Matthew Pietrafetta

While working on a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature at Columbia University in the City of New York, Matthew Pietrafetta instructed hundreds of college and high school students in a variety of academic subjects and standardized tests. At Columbia, Matthew was selected as a Writing Fellow in the English Composition Department to instruct Columbia undergraduates in a number of composition courses. His work with students concentrated on logic, reasoning, and argumentation. At the same time, Matthew prepared hundreds of New York City high school students in standardized tests and numerous academic subjects. His teaching experience includes tutoring standardized tests such as the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests, the ACT, the SSAT, the ISEE, the LSAT, the GMAT, the GRE, and the MCAT. Through his work with high school and college students, Matthew found that the logic skills required for successful test taking were also necessary rudiments for success with the more complicated tasks of reasoning, analysis, and argument on the college level. The Academic Approach is Matthew's attempt to bridge these two levels of education by developing a standardized testing curriculum that imparts both sound academic knowledge and the salient reasoning skills necessary for optimal test performance and sophisticated critical thinking in the classroom.

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Leah Guenther

Leah Guenther received a Ph.D. in literature from Northwestern University with a concentration in English Renaissance studies. She has published articles on topics ranging from Shakespearean film to Bridget Jones’s Diary. Before joining The Academic Approach, Leah was the executive director of 826CHI, a non-profit writing lab and tutoring center for students ages 6-18. She has over ten years of experience teaching literature, composition, and creative writing courses to students. Leah represents all programs, as well as regularly contributing to the development of our curriculum for both on-line and print courses.

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Courtney Federle

Courtney Federle holds a BA, MA, and PhD from The University of California at Berkeley. Since completing his Ph.D in German Literature, Courtney Federle has been an Assistant Professor in the departments of Humanities, German, and Film Studies at the University of Chicago, Director of the German Film Institute at the University of Chicago, Director of International Student Admissions in the Office of College Admissions at the University of Chicago, and a teacher of English and Humanities in the Upper School at the Latin School of Chicago. Courtney taught in the American History, Culture and Literature Department at the Goettinger University in Germany for three years while working towards his Ph.D. Courtney most recently taught at the Latin School of Chicago from 2002-2007 where he was twice selected by the senior class to speak at commencement and senior day ceremonies. This past Summer, Courtney taught high school students at the Stanford University Great Books Program. Courtney also teaches in the Newberry Library Humanities Seminar series where he has led seminars on such works as Flaubert's Madame Bovary, Garcia-Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Dostoevky's Crime and Punishment. At Academic Approach, Courtney has helped develop the curriculum for several of our courses. He teaches the reading, writing, rhetoric, grammar and mechanics sections of the SSAT, ACT, and SAT exams. He also works one-on-one with students on course material in English, Humanities, and History, which includes developing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Because of his experience as a university professor, high school teacher, and college admissions officer, Courtney is often sought out as a consultant to families looking for help with the various aspects of the college admissions process.

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Amanda Falls

Amanda graduated from The University of Chicago with an MA in the Humanities in June of 2007. Her graduate work primarily focused on contemporary North American fiction; her thesis explored notions of secrecy, identity, and intimacy in the work of Alice Munro. Amanda did her undergraduate work in English and philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, spending a semester abroad in Budapest, Hungary. Amanda has experience tutoring ESL and teaching in the Grand Rapids Public School System; she has also taught a variety of writing courses at North Central State College in Mansfield, Ohio and Triton College in River Grove, Illinois. Amanda teaches academic English, as well as teaching all sections of the SAT/ACT.

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Jennifer Johannesen

Jennifer holds a Masters degree in Education and a Bachelors degree in Communications from Northwestern University. She began her career in book publishing, working in publicity at Random House in New York and as a promotions manager at the University of Chicago Press. After five years of promoting books, she returned to the classroom to focus on reading and discussing literature. Jennifer has taught English to all levels of secondary students at both private and public high schools in the Chicago and North Shore area. Since August of 2006, she has volunteered at 826 CHI as a tutor, workshop leader, and teaching assistant. Jennifer teachs academic English and all sections of the ACT/SAT.

