Advantage Testing Info Booklet

Learn more about Advantage Testing, our unique educational resources, and the public service initiatives of the Advantage Testing Foundation.

ADVANTAGE TESTING TUTORING AND TEST PREPARATION

Academic Tutoring • Application Counseling • AP SAT/ACT • SAT Subject Tests • LSAT • GMAT • MCAT • GRE • SSAT/ISEE Advantage Testing is widely regarded as America’s preeminent private tutorial and test preparation service. We specialize in academic tutoring from grade school through graduate school and in preparing students for standardized tests. We believe that sound long-term preparation enables students to develop the tools necessary for success. Whether mastering academic course materials or studying for standardized tests, our students develop the skills and motivation to maintain a rigorous, individually tailored approach to learning that ultimately instills education’s most enduring rewards: • self-confidence • academic growth • joy in learning • intellectual curiosity We adapt traditional methods of study and practice for the individual, teaching our students to study not just intensively, but effectively. We do not believe in “tricks” or short cuts. Instead, we teach the core content and strategies relevant to every subject, test, or assignment, an approach that is consistently and rigorously educational.

210 East 86th Street New York, NY 10028 (212) 744-8800

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Advantage Testing

Approach to learning

page 3 ..........................................................................

Reputation

page 4 .............................................................................................

Academic Tutoring, AP, and other programs

page 5 ....................................

College counseling and application consulting

page 6 ..............................

SAT & ACT programs

page 7 ...........................................................................

Classroom experience

page 10 ......................................................................

Locations

page 11 .............................................................................................

About the Founder

page 12 ............................................................................

New York tutors

page 13 ..................................................................................

Student evaluations

page 22 ...........................................................................

Public service initiatives .................................................................... Media and Publicity Mayor’s Proclamation

page 25 ........................................................................ page 26 ...........................................................................

The New York Times

The Wall Street Journal New York Magazine

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page 29 ............................................................................

Our approach to learning is • Long-term : Cognition involves phases of comprehension, application, and repetition that take time, both during and between teaching sessions. The benefits of such productive work, of course, become long-term as well. • Rigorous : Advantage Testing students work hard. We teach the efficiencies of skill, knowledge, and sound reasoning rather than short cuts or tricks. Assignments, memorization, drills, and practice tests are crucial components of our programs. • Comprehensive : For more than thirty years, we have continually refined and expanded our teaching materials and approaches. Our curricula and instruction reflect a depth and breadth born of experience and thorough analysis. • Practical : We design and implement concrete strategies with specific steps toward attainable goals. Practice itself is the backbone of our structured test preparation. • Creative : Tutors adapt their distinctive styles of teaching to each individual student, while the student in turn is encouraged to contribute to the process. Our tutors must be… • …able to motivate students of whatever background or ability to achieve their highest possible scores. • …experienced, dedicated teachers who have received uniformly outstanding reviews from their students inside and outside our program. • …energetic, informal, and approachable so as to be able to establish productive relationships with our students. • …top performers required to score in the 99.5 th percentile on any standardized test they teach for us. • …students themselves of the continuously evolving science of standardized test construction. Sensitivity Advantage Testing has experience achieving outstanding results with students of every ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural background. Our instructors are responsive not only to their students’ individual learning styles and academic needs, but also to their personal stories, unique self- identifications, and individual perspectives.

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Reputation Advantage Testing is recognized as an industry leader among tutoring organizations and the nation’s foremost expert on standardized test consultation and preparation. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg “ Advantage Testing’s commitment to excellence and social responsibility truly represents the very best our great City has to offer…Advantage Testing has fostered intellectual

growth and academic success amongst the future business, artistic, and civic leaders who will shape our City and our world. ”

The New York Times “…perhaps the City’s premier tutoring service.”

The New Yorker “The Institute for Advanced Study of tutoring services.”

The Wall Street Journal Arun Alagappan, Advantage Testing’s President and Founder, profiled as “Donor of the Day” for “helping to find the next generation of leaders who will bring diversity, new ideas, compassion, and a different kind of leadership to institutions.” The London Evening Standard “A pioneer in instituting the scrupulous standards that have elevated tutoring to the respected profession it has become in New York City.” New York Magazine Arun Alagappan featured in cover story “The Influentials: The people whose ideas, power, and sheer will are changing New York.” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg “For a quarter-century, Advantage Testing has been an outstanding advocate for equal opportunity in education… The task of preparing every student for college and a career is not over yet. We are headed in the right direction, however, and thanks to the dedicated professionals and friends of Advantage Testing, we can look forward to more New Yorkers becoming life-long learners.”

