Avi has a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He also served on the Berkeley admissions team, evaluating applications, recommending interviews, and speaking on panels. Professionally, Avi has over fifteen years of experience as an admissions coach.
Avi is passionate about helping college applicants gain admission to the top 20 schools. He loves to encourage students to apply to schools they didn't think were within their reach and craft winning applications that will allow them to pursue the education of their dreams.
As a coach, Avi is a keen listener and an expert at extracting the subtleties of a person's story and using it to great effect in developing an overall narrative. Knowing that applications are overwhelming, Avi likes to break things down into bite-sized chunks that set the applicant up for success. As a parent of children on the cusp of the application season, Avi understands what it feels like for both the applicant and the parent during the application process. He brings this unique understanding to his work with all Quad families. He prioritizes keeping parents at ease by constantly communicating with them via regular email updates and scheduled phone calls.
Applicants Avi has recently coached have gained acceptance into the country’s top universities, such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Berkeley, Michigan, Penn, UCLA, and USC, UTexas, Rice, Emory, UChicago., UWasington, and UBoston.
When Avi isn’t coaching, he likes spending time with his family, reading, and binge-watching the latest great TV series.
Branden attended Marshall University on a track-and-field scholarship before completing his graduate education at Wilmington University. At both institutions, he graduated with honors at the top of his class. Branden has eight years of tutoring and classroom experience under his belt. He began tutoring after realizing that students often need additional support to truly grasp difficult subjects.
Branden specializes in tutoring science, math, English Language Arts (ELA), and history. Witnessing the transformative moment when students finally understand challenging concepts is the driving force behind his passion for tutoring.
As a tutor, Branden prioritizes creating a comfortable and supportive learning environment. He creates his lessons with a light-hearted approach, fostering a safe space where students can not only learn and succeed but also share stories. Understanding the varied ways students learn, Branden provides a diverse set of tools and strategies to meet each student's unique needs.
Branden excels at actively involving students in their own learning. He seamlessly integrates their interests into the material, often incorporating pop culture references to make lessons more relatable and engaging.
In his free time, Branden enjoys surfing, fishing, beach sports, watching movies (preferably with a generous amount of popcorn), and traveling. He has set a personal goal to match the 172 countries his father has traveled to.
Alexa earned her BA from Brown University and has assisted over 1600 students who have been accepted into institutions such as Stanford University, Georgetown University, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. She has served as a University of Southern California college adviser at Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA, for two years. In this role, she has assisted and mentored students on the college application process, including completing college applications, financial aid applications, scholarship applications, resumes, and more.
Alexa's personal journey through the college admissions process was not without its challenges. She relied on a strong support system of family, friends, and educators, but often found the available resources to be disjointed or out of date. This experience ignited her passion for creating greater access to the nitty-gritty details of the admissions process. Her goal is to empower students with the knowledge and confidence they need to navigate this important milestone in their lives.
Alexa's coaching style is characterized by openness and encouragement. She fosters self-motivation in students, viewing her presence as a reminder of their commitment to their aspirations. While she encourages autonomy, Alexa is not hesitant to address any shortcomings in meeting deadlines, fostering open communication to optimize the quality of work produced together. Her flexible approach accommodates students of varying confidence levels and familiarity with the application process.
Central to Alexa's methodology is her goal-oriented approach, emphasizing the significance of the larger academic journey and the rewards of perseverance. She effectively motivates students by highlighting the unique opportunities awaiting them. She encourages exploration through resources like "A Day in the Life of a College Student" to deepen their engagement with the process. Alexa prioritizes understanding and building upon each student's strengths and knowledge, creating a supportive and enriching environment. While she infuses her interactions with warmth and humor, she remains serious and direct when needed. Building meaningful connections with students is fundamental to her approach, ensuring a personalized and effective college application experience.
Outside of academia, Alexa finds joy in nature, whether it's reading outdoors or feeling the grass beneath her feet. She cherishes time spent with loved ones, engaging in board games, or sharing meals together. She has also recently discovered a new love for old arcade games, especially Galaga!
Our calculus tutors have tutoring/teaching experience or have a degree in a mathematics-related discipline.
We welcome parent involvement in all our tutoring programs. Parents can monitor progress using our progress tracker. Here, they can check on activities you’ve completed, comments from your tutor, insights as you advance through the program, and next steps in future sessions.
Our tutors are all experts, but our matching process ensures you work with a tutor who fits your needs best. The information provided in your intake form gives us insight into your needs, goals, and preferences; these are the parameters we use to select your tutor.
The best program is one that offers the support level you’re looking for. However, all our plans are personalizable to align with your needs and goals – we can help you select the right package if you’re unsure!