...tutoring writing, and creative writing is a hobby of mine. My philosophy is that even when we are preparing for a standardized exam, we should always be relating the work to your passions, pursuits, and educational goals to make the work that much more meaningful. In my spare time, you'll often find me learning bits of new languages for fun or writing. I am currently fluent in English and French, conversational in Spanish and Mandarin...
Read more
My bachelor's degree in math comes from Fairmont State University. I have over four years of experience in NYC public schools, and I'm embarrassed by the lack of effort put forth to instill the importance of a Mathematical mind. I feel like my love and enthusiasm for Math makes me an excellent tutor.
Read more
...University in May 2014, and I plan on beginning medical school in the fall of 2015. Since graduation, I have been working part-time in a dermatologist office as a Medical Assistant and part-time on a public health project related to smoking cessation. I have also been tutoring students in a variety of subjects. I have been tutoring students since I was in 7th grade, and my favorite subject to tutor is math. My family is...
Read more
...my youth I have been put into a crucible of exam preparation. I always do well on standardized exams. Since I have done so many of these types of exams I have learned many tactics and strategies to achieve high scores. I am particularly good at tutoring students for standardized exams such as the SHSAT, ISEE, SSAT, SAT, ASVAB, GRE, and so forth. I've also provided consultation for students applying for schools and have helped...
Read more
...earned a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. To contrast my coursework, I decided to tutor writing and explore my passion for language. My approach to tutoring focuses on exploring ideas and problem solving strategies until they become intuitive. I believe that intuition is the key to long term command of a subject. A difficult problem becomes far more digestible when viewed from a new angle. Once an idea makes...
Read more
I am a Finance major at Mercy College in New York, having transferred this Fall from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. My goal to simply help my students achieve the results they desire and to help them set up the habits which will let them reproduce these results in the future.
Read more
...at Washington University in St. Louis. I am planning on majoring in History, Political Science, and Secondary Education or Educational Studies. Even though I am a freshman, I am taking many upper level classes and love exploring my passion for history. In high school, I was both a tutor for kids at my local middle school as well as a private tutor and tutored in subject from Physics, AB Calculus, and AP World History. I...
Read more
...school ELA and Environmental Science teacher, I work to build strong relationships with my students to better motivate them and get them invested in their work. In addition to guiding students towards a clearer understanding of material, I simultaneously work to impart the importance of non-cognitive skills. Patience, grit, and determination are integral to student success and I work daily to inspire my students to be proactive, take risks, collaborate with others, set goals, and...
Read more
...of subjects: from algebra to to biology to history to statistics. I???ve particularly tutored many high school students, where I tutor nearly all aspects of their curriculum. I have tutored extensively in ACT/SAT preparation, with private and professional experience. I also worked for a year at the Cleveland State Writing Center, where I helped college students improve their writing skills. I love tutoring in all its forms, but I am particularly passionate about ACT/SAT prep,...
Read more
...alumna of a Seattle private school, I have personally experienced the pressures and difficulties facing most high school students. I love learning in any form and have taken the PSAT, ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Tests, so I understand the difficulty in finding a way to master both the material and the tests. I am well aware of the challenges that standardized tests present and love working with students to come up with...
Read more
...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...
Read more
...also preparing to take the GRE and attend a doctoral program in the biological sciences. In the summer of 2015, I participated in behavioral research on chimpanzees, and am now assisting with the skeletal archives at the American Museum of Natural History. I have had experience teaching as a peer mentor for college students in Introductory Biology, as a camp counselor at the Central Park Zoo, and as a tap dance instructor. My academic strengths...
Read more
Hi, I'm the philosopher they call Andrew! You are most very definitely welcome to come to me with any school questions, but be warned: there's a good chance we'll soon be figuring out the meaning of life...
Read more
...enjoy breaking down problems into logical sub-units. First, the underlying equations (or axioms, or vocabulary, or processes) must be understood, preferably on an instinctual level, as it is easier to remember ideas when they make sense at a core level. Then these ideas are applied to the problem, in order to unlock the solution. Generally, when students are having trouble with a problem (or type of problem) there is a non-sequitur somewhere in that process....
Read more
...solve the correct problems and demonstrate ways to approach the problems that they did not know how to solve. Additionally, I always find that my students have the greatest level of success as I foster great tutor/student relationships. I set high expectations for my personal academic achievements and expect the same from my students. I often serve as a role model for my students. My experiences as a National AP Scholar, graduate of Columbia University...
Read more
...workshops at the University of Washington and Columbia University, as well as a course in pedagogy. Throughout this time, I continued to tutor K-12 students as well, and am comfortable working with students of all ages. Most importantly, however, I absolutely love working with students, and have a sincere passion and enthusiasm for teaching. I consider it a challenging calling, but one that has been immensely gratifying, both personally and professionally. I look forward to...
Read more
...field empowering young people, specifically anything related to writing or the arts. I did a creative seminar at camp with a small co-ed group of young students, and the poems and thoughts some of those children came up with were simultaneously moving, insightful, wacky, and hilarious in a way that the best adult writers could only hope for. The best part of it all was that it was the writers themselves, not me, who insisted...
Read more
...teaching, cannot be overstated. It is not enough to share knowledge; knowledge must be communicated. This is the philosophy by which I have tutored and by which I currently tutor. With 4th grade students and with college-age students, with students in America and with students in Japan, I have helped new ideas and information take root and blossom to the satisfaction of student and tutor alike. I love those moments of recognition as someone internalizes...
