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Award-Winning Selective Enrollment Exam Tutors

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Mimi
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 su...
Harvard University
Masters in Education, Education
Dartmouth College
B.A.

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Aaron
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 e...
The University of Texas at Dallas
Bachelors, Mechanical Engineering
Duke University
Current Grad Student, Mechanical Engineering
Certified Tutor
10+ years
Nina
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 ...
Columbia University
Masters in biostatistics
Northwestern University
Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences (focus in neurobiology)
Columbia University in the City of New York
Current Grad Student, Biostatistics
Certified Tutor
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...
Harvard University
PHD, Education
Wesleyan University
Bachelor in Arts, Sociology
Certified Tutor
8+ years
Solange
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 campu...
Harvard University
Bachelor in Arts (Sociology & Women's Studies)
Certified Tutor
Christopher
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 tut...
Harvard College
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
Certified Tutor
Liz
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 ...
Simmons College
Masters, Special Education: Mild to Moderate Disabilities 5-12
Washington University in St. Louis
Bachelor of Arts in History (minors in Humanities and Anthropology)
Certified Tutor
Charles
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 descr...
Yale University
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
Certified Tutor
Michelle
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 Medici...
Baylor College of Medicine
Current Grad Student, M.D.
Rice University
Bachelor's in Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Justin
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 Com...
Washington University in St. Louis
Bachelor's in Physics and Mathematics
University of Chicago
Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Mathematics
Certified Tutor
James
I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I study chemistry, and 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...
Harvard University
Bachelor in Arts, Chemistry
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Henry
I'm eager to help you in your education. I'm a recent graduate of Harvard College looking to apply to law school. My senior thesis was written on John Dewey's ideas of education, which I deeply believe has incredible power to transform individuals and society.
Harvard College
Bachelor in Arts, History
Certified Tutor
10+ years
I am excited to be home and help fellow straphangers on their educational paths! My largest wealth of tutoring experience is in foreign languages--particularly French--but I also feel very comfortable editing essays of any kind and working through standardized test concepts. My availability is extre...
Brown University
Bachelors
Certified Tutor
Asta
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my undergraduate degree in political science. Right after graduation, I worked as an academic and test prep tutor as well as admissions consultant in Hong Kong. For the past two years, I worked with a number of students to help prepare th...
University of Chicago
Bachelor in Arts in Political Science
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Isabella
I am a graduate of MIT. I received my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with minors in Management Science and Ancient and Medieval Studies. Since graduation, I have started my PhD at Georgia Tech in Operations Research. Throughout my career I have TA'd several math and computer science courses at t...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (minors in Management Science and Ancient and Medieval Studies)
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Current Grad Student, Operations Research
Top 20 Test Prep Subjects
Meet Varsity Tutors Experts
Connect with highly-rated educators ready to help you succeed.
James
AP Calculus AB Tutor • +40 Subjects
I am currently a senior at Harvard College where I study chemistry, and 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 hard to get to know the format of the tests and the most popular types of questions. I tutor because I love seeing students develop a genuine passion for the subjects they once disliked (such as math and science), once they understand the power of these subjects and their applications to the real world.
Henry
Calculus Tutor • +41 Subjects
I'm eager to help you in your education. I'm a recent graduate of Harvard College looking to apply to law school. My senior thesis was written on John Dewey's ideas of education, which I deeply believe has incredible power to transform individuals and society.
Daniel
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects
I am excited to be home and help fellow straphangers on their educational paths! My largest wealth of tutoring experience is in foreign languages--particularly French--but I also feel very comfortable editing essays of any kind and working through standardized test concepts. My availability is extremely flexible, and anywhere in New York City works for me. I look forward to working with you.
Asta
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +73 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my undergraduate degree in political science. Right after graduation, I worked as an academic and test prep tutor as well as admissions consultant in Hong Kong. For the past two years, I worked with a number of students to help prepare them for college in the United States.
Isabella
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +27 Subjects
I am a graduate of MIT. I received my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with minors in Management Science and Ancient and Medieval Studies. Since graduation, I have started my PhD at Georgia Tech in Operations Research. Throughout my career I have TA'd several math and computer science courses at the college level. I have also taught at summer programs for gifted middle school and high school students. I am passionate about tutoring kids in math and science because I think that a strong foundation in STEM at an early age can set the tone for their future. In my spare time I like to engage in athletics, and was a Division 1 rower in college. Hobbies: reading, swimming, writing, books, music, running, art
Ingrid
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +51 Subjects
I am exploring my creativity by pursuing a double major in Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus in Korean, studying abroad in South Korea as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar, leading workshops that teach 3D printing and CAD for undergraduate students as the president of 3D4E, advocating for the first-generation and low-income student community as the Outreach Chair of the Quest+ Scholars Network, and getting involved with the Society of Women Engineers' outreach committee. I currently hold a work-study position as an administrative clerical aide in the Institute of Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and was an undergraduate researcher in the John Rogers Lab. As I look forward with aspirations of applying to graduate school, areas of research in biomedical engineering and biotechnology that I am particularly interested in include biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and drug delivery systems. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy learning on my own and sharing my experience and knowledge with my peers and other students. I hope to make use of my experiences with academics and learning in high school and so far in my undergraduate career in order to effectively tutor students who may be experiencing the same struggles in learning that I also experienced.