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Academic tutoring Nowadays, students enlist tutors for help with much more than just their standardized test preparation. Some students struggle in school and turn to tutors to help them both understand the fundamentals and improve academic performance. Some students seek tutoring to assist them with highly challenging classes that they might otherwise be reluctant to take. Others seek to explore subjects with greater rigor and in greater depth than they might in a classroom setting. When tutoring academic subjects, our tutors teach a systematic approach to learning that helps students develop the problem-solving and project-management skills required to absorb a semester or more of academic content. We have developed comprehensive proprietary materials to support our academic tutoring programs. Our students acquire a sense of confidence in tackling new challenges that remains with them throughout their academic and professional careers. Academic subjects tutored include: • Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics, Precalculus, Calculus (differential, integral, multivariable), Advanced Mathematics • Academic Writing Skills, Vocabulary, Critical Reading, Grammar, Literature • Biology (molecular, ecological), Chemistry (inorganic, organic), Physics, Computer Science, Environmental Science • American History and Social Studies, World History, European History, Government, Politics • French, Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Ancient Greek, Korean, Chinese Advanced Placement exams Our AP tutoring programs complement our academic instruction. Students begin by developing a strong foundation in the relevant academic course material and all tested concepts. Homework and practice tests ensure that students are able to demonstrate mastery of the subject as it is tested on the exam. Advanced Placement tutoring programs vary considerably in duration depending on the student’s goals and familiarity with the subject matter. Unique programs We are experts in developing responsive programs to address students’ unique needs and goals. We have deep experience working with individual students and small groups in homeschool environments, special programs, and other educational initiatives. We are also available to complement or supplement various school curricula on request. Our consultants work closely with individual families, classes, schools, and other academic communities to ensure we are providing the critical and timely support our students need in any learning environment.

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College Admissions Counseling Advantage Testing’s College Counseling program provides comprehensive individual review of the most critical components of the admissions process: • school research and selection (considering objective and subjective criteria) • academic and standardized testing plans • extracurricular advising • development of a Our counselors help students to identify academic, extracurricular, and personal achievements, explore areas of interest, and highlight key factors to emphasize in the application materials. These discussions frame the overarching narrative that will unify the student’s college application. In addition, through detailed discussion and individually tailored research, our counselors assist in determining schools that best suit the student. Finally, counselors can oversee the student's application development, either working directly with the student or in conjunction with one of our application consultants. Application consultation central theme for the college application The application essay often represents the greatest opportunity in the admissions process for candidates to express their unique assets. Advantage Testing offers a comprehensive application writing program that enables students to express themselves with confidence, character, and creativity. We support students throughout the writing process, from brainstorming the ideal topic, to outlining a logical and compelling narrative structure, to composing and revising multiple drafts. Our experienced instructors help students to find their voices and and tell their stories in a way that makes their application stand out. The application essay is a particularly effective means of instilling writing lessons because the student is so deeply invested in the impact of his or her prose. In learning to compose a carefully constructed, thoughtful essay, students gain an appreciation for the craft of writing personal narrative. Our ultimate goal is to help students develop a distinctive college essay that is true to their experiences and their unique voices while imparting enduring skills that will instill the student with confidence when tackling any writing assignment.

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SAT and ACT PROGRAMS Advantage Testing comprises a group of instructors who care deeply about education and who specialize in SAT and ACT test preparation. Our faculty consists primarily of high honors graduates of leading colleges and universities who hold graduate or professional degrees. In all our test preparation programs, tutors expose students to the core intellectual concepts they may encounter on the test. Together, tutor and student develop disciplined strategies for approaching each section. We emphasize learning the material thoroughly and thinking critically about every question. Weekly meetings, assignments, and practice tests help students develop a deeper knowledge of the critical topics and refne their problem-solving techniques.

Our systematic, educational approach to the SAT and ACT emphasizes critical reasoning, rules of grammar, writing structure, prose style, vocabulary building, and effcient methods for solving the math problems that recur on the quantitative sections of these tests. Our materials have been designed by logically deconstructing every offcial test released in the last 35 years. We do not believe in the effectiveness of “tricks.” Of course, we teach the approaches and strategies relevant to each test—when and how to guess, what order to follow in working through the questions, when to look at the answer choices, and so forth—but our academic approach is consistently rigorous and educational.

The precise length of our programs varies widely depending upon such factors as: • the test being tutored • the student’s performance on the diagnostic test and practice tests, and in related academic pursuits • when the student begins preparation • the student’s goals • the number of meetings the student has with the tutor each week • the date the student plans to take the offcial test

Each tutoring program is designed to address the particular needs of the student. Our highest priority is to convey a systematic approach to learning that will help our students achieve their best possible score on test day and will continue to empower them throughout their academic and professional endeavors.

