Private Online Physics Tutoring: Tailored Support For Students

Alison completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics from Columbia College before completing a Master of Arts in Music, Science, and Technology at Stanford University. She has around five years of tutoring experience and has played an integral role in the educational journeys of numerous students, supporting them through everything from test prep to college essays. She began tutoring out of a genuine passion for sharing her knowledge and intellectual interests with others.

Alison acknowledges the privilege of having had exceptional teachers who inspired, enriched, and challenged her. This profound influence fuels her passion for tutoring, as she aims to provide similar support to other students on their learning journeys. She also learns a lot from students and sincerely appreciates their perspectives on the world. Alison specializes in SAT prep, with an emphasis on the Reading and Writing sections, AP courses in languages such as English, Spanish, and French, and other subjects.

As a tutor, Alison is energetic, enthusiastic, and highly perceptive. She tailors her approach to meet each student at their unique level, crafting engaging learning experiences based on their interests. With great care, she endeavors to understand the world from their perspective. Alison's goal is to empower her students rather than simply instruct them. She guides them by pointing out directions rather than leading the way, fostering the development of their cognitive abilities. 

One of Alison’s greatest strengths as a tutor is her ability to guide students through learning blocks. She believes it's very important to approach learning blocks from a stance of curiosity rather than judgment. The academic world can feel very high-stakes, and fear of embarrassment or failure can make the block feel even more intractable, like a knot that grows harder to untangle when more tension is applied. She approaches conversations about learning blocks very much like she would approach a real knot: first, she takes the tension off. Then, she rotates the problem into three dimensions to identify where the thread is lost and what alternative approaches or knowledge might provide leverage. Her ultimate goal in this iterative process of examination, gentle experimentation, and gradual loosening is to help students approach these moments as puzzles rather than roadblocks, fostering metacognitive troubleshooting skills that enhance learning and resilience.

In her free time, Alison is a novice knitter and macramé hobbyist. She also practices aerial skills and is learning how to play the mandolin.

Katherine earned a BA from Duke University, where she achieved ACC Honor Roll status and made the Dean’s List, before earning her MEd at Southern Methodist University. At Duke, Katherine was a Division 1 athlete, team captain of the varsity swim team, and four-year letterwinner. Katherine has eight years of college admissions counseling experience as a College and Career Counselor and Dean of College Prep at Uplift Education, a nonprofit organization that operates a network of 45 high-performing, tuition-free, public charter schools serving 23,000 students in under-served areas across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. 

She also served as a Corps Member for Teach for America. Katherine has coached 500+ students who have been accepted to MIT, Brown, UChicago, WashU in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins University, NYU, and Notre Dame, among others.

Katherine became interested in admissions counseling because of how grateful she is for her own college experience. Katherine realized how lucky she was to have parents, friends, and family who had been to college and could support her through the application process. She also felt privileged to have been a recruited athlete. But she recognizes that not everyone is as lucky, and felt called to help others have a positive experience with college. 

Katherine values communication and recognizes the importance of getting to know students holistically at the start of a counseling partnership. There are so many factors involved in finding the "best-fit college," and Katherine’s passion stems from her love of talking to students, listening to them, and helping them develop plans for their futures. She thrives on the relationships she’s built with students and it brings her joy to check in with them throughout their college and post-college years and see them find success.

Katherine excels at empowering others by listening to them in a way that makes them feel heard and respected. When she offers her opinions or advice, students recognize Katherine’s collaborative teaching style and know she is not trying to change their minds or make them take a path that's not for them. While students know she is available any time of day for help, Katherine loves to empower students to figure things out in their own way before collaborating with her for help. 

As a counselor, Katherine is organized and reliable. One of her favorite parts of college counseling is the personal statement. She loves helping students reflect on their lives to come up with a compelling topic, and her essay editing style helps students find and maintain their voices. Katherine is a guide with extensive experience that helps her empower students to feel confident in their submissions and decisions.

Katherine believes that the most important tactic for keeping students motivated is to build a relationship with them first to ensure they know she understands what they’re going through and that it’s okay to take breaks and practice self-care while working toward a successful future. Katherine tells students to think about the morning after high school graduation and to imagine that feeling of what's coming next, to make sure they have a solid plan because entering "the real world" is not easy.

Outside of work, she loves to spend time outside with her husband and four-year-old daughter, Emma. Katherine was diagnosed with celiac disease in her junior year of college, but she doesn’t mind being gluten-free because cooking makes her happy, and she loves trying new recipes, and finding gluten-free bakeries and new restaurants. She tries to work out or walk every day and loves to play tennis with her husband. She also enjoys reading, listening to music, and watching TV shows that make her cry (either happy or sad tears!).

Truth holds a BA from Princeton University. She currently works as a College Access Consultant at eStem Public Charter Schools, giving presentations on the college admissions process, college essays, and Common App. Truth has helped over 100 students get accepted to the nation’s top schools, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and UNC.

As a first-generation student, Truth and her parents struggled immensely during the college application because they had no idea where to start or how to proceed. Luckily, her high school counselor, Ms. Rook, intervened and guided them by hosting weekly workshops to help prepare for the ACT, draft college lists, and brainstorm essays. Her counselor went above and beyond by meeting with her during winter break to review her essay drafts and encouraged her to apply to Princeton when she didn’t think she could get accepted. Truth does not doubt that Ms. Rook's efforts are a huge reason she got into Princeton and many other top schools. Getting into Princeton changed Truth's life trajectory—she wants to help other students get into college, as her high school counselor did for her. 

Truth likes to empower others to achieve their best by validating them and their experiences. She sometimes remembers feeling insecure throughout the application process, wondering how to stand out. Her counselor helped her dig deeper to realize her strengths and the impact of her activities. Truth helps students reflect on their experiences, passions, and values so they can see they have much more to offer than they might think.

As a counselor, Truth strives to be a patient, empathetic, and encouraging guide for students. She remembers the balancing act that students must perform, juggling academics, extracurriculars, social life, and work, all while navigating the complex world of college applications all too well. Her role is to alleviate some of this burden by providing compassionate support; she wants students to know they have a knowledgeable advocate in their corner who is dedicated to their success.

A fun fact about Truth is that she has 13 aunts and uncles. While their holidays are pretty chaotic, she wouldn't trade her family for the world.