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Oana Amaria

Oana received an M.S in Public Service from DePaul University with a focus on International Development and Policy and a B.S in International Business. Oana has a rich international background with expertise working with community development in Ghana, fair-trade in Mexico, micro-enterprise in India and workforce development in Romania. Oana has spent the past year in Beijing, China where she conducted cultural integration and language training courses with executives of companies such as Caterpillar, Siemens, McDonalds and ConocoPhillips to name a few. She is also very active in the local community and serves on committees for organization such as 'Immigration Pac' and 'Think Peace Take Action'. She is an verbal instructor for SAT/ACT.

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Erin Crowley

Erin graduated from Tufts University with an M.A. in teaching focused on English education for students in grades eight through twelve. Erin is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and won the Virginia Voss Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Writing for her honors thesis while she attended the University of Michigan. Erin has taught many different subjects during her career in education, from theatre at the Interlocken International Camp, to yoga at a number of Chicago businesses and theatres, to middle school and high school humanities and language arts. Instructor in verbal, writing, and mathematics for numerous standardized tests and academic subjects.

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Sarah DiGregorio

Sarah received a B.A, in Pure Mathematics, from DePaul University and is working toward a degree in Elementary & Secondary Education from National Louis University. She also spent a semester in the Rocky Mountains with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Sarah currently works as a credit analyst, in the commercial banking department, at BankFinancial. Over the past several years she has spent much of her free time prepping, tutoring, and mentoring High School Students, along the North Shore. She teaches academic math and the mathematics portion of the SAT/ACT.

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Kerry Dobransky

Kerry received an M.A. in sociology from Northwestern University and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in sociology at Northwestern. He received his B.A. from Kent State University where, as a member of the Honors College, he was the valedictorian of his graduating class. Prior to his work at Northwestern University, Kerry spent several years as a social worker, counseling abused and neglected children. Instructor in mathematics, verbal and writing subjects for standardized testing.

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Andrew Ferguson

Andrew holds a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Chemistry from Wichita State University. Andrew is a member of the American Chemical Society and holds Master's Certification in the following areas: Physical, Analytical, Organic, Inorganic, Electrical, and Biochemical chemistry. Andrew has spent the last five years teaching at Our Lady of Tepeyac High School in Chicago. He teaches a variety of mathematics and science classes, including AP Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry. Andrew has been the Department Chairperson in Math and Science since 2002 and is also the National Honor Society Induction Committee Chairperson and the Advanced Placement College Board Coordinator. Instructor in mathematics, verbal, and writing for a variety of standardized tests and mathematics and science for academic subjects.

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Paul Giallorenzo

Paul graduated with departmental honors from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Comparative Literary Studies. He began his studies in Northwestern's rigorous Integrated Science Program, where his studies included physics, chemistry, biology, and experimental mathematics. His work in science inspired Paul's interest in the history of mathematics and science, an interest that culminated in his comparative literature thesis: "The Paradox of Self-Reference in Scientific Methodology". Paul has worked for Fermilab, the nation's leading high-energy physics laboratory, and currently works, as a jazz pianist/producer, at the Old Town School of Folk Music and the Elastic Arts Foundation, a non-profit organization he co-founded. Instructor for physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics as well as all sections of the ACT, SAT, SSAT, ISEE.

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Tim Hampson

Tim graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Masters in Education and a secondary school certification in the social sciences. He received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in political science with a minor in history from Loyola University Chicago, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Tim has experience teaching in both public and private schools in the Chicago area. After teaching and tutoring high school students, Tim joined The Academic Approach as both an instructor and administrator. He has been instrumental in developing hundreds of pages of training materials, defining specific curriculum protocols to perfect the administration of our programs, and designing specific one-on-one programs to help students identify their particular needs and create the most effective courses of study to meet their goals. Tim is an instructor of the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, ACT, numerous SAT Subject Tests, and the GRE. As Assistant Director, Tim represents all programs, designs courses for students, meets with clients to explain Academic Approach services, trains instructors, and serves as the main liaison between clients and instructors.