Read more
...writing. I gained more tutoring experience after college working for ScorePlus Academics for over a year and a half. I worked with all ages, but particularly high school students studying for college admissions tests. I taught group classes and tutored individuals for the ACT, PSAT, SAT, and GRE. My primary focus was on the ACT - I taught every section of the test, and by the time I left ScorePlus I knew the ACT backward...
Read more
...a minor in Japanese. I studied abroad in Japan at Kobe University's Intercultural Studies department, and also studied broadly while in university, with coursework in mathematics, cultural studies, economics, and business. The subjects I tutor are Japanese and different levels of mathematicsfields that I particularly loveas well as standardized test preparation (SAT, SSAT, ISEE, and HSPT). I have found that studying becomes more enjoyable and effective when content is connected with examples of application. Finding...
Read more
Our interview process, stringent qualifications, and background screening ensure that only the best ISEE- Upper Level tutors work with Varsity Tutors. To assure a successful experience, you're paired with one of these qualified tutors by an expert director - and we stand behind that match with our money-back guarantee.
Receive personally tailored ISEE- Upper Level lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.
ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring FAQ
The Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE, is leveraged by independent and private schools for admissions and placement. It is offered for three different levels: Upper, Middle, and Lower. Each test includes questions in multiple-choice format, as well as an essay question. The amount of time given, the difficulty of the questions, and the number of questions is dependent upon the level taken. Varsity Tutors can help you find a skilled tutor who can help your child study for the ISEE Upper Level exam.
The Upper Level is for students who are entering grades 9-12. The test consists of five sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics Achievement, and the essay. Your student will have 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the entire exam.
The Verbal Reasoning section consists of sentence completion and synonym items. They assess your child's vocabulary knowledge, and his or her ability to reason. Children have 20 minutes to complete the 40 questions on this portion of the exam. Your child's ISEE Upper level tutor may work with your child to increase his or her vocabulary by utilizing flashcards with grade-level appropriate words, or they may use other techniques based on your child's current level of mastery.
The Quantitative Reasoning section of the exam uses multiple-choice questions to determine your child's ability to problem-solve and to think mathematically. It does not assess specific math skills. Your child will have 35 minutes to complete 37 items. The ability to think critically is a key factor in answering these questions correctly. Your child's tutor may work with your student on identifying what the question is asking, as well as time management techniques.
Both the Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Achievement portions of the exam are designed to measure your child's ability to answer grade-level questions in math and reading. Your child will be given 35 minutes to answer the 36 questions in the Reading Comprehension section, and 40 minutes to answer the 47 questions in the Mathematics Achievement section. These sections are skill-based, and your child's tutor will spend time determining which skills your student needs to focus on in order to pursue the highest score possible.
The final section of the exam is a single essay question, which is not graded by the ISEE. Instead, it is sent to the school or schools identified on the registration form. While it will not be part of the ISEE grade, it is an important factor in admissions for many schools and should be given the same care and attention as the other sections. Your child's tutor may work with him or her on creating a clear and concise outline to answer writing prompts in preparation for this portion of the exam.
It is important to note that the ISEE only looks for the number of correct answers and does not impose a penalty for those items that are answered incorrectly. Because of this, your child's tutor may also work on making educated guesses, as there is no benefit to leaving a question blank.
The Varsity Tutors live learning platform allows you to schedule your child's private ISEE Upper Level tutoring session at a time and location that is most convenient for your schedule. Private tutoring sessions can be scheduled in a virtual setting or in person. To connect with a tutor who is eager to work with your child, contact Varsity Tutors today.
4.9/5.0 Satisfaction Rating*
Your Personalized Tutoring Program and Instructor
Identify Needs
Our knowledgeable directors help you choose your tutor with your learning profile and personality in mind.
Customize Learning
Your tutor can customize your lessons and present concepts in engaging easy-to-understand-ways.
Increased Results
You can learn more efficiently and effectively because the teaching style is tailored to you.
Online Convenience
With the flexibility of online tutoring, your tutor can be arranged to meet at a time that suits you.
Recent ISEE- Upper Level Tutoring Session Notes
I first went over some practice tests the student did in the prep book. He did rather well on them. We then worked on an essay the student had started previously, so he finished writing it. After that, we worked on some more complicated square root problems, and finally finished with some synonyms practice.
We started to look the math section and began with geometry. We went through questions on squares, rectangles, parallelograms, rhombi, other quadrilaterals, kites, and hexagons. I had the student find the measure of angles, length of sides, area, perimeter, and diagonals. Some of the questions included other material such as finding the mean or a percentage. She needs to break the problems down into smaller parts and diagrams are very helpful. She is used to working with the metric system but the ISEE includes questions in both English and metric; she's going to need to learn how to convert between the two systems and within the English system. She also needs to make sure to read questions carefully so that she answers the question being asked. We will work together to make her proficient in all these areas.
We made some great progress with math. We're going through each concept covered on the test and reviewing things he forgot. We also did an overview of reading comp strategy and how to look at the questions given. Great work!
It was great meeting this student today! She's a very bright, very friendly student, and I appreciate the amount of hard work that she puts into our sessions. We began by reviewing the way that the ISEE is structured and basic math vocabulary. When it was clear that she could jump into more advanced topics, we immediately started working on percentages and word problems associated with algebra and percentages. She did a great job with translating those word problems into equations.
The student finished the lessons for all sections on the ISEE today. She feels confident about her progress thus far and is using the notes we took as a guide.
