Dante earned his Bachelor of Engineering with a focus on Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has been tutoring students since high school, throughout college, and into his professional career. Alongside tutoring, Dante currently works as a Mechanical Design Engineer and Nuclear Analyst for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).
Dante's passion for tutoring stems from his genuine love for learning. Once he masters a topic, he eagerly shares his knowledge, finding joy in witnessing the moments when students grasp challenging concepts and gain confidence. He is a firm believer that everyone deserves access to quality education, regardless of their background or abilities. Dante specializes in tutoring AP classes.
Dante stands out as a tutor because of his adaptive pace teaching style: what is considered a goal changes depending on how the student learns. While he focuses on setting realistic and SMART SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic/Relevant Timely) goals, he is extremely understanding and willing to adjust these goals. Additionally, Dante’s tutoring is centered on the belief that any progress is valuable and worth celebrating, no matter how incremental. He emphasizes the importance of reflecting on past achievements to appreciate the progress made and to inspire further growth.
Some of Dante’s greatest strengths as a tutor include his ability to read students’ emotions, allowing him to identify when a problem is particularly challenging for them, even if they don’t express it directly. He is also attentive to the importance of breaks, recognizing when students need a moment to step away from the material. Allowing students a few extra minutes to focus on something else and discuss their day can significantly aid in problem-solving. Additionally, Dante knows when it’s best to call it a day, understanding that a good night’s sleep can help the brain process and synthesize the information learned. He believes that this rest is crucial for returning to the material with a refreshed and more effective approach.
In his free time, Dante enjoys playing board games and video games, doing karaoke, playing instruments, writing music, acting, and singing. In fact, he’s writing his own musical that has already been performed by some talented actors, and he hopes to have it produced one day!
Sulaimaan earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Statistics/Chemistry from Stony Brook University and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Medicine at the same institution. With a wealth of tutoring experience, including serving as a teaching assistant for an organic chemistry class, Sulaimaan has worked with students from diverse backgrounds. His tutoring journey began with a simple desire to assist others in achieving success.
Sulaimaan's passion for tutoring is fueled by the meaningful connections he forms with students and his capacity to help them achieve their goals. He specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring and other subjects as needed, including AP courses.
Sulaimaan's tutoring approach is highly interactive and hands-on. He challenges the conventional notion that lecturing is the most effective method of learning. Instead, he actively engages students through practice problems and flashcards and encourages them to articulate concepts in their own words. By employing these strategies, Sulaimaan ensures that students not only grasp the material but also internalize it more effectively. While maintaining high expectations for his students, Sulaimaan also prioritizes creating an enjoyable learning experience. He knows when to incorporate breaks to maintain focus and infuses students’ interests into his lessons.
One of Sulaimaan's most notable strengths as a tutor lies in his ability to guide students through their self-doubt. He firmly believes that everyone possesses the capability to learn and improve, but it requires a particular mindset to achieve this. Sulaimaan actively fosters this mindset in students, working to convince them of their own potential and empowering them to overcome their doubts.
When Sulaimaan isn't occupied with tutoring or his medical studies, he enjoys playing basketball and video games, going to the gym, and spending time with his cat named Bunny.
Valeria earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University, where she served for three years as a Writing Center Tutor. She has also served as a Certified English Language Learner tutor and Matriculate College Advising Fellow. Additionally, she has worked as an Executive Assistant and College Prep Coordinator at Freedom University for two years, an organization dedicated to providing college prep classes, college and scholarship application assistance, and leadership development for undocumented students in Georgia.
As a first-generation student, Valeria intimately understands individuals' challenges when navigating higher education with limited support. Her passion for coaching is deeply rooted in her experiences and further fueled by her diverse admissions counseling roles. Working with students from varied backgrounds, she is inspired by their unwavering determination to pursue education despite facing adversity.
Valeria’s teaching style is kind but firm, allowing students to have grace with themselves while encouraging them to take steps to achieve their goals—a responsibility that is ultimately up to them. She ensures each student's wants and dreams are centered in every conversation. For example, a student may want to be a doctor; ensuring they know each step to take in the college admissions journey is one step closer to achieving their dream. Valeria is open-minded and willing to talk through every decision, big or small. She is excellent at recasting ideas back to the applicant in a clear, concise manner, and she is a thoughtful listener and deep thinker who takes time to absorb and understand how to strengthen a candidate’s ideas.
When she isn’t coaching, Valeria enjoys writing, jogging, journaling (physically + digitally), playing Animal Crossing, and board games.