Justin
Calculus Tutor • +38 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Currently, I am in the master's program at the University of New Mexico where I am continuing my education in philosophy. Ultimately, I hope to go on to earn a PhD in Philosophy so that I can continue engaging in my passions for learning and teaching. While in school, I have spent countless hours coaching high school speech and debate both in person and working online with students across the country. My focus in coaching has been to emphasize philosophy and critical thought to prepare students to think through novel arguments on their own. I am passionate about teaching and tutoring because I love seeing students learn to be intellectually independent and think through problems on their own terms by developing their critical thinking skills. I have devoted my life to education because I am passionate about it, and I try to share some of my passion for learning with the students I work with. I tutor all sorts of Standardized Tests, and I particularly enjoy working on logic-based problems like analogies and math sections. When I am not tutoring or reading for school, I enjoy strategy games (both board games and video games), listening to music, hiking, playing basketball, and just relaxing with friends.
Elena
Calculus Tutor • +31 Subjects
I am a graduate of McGill University (BA First Class Honors) and the University of Edinburgh (MSc First Class Honors with Distinction) with over eight years of tutoring experience. I am currently a curriculum developer for a company which creates relatable and culturally-literate courses for middle and high-schools, and am particularly adept at communicating and explaining concepts in a quirky, engaging, and intelligent manner. I was named Scotland International Young Thinker of the Year 2014 for exactly that sort of work. Much of my tutoring background is in test-prep and essay coaching, which I enjoy because it allows the tutor and student to think strategically together, and work as a team to achieve concrete results. I have worked with students ranging in age from 6-32, and believe that, in an educational context, a few jokes never hurt anybody. I love reading and learning, and my educational approach is centered around making the material just as engaging to students as it is to me. I think J.K. Rowlings, the writer of Harry Potter, is just as brilliant as Stephen Hawking, and in my free time, I manage my (terrible) fantasy baseball team, write songs for my comedy band, and crack jokes about terrible science-fiction movies with my friends.
Sabira
Middle School Math Tutor • +35 Subjects
I am currently attending Johns Hopkins University, pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science and Applied Math and Statistics. I love helping students and I love the feeling I get knowing that I was able to use my knowledge to make someone else happier. My favorite subject to teach is math because there are so many ways to learn it and if one way does not help I can use another. I used to teach taekwondo and interacted with all kinds of students, and I'm excited to help out more! Hobbies: books, reading, music, writing, art
Andrew
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects
I am comfortable tutoring math subjects up to multivariable calculus and differential equations, as well as college physics. Hobbies: books, music, art, reading, writing
Top 20 Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Score improvement depends on your starting point, how much you practice, and the time you invest. Most students see meaningful gains when they work with a tutor 2-3 times per week over 8-12 weeks, focusing on their weakest areas. Some students improve by 50-100+ points, while others gain confidence and test-taking strategies that help them perform closer to their full potential on test day.
The key is identifying exactly where you're losing points—whether it's reading comprehension speed, math problem-solving, or understanding question formats—and targeting those specific gaps.
Pacing is one of the biggest challenges students face, and it's very fixable with strategy. Tutors help you learn which question types to tackle first, how to recognize when to skip a hard problem and come back to it, and how to manage your time across sections. Practice with timed drills is essential—doing full practice tests under real timing conditions helps you develop an internal clock.
Many students also benefit from learning to estimate how long each question *should* take, so you can catch yourself if you're spending too much time on one problem and falling behind.
The best way is to take a full practice test under timed conditions, then analyze your results by question type and content area. A tutor can help you spot patterns—maybe you're missing most word problems, or you consistently run out of time on reading passages. Breaking down your mistakes into "careless errors," "didn't understand the concept," and "ran out of time" is crucial, because each type needs a different fix.
Once you know your specific weak spots, you can practice strategically instead of redoing everything. This targeted approach saves time and builds confidence much faster.
Much of test anxiety comes from uncertainty—not knowing what to expect, worrying about time running out, or feeling unprepared for certain question types. Working with a tutor builds confidence by making the test format familiar and by giving you proven strategies to handle tough problems.
Tutors also help you develop a test-day mindset: learning to stay calm when you hit a hard question, knowing when to move on strategically, and understanding that skipping something doesn't mean failure. Practice tests become a safe space to build that confidence before the real exam.
The Selective Enrollment Exam tests both content knowledge and your ability to understand *how* questions are asked. Many students know the math but misread a question, or understand a reading passage but miss what the question is actually asking. Learning to decode question language and spot common tricky wording patterns saves huge amounts of time and prevents careless mistakes.
A tutor walks you through the specific question types on this exam, teaches you what each format is testing, and shows you how to identify the exact information you need to answer correctly.
The best tutors combine deep knowledge of the exam's specific content and format with the ability to diagnose *why* you're missing questions. They understand not just the right answers, but the most efficient problem-solving approaches and common student mistakes. They're also skilled at teaching test-taking strategy—not just math and reading, but tactics like pacing, strategic skipping, and managing test anxiety.
Equally important is someone who listens to your concerns, adjusts based on your learning style, and helps you understand concepts rather than just memorizing answers. You want a tutor who makes you feel confident, not overwhelmed.
Most students benefit from 2-3 tutoring sessions per week over 8-12 weeks, depending on how much time you have and your starting point. The frequency matters less than consistency—regular sessions help concepts stick and let your tutor track your progress and adjust focus. Between sessions, you should be doing 30-45 minutes of independent practice, including full or partial practice tests.
If you're starting very close to test day, more frequent sessions can help you make the most of limited time. Your tutor can help you create a study schedule that fits your timeline and goals.
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