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Reading Our Reading materials emphasize both the vocabulary a student must develop to grasp college-level material and the ability to read, digest, and extract essential information from a given text. Instructors help students recognize recurrent question types and differentiate right from wrong answers. Our students become more attuned to the signifcance of word choice and more adept at discerning an author’s meaning—skills that are useful in any college career. Moreover, we have developed a comprehensive series of vocabulary lists representing the words most frequently tested in context on the Reading sections of the SAT and ACT. Mastering the nuances of such words helps students improve their assessment of vocabulary-driven reading comprehension questions on both tests. Math Instructors emphasize the facts, concepts, and principles underlying Math questions. Our Math materials identify the mathematical terms and the more than 100 recurring math question types in Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and miscellaneous topics that have appeared on the SAT and ACT. In addition to student exposure on practice tests, these terms and question types are exercised, with levels of diffculty commensurate to those on the offcial test, in our math worksheets, problem sets, and summary reviews. Writing/English The multiple-choice questions on the Writing & Language section of the SAT and the English section of the ACT test traditional grammatical and syntactical principles as well as idiomatic expression. Instructors train students to develop a critical eye for editing what they read and what they write. We teach the underlying concepts governing verb, pronoun, and noun agreement, verb tense, parallelism, proper syntax, logic and clarity of expression, etc. Students are often gratifed to recognize that the skills that help them improve their accuracy on the writing sections of standardized tests will also help them identify and correct errors in their own writing—on test Essay sections, in the college application essays they write, and in their schoolwork and written assignments.

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Essay On the both the ACT and new SAT, the Essay is unscored and optional. However, many selective colleges expect students to fulfll the Essay assignment. The ACT essay prompt presents multiple viewpoints on a given topic, and the student is tasked with developing his or her own viewpoint, addressing points raised in those provided. The SAT, on the other hand, presents a published article or speech with a distinct point of view and asks the student to discuss how the writer makes his or her case. In essence, the ACT essay asks students to construct an argument, while the SAT asks students to analyze an argument. In preparing for either essay component, students practice and refne the process of evaluating a given topic or essay and assembling a coherent and persuasive response in a limited period. ACT Science Reasoning

The Science Reasoning portion of the ACT is the one section of this test that does not overlap with the SAT. However, the critical reasoning abilities that students refne while preparing for this section apply to other standardized tests and to a wide range of academic undertakings. Instructors emphasize the skills of interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating. The ACT Science Test typically includes charts, graphs, diagrams, and passages that represent data, summarize

research, or describe conficting perspectives. ACT questions typically draw from felds such as biology, chemistry, earth or space sciences, and physics. Our students learn to become familiar with these subject areas and—more important on the ACT—to process any given scientifc information in the most effcient and accurate way. Our approach trains students to pinpoint signifcant details and to draw reasonable inferences. Course Materials In addition to availing of all offcial materials released by the College Board and ACT, students enrolled in Advantage Testing’s programs receive instructional and practice materials authored by Advantage Testing and available only to them. Our proprietary curricular materials have been designed by deconstructing all offcial tests and information released by the test writers in the last 35 years, identifying the core concepts under review, and developing unique methods for responding to how these concepts are tested specifcally on the SAT and ACT. These industry-leading workbooks, worksheets, guidelines, and reviews equip our students with a unique advantage by allowing them to practice and refne the methods they have acquired with a comprehensive library of question types.

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C lassroom experience Advantage Testing has created uniquely effective group programs that draw upon our expertise in test preparation and academic content while providing focused, individualized educational experiences to students in a classroom environment. These numerous models of class instruction reflect our commitment to serving diverse communities throughout the nation and across the globe. École Jeannine Manuel For the last 15 years, Advantage Testing has conducted a highly successful test preparation program for students of the École Jeannine Manuel in Paris, the largest independent school in France. • For the past six years, EJM has been ranked the #1 school in France among French high schools (public and independent). It is the most prestigious and selective bilingual school in all of France. • Advantage Testing’s dedicated SAT/ACT preparation program has been integrated into the EJM general curriculum. Students who are interested in applying to US schools register for our SAT/ACT class as part of their assigned coursework. • EJM students have among the highest admission rates to top U.S. colleges and universities in all of France. • EJM’s Director Bernard Manuel, who served on the Board of Lycee Francais in New York City, personally approached Advantage Testing to develop a partnership of sustained excellence over many years. Abu Dhabi Summer Academy For nearly a decade, Advantage Testing has been the sole provider of college admissions test preparation to recipients of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed scholarship for Outstanding High School Students enrolled in the Abu Dhabi Summer Academy. • In addition to SAT and ACT tutoring, Advantage Testing offers Summer Academy students TOEFL iBT and IELTS tutoring. This partnership has achieved consistent and dramatic success in increasing the Summer Academy students’ test scores. • The previous Summer Academy cohorts with whom we have worked have improved their composite SAT or ACT test scores by 45 percentile points on average. • Given that approximately three million students take these tests annually, we can estimate that each Summer Academy class has effectively bolstered its average admissions credentials to surpass around 1.35 million test takers in the college application cycle. • Advantage Testing’s ongoing relationship with the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed scholars has enabled us to develop, implement, and refine a program tailored to the specific needs of its Summer Academy students.