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George Hubbard

George received a B.A. in Physics from Bowdoin College. He completed his thesis in environmental physics entitled “Inferring Temperature Records from Phenology Data by Means of Time Series Analysis.” Following graduation, George spent two years teaching high school physics at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont. He taught several sections of standard, accelerated and AP physics while coaching the school’s ski and lacrosse teams. For the past two years George has been performing, writing and directing sketch and improv comedy throughout Chicago. George tutors the math and verbal sections of the SAT/ACT.

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James Kriegsmann

James holds a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Northwestern University and a B.S. in theoretical and applied mechanics from the University of Illinois. He has studied a variety of subjects in physics and mathematics, and his doctoral work focused on problems involving the fluid dynamics of thin films. James has taught classes at Roosevelt University and recently worked for a textbook publisher. James teaches academic math.

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Sheryl Markman

Sheryl holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Boston University and a Masters in Human Services and Counseling from DePaul University. Sheryl's research at DePaul focused on college readiness among freshmen and prompted the development of a student manual and curriculum designed to improve organizational skills, time management, note-taking, critical thinking, and reading comprehension. Sheryl is the mother of an Ivy-leaguer and therefore understands the college preparation process both as an advisor and as a consumer. Sheryl is also spear-heading many of The Academic Approach's outreach efforts into the Chicago Public School system. Instructor in study skills, organization and time-management techniques, verbal and writing for all standardized tests.

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Matthew McAviney

Matthew graduated with honors from The University of Chicago with a B.A in the Biological Sciences. He is currently pursuing his M.D. Matthew has worked as a research assistant at the University of Chicago Hospitals and at West Chester University. He spent several years working as a volunteer tutor with CYP (Chicago Youth Programs).Matthew teaches academic science and math and the mathematics portion of the SAT/ACT.

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Erin O'Connell

Erin O'Connell graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in psychology, and worked as a psychiatry research assistant before attending law school. Erin earned her J.D., with distinction, from Stanford Law School. Now an Assistant Attorney General, Erin handles criminal appeals in the Illinois appellate courts, federal district courts, and the Seventh Circuit. She has prior teaching experience as an instructor for a national test preparation company. Erin is an LSAT and GMAT tutor.

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Russell Rolffs

Russell holds an M.A. in the Humanities from The University of Chicago and a B.A. in English and Philosophy from Calvin College. In the fall of 2002, he lived in Marburg, Germany, where he spent a semester teaching English as a second language. He spent two years working as an English teacher at Somerset Christian Academy in Somerset, NJ. He spent one year teaching English Composition at Trinity College in Palos Heights, IL. Russell teaches academic English and the verbal sections of the ACT/SAT.

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Prescott Tolk

Prescott graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. He has served as an editor and reporter for several publications. Working for The Academic Approach for the past four years, he has gained extensive experience and a solid reputation as a proficient instructor for the SSAT, ISEE, SAT and ACT. He also has assisted many students in writing personal essays for college applications. In 2006, he won tutor of the year. In addition to tutoring, Prescott has pursued stand-up comedy for the past 10 years, making his television debut on Comedy Central's Premium Blend in 2006. He recently sold a pilot to Warner Bros 2.0.

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Carrie Wasinger

Carrie Wasinger received a Ph.D. in literature from Northwestern University and a B.A. in English with an emphasis in writing from Pomona College. Her academic specializations are nineteenth-century fiction and children's literature. She has published articles on topics ranging from the Victorian detective novel to Peter Pan. Before joining The Academic Approach, Carrie taught literature and composition courses at Michigan State University and Northwestern University. Carrie teaches ACT/SAT.

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Cary O'Brien

Cary holds a Master's Degree in English from Columbia University in New York and has taught numerous undergraduate writing courses at Columbia College, while working towards his doctorate. Cary was selected in 2001 as a Writing Fellow to tutor at Columbia University's Writing Center. There, he instructed undergraduate and graduate students on writing projects, ranging from first-year composition course work to doctoral dissertation chapters. In both his one-on-one and his classroom instruction, Cary has always sought to explore the relationship between sound reasoning and good writing, emphasizing the importance of both the logical reasoning and the rhetorical skills necessary for constructing sound arguments. Cary is an instructor of the ISEE, SSAT, SAT Reasoning Test, ACT, the SAT Subject Test in Literature, the GRE and GMAT. As Director, Cary represents programs, designs courses for students, meets with clients to explain Academic Approach services, trains instructors, and serves as a liaison between clients and instructors.

