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Anna
Certified ACT Tutor
Anna
BA Northwestern University • Graduated (Honors Program in Medical Education) Northwestern University
8+ Years Tutoring

Northwestern's Honors Program in Medical Education compressed Anna's premed and MD training into a single accelerated track — meaning she learned early how to master large volumes of material under tight time constraints, which is essentially what the ACT demands across all four sections. She scored a perfect 36 composite and uses that experience to teach students how to allocate their attention strategically, particularly on the Reading and Science sections where running out of time costs more points than content gaps. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Elizabeth
Certified ACT Tutor
Elizabeth
BA University of North Dakota
9+ Years Tutoring

Elizabeth scored a 34 ACT composite while balancing a full course load in aviation and management — a background that trained her to think systematically under pressure, which is exactly what the ACT rewards. As a Chicago Public Schools math teacher, she knows the specific content gaps that cost students points on the Math and Science sections and builds targeted strategies around them. Rated 5.0 by students, she's especially effective at turning test anxiety into structured confidence.

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Viktor
BA University of Chicago
7+ Years Tutoring

Viktor's path to a 1600 SAT and 35 ACT started with hating math until a few great teachers showed him the reasoning behind the formulas — and that shift from memorization to understanding is exactly how he approaches ACT prep, especially the Math section's later problems where conceptual thinking beats calculator mashing. His UChicago math degree and current CS work at NYU keep all four sections covered, but he's particularly sharp at teaching students to decode the Science section's graphs and tables as logic puzzles rather than actual science.

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Asta
BA University of Chicago
1+ Years Tutoring

Having tutored students in Hong Kong preparing for U.S. college admissions, Asta knows how the ACT fits into the bigger picture — and that knowledge shapes how she prioritizes section-by-section prep based on each student's target schools. Her 35 composite and University of Chicago political science training make her especially effective on the Reading and English sections, where she teaches students to dissect passage arguments quickly instead of re-reading. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Spencer
BA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
6+ Years Tutoring

Environmental engineering at UIUC keeps Spencer sharp across the quantitative reasoning and scientific data analysis that dominate two of the ACT's four sections — and his 36 composite proves he's just as dialed in on English and Reading. He takes a hands-on approach, putting students into timed problem sets and working through mistakes in real time rather than lecturing through content they'll forget by test day.

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Oliver
Engineer Northwestern University
6+ Years Tutoring

Industrial engineering at Northwestern trained Oliver to optimize systems — and he applies that same mindset to ACT prep, diagnosing exactly where a student's score breaks down and rebuilding the process section by section. His 36 composite means there's no ceiling on the strategies he teaches, whether it's eliminating answer choices on Reading or managing the Math section's final ten questions under pressure. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Jack
BA Northwestern University
1+ Years Tutoring

Northwestern's theatre program trains you to read texts with surgical precision — dissecting intent, structure, and subtext — and Jack applies that same close-reading instinct to the ACT's English and Reading sections, where most students lose points by skimming instead of analyzing. His economics coursework covers the quantitative and data-reasoning side, giving him genuine fluency across all four sections backed by a 35 composite. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Jacob
BA Vanderbilt University
1+ Years Tutoring

A literature degree might not scream ACT prep, but Jacob's English background makes him especially dangerous on the two sections most students underestimate — English and Reading, where recognizing argument structure and grammatical patterns accounts for nearly half the composite score. He earned a 35 composite himself and extends that same precision to Math and Science, teaching students to treat unfamiliar-looking problems as exercises in careful reading rather than raw content knowledge. Rated 4.8 by students.

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Blake
BA Illinois Institute of Technology
6+ Years Tutoring

Architecture school at IIT trained Blake to juggle spatial reasoning, technical writing, and analytical problem-solving in a single project — which maps surprisingly well onto an exam that tests math, science data, and English grammar all in one sitting. He scored a 35 composite and uses that cross-disciplinary wiring to coach students on the transitions between sections, where mental fatigue and pacing mistakes quietly eat points. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Gabe
BA Wesleyan University
1+ Years Tutoring

Pre-med neuroscience training means Gabe genuinely understands the biology, chemistry, and data analysis behind ACT Science passages — but he's equally comfortable drilling the grammar rules and reading strategies that drive the English and Reading sections. His approach starts by diagnosing the root cause of lost points, whether that's a content gap, a pacing habit, or a tendency to second-guess correct answers, then building a targeted plan around it. He scored a 35 composite and holds a 5.0 rating.