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Other classes • Advantage Testing instructors provide ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Test instruction to LEDA students at Princeton University. • We have lead and continue to lead successful test preparation classes for groups such as Prep for Prep , the Bronx Preparatory Charter School , Harlem Village Academies , and Eleanor Roosevelt High School . • Advantage Testing instructors provide classroom LSAT instruction to students enrolled in TRIALS , a five-week residential scholarship program to prepare students of underrepresented backgrounds for admission to leading law schools. • We partnered with public service organization Lima Aspirations to support teachers from leading US universities with curricular instruction and materials to prepare 30 students of modest means from Lima, Peru to apply to American colleges. Locations Advantage Testing has multiple domestic locations and two international ones. The number of students and tutors, programs offered, and tutoring fees vary by location. • New York, NY • Boston, MA • Washington, D.C • Portland, OR • Westchester, NY • Los Angeles, CA • Philadelphia, PA • Seattle, WA • Long Island, NY • Silicon Valley, CA • Pittsburgh, PA • Minneapolis, MN • Houston, TX • Pasadena, CA • Princeton, NJ • Charlotte, NC • Austin, TX • Boca Raton, FL • Northern NJ • Raleigh-Durham, NC • Dallas, TX • Westport, CT • Denver, CO • New Orleans, LA • Chicago, IL • Las Vegas, NV • St. Louis, MO • Salt Lake City, UT International • London, UK • Paris, France

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About the Founder Arun Alagappan is a magna cum laude , Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Princeton University and a graduate of Harvard Law School. At Princeton, he served as the Director of the Jamesburg Correctional Institute for Boys Tutorial Program and on the Board of Directors of the Student Volunteers Council, the largest community service organization at Princeton. At Harvard, Arun served as an editor of the Harvard International Law Journal and worked for numerous public service organizations, including the United States Committee for UNICEF.

Arun’s teaching experience includes tutoring for tests such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE and MCAT; he also taught in the Mathematics Department of Harvard College and as an instructor at a learning disabilities center in New York City. At Harvard, the Dean of the College awarded Arun an award for Outstanding Teaching of Harvard Undergraduates. He has privately tutored more than three thousand students in standardized tests and academic subjects. In 1986, Arun founded Advantage Testing, Inc. and has been serving as its President since. Advantage Testing is a wide-ranging academic tutorial and educational counseling service for individuals of all ages. The organization specializes in preparing students for college entrance and graduate and professional school entrance exams. While committed to providing the finest private tutoring in the nation, Advantage Testing has also been dedicated to making its educational services accessible to students of every background. For 34 years, Advantage Testing has provided financial aid and pro bono instructional help to a variety of individuals, schools, and public service organizations. Arun serves as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of LEDA (Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America), a non-profit organization committed to nurturing the leadership potential of exceptional public school students of backgrounds that are underrepresented at selective colleges and universities. Arun also serves on the Board of Prep for Prep, a program that helps prepare talented minority students of disadvantaged backgrounds to transition from New York City public schools first to leading independent schools and later to selective institutions of higher education. In 2007, Arun founded the Advantage Testing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and he currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees. Among the Foundation’s flagship programs are the Math Prize for Girls, the world’s largest prize for girls in a math competition, and Trials, the nation’s most successful law school preparation scholarship program. Serving with Arun on the Board of Trustees of the Advantage Testing Foundation are Shirley Tilghman, who joined as President of Princeton University; John Sexton, who joined as President of New York University; Martha Minow, who joined as Dean of Harvard Law School; John Manning, the current Dean of Harvard Law School; Tom Hill, former Vice Chairman of the Blackstone Group; and Lauren Frank and Beth Nash, two leaders in educational philanthropy. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan is a former Board member. The goals of the Advantage Testing Foundation are 1) to partner with universities and public service organizations to advance the academic and professional aspirations of students of modest means, and 2) to expand our nation’s leadership pool to include those of underrepresented backgrounds.

