Grad Student, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Deborah
My MA in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition, together with my MA in Adult Education and Continuing Education, qualified me to have a stellar forty-three-year career as a full-time college professor predominately in the University System of Georgia. I have successfully instructe...
Georgia State University
Master of Arts, English
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Master of Arts, Adult and Continuing Education
University of Georgia
Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Hi. I love math and I love teaching math. I am a state certified high school math teacher. I have 31 years of classroom experience. I currently teach Pre-Calculus and AP Statistics.
Clark Atlanta University
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics

Certified Tutor
Katherine
Hi, my name is Katherine and I've been tutoring in various capacities since 2012. Although I'm currently studying Computer Science at Swarthmore College, I have expertise in a number of subject areas and I'd love to help you out.
Swarthmore College
Current Undergrad Student, Computer Science

Certified Tutor
4+ years
Samantha
I believe every student has a unique learning skill set and every teacher continues to learn from her students. To ensure every student receives the best tutoring, I strive to offer excellent communication and a diverse set of teaching skills.I obtained my Bachelor in Business Administration from th...
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Bachelor in Business Administration, International Business/French
Vermont Law School
Juris Doctor, International Law

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Christopher
I am a current student at Rutgers University on track to major in Electrical Engineering. I tutor a wide range of math from elementary level up to high school and college. This range includes algebra, trigonometry, pre-calc and calculus. I have had many experiences through my high school and outside...
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Certified Tutor
Jerry
Hey, I enjoy teaching math, computer science, and the SAT! Contact me if you are interested in these.
The Texas A&M University System Office
Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Amy
I have a B.A. in French and a diploma in Business French from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris. I also speak Greek, Italian, and Spanish.I have worked as a private tutor in the area of foreign languages, essay writing, and a variety of other subjects for more than a decade. In that time...
Hofstra
Bachelor in Arts, French
Top 20 Science Subjects
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Gabrielle
AP Biology Tutor • +25 Subjects
I am recent graduate of Binghamton University, with a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology. I am deeply committed to the value of education, and believe that learning is a gift and an opportunity for growth that should be available to everyone. For this reason, I am passionate about tutoring and helping students, so that everyone is able to not only do well in school, but to fall in love with learning in the process. Anyone can enrich themselves through learning. This is the foundation of my teaching philosophy: in addition to emphasizing results and academic achievement, I believe it is integral to find an individual approach to each student and to focus first and foremost on teaching students to study in a way that is effective and engaging. I tutor elementary, middle, and high school students in all subjects. In my free time, I like to go running, practice dance, learn new languages, and play ping-pong.
Julie
Languages Tutor • +4 Subjects
I am a graduate of LaSalle University in Mexico City. I received my Bachelor of Science degree inBusiness Administration with a focus on management. I am also a certifiedteacher of Spanish. Since graduation I have worked in Human Resources and I havealso been tutoring children and adults in private and public schools, as wellas online. I am very enthusiastic about teaching my native language because Ifeel that in that way I am enriching my students' education and experiences inlearning aspects of another culture. One area where we seem to have the mostfun is prepping for exams and writing assignments. I am a firm proponent ofeducation, and as a tutor, my approach is based on each of my students'level of proficiency, their goals, and their learning pace. I focus on providinga pleasant and safe experience for my students. I prepare lesson plans that arecreative and introduce new topics in a fun way, spending enough time reviewingthe material. Afterwards, I allow students time to practice on their own. I encourage you to contact me to schedule so togetherwe can start achieving your goals
Anna
ACT Writing Tutor • +27 Subjects
I honestly love tutoring. While working in finance and publishing over the past decade, I have independently tutored students from many premiere NY and NJ high schools and universities. I continued tutoring even after joining a major private equity firm because of how much I enjoy working one-on-one with students. Breaking down seemingly complex subjects is one of my favorite pastimes--it's part of the reason I also enjoy writing about arcane financial topics like quanto spreads on sovereign CDS. I've also developed a newfound respect for the challenges students face when undergoing years of testing after developing my own study plan to pass the first two CFA exams (I'm taking the third exam in June). This experience has shaped how I work with students to tackle test-taking anxiety and master difficult material quickly.I have both a BA and MA in English from New York University.