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Ali Shandiz

Ali holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago. His doctoral research has been focused on developing new methods to explore and understand the mechanisms of protein folding. Ali applies his passion and cultivated understanding of science and mathematics to his one-on-one work with our students. When teaching, Ali does not merely impart science content; he contextualizes it within a broader landscape of scientific purpose and meaning. As a result, he can effectively breathe life into subjects that often appear irrelevant or isolated to students. Ali is an instructor of the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, ACT, numerous SAT Subject Tests, the GMAT, and the MCAT as well as numerous academic subjects in science. As Assistant Director, Ali represents all programs, designs courses for students, meets with clients to explain Academic Approach services, trains instructors, and serves as the main liaison between clients and instructors.

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Tracy Shepherd

Tracy holds a Masters Degree from Columbia University and a Bachelors Degree in Social Science Education from the University of Georgia. As an undergraduate, she studied in Segovia, Spain and went on to earn a Minor in Spanish. From 2003-2008 Tracy taught social studies/ history at the middle school level in the New York City Public School System; there she mentored countless students, provided professional development for new teachers and served as head coach of the championship track team she created. Currently, Tracy is an instructor of the ISSE, SSAT, History subject tests, and several academic subjects.

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Nicole Boyar

Nicole holds a BA in English from Columbia University and is currently working toward her MA in Theatre Studies at Hunter College in New York. As an undergraduate she worked for The New York Times as an editorial intern, researching articles for the magazine section. Nicole spent the summer of 2002 in Milan teaching English as a second language. She spent the following year in Florence, where she worked at Vallecchi Publishing, translating book synopses from Italian to English. Nicole spent two years teaching English at Mid-Peninsula High in Menlo Park, CA. During this same period of time, she volunteered her time as a tutor with the non-profit literacy organization 826 Valencia in San Francisco, CA. Nicole teaches academic English and SAT/ACT verbal.

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Anthony Caragiulo

Anthony holds a BA in biology from Colgate University (2003) and a Master's degree in biology from Villanova University (2008). He is currently working toward his doctorate in biology at Fordham University. Anthony has taught undergraduate biology laboratory courses at both Villanova and Fordham, and has experience as a one-on-one SAT and academic tutor. Anthony is a generalist and represents all programs.

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Hilary Hodge

Hilary holds a BA in Spanish, Italian and Philosophy from Kenyon College and a MA in Linguistics and TESOL from the University of Florida. As an undergraduate, Hilary taught Spanish and spent a summer in Kibwezi, Kenya teaching English as a Second Language. After graduating from college, Hilary worked as an instructor at Lado International College for two years teaching expository writing, grammar and TOEFL preparatory courses. During graduate school, she taught at the English Language Institute on campus and privately tutored a studio of twelve high school students. She currently works as an editor for Oxford University Press in New York and develops English language teaching materials. Hilary teaches the verbal portions of the SSAT, ISEE, SAT and ACT.

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Steve Lines

Steve received a B.S. with Honors from Trinity College and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Steve joined The Academic Approach after 20 years of consulting experience for a wide range of industries. He is the co-founder of Third Path Consulting and Research. Prior to co-founding Third Path, he was a Senior Practitioner in Tower Perrin’s Strategy and Organization practice and a Vice-President at Mars & Co., a strategy consulting firm. Other pursuits have included building a house, publishing a book, teaching at Choate-Rosemary Hall School, competing in international rowing regattas, enjoying extensive travel, and raising bees. Steve teaches the mathematics sections of the SAT,ACT, ISEE and SSAT.

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Jed Lipinski

After receiving a B.A. in both Biology and English from Bates College in 2002, Jed graduated from NYU's Masters of Fine Arts program for creative writing. While at NYU he worked with the Academic Opportunities Program as a specialized SAT prep instructor, assisted the editors of The Washington Square Review (the university's literary periodical), and taught as an adjunct instructor at NYU's Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences. Before entering graduate school, Jed held positions at Random House's Vintage Books imprint as a publicity assistant, at McSweeney's Quarterly (the notable literary magazine) as an editorial intern and events coordinator, and at Harvard Medical School as a research assistant on a number of medical studies. Jed teaches the verbal portions of the SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, GRE and GMAT.