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Advantage Testing of New York Tutors Iliana Cepero Amador . Ph.D. in Art History, Stanford University. Graduate of Havana University. B.A in Art History. Expert in Cuban and Latin American Culture. Art critic and freelance art curator. Former Professor at Havana University. Taught courses in the history of art and cinema at Stanford University. Tutor of SAT Subject Test in Spanish, AP Spanish Language, and academic Spanish. Sarah Bernbach . Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B in the Classics: Greek and Latin. Graduate of St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn. Taught Latin, Greek and Language Structures at St. Ann’s School. Former pastry chef, fine bookbinder, and freelance writer. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Latin, French, Literature, and Math, LSAT, GRE, MCAT Verbal Reasoning, SSAT, ISEE, and academic Latin and Classical Greek. Amelia Betancourt . M.A. in Latin American Literature, Columbia University. Graduate of Boston College. B.A. in Sociology. Former Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. Studied for a year at the University of Salamanca, Spain. Tutor of SAT Subject Test in Spanish, AP Spanish Language, and academic Spanish. Lesley Blumenthal . Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in History and Science. John Harvard Scholarship and Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Award for Academic Achievement of the Highest Distinction. Actress who has performed leading roles in local and national productions. Tutor of SAT Critical Reading and Writing, ACT Reading and Writing, SAT Subject Test in Literature, SSAT, ISEE, LSAT Reading Comprehension, GRE Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, and MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills and Behavioral Sciences Part II. Writing Instructor. Lexi Brine. J.D., New York University School of Law. Cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. B.A. in Political Science. Graduate of the Spence School in New York City. Worked in marketing for the Estée Lauder Companies and as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis, focusing on general litigation and white-collar law. Experienced legal recruiter. Tutor of LSAT. Rebecca Brown . Ed.M. and M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Columbia University Teacher’s College. Graduate of University of Pennsylvania. B.A. in Psychology, minor in Spanish. Conducted hundreds of interviews as Hiring Coordinator for Advantage Testing and as Undergraduate Career Adviser at Drexel University. Instructor of Career Development course at Drexel University. Served as Alumni Interviewer and Staff Member for the University of Pennsylvania Secondary School Committee and Undergraduate Admissions Office. Interview Specialist and College Admissions Counselor. Sarah Chapple . M.A. in Literature and Writing, Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College. Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University. A.B. in English. Associate Director of Advantage Testing and tutor of SAT Critical Reading and Writing, ACT Reading and Writing, SAT Subject Test in Literature, SSAT, ISEE, LSAT Reading Comprehension, GMAT Verbal and Analytical Writing, GRE Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, and MCAT Verbal Reasoning. Writing Instructor. Michelle Chasin . M.P.A., School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Graduate of Barnard College. A.B. in Religion. Graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy. Co-director of Bombay Eunuch, an award-winning documentary film. Prepared hundreds of students for a variety of college entrance exams. Associate Director of Advantage Testing and tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, GRE Quantitative Reasoning, and GMAT Quantitative Reasoning.

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Hannah Coleman . M.S. in Neuroscience and Education, in progress, Teachers College, Columbia University. Magna Cum Laude graduate of Dartmouth College. B.A. in Neuroscience. Ethical Culture Fieldston School graduate. Previously worked for Parthenon-EY (a management consulting firm) and Strategic Grant Partners (a philanthropic foundation). Tutor of ACT, SAT, SSAT, ISEE and academic Biology. Robert Colvin . Graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in Earth and Planetary Science. M.A. in Education, Saint Peter’s College. Valedictorian, Maple Hill High School. National Merit Scholar. Classroom instructor of Advanced Placement Chemistry, Advanced Placement Physics, and International Baccalaureate Physics. Tutor of SAT Subject Tests in Chemistry and Physics, AP Tests in Chemistry and Physics, and MCAT General Chemistry and Physics. Patrick Connolly . M.B.A., Harvard Business School. PhD fellow in Music, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Kappa Lambda graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. B.A. in Mathematics with a concentration in Pure Mathematics and B.M. in Piano Performance. Former concert pianist and music theorist. Current member of the Board of Directors of The Golandsky Institute, an international arts-service non-profit based in New York. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math, ISEE, SSAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, AP Calculus, and academic Finance, Accounting, MBA curriculum, and Mathematics. Writing Instructor. Matthew Demmer . Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Georgetown University. B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature and Literary History and a minor in Philosophy. Studied at King’s College London. Graduate of The Collegiate School. Novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, SSAT, ISEE, LSAT, GMAT, GRE and MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills and Behavioral Sciences Part II. Writing Instructor. Chris Dolin . M.S.W., Hunter College School of Social Work. Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in Government and Economics. Co-founder and former Executive Director of Creative Arts Workshops for Kids, a program dedicated to serving homeless and at-risk children and their families. Contributor to sports video, CD, and print projects. Co-author of Basketball Stars , profiling the NBA’s 50 greatest players. Adjunct Lecturer and Faculty Advisor, Hunter College School of Social Work. Tutor of SAT and SAT Subject Tests in Math, Literature, and American History, ACT, GRE, SSAT, and ISEE. Allison Evans . M.F.A. in Painting in progress, Hunter College. Cum Laude graduate of Dartmouth College. AB in Studio Art and Art History. Recipient of the Adelbert Ames Award for Excellence in Fine Arts. Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio Art from Brandeis University. Studied Art History in Florence, Italy, French Language at Universite Lumieré II in Lyon, France, and Painting at The International School of Art in Umbria, Italy. Former research assistant at Yale and Dartmouth Medical Schools. Curated art shows and published essays in conjunction with museum exhibitions. Exhibits artwork in New York City and internationally. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test in Literature, SSAT, and ISEE. Writing Instructor. Adam Fisher . M.M., The Juilliard School. Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in Physics. Harvard National Scholar. National Merit Scholar. Cum Laude graduate of Horace Mann High School. Joseph Chase Mathematics Award for the top graduating math student at Horace Mann High School. Cellist. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math, Literature and Physics, LSAT, GMAT and GRE.