Catherine
Algebra Tutor • +15 Subjects
Hello! My name is Catherine Raj and I am a second-year medical student at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience in 2022. Since 2015, I have tutored children from ages 3-16 in areas of math and reading, as well as their school curriculum. Apart from tutoring here, I have worked for the Kumon Learning Center as a teaching instructor for 5 years. While I am certified to tutor a broad range of subjects, I have years of experience with tutoring young children in math and reading, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, phonics, reading comprehension, and much more. I connect with elementary and middle school students very well, as I believe in understanding children in order to give them a fulfilling tutoring experience. I also very much enjoy tutoring pre-algebra and algebra as those are my favorite math subjects, as well as my best! My students and I have always had a deeper level of understanding beyond the books and I pride my style of teaching on that aspect.
Grace
ACCUPLACER Arithmetic Tutor • +22 Subjects
I am a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education (3.95 GPA) and New York University (3.98 GPA). I have worked with students of all ages. I love adapting my teaching style to the individual needs of each student to help them fulfill their greatest potentials.
Sarah
Elementary School Math Tutor • +20 Subjects
I have been a special education teacher in Somerset County for the last 5 years. I have worked in self-contained classrooms and am currently working as a 4th grade resource room Reading and Math teacher. Next spring, I will graduate from Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education with an Ed.M in Reading Education. I will be a certified Reading Specialist as well as a certified supervisor. I am currently a certified Literacy Specialist.
Chester
Creative Writing Tutor • +18 Subjects
I love English, and good writing. Since I like working one-or-one or with a small group, tutoring is a great way for me to help young people communicate more effectively in writing. As a social scientist, I also like to talking about statistics and social science. I like to teach by example and ask lots of questions so students can discover answers themselves. When not working, I like to watch movies, exercise, and write science fiction.
Maria
ACT Prep Tutor • +15 Subjects
I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Denison University. I am currently pursuing an M.D. at Case Western Reserve University. I've been a college-level teaching assistant for both introductory biology and general chemistry. Besides chemistry, I really enjoy tutoring for test prep (ACT and MCAT) because I view these types of tests to be a collection of puzzles to solve. It's a lot of fun helping students to figure out the logic behind these puzzles and apply it broadly, and it's incredibly rewarding to see this integration of knowledge translate to a high score. When working with students, I like to challenge them to identify the purpose of the problem or question and what underlying reasoning can be applied broadly in future questions. In doing so, students gain more long-term usable skills and the ability to think independently.
Juliet
Adult Literacy Tutor • +12 Subjects
Passionate social justice advocate eager to serve as a mentor to the youth. Sociologist at heart. I am the rose that grew from the concrete.
Theo
ACT Prep Tutor • +25 Subjects
I am a current undergraduate student at Columbia University in New York City, pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in History and Economics. These are two of the subjects that I enjoy tutoring the most, but I also have a penchant for tutoring and learning about math and literature. I am passionate about tutoring because I benefited from the personalized guidance of great tutors in my past and I really enjoy seeing students push themselves and develop an appreciation for subject areas or even the mental exercise of test-taking thanks to tutoring. I also believe that tutoring a subject area is the greatest way to maintain and develop understanding of its material for both the student and the tutor. I was an active tutor in high school in mathematics and history and as I take more classes in college, I look forward to tutoring students in those in which I understood the material really well. In my spare time, I enjoy reading about history, camping, biking, and traveling when I can (or exploring the incredible city of New York)!
Top 20 Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Students often find molecular orbital theory and density functional theory (DFT) conceptually challenging because they require visualizing abstract quantum mechanical behavior. Practical difficulties include setting up and interpreting computational simulations, understanding basis sets and their impact on accuracy, and translating between theoretical predictions and experimental validation. Additionally, many students struggle with the balance between computational efficiency and chemical accuracy—knowing when approximations are acceptable and when higher-level calculations are necessary. A tutor experienced in Computational Chemistry can break down these abstract concepts and help you understand both the "why" behind the calculations and the practical implications of your computational choices.
