Private Math Tutoring • Grades 7-12
Algebra • Geometry • Trigonometry • Precalculus • Calculus
This collection of hundreds of parent and student testimonials along with prominent named endorsements is a tribute to all my tutoring students over the decades. It’s about the intellectual journeys we have taken together, your love for learning, your hard work and perseverance, and your achievement of educational excellence. Congratulations to every one of you; approbation with distinction and well done!
Dr. George
Harvard Ph.D.
MIT B.S.
Perdocere Inc.
phone: 833-MATH-833
Prominent Endorsements
✏️ From:
Marlyn E. McGrath
Director of Admissions
Harvard University
“I think George is not merely a tutor – he is a real educator. He knows that what helps students perform well on tests is the same as what makes them good students. A solid academic foundation pays dividends throughout schooling and careers, and George never loses sight of that in his work.”
✏️ From:
Prof. William A. Goddard III
California Institute of Technology
(Caltech)
“I have known George for decades. He has a very clear and dramatic effect enabling students to think and rise to their full potential. George’s influence on so many lives has had significant impact, and I greatly admire him for doing this.”
Parent and Student Testimonials
✏️ “George gave me the confidence to believe that I could succeed in exams. He is a very patient teacher and is just the best at explaining difficult concepts. He makes it easy to concentrate and focus on the key parts of the course content.”
✏️ “George has a superior understanding of higher mathematics and science which combined with his ability to communicate abstract subject matter to the kids is like no other teacher we have known. As for results, George has guided our son from mediocre to excelling. His high MCAS scores are a measure of his dramatic improvement. His SAT practice scores steadily climbed to impressive levels, and he gained 240 points on the SAT math. George mentors and provides guidance with understanding to his students. Our son has developed a strong sense of purpose to do well which we attribute in part, to his mentoring. We’ve had George tutor both our sons. George is the best gift you can ever give to your son or daughter.”
✏️ “We first looked for a tutor when it became clear that our son did not understand the material in his honors pre-calculus class and was moving from a passing grade to a failing grade as the material became more difficult. We asked George to work with our son. He first worked to stop the immediate problem by working with him on a quiz by quiz basis. As this crisis diminished, he has devised a longer-range plan to bring our son up to the point where he can achieve on his own. George has a rare skill of understanding the material and being able to communicate it in a way that our son could understand. Thanks to George, our son has renewed his confidence and improved his grades enough that he is now on a course to respectfully pass his honors pre-calculus course.”
✏️ “George is a great SAT Math tutor. His thorough knowledge of every part of the test definitely helped me to understand how to take the test in a better and more efficient manner. We tackled each problem as it came and not only solved it but broke down each component of the question so that we could easily tackle a harder version of the same problem down the road. In just three sessions of preparation with George my test scores increases by sixty points and branched into the 700 range. I believe that George’s attention to every detail of the test is what sets him apart from other tutors I tried and is what allowed me to do so well.”
✏️ “In preparation for high school, I asked George to find and patch the holes that we knew existed in my daughter’s math knowledge. Although my daughter has been an A student in math, it was apparent to me that she was getting by without really understanding the logic and meaning behind what she was doing in math. Because of this mechanics, memorization based approach to math, she found the subject to be her least favorite. George promised that he would find the holes in her knowledge and would then equip her with a deeper, more functional way of attacking math problems. In only a few sessions, the change in my daughter was evident. Her test grades improved, but most importantly, so did her confidence and creativity in finding solutions to math problems. My daughter happily sits through her sessions with George and is 100% engaged and happy. George is brilliant, thoughtful and kind and really understands how to work with kids. I feel that George is fully invested in my daughter’s success. I wish that all teachers were as wonderful and George!”
✏️ “George is the best math teacher I have ever had. Nearly all of my math teachers in the past either just read the textbook to the class or followed a set of curriculum notes so closely that all you had to do was memorize then regurgitate exactly what you just learned to get an A. In the past, math class was no less than a memory game where each problem only had one solution which was shown by the teacher. George does not follow a textbook and he can create a lesson around a single problem. He shows many solutions to the simplest of problems and show how to connect every topic to each other, so I can fully understand each aspect of the topic we are focusing on.” (perfect score, freshman college math placement)
✏️ “Before I started working with George, I lacked the confidence and tools to complete my math year with a strong ending. After just three meetings with him I began to receive A’s rather than C’s. Not only does George teach with passion, but he also tailors his explanations and the presentation of the material to fit my specific needs. His commitment to my learning is exemplified by willingness and ability to describe the real content and meaning of the work rather than simply relying on the memorization of formulas. Working with George has made me believe that the key to successful learning is dependent on a great teacher – and George is a great teacher.”