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Alex Freedman . Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in Music and Coursework in Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics. Dean’s list every semester. Harvard College Scholarship for Academic Distinction. Arthur Smithies Prize for outstanding musical contribution. National Merit Finalist. Robert C. Byrd Scholarship. AP Scholar with Honors. Classical and jazz pianist. Volunteer for LEDA. Tutor of SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SAT Subject Tests and APs in Math/Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and French as well as academic Math (all levels), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, English, Computer Science, Economics, and Accounting. Dan Freeman . Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in History. Harvard College Scholarship for Academic Distinction. David McCord Prize. Quincy House Scroll. Professor of Jazz, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Performed at Carnegie Hall, on Broadway, and throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Israel. Tutor of SAT Subject Test in American History and World History, and AP American History, World History and Euro History. Juliet Garrett . Graduate of Princeton University. A.B. in Philosophy with certificates in Finance and Theater. Tutored fellow Princeton students in economics. Member of the Lewis Center for the Arts Student Committee. Performed in the Princeton University Glee Club, Chamber Ensemble, and Jazz Vocal Collective. Recipient of the Ross School Board of Trustees Leadership Award. National Merit Finalist. AP Scholar with Distinction. Professional singer and actress. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, SSAT, ISEE and academic Math. Benjamin Greenbaum . Ph.D. in Physics, Columbia University. M.A. in Physics, Columbia University. Cum Laude graduate of Columbia University. A.B. in Physics and Philosophy. Member of the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ. Charles Boyer Prize in the History of Science. Graduate Assistance in Areas of Nation Need Fellow. Developed and taught Chaos and Fractals course to advanced high school students for Columbia’s Science Honors Program. Tutor of SAT Subject Tests in Math and Physics, AP Tests in Math and Physics, MCAT Physics, and academic math and physics. Christine Houser. M.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. M.Phil. in Cognitive Neuropsychology, George Washington University. Graduate of Johns Hopkins University. B.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Two-time recipient of the Columbian College Women’s Scholarship. Three-time recipient of training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Taught and supervised medical, undergraduate, and high school students during summers at NIH. Served as coordinating instructor for undergraduate laboratory courses and as course instructor for various courses at George Washington University. Board certified emergency medical physician. Attending physician instructor to medical students and physicians-in-training in academic emergency medical departments. Lecturer in wilderness medicine and travel medicine. Candidate for first class of fellows for the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. Medical supervisor for desert archaeology expeditions to Chairman of Near Eastern Studies, Yale University. Classical dance and voice training. Tutor of SAT, SAT Subject Tests in Biology, Math, and Literature, MCAT, National Medical Boards (USMLE), and selected specialty medical board examinations. Medical School Instructor and Physician Mentor.

Aranya Jain . M.F.A., Columbia University. Cum laude graduate of Princeton University. A.B. in English Literature. Former Analyst in Cross Asset Sales Group at Goldman Sachs. Tutor of ACT and SAT.

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Timothy Jensen . J.D., New York University School of Law. M.S. in Elementary Education, Bank Street College Graduate School. Honors graduate of Haverford College. B.A. in English. Practiced law for eight years. Wrote and published three copyright guides for artists. Hosted seminars and workshops on art law throughout the United States. More than twenty-five years of teaching experience, including four years as a clinical instructor at Columbia University School of Law and nineteen years as a classroom teacher at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. Standardized Test item writer for CTB/McGraw Hill. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, LSAT Reading Comprehension, SSAT, ISEE, and SSHSAT. Writing Instructor. Cameron Johanning . Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University. A.B. in English. Certificate in Visual Arts. Mary John Goree Creative Writing Scholarship. Alex Adam ‘07 Award. Former cameraman and researcher for National Geographic Studios. Tutor of ACT, SAT, SSAT and ISEE. Danny Katch . M.A. in Adolescent Education, Hunter College. Graduate of Brown University. B.A. in History. Co-developed and directed Rhode Island AIDS Oral History Project. Author of numerous articles on American history and political satire. Comedy writer; Improv and sketch performer. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math, Literature, World History and US History, and AP World History. Michael Kayne . Graduate of New York University School of Education. B.M. Education Scholar and Vocal Performance Student of the Year, New York University. President’s Course, BADA at Oxford University. AP Scholar with Honors. Performed with the Harlem Globetrotters. As a singer, performed onstage at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Rainbow Room. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, LSAT, GMAT, and GRE. Writing Instructor. Swati Khurana . M.A. in Studio Art and Art Criticism, Gallatin School, New York University. Highest Graduated Honors. Cum Laude graduate of Columbia University. A.B. in History. Dean’s List and Departmental Honors at Columbia University. New Visions Fund for Teachers Award. Studied at Instituto Universario Architettura di Venezia in Italy. Exhibited art work and screened films at galleries, universities and museums internationally. Served as a faculty member and consultant in New York City’s alternative public school system, focusing on recent immigrant and refugee populations. Tutor of SAT, SAT Subject Tests in American History, World History, and Literature, SSAT, ISEE, GRE Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, GMAT Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, AP Tests in American History and World History, and academic American History and Art History. Writing Instructor. Mikki Kirdahy . M.A. in French Literature, Columbia University. Summa Cum Laude graduate of Stony Brook University. B.A. in French and initial New York State Teacher Certification in French. Advanced diploma from the Center for Applied Linguistics in Besançon, France. Studied at the Institute of French Language and Culture in Paris, France. French teacher at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights. Tutor of SAT Subject Test in French, AP French, and academic French. Peter Ligh . J.D., Columbia Law School. Graduate of Yale College. B.A. in Political Science. James Kent Scholar. Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Former Managing Editor of the Columbia Law Review. Partner at Eversheds Sutherland. Former associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Tutor of ACT, SAT, SSAT and ISEE.

