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 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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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 gave our son the tools and confidence to achieve results above and beyond what he believed was possible. He is a terrific teacher.” (college student parents)
✏️ “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!”
✏️ “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 is the real deal. Not only does he have a stellar educational background and a wealth of experience, but he has the tutorial skills to impart various math concepts and a real gift for connecting with students. My son has happily worked with George for five years; during that time, he consistently has brought home A’s. Simply put, George is the best there is.”
✏️ “My son has been tutored by George for the last three years. During that time he has gone from a struggling student to one who feels a confident mastery of the subject. George has built up his understanding by patiently explaining the basic foundation of math as well as adding enrichment when my son was ready. He now loves math and we owe it all to George!”
✏️ “George is a good teacher because – he makes me think the math out, he is always prepared for what I need to learn, thinks of problems to illustrate a math concept on the spot, drills me on what I do not know, makes me tell him how I arrived at the answer, understands me and how I learn, focuses and encourages me, talks to me.”
✏️ “He is very patient and explains complex terms in simple English. He also works hard to keep a smile on your face even when things are difficult.”
✏️ “You are the best!”
✏️ “The children never complain that George is boring or off topic or that he is a waste of their time, and they would if they thought that. Almost any other teacher or tutor did elicit those comments sooner or later from the same children. They tell us that even though George makes them work hard, the effort is worthwhile and that they are being exposed to something uniquely valuable and not duplicative of school work.”
✏️ “George makes sure his students believe in themselves and their abilities, thus setting the stage for academic success. He also takes the time to emphasize that it isn’t inspiration that creates success, it is perspiration. It is the mantra that is followed as he prepares students for the SAT. And there is success; both of our sons have done extremely well on both the SAT and SAT Subject Tests – and by extremely well, we mean a consistent pattern of scores at or just below 800.”
✏️ “George was a great teacher to have while I was preparing for the SAT. He really took the time to get to know what my strengths and weaknesses were, how I worked under test conditions, how I approached problems, etc. Just after one session he knew how to guide me and helped me set realistic but challenging goals. George made sure that I had clear and basic foundations for solving problems and then worked with me step by step until everything was clear and I was confident about how to handle similar problems. His teaching not only helped me through the SAT but has also followed through into my everyday school work. His enthusiasm and dedication is really meaningful and one thing for sure is that George knows how to teach.” (280 point SAT math increase)
✏️ “This year our son attended the Perdocere Math SAT Prep Course. George’s clear, well-presented explanations and thorough review of the SAT Math was very helpful. We finally found someone with a high-level math knowledge base and also with the unique and most important quality – the skill of teaching in a manner that is understandable. George has helped our son gain knowledge, skill and confidence.”
✏️ “Before I began working with George, I was getting good grades in math but much of the time I didn’t really understand what I was doing or why I was doing it. After my first session with George, I could tell he was a different kind of teacher. He really explained the concepts instead of just teaching me steps that I had to memorize. George always makes sure that I completely understand what I am working on before we move on to a new concept. I look forward to my sessions with George. George makes the sessions fun, interesting, and challenges me to think in ways that I haven’t been taught in school. George also happens to be funny and kind and I feel he really cares about me as a student.” (96% Final Math Assessment)
✏️ “Our daughter has always struggled with math, especially on standardized tests. Always a good student and hard working, she was always disappointed with her test scores. By working with George, she has grown in her understanding and grasp of the subject. My wife and I are encouraged to see her renewed energetic interest in achieving in math which for too long has been so frustrating and intimidating for her. George, thanks for all your help.”
✏️ “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)
✏️ “I got a perfect PSAT math score, thank you!”
✏️ “We are absolutely thrilled with what George has done with our son. He has instilled a sense of confidence, made him realize that he can excel academically and allowed him to set his sights on things that he never thought he could achieve. George is incredibly knowledgeable, extremely approachable and a fantastic teacher. He has gone out of his way to make sure that our son is always prepared for his next challenge. George will be part of our family’s academic life for years to come!!”
✏️ “We simply could not ask for a better qualified, kind and sincere educator for our son.”
