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.
Sophia completed her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with a minor in Social and Economic Justice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed her Master of Public Health at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and is an MD candidate at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Sophia has nine years of tutoring experience and has tutored over 50 students. She has also served as a teaching assistant for chemistry and calculus courses, helping students grasp complex concepts and achieve their academic goals. Her ongoing commitment to tutoring is fueled by her passion for science and desire to empower others through education.
Having experienced the transformative power of education herself, Sophia considers it a gift she is passionate about sharing. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring, chemistry at all levels, including AP and IB, and pre-health courses.
Sophia's tutoring approach is rooted in the Socratic method, where she focuses on nurturing both confidence and curiosity. She assumes the roles of a supportive coach and an enthusiastic cheerleader and supplements student learning by consistently asking thoughtful questions.
Sophia’s greatest strengths as a tutor are her intuition and resourcefulness. Sophia adeptly reads body language, ensures breaks are taken as needed, and incorporates mindfulness into her lessons to help students reset and fully engage with the material. Equipped with a diverse set of tools, she not only facilitates academic success but also strives to instill genuine enthusiasm for the subjects.
In her free time, Sophia enjoys shopping, playing basketball, cooking new dishes, and collecting elephants.
Eraka completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus on Legal Studies from Sam Houston State University. She is an experienced elementary school leader with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Her journey into tutoring began as a means of giving back to others.
Eraka's tutoring passion is fueled by her desire to help students reach their academic aspirations, particularly in gaining admission to their dream colleges. Specializing in ACT and SAT preparation, she understands the pivotal role these exams play in the college application process.
As a tutor, Eraka excels at fostering an encouraging and interactive learning environment that enhances student retention. She adeptly meets students at their individual learning levels, ensuring personalized attention.
One of Eraka’s standout qualities as a tutor is her knack for making lessons relatable. Leveraging her outgoing personality, she establishes rapport with students by connecting over shared interests, which she seamlessly integrates into her lessons.
Outside of tutoring, Eraka is a major Marvel fan and enjoys being creative.
While we help students learn and retain knowledge to navigate ISEE content with ease, our assistance doesn’t stop there. We also teach valuable test-taking strategies, such as time management, the process of elimination, and more, to ensure students can confidently walk into test day.
We welcome parent involvement and always strive to keep students, families, and tutors in the loop with our detailed progress tracker. The tracker allows families to check student progress, tutor comments, and next steps at any time.
Our matching process ensures students are paired with their best-fit ISEE tutor based on student/family preferences, goals, and needs. We glean much of this information from our initial call and the intake form you provide us with.
Students can be registered for the ISEE using the ERB website.
Using stanines, scoring a 1-3 is typically considered “below average,” 4-6 is “average,” and 7-8 are “above average.” However, remember that your stanine scores are relative and based on the scores of all other test-takers! Since there are many students applying to all types of private schools, it can be difficult to pinpoint what makes an ISEE score “good” – it depends on your aspirations, school choices, and profile strength.
The ISEE is run by the Education Record Bureau (ERB). You can learn more about the ISEE here.
You can equate stanines to percentile rankings in the following ways:
Excluding the five-paragraph essay prompt, the Lower Level ISEE has four timed sections:
The format of the Upper Level ISEE is similar to the Lower Level. Excluding the essay prompt section, the four timed sections are:
The best plan for your child depends on what you’re looking for from our programs. If you’re unsure which program works best for your child, our expert team is ready to guide you – set up a call with us today to learn more!