Mr. Fisher helpedher raise it enoughto gain early admissionto GeorgetownUni versity. "He's great at breaking down the fun- damentalsand brought my math to a wholenewlevel," shesaid. Ms. Gottlieb'smother,ShannonSuch, said her daughter enjoyedthe sessions. Possiblymore impressive, shesaid,was howmuchMr. Fisherseemed to care."I gotthefeelinghe reallyenjoyedhiswork and liked helpingthesekids," Ms. Such said. Indeed,Mr. Fisherglowswhenhetalks of the mental gymnasticshe must per- form, confessing that his favorite part of the job is when a student gets really stuck.It is then,he says,that he gets to exercise his creativity. How to get this technique through to this kid? How to break down a complicated concept so each part is small enoughto digest? That'swhatexciteshim. "Youcan'timaginehowrewardingit is to seea kid finally get it," he said."They get that giddy feeling.You can seeit on their faces,and half the time they wind upwalkingout of my officesodistracted theyforgettheir coat."
andcredits muchof his success to his tu- tor's methodanddisposition. "Even thoughhe'sa lot smarterthanI am, he never mademe feel that way," Mr. Feldmansaid."He was so laid-back and patient, I instantly felt comfortable with him,andmy scorekeptgoingup." Mr. Feldmanstartedwith anotherAd- vantagetutor but switchedto Mr. Fish- er becausehe felt a quicker connection, he said, addingthat he was impressed by how Mr. Fisher organizedthe ses- sionsandby howwell he understood the test. "He knowsthe LSAT insideand out," Mr. Feldman said. "He would sit and watch me take a practice test andfigure out, just by watchingme,whatI vas hav- ing troublewith. Thenwe'd work on that until I hadit down." ThoughMr. Feldman estimatesthat his two monthsof tutoring twice a week cost him "three-quartersof a year's tu- ition" (Tulane Law charges $33,000 a year in tuition and fees),it was worth it, hesaid. "This was aninvestmentin my future." VanessaGottlieb. on the other hand. startedout with a high sAT score.Still,
trance exam is an opportunity for a stu- dent to learn not only facts and proce- duresbut also a systematic approachto learningitself. "My job is not to teach a student the trick to getting a high score; my job is getting a studentto make the knowledge theirs so it becomespart of them," Mr. Fishersaid. "I view standardized tests not as a numberthat getsyouinto collegebut asa tool that preparesyou for the rest of your life. "When, not if, my students learn the 3,000 to 4,000words for the SATverbal section,"Mr. Fisher added,betrayinga determinationhis studentsmust quickly pick up on, "thosewords becomepart of their life, somethingthey can use forev- er." Mr. Fisher'sstudents eemto agree. SteveFeldman, a 23-year-oldManhat- tan resident.said that the three months Mr. Fisher tutoredhim for the law school exam preparedhim well for the mental rigorsof thelaw.Originallyscoring in the l6th percentile,Mr. Feldmanendedup in the 85thpercentile.He was accepted to hisfirst-choice school, TulaneUniversity,
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