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Jim Mather

Jim Mather graduated magna cum laude from NYU in 2004. He was a Founder's Day Honors Scholar and received the French Book Award. After graduating, he moved to London where he hung his paintings and performed his music around the city before getting his Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from University College London. He resides in Harlem. Jim tutors academically in literature and the humanities as well as in Spanish. He also tutors the SAT, SSAT, SAT II, ISEE and ACT.

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Eiman Moossavian

Eiman holds a BA with Honors in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics from the University Of North Texas. She is currently working on her Masters Degree in pure Mathematics at NYU. She hopes to continue her education and receive a PhD, to meet her ultimate goal of becoming a college professor. While in Texas, she taught math to college students and worked as a TA at UNT. Right after graduation she moved to California where she worked as a math program manager and instructed high school students with a focus on SAT/ACT college prep. Eiman teaches the math sections of the ISEE, SSAT, ACT and SAT, and also works with middle and high school students in academic math.

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Lisa Petterson

Lisa graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Art History and Pre-Medical Studies. While at Columbia, Lisa organized and participated in an after-school mentoring and tutoring program for HIV positive 11-15 year olds with the organization UJIMA. She has tutored dozens of NYC school children in math and the sciences. After working for two years as a financial consultant for MMG Partners, Lisa has decided to return to teaching and to actively pursue her interest in acting and singing. She is an instructor of ISEE, SSAT, SAT Reasoning Test, GMAT and SAT Subject Tests in Biology, Chemistry, and Math. She also tutors in academic math.

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Amy Zelcer

Amy received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in history from Harvard College. As an undergraduate, she worked for the Museum of Jewish Heritage as a Lipper Intern, teaching about the Holocaust in Boston public schools. She was a recipient of a research grant from the Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies for her senior thesis, which focused on United States rescue and refugee policy during World War II. Her thesis was awarded the Lillian Bell Prize in history. Amy is currently pursuing a career in musical theater and comedy, and has sung the national anthem solo for the Florida Marlins. Amy is a generalist; she teaches the full programs for ISEE/SSAT and SAT/ACT.

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Anna Kontos

A native of the Boston area, Anna is a graduate of Waltham High School, Dartmouth College, and Harvard University. Anna is the director of the Boston Office and represents all programs, designs courses for students, meets with clients to explain Academic Approach services, trains instructors, and serves as the main liaison between clients and instructors. A reading and literacy specialist, Anna has taught in both public and private schools, most recently at The Meadowbrook School of Weston where she served as English department curriculum coordinator. Previously, she taught at The Bishop's School in La Jolla, CA where she co-chaired the middle school's Curriculum Committee. After receiving her M.Ed. from Harvard, Anna served as a literacy coach for the Waltham Public Schools training, supporting, and consulting with classroom teachers in an effort to improve the teaching of English/language arts and ultimately to improve student outcomes. Anna's creativity, sense of humor, and intellect allow her to engage even the most reluctant English student. Anna is an instructor of the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, ACT, GMAT and the GRE. Anna resides in Watertown with her husband, Michael Seegers, and her son, Teddy. In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, the outdoors, and rooting on the Red Sox.

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Stephanie Wratten

Stephanie graduated cum laude from Williams College with a BA in Biology and earned her MFA in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Her varied teaching background includes teaching in Japan, at the Riverdale Country School in New York City, and at the Meadowbrook School of Weston in the Boston area. Stephanie continues to pursue photography and images from a project on middle school students have been included in juried photography exhibitions around the country. At Academic Approach she teaches academic math and science, and the math sections of the SSAT/ISEE and SAT/ACT.