✏️ “George works miracles! When I first started with George, I took a practice SAT and sadly got a 550. George explained that he was going to rebuild my math knowledge and rewire how I looked at math problems. Over the course of the summer and fall, George continued to work with me and with his careful instruction, guidance, and support I was able to get a 780 on the real SAT. George taught me to think differently and to approach math problems in creative ways. George pushed me to be the best student I could be, but never pushed me in a way that was counterproductive. Though I was not confident at the start, George’s never ending encouragement and faith in me allowed me to finally recognize my full potential in the SAT and in my math classes at school. I can’t thank George enough!” (780 Math SAT)
✏️ “George enabled me to get an 800 on the math SAT and, for most parents, that may be all they need in a tutor. However, George isn’t just an effective tutor, he actually cares about the student. When I first started with George math was my least favorite subject, mainly because I just didn’t ‘get it.’ However, now, math is my strongest subject and I adore the class. George allowed me to not just ‘get by’ in my class, but to understand the material, and, through understanding excel. I can’t recommend George enough on both a professional and personal level.” (800 SAT Math, 36 ACT Math)
✏️ “George is the best math teacher I have ever had and for the first time in my life I can now say I feel confident in math. I get it! He is so organized. He challenged me to really push the limit and had confidence in me that I could achieve the goals we set together. I wasn’t to sure but with his methods, encouragement and great teaching I did it and feel great about it too. I did greats on my SATs, my math grade is an A and I now will enter the honors level. I wish I had met George earlier. Thanks George.”
✏️ "George knows exactly how to prepare you for standardized tests. He provides you with more than enough preparation to succeed. I worked with George for about eighteen months, and I got an 800 on the math SAT, a 36 on the ACT math, and a 99% on my final exam in honors pre-calculus. Only George can bring the perfectionist out of you.”
✏️ “George has been working with our son for more than a year now. We can’t say enough for George’s abilities to teach – whether it be physics, mathematics or SAT prep, George ensures that our son has a comprehensive understanding of the materials. He challenges him to think through problems and apply concepts. George also has a way of making learning and academic achievement something that our son is proud of. He has instilled in him a level of confidence in his academic abilities that would not have existed absent George. Anyone wanting a truly dedicated teacher and genuinely nice guy to work with their son or daughter should always look to George first.”
✏️ “In teaching me how to do math for the SAT’s, George has taught how to work around any math problem that I may come across.”
✏️ “Who would have thought that my son would become a curve breaker! Through the years George has instilled a great store of fundamental mathematical knowledge. On this foundation our son was able to grab Calculus by the horns and completely master it.”
✏️ “We simply could not do without Dr. George! Our student even requested tutoring over his two week summer vacation to continue to benefit from his one-on-one, personally structured sessions with the wonderful, kind and very smart, Dr. George! Our son’s academic year will begin on a high note as he pushes to remain ahead of the curve in math. A standing ‘O’ is in the highest order for Dr. ‘G’.”
✏️ “When most people think of a ‘tutor’ they think of an individual that helps with a particular subject area, usually through studying or practice. When I think of George I find the standard definitions of ‘tutor’ no longer apply. Although George is great at ‘traditional’ tutoring he has a skill set that enables him to do so much more. His ability to teach material in a way that is easily comprehensible makes learning material unbelievably easy. I started with George in the 8th grade when my math grades were not so great. He took my grades in my 8th grade algebra course and turned C’s into A’s. Five years later I graduated high school with an 800 in my math SAT, a 790 in my math SAT IIC, and an A- in AP Calculus BC, the most difficult math class ever offered by my high school. George truly is the best, from science, math, and in my personal case, computer programming. George has the esoteric knowledge and raw intellect necessary to come through on his business name and `instruct thoroughly’.”
