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Award-Winning ISEE-Upper Level Verbal Reasoning Tutors

Sarah

Certified Tutor

10+ years

Sarah

Masters, International Educational Development
Sarah's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
SAT Subject Test in Spanish with Listening
SAT Subject Test in Literature

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!

Education

University of Pennsylvania

Masters, International Educational Development

Georgetown University

Bachelors, Spanish; Government (Double Major)

Test Scores
SAT
1520
ACT
33
Lena

Certified Tutor

10+ years

Lena

Current Undergrad, Political Science and Environmental Studies
Lena's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
PSAT Writing Skills
SAT Subject Test in French with Listening

I am currently a Political Science and Environmental Studies major at Brown University. I find it extremely satisfying to share my passion for learning with others. From 2011 through 2013, I tutored middle school students in the Oakland Public School system through the Partners Program. From 2014 to...

Education

Brown University

Current Undergrad, Political Science and Environmental Studies

Test Scores
SAT
1570
Ian

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Ian

Bachelor of Science, Physics
Ian's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Multivariable Calculus
Competition Math
Middle School Math

I am a senior physics major at Yale, and I have been tutoring non-stop since high school. I have three years of formal, test-prep tutoring experience with top companies in the New York City area. I absolutely love to help people out -- the most important thing I can do as a tutor is to find a new wa...

Education

Yale University

Bachelor of Science, Physics

Test Scores
SAT
1550
Erin

Certified Tutor

6+ years

Erin

Bachelor of Arts in Gender & Sexuality Studies; minor in United States History
Erin's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
Elementary School Math
PSAT Critical Reading

I am a recent graduate from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender & Sexuality Studies and a minor in United States History. I'm excited to join the Varsity Tutors team and begin tutoring students ranging from elementary to high school because I believe that a tailored, inspiring ...

Education

Northwestern University

Bachelor of Arts in Gender & Sexuality Studies; minor in United States History

Test Scores
SAT
1470
Samantha

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Samantha

Current Undergrad Student, Psychology
Samantha's other Tutor Subjects
Applied Mathematics
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus AB
Pre-Algebra

I am a rising Junior at Princeton University who is passionate about the ways in which people learn, which has led me to pursue a degree in Neuropsychology. Through great experiences teaching English in Chiangmai, Thailand for two months and tutoring Calculus I and II through Princeton University's ...

Education

Princeton University

Current Undergrad Student, Psychology

Test Scores
SAT
1480
Ethan

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Ethan

Bachelor in Arts, Linguistics
Ethan's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
Elementary School Math
SSAT- Elementary Level

I am a strong believer that no two students are alike, so I adapt my teaching style to each student to help them learn using their strengths while developing the areas they need to improve. Additionally, I like to take a holistic view of a students academic needs to help them move beyond their chall...

Education

University of California-Santa Cruz

Bachelor in Arts, Linguistics

Test Scores
SAT
1510
Victoria

Certified Tutor

5+ years

Victoria

Current Undergrad Student, Anthropology
Victoria's other Tutor Subjects
Calculus
Algebra
SAT Reading
SAT Writing and Language

I am a graduate of The Brearley School and Juilliard Pre-College, as well as a current student at Carleton College where I am studying Anthropology and Archaeology. I have previous tutoring experience in both essay writing/editing and SAT verbal. The subjects I am most passionate about are History, ...

Education

Carleton College

Current Undergrad Student, Anthropology

Test Scores
SAT
1420
Francesca

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Francesca

Bachelor of Economics, Political Science and Government
Francesca's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Pre-Calculus
Middle School Math
Geometry

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.

Education

Loyola University-Chicago

Bachelor of Economics, Political Science and Government

Test Scores
ACT
33
Ben

Certified Tutor

9+ years

Ben

Current Grad Student, Creative Writing
Ben's other Tutor Subjects
Pre-Algebra
Geometry
Calculus
Algebra

I am a high school history teacher who has also worked as a teaching assistant at one of the country's top 10 colleges. I've taught ACT/SAT prep for about 4 years to students at all ends of the academic spectrum: from those working with learning disabilities/accommodations & struggling with timing t...

Education

Ball State University

Bachelor of Science, History

Northwestern University

Current Grad Student, Creative Writing

Kaitlyn

Certified Tutor

8+ years

Kaitlyn

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
Kaitlyn's other Tutor Subjects
6th Grade math
6th Grade AP Language Composition
Pre-Algebra
College Algebra

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 comm...