✏️ “George is awesome. He pushes me hard, but it is because he knows I can do it. George is so smart. He has a thorough knowledge of all the material and he makes sure that I learn it just as completely. His one-on-one sessions really give me a chance to get a better grip on what we are learning in class and to explore deeper some of the things we do not get a chance to spend a lot of time on in school. As a result, I am a very confident math student.”
✏️ “As someone who usually finds math difficult and boring, I was relieved when I understood how easily George can get me to grasp concepts I couldn’t fathom on my own. In a span or roughly two and a half months, I have had results that were 150 points higher than my first SAT math score. George’s brilliance and enthusiasm made it easy for me to take my work seriously, and overcome my frustration and difficulty with SAT math. Nobody has the aptitude George has to boost math scores through efficient techniques for problem solving and test taking, or can rival his knowledge of mathematics.”
✏️ “George is a brilliant mathematician who has the rare ability to convey that knowledge to our teenagers. He is an effective communicator who teaches with patience, determination and perseverance. George understands that confidence is the most important ingredient for learning and empowers our children to believe in themselves.”
✏️ “George worked with my son all summer to help him improve his math skills for the SAT’s. He’s enabled my son to feel more confident, and he has certainly instilled him with stronger math skills in preparation for the test – and equally important – for his future education. We’re hoping for good results on the SAT! We thank George for his ability to provide personal individual attention to our son.”
✏️ “Math has always been an interesting topic to me; however, I never liked math class and the ways most of my teachers taught. George has been teaching me for two months so far and I feel like he has opened a whole new door of math for me. He has taught me many new topics and new ways to think. I really enjoy learning from George and I am very thankful that I was able to meet such a great teacher.”
✏️ “I have been extremely happy with George tutoring my son for honors Geometry in his first year of high school. My son had a difficult transition to the rigor and demands of high school for which he was not prepared coming from a quite weak math background from middle school. George became his tutor in the most complete sense of tutoring, meaning that he did not only teach my son all the concepts in a way he could understand and without memorization but also gave him a method to study and trained him to think and solve problems. This allowed my son to regain his confidence and to learn how to study not just math but other subjects as well. George’s dedication, for all aspects that could benefit my son impressed me from the beginning. He knew from the start how to engage him, how to make him confront difficulty in a rational way, something that requires besides a deep understanding of the technical concepts a strong educational knowledge and experience. I will recommend George without hesitation to anyone that wants to truly understand math and succeed in academics.”
✏️ “George is the best math tutor imaginable.”
✏️ “George brought my grade from 63 to 100. Enough said.” (Honors Algebra II Student)
✏️ “I don’t know how we came this far without George. There has been a tremendous improvement in our son’s work. He has the A’s to prove it. George is truly a gem.”
✏️ “Although I’ve only been with George for a short while, the most important thing I have discovered about him is that his teaching style is highly effective. Not only does he teach you how to do something, he teaches you why it is done that way. He is able to show you how basic concepts can be used to solve highly complex problems. Now, I am able to see the building blocks of each individual problem, and, from there, I am able to find the solution. He is totally approachable and will help you with anything. I know on countless occasions he has also given me advice that I find applicable to my physics homework. He truly does instruct his students very thoroughly, and if you are unsure of something, he will go over it as many times as you need. Because of him, I feel thoroughly prepared to take my SAT exam.” (700 SAT Math)
✏️ “George is a pro. He has years of experience tutoring students lacking self confidence in math. He covers all the foundations, enabling the students to succeed. George has tutored my son for two years. In that time, he has grown into a good student who loves math and gets the grades to prove it. His success has been empowering and translated across other subjects. Besides being and excelled teacher, George is a genuinely nice man. My son and I are big fans.”
✏️ “Once your child has worked with George, you realize what an extraordinary teacher he truly is. George not only teaches in a professional and organized manner, he has instilled self-confidence in our son that goes beyond mathematics. Our son respects George not only for his ability to teach him, but also because he takes an interest in him personally. George not only gives careful consideration about what is being taught now, but what skills will be needed in the future. Our son took a higher level mathematics course this year than was recommended, and with George’s help he was very successful! He is a wonderful mentor, something we never expected! Thank you George!!!”