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Evan
BA Harvard University • Current Grad Student, Statistics Harvard University
9+ Years Tutoring

Sociology trained Evan to dissect arguments and read critically; his current statistics graduate work means he's equally comfortable with data tables and probability — a combination that covers the ACT's full spread from Reading and English to Math and Science without leaning on just one strength. He earned a 35 composite and uses that cross-disciplinary fluency to teach students how the Science section's graphs are testing reading skill, not scientific knowledge, and why the Math section's later questions reward strategic elimination over brute-force calculation. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Mahalia
BA Northwestern University
9+ Years Tutoring

Scoring a 35 composite on the ACT gave Mahalia firsthand insight into how each section works — but it's her writing and language background that makes her especially sharp on the English and Reading portions, where pacing and passage analysis trip up most students. She breaks the Science section down into a data-interpretation exercise and teaches concrete strategies for eliminating answer choices under time pressure. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Austin
BA University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
6+ Years Tutoring

Scoring a 34 on the ACT while deep in a chemistry-heavy course load at Michigan, Austin developed time-management strategies for the Science and Math sections that let him move through data interpretation and multi-step problems without second-guessing. As an MD/PhD student at Northwestern, he now brings that same analytical precision to breaking down reading passages and grammar questions — sections where science-minded students often lose easy points. His approach treats each ACT section as its own skill set with distinct pacing rules.

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Charlie
BA University of Chicago
10+ Years Tutoring

A University of Chicago degree in English Literature paired with a 35 ACT composite means Charlie genuinely owns both halves of the test — the rhetorical and grammatical reasoning that drives English and Reading, and the quantitative problem-solving behind Math and Science. He's heading to Harvard Law this fall, and the same analytical rigor that earned him LSAT mastery sharpens how he teaches students to dissect ACT questions under time pressure. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Ilana
MS Northwestern University • BA Northwestern University
1+ Years Tutoring

Cognitive science trained Ilana to understand how people actually learn and retain information — which turns out to be exactly what you need when prepping for a four-section exam that punishes shallow memorization. She scored a 35 composite and covers the full ACT, drawing on her neuroscience coursework for the Science section's data-heavy passages and her opera and writing background for the rhetorical and grammar questions that dominate English. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Cole
BA University
4+ Years Tutoring

Five years of tutoring writing and English — from middle school writing centers to high school TA roles — gave Cole an unusually deep feel for the ACT's English and Reading sections, where recognizing argument structure and grammar patterns matters more than raw speed. His 35 composite and Princeton training in public policy and creative writing mean the analytical and verbal halves of the test draw on skills he uses every day. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Benjamin
Current Undergrad Student, Economics University of Chicago
8+ Years Tutoring

Economics at the University of Chicago means Benjamin spends his days building and dismantling logical arguments — a skill that pays off across every ACT section, from parsing Science passages to catching rhetorical shifts in Reading. He earned a 35 composite and leans on his strong math and science background to coach students through the back half of the Math section, where the difficulty curve catches most test-takers off guard. Rated 4.8 by students.

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Ruthie
BA University of Pennsylvania
10+ Years Tutoring

Ruthie's neuroscience degree (Biological Basis of Behavior) means she studied the kind of dense, data-heavy material that mirrors what the ACT Science section throws at students — and her 1510 SAT and 33 ACT composite show she knows how to perform across verbal and quantitative sections alike. She leans on that cross-disciplinary background to coach reading-intensive sections just as comfortably as math, adjusting strategy based on where a student's composite is being dragged down. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Mark
Current Grad Student, Bioengineering University of Illinois at Chicago • Current Undergrad, Bioengineering University of Illinois at Chicago
1+ Years Tutoring

Bioengineering grad work means Mark spends his days buried in quantitative analysis and scientific data — exactly the muscle memory that powers the ACT's Math and Science sections, where he teaches students to extract answers from dense graphs without overthinking the underlying experiments. His 34 composite and breadth across subjects like economics, literature, and essay editing let him cover the English and Reading sections with equal confidence, building section-specific strategies rather than generic test tips.

