Tutoring

I have been tutoring students since I established the official tutoring organization for my high school during my junior year–the demand was so high that I hired my friends and began to form a network of tutors across several high schools. It was then I learned how afraid students can be of asking questions in class, or being embarrassed in front of their peers.

Teachers have to balance the needs of all students, which means missing the needs of some students in some way, but tutoring is the place where students can finally confess their deficits, get specific problems for their exact needs, and have an academic advocate in an often scary and intimidating high stakes environment. As an avid and at time over-eager question asker myself, I often found classes to be frustrating and confusing, so I’m often able to connect with the students’ sense of hopelessness and feelings of being lost in the material. I always learn more from the students than they learn from me: each student is a new opportunity for me to communicate and relate to unique needs, perspectives, and learning styles.

During undergrad, I was hired as a tutor and teacher at The Princeton Review (TPR) test prep company, where I became a certified tutor for the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, and any other niche test prep students needed. I rose the ranks in TPR to become a “Master Tutor” and finally was offered the role of “Premiere Tutor”–the highest level of tutor at TPR. While in college at UC Irvine, I tutored for nearly every course in the Math department catalog, and was a tutor in the computer lab for the Computer Science department.

It brings me so much joy to see students experience the “aha!” moments, and I particularly enjoy convincing students that they are not in fact, “bad at math” but merely have never had someone patient or kind enough to explain the material in a way that they could connect to. As for elite students, it’s extremely gratifying to push them past their comfort zone and challenge them in ways teachers often won’t–when you are the best student in your class, it’s easy to miss your own potential.

UCLA Tutoring

I have tutored the following courses at UCLA:

The demand for tutoring is very high at UCLA, and I only take 2-3 students per quarter, so please reach out as early as possible! I am open to 1-1 tutoring or small groups of 2-3 at a reduced rate. If you are interested in tutoring, please email me here and I’ll be happy to discuss my availability and your tutoring needs.

Tutoring Testimonials

“Working with Jake helped push me outside of my comfort zone and gain back my confidence in academic settings. The transition to upper-division coursework was challenging, and I found myself falling behind, so I reached out for help. I have worked with Jake for 2 quarters, and he helped me in both Econ 41 and 103. Jake tailored our sessions to meet my needs and adjusted them as needed throughout the quarter. I saw dramatic changes in my grades, moving from Cs to As. I’d highly recommend working with Jake.”