Education

Fairfield University

Bachelor of Science, Biology, General

Test Scores
SAT
1500
ACT
33

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Jane

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +40 Subjects

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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Nicole

Calculus Tutor • +74 Subjects

I am currently a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master's program at Nova Southeastern University, and I received my B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from the University of Miami in 2016. I am a native speaker of English and Russian. Throughout the course of my education, I have helped my fellow students improve their analytical and writing skills through collaboration. I am able to tutor a broad range of subjects, including standardized test preparation, English literature up to the college level, essay and academic writing and grammar, Russian and Spanish language skills. Having scored in the top percentiles on the verbal and essay writing sections of standardized tests, such as the SAT and GRE, I also possess the perspective and expertise to help others excel on these and similar exams. I am passionate about empowering students to achieve their full potential through education, and I strongly believe tutoring can be a valuable tool for any student's academic growth. In my free time, I enjoy reading, crafting, and journaling.

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Alessia

Middle School Math Tutor • +46 Subjects

I am originally from New York City and am a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying Political Science, Economics, and Psychology. Having gone through high school and the whole college process within recent memory, I am at the unique intersection of having a very current understanding of the challenges, and of having gained experience and perspective from college. I started tutoring as soon as I had real knowledge to share, which for me was in the eighth grade. In the way a six-year-old might feel an unwavering sense of duty and pride from being charged with returning scissors to the desk, I felt the true significance of the job I had been given. Tutoring has never lost this importance for me and I continue to approach each student with the same level of preparation and commitment as I did all those years ago. As both a nationally-ranked swimmer and a student I learned meticulous organization and time management. I have seen success in my own pursuits and in those of the students I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. I am invested, reliable, and capable. I look forward to meeting you!

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Sarah

Calculus Tutor • +61 Subjects

I'm dedicated to ensuring that each of my students leaves our sessions with greater knowledge and a deeper love of learning.

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Alexandra

Middle School Math Tutor • +182 Subjects

I am a rising senior at The University of North Texas in Denton. I am working towards my Bachelor of Arts in Spanish as well as English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I was raised in an academically competitive environment in Fort Bend County and my rigorous secondary education prepared me for success in college. I am a fortunate member of the Terry Scholarship Foundation, which has provided me and hundreds of other Texans with a private, four-year, full-ride scholarship. As a Terry Scholar, I am well-versed in all subjects and have taken on the role of mentor to many of the incoming freshmen. I have spent most of my free time in college as a nanny and tutor to families around the DFW area. I have experience with all age groups and there is nothing that intimidates me! While I tutor a broad range of subjects, I am most passionate about English, Literature, History, Spanish, and Government/Social Studies. Through my experiences helping struggling students and peers, I have realized the value of adaptability. Most people reach out to a tutor because the traditional classroom method is not best suited for their learning needs. There is nothing more joyful than when a student finally understands the material in a way that makes sense to them. Many times, students need flexibility and patience in order to grasp a foreign concept. I am a firm believer in the power of education and I hope to share my love of learning with all of my students. After graduation I plan on returning to Houston to obtain my Master of Arts in Teaching from Rice University. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and writing anything from poetry to screenplays. I have also been involved in competitive dance for most of my adolescence, so I understand the balance of academics and extracurriculars. Hobbies: reading, music, writing, art, books, dancing, yoga

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Joseph

Pre-Algebra Tutor • +117 Subjects

I am not teaching, I enjoy going to the movies, spending time with my five younger brothers and sisters, and volunteering within MENSA. I believe that learning can always be made fun and is extremely rewarding when you put in the work. I look forward to sharing my love of all these subjects with you as a future student, and I look forward to meeting you!

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Emily

Calculus Tutor • +49 Subjects

I'm passionate about providing the best and most individualized tutoring possible to students of all ages through Varsity Tutors. Hobbies: reading, music, art, books, writing

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Chase

Applied Mathematics Tutor • +132 Subjects

I am listening to and learning about him or her as an individual. I can also discover what motivates the student during this conversation and plan for how to frame future tutoring sessions in terms of what the student already knows and enjoys.