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Suzanne
BA Loyola University-Chicago
9+ Years Tutoring

I am passionate for the sciences, specifically biology. Tutoring helps me directly engage with students in a way that is both fulfilling for the student and myself.

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Nathaniel
BA Northwestern University
5+ Years Tutoring

Northwestern's public policy program trains students to digest dense data, build arguments from evidence, and write under pressure — three skills that map directly onto the ACT's Reading, Science, and English sections. Nathaniel scored a 34 composite and pairs that analytical background with genuine strength in math (through calculus), so he covers all four sections without leaning on tricks for the ones outside his wheelhouse. His writing center experience also makes him a natural fit for students adding the optional Writing section.

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Karishma
BA Northwestern University
1+ Years Tutoring

English and psychology double major, 34 ACT composite, and a tutor who's coached students through everything from calculus to creative writing — Karishma covers the full exam without faking fluency in any section. Her literary analysis background is especially useful on Reading, where she teaches students to dissect passage structure and author intent instead of rereading paragraphs three times under the clock. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Aaron
BA Vanderbilt University
8+ Years Tutoring

Aaron's 1530 SAT and 32 ACT composite come from someone who tutors 42 subjects — meaning he actually knows the content behind every section rather than relying on test-day tricks alone. He leans on his organizational behavior training to build structured study plans that target each student's weakest section first, then layers in pacing and question-triage strategies as scores climb. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Devon
BA Northwestern University
8+ Years Tutoring

Devon scored a 36 on the ACT — a perfect composite — and brings a section-by-section strategy shaped by that experience. From pacing the Science passages as data interpretation exercises to spotting the grammar patterns that repeat across every English section, he breaks the test into learnable, predictable moves. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Zac
BA Vanderbilt University
1+ Years Tutoring

Scoring a 34 composite on the ACT gave Zac firsthand knowledge of what it takes to perform across all four sections — from pacing strategies on Science passages to grammar rules that repeat on English. As a Vanderbilt sophomore, he breaks the test into learnable patterns, teaching students to spot trap answers and manage their time so no section feels like a surprise on test day. Rated 4.9 by students.

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Mercy
Current Undergrad Student, Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6+ Years Tutoring

Mercy is an MIT computer science and neuroscience student whose 1560 SAT and 33 ACT composite came from treating standardized tests like debugging — systematically identifying where points are lost and fixing those specific weaknesses. She covers all four sections and draws on her pre-med analytical rigor to teach the Reading and Science passages as exercises in efficient information extraction rather than deep content recall.

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Brett
BA Northwestern University
9+ Years Tutoring

Brett tutors all four ACT sections plus Writing, and his communication degree gives him a particular edge on the English and Reading portions — he teaches students to dissect passage structure and rhetorical intent quickly, which is where most test-takers bleed time. His 34 composite and 5.0 client rating back up an approach that emphasizes strategic elimination and section-specific pacing over brute-force practice.

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Kheya
BA University of Illinois at Chicago
9+ Years Tutoring

Having coached high school juniors through ACT prep and scored a 34 composite herself, Kheya knows the English and Writing sections inside out — every comma splice rule, every rhetorical strategy question the test loves to recycle. Her psychology training at UIC also gives her a practical handle on the focus and pacing habits that make or break the Science and Reading sections, where students often know the content but burn time second-guessing answers.

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Hanlu
BA Washington University in St. Louis
8+ Years Tutoring

Teaching across 34 subjects — from calculus and science to creative writing and literature — means Hanlu doesn't have blind spots when the ACT jumps between grammar, data interpretation, algebraic reasoning, and passage analysis in a single sitting. She earned a 34 composite and uses her international relations training to approach the Reading and English sections as exercises in argument structure, while her math and science fluency keeps the quantitative half just as solid.