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Meg Lord . Cum Laude graduate of Georgetown University. B.S. in French. Studied French Literature at the University of Paris, Sorbonne. Associate Director of Advantage Testing and Tutor of SAT Critical Reading and Writing, SAT Subject Tests in Literature and French, SSAT, ISEE, AP Tests in English and French, LSAT Reading Comprehension, GMAT Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, GRE Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing, and MCAT Verbal Reasoning. Writing Instructor. Charles Loxton . M.F.A. from Columbia University’s School of the Arts in Creative Writing; Departmental Fellowship, Hertog Research Fellow. B.A. in Philosophy, Vassar College. Director of Communications for Advantage Testing. Researched and wrote online course materials for Columbia University. Film producer of award-winning documentaries. Tutor of verbal SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and Academic English and Literature. Writing instructor for academic and application essays. Gus Mattammal . M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management. Graduate of Pomona College. B.A. in Physics and Mathematics. Former national-level competitive ballroom dancer. Tutor of SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests in Physics, Math and Literature, ACT, GMAT, and academic economics, physics, math and statistics. Michael McNabb . Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College. A.B. in Anthropology. John Harvard Honorary Scholarship. Detur Book Prize. ALEX award for Academic Excellence from National Alliance for Excellence. Valedictorian, John L. Miller Great Neck North High School. USA Today All-Academic First Team. National Merit Scholar. AP Scholar. Former Economic Researcher at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Math, GRE, and MCAT. Marlene Morgan . M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School. Graduate of Princeton University. B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Priscilla Glickman ‘92 Memorial Prize for “independence and imagination in the area of service.” National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction. Tutor of ACT and SAT. Drew Novins . J.D., Georgetown University School of Law. Magna Cum Laude graduate of SUNY Albany. B.A. in History. Former Assistant Director of Admissions at New York Law School. Created the Pro-Con Essay exam outlining method. Tutor of the LSAT and bar exam. Law School Instructor. Simon Nicholas . M.A. in Education, University of Pennsylvania. Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in English Literature and Languages. National Merit Scholar. Alumnus of Teach for America Greater Philadelphia-Camden Corps. Taught math at public and charter schools. Former director’s assistant in Hollywood with film industry experience in LA and New York. Editor of Let’s Go: Spain and Portugal, 2007. Trained in Shakespearean acting with London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Actor, director, and screenwriter. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test in Literature, SSAT and ISEE. Matthew Pattillo . Ph.D. in Philosophy in progress, The New School for Social Research. Master of Divinity, Princeton Seminary. Graduate of Southern Methodist University. B.A. with honors in Philosophy. National Merit Finalist. Lecturer, Dallas Philosophy Forum. Author of several essays published in scholarly journals and collections. Awaiting publication of a monograph recently translated from French to English. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, GRE and GMAT. Writing Instructor.