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Gary Hendrickson

Gary Hendrickson holds a BA from Merrimack College and an MA from Harvard University. Gary brings 30 years of teaching experience in private, public, and international schools to his work with students at The Academic Approach. He spent ten years at Phillips Academy in Andover where he taught English, coached several sports, and served as a house counselor to 12 boys, one of whom was Michael Schulte, who later became COO of The Academic Approach. He also spent three years on the School Year Abroad program, two of them in Barcelona, Spain and one year in Beijing, China as an English instructor to some 50 11th and 12th grade students from public and private schools across the U.S. Gary has also been on the faculty at The Bishop's School in La Jolla, CA where he developed and instituted a variety of programs and curricula, served as Senior Class Dean, and was head coach of both the field hockey and softball programs. At Phillips Exeter Academy, Gary was a tenured member of the English department and in 2004 was awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Prize. His most recent appointment was at Brookwood School in Manchester, MA where he taught seventh grade English. Gary is now a full time instructor with The Academic Approach. Gary tutors the verbal sections of the SSAT, ACT, and SAT mostly on the North Shore. He also offers academic support and enrichment.

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Nancy Evans

Nancy graduated cum laude from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in English. She currently works as a Program Analyst at a law firm in Boston. Nancy is an active volunteer with Citizens School's 8th Grade Academy Writing Program and the Legal Apprenticeship Program. Nancy teaches verbal portions of the SSAT and SAT. She also teaches academic English.

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Adam Bradshaw

Adam graduated cum laude from Union College in Schenectady, NY with a BS in Physics in 2000, and then received his MAT in 2001. For the past seven years, he has taught junior and senior level Physics classes, as well as Biology to freshmen at Norwell High School. Additionally, he has spent the past two summers teaching Physical Science at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. Adam’s teaching extends beyond the classroom as he also coaches football at Norwell High. Adam teaches the math portions of the SAT, ACT, SSAT; the science portion of the ACT, as well as academic science and math.

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Ellen Fanning

Ellen graduated cum laude from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale with a BA in Psychology. She is currently in the second year of her MA degree in Counseling Psychology with a focus on School Counseling at Boston College. Ellen is completing her internship for her graduate degree at Wellesley High School in the Guidance Department. Additionally, Ellen has worked as a research assistant for Boston Connects-a program based out of Boston College designed to address barriers to learning for students in the Boston Public Schools. Ellen teaches the verbal portions of the SSAT, SAT, and ACT.

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Greg Gilbert

Greg graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in physics. He worked as a college physics study group leader and tutor for three years before moving to Boston, where he currently works in real estate management. During the summer, Greg serves as the program director at Camp Bell, a Boy Scout summer camp in central New Hampshire. Greg tutors the mathematics portion of the SAT and SSAT, as well as academic mathematics and physics.

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Tricia Har

Tricia graduated with honors from Wesleyan University with a BA from the College of Letters. She has earned an MA in Comparative Literature from Cornell University and is now working on a doctoral dissertation that explores the concept of organic being in medieval English literature. Her studies also require that she acquire proficiency in several languages, including French (modern and Old), Latin, Old and Middle English, Spanish, and Italian. In addition to research, Tricia has been teaching English literature and writing, starting with 9th and 11th grade classes at The Governor's Academy and more recently instructing several different literary seminars at Cornell. Tricia teaches academic English as well as the verbal portions of the SSAT and SAT.

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Hannah Harlow

Hannah earned a BA from Middlebury College and an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. For six years she worked in the marketing departments at Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt publishers. She then lived in Uganda for a year and a half, where she completed her first novel and wrote travel articles for the in-flight magazine for Air Uganda. She currently volunteers at 826 Boston and is at work on her second novel. She teaches the verbal sections of the SAT and SSAT.

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Rebecca Hock

Last year Rebecca taught in China through WorldTeach, an affiliate of the Harvard University Center for International Development. Rebecca received her B.A. in Science in Society from Wesleyan University and attended the School for International Training in Nairobi, Kenya where she concentrated on development, health and society. Rebecca has diverse interests ranging from neuroscience to philosophy and she speaks conversational Chinese, Hebrew, Spanish and Kiswahili. Rebecca teaches verbal portions of the SSAT and SAT. She also teaches academic English.