✏️ “George is by far the best teacher I’ve ever had! The way he teaches and presents the material is unlike anything I’ve come across. I’m not sure why I’ve never witnessed this way of teaching before, because it clearly works! The math really does become clear with George at the reins. When I look at any sort of math problem, I can truly say I understand all the pieces and how they interact. My way of thinking about math has always been a way that has irritated and frustrated my teachers because I don’t always catch on as fast as the other students would. George is able to pick up on this and teach the math at any angle to suite my learning style. I am highly confident that he will do the same for you!”
✏️ “Thank you for your excellent help during our daughter’s absence from school. She returned not missing a beat in Trig and Chemistry. Not only that, your joy in teaching the material and encouragement further increased her interest in both subjects and boosted her confidence. We hope you will be able to continue working with her – it is such a pleasure to watch a child bloom academically!”
✏️ “During junior year, Perdocere helped me prepare for several standardized tests in both math and science. Perdocere was distinctly more effective than the other tutoring organizations I tried. With Perdocere’s help, I earned a 740 on the math portion of the SAT I, a 760 on the SAT II Physics, and a 5 on the AP Physics B exam. George helped focus my hard work and succeed where I had to.”
✏️ “George is the best tutor that our family has ever used. No one else is even close. He quickly identified my son’s strengths and weaknesses, and then set about in an orderly, sensible and strategic way to fix the weaknesses. There was a purpose to every problem set or test that he assigned. George customized his approach to the individual child which in turn created ‘buy-in’ from my son, who realized that he was not going to be assigned busy work, but focused problems designed to address areas that needed work. Bottom line my son got a 55 on the PSAT math and 8 months later, with George’s help, got a 770 on the SAT math.”
✏️ “George is a godsend. He breaks math down in a language students understand while making the process enjoyable. By laying out the mechanics of math, he lays down a foundation for comprehension the student carries forward throughout their academic career. He also gets results. My son quickly grasped the concepts and went from a C+/B- student to an A student. He also moved up two class levels in his math placement. His improvement correlated directly with his confidence, which soared. He now thinks of himself as the math guy. The greatest compliment is that I recently asked him what he wants to be when he grows up and he said a math teacher.”
✏️ “George was everything we’d hoped for in an SAT tutor – and more. Just by the enthusiasm our son had for completing the between-session assignments (‘George work’ often came before homework!), we knew we’d made the right choice. Not only did he feel totally confident taking the SAT, his time with George helped him sharpen his ability to complete regular school assignments, as well; he is now tackling honors calculus with ease. Our son fully recognizes how much he benefited from George’s coaching: when his math SAT score came back 130 points over his first attempt, he said: ‘Way to go, George!’ ”
✏️ “I love working with George. He is so intelligent and can explain concepts in so many ways that it is easy for me to understand. What I appreciated the most is how supportive he is. He makes me feel that I can achieve anything!”
✏️ “George is an excellent teacher because my daughter’s grade in math has gone from a C+ to an A through out the school year.”
✏️ “It is with both pleasure and sadness that I write this testimonial for George who has tutored my three children over the last five years in a wide range of subjects (math, pre-calculus, chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, and a little engineering on occasion). George has been an extraordinary resource and has become an honorary family member and a dear friend to me and all my children. He has seen my children through quizzes and tests, helped with tricky homework assignments, and led them to superlative performances on their SATs, APs and ACTs. George has been a terrific mentor as well as a tutor, giving advice on school, the college application process, and the like. George keeps up to date with all assignments posted by the school and helps even disorganized kids get organized. He is terrific at reminding the kids of deadlines for projects, assignments, quizzes and standardized tests. He has always made time in his busy schedule for extra sessions when a big test or project is due, he explains why and how rather than tell a student just to apply the formula, he adjusts his method and style of tutoring to each individual child, he is reliable and efficient and always pleasant, and his range of subject matter knowledge is superb. I honestly believe that George’s tutoring has had a big and most positive impact on my children in many ways. On the most obvious level, he truly did help boost their test scores and probably did impact the level of college to which they were admitted. Beyond that, however, he really gave them a greater appreciation and understanding of subject matters that they were not as comfortable with, and gave them the tools to help them think, analyze and solve. These are tools that they will carry with them and use all their lives, whether they ever take another math course or not. That is what a real tutor does not just get you through the next exam. And even further, George honestly cares about his students not just their performance but also their minds, their interests, and their character. Whenever my two oldest are home from college, they are delighted to see George again, and I know that my youngest will miss George when he starts college this year, as will I. George has been a big part of our lives. We are better of for the experience in many, many ways. Thank you, George.”