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Genevieve

Middle School Math Tutor • +34 Subjects

I'm a fun-loving, creative writer with a background in teaching high school english literature and critical thinking. I've worked for years in copywriting and editing. I love to take a part text and discuss concepts from sentence structure and vocabulary to building a thesis for an analytic essay. I love working with students of all ages and will customize my lessons to the needs of my student. I approach all of my lessons with energy, passion and patience and would love to work with you!

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Richard

Middle School Math Tutor • +88 Subjects

Hobbies: books, music, running, yoga, art, travel, movies, reading, writing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Students typically struggle most with sentence completions that require understanding nuanced vocabulary in context, and reading comprehension questions that test inference and main idea identification across dense passages. Many students also find the pacing challenging—they either rush through and miss critical details, or spend too much time on difficult vocabulary questions and run out of time for the reading section. Additionally, distinguishing between answer choices that are partially correct versus fully correct is a frequent pain point, especially when multiple answers seem plausible at first glance.

Rather than memorizing random word lists, focus on learning vocabulary in context through practice tests and reading passages—this mirrors how words actually appear on the exam. Prioritize mid-to-advanced tier words that appear frequently in standardized tests (words like "ambiguous," "pragmatic," or "ephemeral") over obscure vocabulary. A tutor can help you identify which vocabulary gaps are costing you the most points and create a targeted study plan, since mastering 200-300 test-focused words typically yields better results than memorizing thousands of random words.

Main idea questions ask what the passage is fundamentally about or what the author's primary purpose is—the answer should be supported by the passage as a whole. Inference questions require you to read between the lines and draw conclusions that aren't explicitly stated, using evidence from the text to support your reasoning. Students often confuse these by choosing answers that are true according to the passage but don't answer the specific question asked, or by making inferences that go beyond what the passage reasonably supports. A tutor can teach you how to identify question keywords and match them to the right reading strategy.

The key is learning to identify the logical structure and clues within the sentence—look for transition words ("however," "because," "although"), contrasts, and parallel structure that signal what type of word should fill the blank. Try predicting your own answer before looking at the choices, which helps you avoid getting distracted by partially correct options. Many students benefit from practicing with sentences that have two blanks, since these force you to think about how words relate to each other, then applying that skill to single-blank questions. Working through timed practice sets with a tutor can help you develop the pattern recognition skills needed to answer these questions quickly and confidently.

The Verbal Reasoning section has about 40 questions in roughly 20 minutes, so you need to average 30 seconds per question—this means you can't spend 2-3 minutes on any single question. A smart strategy is to do a quick first pass, answering questions you're confident about and marking difficult ones to revisit. For sentence completions, if a word is unfamiliar, skip it initially rather than getting stuck; for reading comprehension, read the questions first so you know what to look for in the passage. Practicing with timed drills and gradually increasing your speed while maintaining accuracy is essential—a tutor can help you identify which question types slow you down most and develop personalized strategies to address them.

Take full practice tests under timed conditions to build stamina and get an accurate sense of your current performance, but don't just focus on your overall score—analyze which question types and topics are costing you the most points. After completing a practice test, spend time reviewing every single question you missed or guessed on, understanding not just the correct answer but why the other options were wrong. Space out your practice tests over several weeks rather than cramming them all at once, since spaced practice helps you retain strategies and vocabulary better. A tutor can help you identify patterns in your mistakes (e.g., "you consistently miss inference questions" or "you rush through sentence completions") and create a targeted study plan that focuses on your specific weaknesses.

For sentence completions, eliminate answers that don't fit the grammatical structure or logical flow of the sentence, even if the word itself is a strong vocabulary word. For reading comprehension, eliminate answers that are too narrow (only address part of the question), too broad (go beyond what the passage supports), or contradict the passage entirely. Be especially careful of "trap" answers that use words from the passage but answer a different question than what was asked, or that make inferences the passage doesn't actually support. Learning to spot these patterns through guided practice with a tutor significantly improves your accuracy, since eliminating even two wrong answers greatly increases your odds of selecting the correct answer.

Improvement depends on your starting point and how consistently you practice, but most students see meaningful gains within 4-8 weeks of focused tutoring combined with regular practice. Students who are weak in vocabulary and test-taking strategy often see faster improvements (10-20 point gains) because these skills are teachable and learnable through targeted work. Students already scoring in the higher ranges may see more modest improvements since they're refining strategy and eliminating careless errors rather than learning new concepts. A tutor can assess your baseline performance, identify your specific growth areas, and create a realistic improvement plan with clear milestones to track your progress.

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