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Liz Hopwood

Elizabeth has a BA in English from Connecticut College and recently graduated with highest honors from Salem State College with an MA in English. She has taught 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English and currently teaches College Writing and Basic Writing at Salem State College. In addition to teaching academic English and the verbal portions of the SAT, ACT, and SSAT, Elizabeth works at Salem State developing events and programming for the Graduate School and English department.

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Kirsten Johnson

Kirsten holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, where she graduated cum laude, and a M.Ed. in Secondary Education specializing in Spanish and English as a Second Language from The George Washington University. For the last fifteen years, she has taught in both public and independent schools, most recently in the Boston area and previously in Northern Virginia. Kirsten is in her seventh year at The Meadowbrook School where she teaches Spanish, Human Growth and Development, and is a grade level coordinator. She teaches Spanish and verbal portions of the SSAT and the SAT.

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Harvard Knowles

Harvard has taught for many years in the English Department at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he also served as a dormitory adviser, and coach. He continues to teach each spring at Exeter a senior course in Moby Dick. He also teaches a seminar in Moby Dick for Exeter faculty on site at Mystic, CT. Harvard has a BA in English from Tufts and a an MA in English from Duke. He also received, while at Exeter, a Klingenstein Fellowship for a year's study at Columbia. A tenured member of the English faculty at Exeter, Harvard was appointed in 1989 the Thomas and Elinor Lamont Professor of English. He is a two-time recipient of the Brown Award for distinguished teaching at Exeter, and in 1999 he received the US Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award. A long-time reader of the AP English examination, both Literature and Language, he was also a member of the AP Development Committee for Literature and Language, 2001-2006. Harvard teaches in the verbal sections of the SAT and ACT.

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Eugene Lim

Eugene graduated from MIT with S.B. and M.Eng degrees in electrical engineering. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at MIT, with his doctoral work focused on developing a reliable, low-cost microchip device that can diagnose tuberculosis in developing countries. Eugene is also the graduate resident advisor at one of the undergraduate living groups on MIT's campus, and his hobbies include journalism, running marathons, and cheering on his beloved Detroit Tigers baseball team (no offense, Red Sox fans). Eugene is an instructor for the ACT/SAT and academic math.

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Raymond Long

Raymond received a B.A. in Chemistry from Dartmouth College. Upon graduating, he spent five years doing technological consulting for financial services firms with Accenture. His work was mostly in data conversion for venture capital accounting systems and report generation for broker compensation systems. In 2005, he left the business world to teach mathematics at his high school alma mater, The Governor's Academy in Byfield, MA. He is a teacher, dorm parent and coach. He teaches SAT Math, ACT Math and ACT Science.

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Sarah Mackin

A native of the Boston area, Sarah Mackin graduated cum laude from Bryn Mawr College in 2007 with a BA in Sociology. Over the past 5 years, she has had a range of teaching experiences. From designing and implementing an ESL curriculum for a local Boston women's shelter in 2004, as a public health and ESL educator in rural Guatemala in 2005 and most recently as an English and Sociology teacher in Vietnam, Sarah has experience working with a diverse array of students. Sarah teaches academic English as well as the verbal portions of the SSAT and SAT.

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Allison Meisner

Allison received a B.S. in biomedical engineering with a minor in mathematics from the University of Connecticut and is now pursuing a doctoral degree in biostatistics at Boston University. She graduated cum laude from the University of Connecticut Honors Program. Allison has previously graded papers for university level calculus courses. She has completed internships at Yale University, Northwestern University and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Instructor in mathematics and sciences for standardized tests and academic subjects.

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Orah Minder

Orah earned a BA in English from from Bryn Mawr with a joint degree in religion from Haverford. She spent the summer semester of 2004 studying Hebrew in Jerusalem. She has traveled extensively in Israel, Poland and the Czech Republic focusing on Jewish History. Orah is currently pursuing an MA in English at Middlebury College. Orah teaches English and Hebrew, as well as the Verbal portions of the SSAT and SAT.