✏️ “George is the best tutor out there. With his thorough teaching, he has increased my Math SAT score by over 200 points in the past year. Since the eighth grade, George and I have been working to increase my math grades at school, and together we have been nothing but a great success. George is extremely talented. I think that to him, Perdocere is more than a clever Latin name for his tutoring business, it’s a philosophy. George knows everything about the system, whether it be public school, the SAT, or math in general. He didn’t acquire this knowledge through tricks and memorization. He learned it through simply learning the math thoroughly. I can speak from experience. Once George and I had conquered Algebra, I had the skills to conquer problems that would have been insurmountable to me just a few months before. It’s quite simple. It all comes down to his philosophy of teaching thoroughly. George produces results.”
✏️ “I wish we had found George sooner! He has done a wonderful job of not only teaching the current year’s math, but also of going back and filling in the missing pieces of our son’s mathematical foundation. He has helped him in the sciences, and as we move into SATs, I expect to see his positive influence there as well. Our son in a more confident student because of George. However, I think George’s greatest strength may be sensing what learning style fits our son and being able to adapt on a given day to what he needs, both emotionally and scholastically.”
✏️ “As parents, we all know how different our children are – and this certainly translates to learning styles. George has had to adapt to three very different types of learners over that last seven or eight years. He has successfully navigated one child through a string of 800s… brought another near that coveted goal, thus ensuring his place at the college of that child’s choice (thank goodness!!)… and now has the unenviable task of guiding our daughter through the shoals of high school mathematics and preparation for the SAT. All three of our children have enjoyed working with George; he has related to each one on a very personal level and he has adjusted his teaching style to match how they learn. He is always encouraging and has instilled in all of them the ability to ask questions and explore the whys and wherefores rather than just the answers. At the same time, however, George sets the bar high for each one of them and pushes them to achieve. Not only have they and will they be accountable to Mom and Dad – they are also accountable to George – and they seem to be more concerned about the latter rather than the former (which is fine with us). George has an extraordinary gift for teaching and for instilling a love of learning in his students. He is insistent that fundamentals be strong and he works those so that his students are equipped for higher tasks. On child ended up majoring in math in college and is now doing sophisticated quantitative analysis in an investment firm; another is doing a wonderful job navigating econometrics. We can only hope that our last one can achieve this success. With George on our side we think that this can be achieved. We heartily recommend George to all.”
✏️ “I’ve always struggled with pre-calculus and calculus. My teachers never taught the theory behind the problems, or how it was connected to the big picture. George makes it his mission to make sure you thoroughly understand the concepts of the subject.” (college calculus student)
✏️ “Frustrated by the lack of tangible Math achievement in my children, who are good students, through their middle and early high school years and with one facing the SATs in the spring I needed to act fast… I decided to tutor them. After trying a few tutors where the fit was never quite right I stumbled on to Perdocere and from day one my problem was solved! George understood completely what I wanted: to improve their math school work, prepare for their SATs, but also to make sure that they knew MATH. I asked George to make sure that all his math tutoring would stick; I didn’t want them to ‘just learn it for the test’. His success is tangible. They have great grades and success with the SAT. One of them said to me ‘Mom I learned more in four hours with George than I did all year in my math class!’ ”
✏️ “George tutored our daughter for almost a year. He is a one of a kind teacher because he is so good as what he does. Our daughter said that George was able to teach her math concepts in such a way that she really understood the topics. Prior to George she was able to get through Algebra and Geometry courses with good grades but without understanding the material. George is very dedicated, very enthusiastic and really knows how to teach for understanding. He is also patient and positive and was good for my daughter’s confidence. She liked him very much which is always important too. I am not a fan of today ‘s highly pressured academic rat race, and I believe children are suffering mentally and physically. However, having a good tutor can really help certain students to succeed rather than just stumble through.” (U.S. exchange student, online tutoring, Viterbo, Italy)
✏️ “George has not just taught me, but he re-wired my brain in a way that allows me to comprehend subjects I haven’t gone over with him. He has given me the tools to understand any math or science problem out there.”