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Ed Perez-Giz . Graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in Government. Harvard College Scholarship for Academic Distinction. Dean’s List. Certificate in Latin American Studies and Foreign Language Citation. National Merit Finalist. National Hispanic Scholar. Two-time AP Scholar with Distinction (a total of 12 AP exams). Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, ISEE, SSAT, GRE, LSAT, and GMAT. Gabe Perez-Giz. Ph.D., M. Phil. and M.A. in Physics, Columbia University. Cum Laude graduate of Columbia University. B.S. in Applied Physics. National Science Foundation (NSF) Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow, NYU Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics (CCPP). Author of several publications on dynamics of black hole binaries and gravitational wave physics. NSF Graduate Student Research Fellowship. Columbia University Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student in recognition of sustained excellence in teaching and unusual dedication to the intellectual development of students. Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. Research Assistant at Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory. Summer Science Program at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. National Merit Finalist. National AP Scholar, one of 14 students in the country recognized for highest average score and greatest number of AP exams (13). Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Physics, GMAT, GRE, and MCAT Physics and Verbal Reasoning. Writing Instructor. Robin Pogrebin . Graduate of Yale University. B.A. in English. More than 18 years experience as a staff reporter at the New York Times. Previously worked as Associate Producer for Peter Jennings’ documentary unit at ABC News and as a staff reporter at the New York Observer. Recipient of several journalism awards. Published author whose essays have appeared in several anthologies. Taught at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the School of Visual Arts, and Riverdale Country School. Writing Instructor. Interview Training. Marco Praderio . Ph.D. in Medieval Literature, Columbia University. M.A. and M.Phil in Italian Literature, with distinction, Columbia University. Summa Cum Laude Master in Classics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy (Triple major in Classical Archaeology, Ancient Literatures and Roman Law). Taught Classical Greek at Hunter College, Italian Language and Literature at the French Lycee, and History and Philosophy at the Scuola Italiana of New York. Simultaneous Interpreter and Translator for the Italian Embassy in Washington, the Consulate General of Italy, the Italian Mission at the United Nations, the Italian Trade Commission and the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce in New York. Tutor of SAT Subject Tests in Latin and Italian, AP Latin, and Academic Latin, Classical Greek, and Italian. I-Fan Quirk. M.F.A in Film, New York University. Cum Laude graduate of Princeton University. A.B. in English. Recipient of the Alan Downer Thesis Prize for Best Senior Thesis and the John B. Lynch Scholarship. Recipient of the Tisch School of the Arts Dean’s Thesis Prize and the Warner Brothers’ Post- Production Award. Valedictorian, Humberside Collegiate. Award-winning filmmaker, producer and writer whose independent 35mm feature film Being Claudine was shown at festivals around the world and distributed by Madstone Films. Co-writer of Navigating the Corporate Maze , an instructional video for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. Taught courses in editing, media history and EFP/ENG at the Art Institute of New York. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, Academic Math and Essay writing, SSAT, ISEE, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT Reading Comprehension.

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Hector Ramos . J.D., Harvard Law School. Magna Cum Laude graduate of California State University. B.A. in Philosophy, Political Science, and Psychology. Former Chief Counsel for the Office of the Vice Mayor of Cambridge, Legal Counsel at the Criminal Justice Institute in Cambridge, MA, and Associate at a venture capital firm in Boston, MA. TRIALS LSAT Instructor. Harvard Latino Law, Policy, and Business Conference Co-Chair. Coach and tutor for Boys and Girls Club. Speaker at various forums, including Princeton University, Harvard Business School, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Recipient of the Horatio Alger Association National Scholarship, the UCLA Law Fellow Award, and New York Model UN Distinguished Delegation Award. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE and LSAT. David Riessen . J.D., University of Chicago Law School. Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brown University. A.B. in Psychology. Practiced law for several years at Rosenman & Colin and at Kay, Collyer & Boose in New York City. Prepared hundreds of students for college and graduate school entrance exams. Associate Director of Advantage Testing and Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Literature, GMAT Verbal and Analytical Writing and GRE Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing. John Roberts . Ph.D. in English Literature, New York University. M.T.S. (Master of Theological Studies), Harvard Divinity School. Graduate of Oberlin College. B.A. in English Literature and Religion. Taught courses in Literature and Expository Writing at New York University. National Merit Finalist. Associate Director of Advantage Testing and Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Literature and Math, AP Test in English, SSAT, ISEE, GRE, GMAT and LSAT. Joshua Rosenblum . M.M. in Piano Performance, Yale School of Music. Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Yale University. B.A. in Music. Winner of the Alumni Association Prize. Adjunct Professor of Music at Yale University. Founder and Music Director of the chamber ensemble Pit Stop Players. Over twenty years experience as a pianist and conductor on Broadway. Music Journalist. Composer. Tutor of SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Literature and Math, and AP Music Theory. Amanda Schaffer . Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard University. A.B. in History and Science. Valedictorian, Stuyvesant High School. John Harvard Scholarship, Rona Jaffe/ Radcliffe College Prize for Creative Writing, Detur Prize, Fitzgerald Foundation Award for Outstanding Woman in graduating class. Two grants from the Ford Foundation for independent research projects. Advanced coursework in biology, chemistry, human physiology, and medical genetics. Teaching Fellow for general and organic chemistry at New York University. Research Associate at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Contributor to the New York Times science section. Tutor of SAT subject tests in Biology and Chemistry and MCAT Biology, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Head of Advantage Testing’s MCAT program. Peter Sell . J.D., University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. Graduate of University of California at Berkeley. A.B. in Rhetoric, minor in Philosophy. Taught college-level courses to inmates in Michigan State prisons. Former Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx County, New York, District Attorney’s Office. Currently practicing civil rights and criminal law. Perennial judge of the American Bar Association Moot Court Competition. Featured guest on various New York radio shows. Published in the New York Law Journal. Tutor of the bar exam. Law School Instructor.

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