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Avi Minder

Avi graduated Bates College with a BA in English. He has served as the age group director for 13 and 14 year olds at Camp Yavneh, a summer camp with an educational emphasis. After traveling throughout Israel and the Middle East for a year, Avi returned to tutor and mentor students of all ages in subjects including Hebrew language, reading comprehension and essay compilation. An avid hiker and basketball player, Avi has led youth backpacking trips and has served as a basketball coach. Avi teaches the verbal portions of the ISEE, SSAT, ACT and SAT, as well as academic English and History.

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Heather Pacheco

Heather Pacheco holds her B.S. in Geology and Geological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island and a minor in Violin Performance. During her time at URI she worked as a professional violinist, attended field camp in eastern Nevada, where she mapped and studied geology of the basin and range and where she was first introduced to mining. Heather worked at MWRA (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority) as a technical engineer specializing in the development of industrial management programs for heavy metals between degrees. Before earning her M.Ed from University of Massachusetts at Boston, Heather traveled extensively across the U.S. for several months. She is in her seventh year working as a teacher and head curriculum writer for the Earth Systems Science program at Framingham High School. Math is a vital tool in science and integrating mathematics into the curriculum has been a priority. She has had amazing professional development opportunties ranging from spending time miles below the Earth's surface in the mines of Colorado to researching the chemistry and biology of waters in Chesapeake Bay and the Colorado River. In the fall of 2007, Heather was awarded the Above and Beyond Award for the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math by the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council for her work integrating GIS into the Earth Systems curriculum at FHS. Heather teaches the math portions of the SSAT and SAT, as well as academic math and science.

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Alex Servello

Alex earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Boston University. While at BU, he coordinated SpeakEasy, an anonymous peer-listening service on campus. Since graduating, Alex has travelled to France and England and has been working for a medical device testing company. He is currently pursuing an M.S. in Regulatory Affairs from Northeastern University. Alex has tutored high school students in the Boston area for the past three years in a variety of subjects. He teaches the SAT/ACT, SSAT/ISEE, and academic math and science.

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Michael Shear

Michael holds a BA in Urban Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters of Education from Boston State College. Michael taught for thirty-five years as a mathematics teacher at Northeast Metro Tech in Wakefield, MA. During his long teaching tenure he coached soccer and basketball, and upon "retirement" he taught science and math at Beacon Scholastic Academy. Michael teaches the math sections of the SAT/ACT and SSAT/ISEE, as well as academic math.

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Varun Solan

Raised and educated in Dover, MA, Varun continued his education at Boston University where he graduated cum laude with a BS in Biology, BA in Economics and minor in Management & Business Administration. At B.U., he was a Teachers Assistant in Biology and peer tutor in biology, general chemistry, and physics. Since 2002, Varun has served as a mentor with Big Brothers of Massachusetts Bay, a non-profit organization for disadvantaged children. Since graduating in 2005, he worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and as a laboratory technician at Boston University School of Medicine, working on anthrax and diphtheria toxins while concurrently earning his MA in Medical Sciences. In addition to working in Clinical Operations at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Varun also teaches during the evenings and on weekends at The Academic Approach. While tutoring both the math and verbal sections of standardized tests (SAT, SSAT, ACT, ISSE), Varun also teaches academic math (geometry, algebra 2, pre-calculus, calculus), science ( biology, chemistry, and physics), and english (reading, writing).

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Andrew Swan

Andrew Swan graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA in History, and earned an MA in Education from Simmons College. Andrew has taught 8th grade English full-time at a Newton middle school for four years. He has also taught middle schoolers in Weston and Brookline, and at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. He worked part-time for two years on proofreading and developing standardized test items for an educational publishing company. Andrew teaches the verbal sections of the ISEE, SSAT, ACT and SAT, and also aids middle and high school students in academic English, History, and essay writing.

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Tri Trinh

Tri graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a B.S. in Chemistry. Currently, Tri is a medical student at Tufts University School of Medicine. Tri has spent several years as a Corps Member and then Team leader for Jumpstart, an early education program focusing on one-to-one relationships that build language and literacy skills. Tri has worked with students of all ages as a tutor and mentor, and has dedicated time at Massachusetts General Hospital as a patient services volunteer. Tri teaches the math portion of SAT/ACT and SSAT/ISEE as well as academic math and science.

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Academic Approach: Instructors

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