✏️ “George is a very sound investment for parents seeking to help a struggling student. George genuinely cares about the teaching aspect of education and his concerns are focused on ensuring the student understands each concept thoroughly. He recognizes that while grades are the formal measurement of results, just as important is the student’s confidence level and comfort with the subject matter. As a consequence, our daughter’s grade rose from a C- to an A- in two months, but equally satisfying is seeing her growing confidence in herself and her abilities.”
✏️ “Over the last two years, week after week, month after month, George sits patiently with our son doing what George does best: teaching thoroughly. Being able to communicate with a teenager so he understands math inside and out is a gift, George has that gift.”
✏️ “Thank you for all that you do for our son!”
✏️ “My son is a typical middle school boy – more interested in sports than school. George has been able to motivate him to want to learn and excel in math. His teaching approach has been tailored to my son’s learning style with good results. His enjoyment, understanding, and confidence in math has increased significantly. To realize that my son’s math foundation is solidifying for the high school years is a comfort.”
✏️ “I have been working with George for about six months and I have never seen myself improve this drastically. I achieved a 5 on my AP exam and a 770 on my SAT Math. I truly owe it all to George.”
✏️ “In preparing for the SAT, George helped me dissect each problem into its basic parts. There is no better preparation for the Math SAT than with George.”
✏️ “I’m in honors math. However, I couldn’t handle Algebra-II as well as Honors Geometry. So my grade began to slip so my parents called George. It was the best decision. George knows everything about math and he was able to guide me through the daunting path of Algebra-II and Trigonometry. He made everything less intimidating, and within no time, my grade was back up. George is definitely going to be my tutor next year.”
✏️ “When I first met George, he gave me a diagnostic practice SAT math, and I scored a 530 on the SAT. Now, I can hit 800’s with time to spare. George has taught me new math topics, but he has mainly taught me how to think. He has shown me that each math problem can relate to the other, so you can solve each problems in a myriad of ways. We have sat down together and searched for new ways to solve the most difficult problems. It is almost like George unlocked something in my brain that now allows me to see all of the different solutions to each problem. Once I see all the possibilities, I can choose the most efficient and safe solution which now allows me to score 800’s.”
✏️ “I can always rely on George to help me understand a particularly challenging concept in math.”
✏️ “George is not an ordinary math teacher. Not only did my son receive phenomenal math tutoring, but George also boosted his confidence. I’d overhear George encouraging my son, ‘Let’s look at the problem carefully, it’s easy…’ By upping my son’s self esteem, George was able to improve his score. George also built up my son’s stamina by having him take full length practice tests so he’d be prepared for the actual SAT.”
✏️ “George is a great tutor. His math knowledge and his ability to teach it in such a way that my son understood it was amazing. My son improved his Math SAT score by almost 100 points. I highly recommend George both as a tutor and as a person. He made a huge impression on my son. Thank you so much.”
✏️ “George enthusiastically provides the most positive atmosphere for thorough understanding, solid development and concrete achievement in mathematics. He teaches in the spirit of a love for learning and instills an intrinsic desire for continued learning and understanding. George holds our daughter to a higher standard of achievement which she reaches for with great pride in accomplishment.”
✏️ “This year, I am taking the most rigorous math course my school has to offer, AP Calculus BC. BC calc is extremely fast paced because of the AP test in May. Some of the topics are only covered for a fraction of a class; however, with George’s help, I am a month or two in front of the class. Because of the two month lead, George is able to show me more advanced topics that will never be covered in BC calc. The way that George teaches calculus incorporates everything that was previously learned in calc while still covering a lot of material extremely thoroughly. In class, I have done well on all of my tests. George has allowed me to obtain an understanding of calculus which seems impossible to get from the class alone. I am very thankful that I have George guiding me through BC calc.”
✏️ “My daughter went up two letter grades from a C to an A. In my book George gets an A+.”
✏️ “I am happy to have George as my daughter’s tutor. He is thorough and organized and has helped my daughter understand the subject better. I am pleased with my daughter’s improved performance in her school quizzes and tests. I highly recommend George.”