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Masooma
BA University of Illinois at Chicago
10+ Years Tutoring

Graduate study at the University of Chicago sharpened Masooma's ability to dissect dense reading passages and construct tight arguments — skills she applies directly to the ACT's Reading and English sections, where speed and precision matter most. Her 34 composite and breadth across 80+ subjects from calculus to AP Chemistry mean the Math and Science sections get equal attention, not just surface-level tips. Rated 4.9 by students.

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Pal
Current Undergrad, Neuroscience (GPPA Medicine) University of Illinois at Chicago
10+ Years Tutoring

Being on UIC's Speech and Forensics team sharpened the kind of rapid analytical reading that pays off on the ACT's Reading and Science sections — parsing dense material under time pressure is something Pal practices competitively, not just on test day. His neuroscience coursework in the GPPA Medicine program keeps the math and science content second nature, and a 34 composite means he's walked through every section at a high level himself.

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Owen
BA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
6+ Years Tutoring

Owen's computer science training at the University of Illinois sharpens the logical reasoning that runs through every ACT section — but it's his math minor and love of reading that round out his prep across the quantitative and verbal halves of the test. He earned a 35 composite and uses that cross-section strength to pinpoint exactly where a student's time is being wasted, whether it's second-guessing comma rules on English or over-calculating on Math problems that reward estimation. Rated 4.9 by students.

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Zach
BA University
1+ Years Tutoring

Simplifying is Zach's whole philosophy — he strips each ACT section down to its core patterns so students stop overthinking and start recognizing what the test is actually asking. His 34 composite and music performance training give him an unusual combination of analytical precision and creative problem-solving, covering everything from the Math section's algebra-heavy middle to the English section's recycled punctuation rules. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Sareen
Current Undergrad, Neuroscience and Psychology University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
10+ Years Tutoring

Sareen scored a 33 on the ACT while juggling a triple-major course load at Pitt — neuroscience, psychology, and French — which means she built efficient strategies for every section rather than relying on raw study hours. She's especially sharp on the Science reasoning passages, where her lab background kicks in, and on the English section's grammar traps that trip up even strong writers. Rated 5.0 by students, she breaks the test into repeatable patterns that make a four-hour exam feel manageable.

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Lauren
BA University of Notre Dame
6+ Years Tutoring

Lauren's unusual combination of IT and Latin studies at Notre Dame means she's equally comfortable with the ACT's quantitative reasoning and the grammar and rhetoric questions that dominate the English section — her 34 composite reflects that cross-section balance. She now works at a Chicago trading firm where speed and pattern recognition are everything, skills she channels into teaching students the pacing and question-type shortcuts that turn time pressure from an obstacle into an advantage. Rated 5.0 by students.

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Jide
BS Oakland Community College
4+ Years Tutoring

I have studied engineering at UIUC and Oakton college, and am currently working on both my Bachelors and Masters degrees at Depaul University for Secondary Math Education. I have been tutoring for about 4 years as volunteering for a local elementary/middle school. Academics have played a major role in my life, as I was a student who personally struggled and took many steps to overcome the challenges presented during my early education. As somebody who has had to work to find new intuitive ways to learn, I highly value the qualities of patience and out-of-the-box thinking to help my students succeed! I have tutored all fundamental subjects for students in K-12. However, as a student currently pursuing a degree in Secondary Education Math, my affinity for tutoring especially lends itself towards STEM subjects. I believe that a vital component to learning is being able to appreciate and enjoy the presented content. I always hope to achieve this by contextualizing topics learned in the classroom, with the goal of helping students grasp the importance and real-world applications of each subject.

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Victoria
BA Northwestern University
10+ Years Tutoring

Materials science and earth science coursework means Victoria is equally comfortable with the ACT's quantitative sections and the dense, jargon-heavy passages that make Science feel intimidating — she teaches students to read those passages like data reports, pulling exactly what's needed without getting lost in unfamiliar terminology. Her 33 composite and 5.0 tutoring rating span all four sections plus Writing, and her experience with college essays and grammar gives her real traction on the English side of the test too.

