Richard completed his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Geography. Being the recipient of countless tutoring sessions himself sparked Richard’s interest in experiencing the other side of the learning process. He has several years of tutoring experience, including working at education centers and for a test prep and college admissions firm where he was a test prep tutor, college admissions counselor, and subject tutor. To date, he has tutored over 200 students.
Richard's passion for tutoring is rooted in the satisfaction he experiences when seeing students make progress in each session. He finds immense fulfillment in being a part of this transformative process. His areas of expertise include tutoring for the ACT and SAT, as well as macro and microeconomic courses, including AP and IB.
Richard’s tutoring style is characterized by patience and a commitment to understanding each student's unique needs. He empowers students to reach their full potential by challenging them when they feel confident and providing encouragement when they are less secure. In times of insecurity, Richard supports students by methodically guiding them through the step-by-step process of problem-solving. This approach not only diminishes the sense of impossibility associated with the problem but also helps him identify the root cause of the learning block. Richard is also known to be kind and humorous, as he believes in keeping his sessions entertaining and productive.
Richard's tutoring is enriched by his personal experiences with the tests and courses he teaches. He shares his own story, empathizes with students, and adeptly places himself in their shoes. By incorporating students’ perspectives into his sessions, Richard recognizes that seemingly dull content can become interesting when aligned with the student's incentives. He also employs gamified motivation systems to maintain student engagement and facilitate a deeper understanding of the material.
In his free time, Richard enjoys photography, urban planning, chamber music, and traveling. During his gap year, he worked at a vineyard in Oregon, volunteered at an English school in Morocco, and traveled to Spain, the UAE, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China!
Brian's educational journey began at the University of Tampa, where he earned his undergraduate degree with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He then went on to pursue a Master's degree at the University of South Florida and a postgraduate degree at Syracuse University. Throughout his academic career, Brian excelled in math and physics, which remain his favorite subjects to this day.
Brian began his professional career as a mathematical physicist working in the areas of quantum gravity and unified field theories. During graduate school, he discovered how much he enjoyed teaching math and physics to students. While working as a physics professor, he won several national teaching awards which led to him writing 25+ textbooks for Pearson and McGraw-Hill. Today, he owns several academic publishing, curriculum development, and curriculum resource companies
As a tutor, Brian is driven by his love for showing students how easy math and physics can be when explained clearly and engagingly. He believes that all content needs to be relevant to the student, and he excels at tying complex concepts to their personal lives and experiences. By doing so, Brian helps students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for subjects that they may have previously found challenging or uninteresting.
In addition to his extensive tutoring experience, Brian is also the owner of several curriculum development and academic publishing companies. In these roles, he has hosted workshops, mentored students and faculty, created student support materials, and contributed to the field of education in numerous other ways. This diverse experience has equipped Brian with a unique perspective on learning and has honed his ability to adapt his teaching style to meet the needs of each individual student.
When working with students who are hitting a learning block, Brian employs a variety of strategies to help them overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. He is skilled at explaining material in different ways, breaking down complex concepts into more manageable pieces, and providing targeted support to address specific areas of difficulty. Brian is also committed to keeping his students motivated, using his enthusiasm and passion for math and physics to inspire and encourage them along the way.
Outside of his work as a tutor and educational entrepreneur, Brian is an avid ultrarunner and hiker. He brings the same level of enthusiasm to these pursuits as he does to his teaching, and he enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with his students and colleagues.
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.
Yes, we help first-time test-takers and retakers ace the SSAT. The SSAT is offered eight times per year – we’re ready to help your child prepare for their next test date.
We welcome parent involvement and always strive to keep communication open between students, families, and tutors. Our progress tracker enables you to check your child’s progress, tutor comments, and next steps at any time.
Our SSAT tutor matching process ensures students are paired with their best-fit tutor based on student/family preferences, goals, and needs. A lot of the information we need to make an informed decision comes from the intake form you complete at the beginning of our engagement.
You can register for the SSAT on the EMA SSAT website here.
Excluding the experimental section (which doesn’t count toward your final score), there are four SSAT sections administered in random order. You have 25 minutes to answer all questions in each section:
Students receive percentile scores in the following areas:
You’ll also receive section scores for each of these areas; for the Middle Level, scaled section scores range between 440 and 710, and Upper Level scores range between 500 and 800.
The best plan for you and your child depends on the level of support they need, their availability, and other factors. If you’re unsure which program works best for you, our team is ready to help – set up a call with us today to learn more!
Middle Level SSATs are for students in grades 5, 6, and 7. Upper Level tests are for students in grade 8 or above.