Computational Chemistry is inherently visual, but many students struggle to interpret output from software like Gaussian, ORCA, or MOPAC. A tutor can guide you through molecular visualization tools, help you understand what electron density maps and orbital diagrams actually represent, and connect 2D structural formulas to 3D computational models. Working through real examples—such as visualizing how pi-bonding orbitals overlap in conjugated systems or how steric effects change molecular geometry—makes abstract concepts concrete. Regular practice with visualization software, paired with conceptual explanations, significantly improves your ability to predict and interpret computational results.
Many students jump into calculations without understanding the workflow: defining the molecular structure, selecting an appropriate method and basis set, running the calculation, and then critically analyzing results. A tutor can teach you to think systematically about each step—for instance, why B3LYP/6-31G(d) might be suitable for geometry optimization but inadequate for excited-state calculations, or how to validate your results against experimental data. Understanding convergence criteria, recognizing when calculations fail and why, and knowing how to troubleshoot input files are essential skills. With guidance, you'll develop the problem-solving mindset needed to design computational experiments that answer real chemical questions rather than just executing calculations.
The gap between what computational models predict and what experiments show is where real learning happens. Students often memorize calculation methods without understanding their limitations or how to validate predictions experimentally. A tutor can help you design computational studies that test hypotheses, interpret discrepancies between theory and experiment, and understand when computational results are reliable. For example, exploring why a predicted bond length differs from X-ray crystallography data teaches you about basis set limitations and electron correlation effects. This integration of theory and experimental validation develops the scientific reasoning skills that make Computational Chemistry powerful.
Choosing between semi-empirical methods, ab initio approaches (HF, MP2, CCSD), and DFT depends on your system size, desired accuracy, and computational resources—a decision that confuses many students. A tutor can help you understand the trade-offs: DFT is faster and scales better for larger molecules but has functional-dependent accuracy, while coupled-cluster methods are more accurate but computationally expensive. Learning to ask the right questions—"What property am I calculating?" "How large is my system?" "What level of accuracy do I need?"—develops the judgment required for independent research. Working through case studies helps you build intuition for method selection rather than relying on trial-and-error.
Troubleshooting failed calculations is a critical skill that separates competent from expert Computational Chemistry practitioners. Common issues include poor initial geometry guesses, inappropriate basis sets, convergence problems, or fundamental misunderstandings about what the calculation should predict. A tutor can teach you systematic debugging: checking your input file syntax, adjusting convergence criteria, trying different optimization algorithms, or reconsidering your theoretical approach. Learning to interpret error messages, recognizing when a result is physically unreasonable, and knowing when to simplify your model develops the chemical intuition needed to use computational tools effectively rather than getting frustrated by failures.
An effective Computational Chemistry tutor should have hands-on experience running calculations, understanding both the theoretical foundations (quantum mechanics, molecular orbital theory) and practical software skills (Gaussian, ORCA, MOPAC, or similar packages). They should be able to explain not just how to use software, but why certain choices matter—the chemistry behind the computations. Experience with research applications, knowledge of current methods and their limitations, and the ability to connect calculations to experimental chemistry are essential. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who combine deep computational expertise with the teaching skill to make abstract concepts accessible.
At introductory levels, tutoring focuses on understanding quantum mechanical foundations and learning to navigate computational software—building confidence with basic DFT and ab initio calculations. For intermediate students, tutors help you develop judgment about method selection, interpret results critically, and connect calculations to experimental validation. Advanced students benefit from guidance on research-level applications, understanding cutting-edge methods (multireference calculations, machine learning potentials), and designing computational studies that answer real chemical questions. Regardless of level, a tutor helps you move beyond following tutorials to thinking independently about computational strategy and chemical problem-solving.
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