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Seong
BA Northwestern University
9+ Years Tutoring

Scoring a 33 composite on the ACT means Seong performed in the top 1% across all four sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — and she tutors each of those individually as well. As a neuroscience major at Northwestern, she brings a data-driven approach to test strategy, teaching students how to manage pacing, eliminate answer choices efficiently, and recognize the patterns the ACT reuses across practice tests.

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Smith
BA Illinois Wesleyan University
1+ Years Tutoring

A year as a Kaplan ACT classroom instructor plus additional one-on-one ACT tutoring with StudyPoint gave Smith a detailed map of how the test works section by section — from the grammar rules that repeat on English to the graph-reading shortcuts that unlock Science. With a 33 composite of his own, he knows the difference between a 28 and a 32 often comes down to pacing strategy and learning which questions to skip first. Rated 4.9 by students.

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Christine
Current Undergrad, Biological Sciences University of Illinois at Chicago
9+ Years Tutoring

Christine scored a 33 composite on the ACT while balancing a rigorous pre-pharmacy science track at UIC, so she knows how to strategize across all four sections under real time pressure. She breaks the test into manageable patterns — pacing tricks for the Science passages, grammar rules that repeat on English, and mental math shortcuts that shave seconds off each Math question.

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Frequently Asked Questions

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign typically admits students with ACT scores between 29-34, with admitted students averaging around 31-32. A score of 30+ puts you in a competitive range for admission, though your GPA, course rigor, and extracurriculars also play important roles. Many Illinois students benefit from aiming for a 32+ to strengthen their overall application and potentially qualify for merit scholarships.

The ACT Science section (35 minutes, 40 questions) tests your ability to interpret data, read graphs, and reason scientifically—not memorized science facts. You'll encounter passages about biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science, but success depends on quickly analyzing tables, charts, and experimental results. Many Chicago students find this section challenging because it requires a different skill set than typical science classes, making targeted prep particularly valuable.

Both tests are equally accepted at Midwest universities, but the ACT has historically been more popular in Illinois and the broader Midwest region. Many Chicago-area high schools offer free ACT testing days, and most state schools (including U of I) built their admissions models around ACT scoring. That said, students should consider taking both tests to see which format plays to their strengths—some students naturally perform better on one test's structure and pacing.

Most students benefit from 3-4 months of consistent prep to see meaningful improvement (typically 2-4 points on the composite score). If you're targeting a specific score—like jumping from 26 to 30—focused tutoring combined with regular practice can accelerate progress. Chicago students often start prep in the spring of junior year to allow time for a summer retake if needed, giving them scores ready for fall senior year applications.

With focused 1-on-1 instruction, students typically improve 2-5 composite points, with some seeing larger gains depending on their starting score and effort level. Students who struggle with specific sections (like Science or Math) often see the biggest improvements in those areas. The key is identifying your weak spots—whether it's pacing on Reading, data interpretation on Science, or trigonometry on Math—and building targeted strategies rather than generic test prep.

The ACT is faster-paced than the SAT, requiring about 1 minute per question on average. Success comes from developing section-specific strategies: on Reading, preview questions before passages; on Math, skip difficult problems and return later; on Science, focus on the question before reading the full passage. Personalized tutoring helps you identify which sections drain your time and teaches pacing techniques that work for your learning style, rather than one-size-fits-all advice.

Unlike the SAT, most colleges do not superscore the ACT—they use your single highest composite score. However, taking the test 2-3 times is still common practice, as test-day performance varies and you might improve significantly on a retake. Chicago students typically take the ACT in April of junior year, then again in June or July if aiming for a higher score, giving them solid results before senior year applications.

Most colleges no longer require the ACT Writing section, and many don't even consider it in admissions decisions. Unless a specific school you're targeting explicitly requires it, you can skip the Writing section and save 40 minutes. Check your target universities' websites to confirm their requirements, but for most Chicago students applying to Illinois schools and beyond, the 4-section ACT is the standard choice.

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