✏️ “George is an amazing teacher. He is the best tutor a parent can hire to help their child succeed in both mathematics and science. George is true to his thorough teaching; he goes beyond the knowledge taught at school to explain concepts. Having George as a tutor has been invaluable to me throughout high school. Whether you seek to improve grades in school, or simply to study advanced topics, no one can do a better job at helping you than George. George taught me basic calculus the summer before my AP Physics B course, which allowed me to view physics in a whole different perspective than the rest of my classmates, and has led me to decide to major in Biophysics next fall. And as I sit in my AP Calculus class this year, I can only smile and think, ‘George has taught me well.’ ”
✏️ “George started working with our teen last year after being recommended (highly) from a friend. We were impressed immediately – he connected with our son and tuned into his style of learning from the very first session. Not only has our son improved in math, but the PSAT/SAT prep work he is doing now is sure to reap benefits during this coming year. We just wish we had found George years ago!” (700 SAT Math)
✏️ “Whenever I am concerned teachers may have assigned material that is too difficult, my daughter says “Don’t worry, I have the best tutor ever.” With George, you couldn’t ask for more. Brilliant and charismatic as a math tutor, and with a special winning personality, George is gifted in explaining math to teenagers.”
✏️ “We give high praise and appreciation to Dr. George for the effort and care he has put into our son’s math and science tutoring! Our 8th grade son just received his SSAT score report and is in the 99% of the Estimated National Percentile! Also, just as wonderful, is the noticeable increase in our son’s self-esteem and confidence! Dr. George has shown that his consistent and kind approach to teaching can lead to a strong sense of self! Thank you so much Dr. George!”
✏️ “SAT, PreCalculus, Mid Year Exams – not something you want to think about, especially not all three and trying to cram all of them in less than five months. Before George I can say that to do all this and do well would be impossible; I had no confidence in myself. Finding George and getting tutored by him has been one of the best decisions my family made as he turned something that seemed hopeless to something achievable. As a student, I know that schools have a set curriculum where their goal is to teach everything they need in one school year, but sadly in doing so they rush; they teach their students to solve things a certain way with the no explanation of why or how they got there. So before George I was basically a robot taught to memorize everything with the explanation of ‘because that’s just what you do’. George, on the other hand taught me the basics, teaching how and why things worked, what is really going on in a formula or an equation. He taught me each and every bits and pieces of math to help understand why things are the way they are. I now understand math more that I have ever did. Not only that but after really understanding something he goes above that to where he introduces more complex things to keep the mind going, building on the strong foundation that he has created. This showed its work on the SAT and in school. The SAT (Math) is all about understanding and thinking skills; George helped me to improve my thinking skills and understand math problems. At the same time he help me to easily do things in school with his teaching; things that seemed difficult before are now much easier to where now I can see how it works, identifying the building blocks of math to help me solve the equation. George is the best tutor and teacher I have ever had in my life; he has a superior understanding of math and he used it to help me get high scores on the SAT and high grades in school. He has proven to me that he loves his job, to help and see his students succeed, using every bit of time productively, encouraging his students that they can succeed with his teachings and hard work. George has done so much to help me succeed in school and on the SAT. I could not have asked for a better tutor. Now it is time for SAT II, where I am certain that George will help me achieve a high score.”
✏️ “George has helped me to understand algebra better than my teachers at school ever could!”
✏️ “George set an amazing foundation for my AP Physics course, when he taught me some basic calculus, which allowed me to understand how all the formulas interconnected, rather than simply memorizing them.” (AP score 5)
✏️ “George tutored my daughter in math this summer. He clearly has knowledge and patience to tutor with confidence. He took pride in making sure my daughter understood the material covered, without tests and grades, only with positive feedback and enthusiasm. Thank you.”
✏️ “George has helped my daughter realize that she really could understand math. Her improved test scores inspired her to work harder, not just in math, but also in all her classes. Her confidence and ambition both grew as she realized that she could master a difficult topic. George has the gifts of a good translator and teacher, he listens extremely well and then uses words and descriptions that can help students decipher difficult concepts. George’s approach to learning, studying, and preparing are completely transferable across many subjects.”
✏️ “I met George in February of my junior year. Earlier in my junior year and sophomore spring, I had been bounced between countless math tutors who seemed uninterested in actually changing the way I learn and comprehend math on different levels, which is a necessary transition from my school math course work to solving problems on the ACT. A few had deemed me incapable of ever truly raising my math IQ and relied heavily on strategy to get me through standardized testing problems. Yet with George, everything changed. He studied the way I learned and took tests, and synthesized the information I gleaned from each of our sessions. He then broke down my entire bank of knowledge in the realm of mathematics and we started from the bottom, building our way up. As each new brick was laid in the foundation, my confidence grew and my ability to take control of the ACT in a way that worked for me was apparent. I no longer fear ACT test day, new units in Pre-calculus or a problem that seems overwhelmingly difficult based on its exterior. George became my math savior and I can not thank him enough.”
