Award-Winning Computational Chemistry
Tutors
Award-Winning
Computational Chemistry
Tutors
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

Hello and welcome! I'm thrilled to share my passion for teaching. I believe learning should be an adventure, whether we're exploring math or science! In my portal, questions are encouraged, and curiosity is celebrated. I strive to create a supportive environment where each student's unique strengths shine. My approach blends creativity with rigor, making lessons both engaging and relevant. Let's embark on this journey together, discovering new ideas and making learning a memorable experience!

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.
I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.
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 graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.
I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals!
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.
I am a graduate of Washington University in St Louis, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Humanities and Anthropology. Since graduation, I have worked as a tutor, teacher, and director of tutors at a charter public middle school in Boston. During this time I also received my Masters in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College. I have worked extensively with students with a range of abilities, including students with specific learning disabilities, emotional impairments, dyslexia, and ADHD. My teaching experience has given me a deep understanding of the knowledge and habits essential to academic success and has given me the opportunity to hone a variety of strategies that ensure students at each level can achieve their academic goals. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, my favorite ones are Reading, Elementary/Middle School Math, History, and Test Prep. In my experience, tutoring is the most rewarding when a student has that "aha!" moment and achieves a new level of understanding and confidence in his/her abilities. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education, and I see my role to be that of a facilitator and coach who is there to help the student reach his/her goals through individualized support and rigorous practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, practicing my Spanish, and discovering new music. I am also an avid traveler and just got back from a 3 month trip to South America. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
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.
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.
I am comfortable tutoring math subjects up to multivariable calculus and differential equations, as well as college physics.
Testimonials
Because the right Computational Chemistry tutor makes all the difference.
Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
Top 20 Science Subjects
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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