✏️ “George’s teaching has not only allowed me to conquer complex calculus problems, but has also taught me the specific processes needed in order to crack several SAT problems. Immediately after entering Advanced Pre-Calculus my junior year I fell behind, unable to solve problems and make critical connections. However, with George’s help, I improved dramatically, impressing not only myself, but also my teacher. I ended up finishing the year with an A, a real feat in the challenging math department at my school. After George boosted my confidence in solving problems, particularly by breaking them down into manageable pieces and explaining proofs behind equations, I knew I could take on the rigorous AP Calculus course at my high school. Sure enough, his relentless attitude and determined spirit earned me an A for the first trimester and on my midterm exam. After starting with George in the 9th grade, I would have never thought that I could make it this far. Our compatible personalities and George’s vested interest in my success led me to gain a high SAT score and consistently excellent grades. For George it is never ‘I can’t do this,’ but rather ‘how can we solve this problem in more than one way to truly understand the concept?’ I am confident that George has provided me with a solid foundation that will allow me to succeed in college mathematics and ultimately my desired career path.”
✏️ “George has been more than just a tutor. He is a friend and a mentor for both our children. Perfect SAT and ACT scores were just the beginning. George is still with them in college. His methods and teaching skills are more than what we imagined. The sooner a child starts with George the better his foundations are made solid, and the confidence the student acquires with his help goes beyond math to encompass all the curriculum.” (800 SAT, 36 ACT)
✏️ “George taught me the difference between wisdom and knowledge, and George is by far the most experienced and intelligent teacher I have had the pleasure of working with.” (800 Math SAT, 800 SAT Math IIC, 36 ACT)
✏️ “The first time I took an SAT math practice test, I scored a 540. I was confident in my math skills, but I still scored quite low. After learning with George, I realized that my problem solving skills were not refined. George taught me how to think. The SAT math section does not actually have any extremely difficult math. The real tough part is solving a problem efficiently and accurately. George taught me how to connect many topics of math together to do this. By the time I was ready to take the real SAT, I was scoring 800’s on the practice tests.” (800 Math SAT)
✏️ “When George takes on a student, for him it is not just a job, for him it is a commitment which he honors spectacularly. A commitment to help you do well in school and also a commitment to actually learn the subject matter.”
✏️ “We felt like we struck gold shortly after George began to tutor our son toward the end of his junior year. The impact was almost immediate. He skill level went from a fail to pass in a few sessions. George has an expertise in communicating math and science surpassed by no one. He was able to identify and fill in the gaps in our sons math education in two-hour per week sessions when regular classes and after school failed. Our sons precalculus and calculus teachers were unable to communicate the subject matter in a way that our son could understand. Our son proclaimed that George was the best math teacher he ever had in his entire high school career. He had somebody who could explain abstract concepts in a way he could understand. George prepared our son for the SAT exam and continued tutoring our son during his senior year in high school for advanced math. Honors precalculus and calculus are hard enough subjects for anybody to grasp or master, but they are especially difficult when you have a learning disability. We have no reservation in giving George our highest recommendation.”
✏️ “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!”
✏️ “Thank you so much for all you do for our son, and for us!”
✏️ “800 – we thought that sort of score was something unattainable – something that only a few gifted students achieved. And now our son (who we love dearly but never considered to be a particularly gifted math student) has brought home 800s twice – once on the SAT and once on the SAT II. We attribute so much of this achievement to George. He restructured fundamentals and taught our son to enjoy math once again. George consistently challenged and pushed – but never too much. He displayed patience and a wonderful gift for explaining things. As our son told us, George not only works through problems but teaches how everything evolved and why everything is what it is. We couldn’t ask for a better teacher. We really don’t have enough adjectives to describe George’s teaching ability. He is absolutely the best teacher that we have ever seen!!! George – your job with number one son is almost done – it is now time to move to number two.” (800 Math SAT, 800 Math IIC Subject Test)