Shafer Math Tutoring • Hundreds of Testimonials and Esteemed Verifications

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.”

Perdocere Tutoring - Prominent Named Verifications

✏️ 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.”

Perdocere Tutoring - Hundreds of Parent and Student Testimonials

Parent and Student Testimonials

✏️ “George started late in the year tutoring our son, in a very short time his grades were up. His scores on the SAT and AP exams were exceptional. However what is more important is that George is coaching him on how to study and not only tutoring him in a subject. He is helping him choose his courses, as well as guiding him through his high school years. The look on both their eyes while studying is one of pure joy. George is an exceptional tutor as well as a dear friend.”

✏️ “George is a master at his field. He connects well with students and genuinely takes an interest. My son has improved his math performance in school and has increased his math SAT score by 220 points in less than nine months. George not only teaches math, but teaches strategies and encourages deeper thinking skills. My son is always fully engaged and has a desire to learn with George. They have two hours of fun every week.”

✏️ “George is a wonderful tutor that has made a significant impact on my daughters learning. He discovered her weaknesses and has worked tirelessly with her to fill in the gaps in her learning and prepare her for the SAT. He cares deeply about his students and communicates weekly with me on her progress. George is like no other!!”

✏️ “I missed a year and a half of school and George has been very helpful in getting me caught up in math.”

✏️ “George has expanded my interest and ability in math while working with him this past school year. I have really learned a lot as well as a positive and reliable approach to math. It has been a great experience working with George and I am looking forward to working with him to prep for the SAT’s.” (790 SAT Math)

✏️ “George has been tutoring me for eight months. While he has a relaxed personality, he thoroughly explains all important concepts and makes sure that I full understand the topics before moving on. His knowledge is vast and I really enjoy working with him.”

✏️ “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!!!”

✏️ “The best tutor we have ever had, and the nicest!”

✏️ “Throughout the SAT math class, George has made all the questions that are considered hard seem so easy. He has also shown me different ways to come up with an answer for each question. This has caused my math grades to improve!”

✏️ “With SAT’s looming, I hired George to access and fill in the gaps in my son’s math knowledge. My son scored a 550 on his first practice SAT with George, so there were plenty of areas that needed attention! George came up with a comprehensive plan to rebuild my son’s math knowledge from the ground up. George taught my son to look at math through a completely different lens, which enabled him to think creatively as opposed to mechanically when he approached math problems. This strong foundation coupled with a creative approach to problem solving resulted in a 780 on the SAT. George was professional, methodical, and thoughtful during each session, and knew how to motivate and inspire my son. Although the work was hard at times, my son was always happy and grateful to be working with such a brilliant and kind teacher. I only wish all of my son’s math teachers could be as exceptionally qualified and compassionate as George!” (780 SAT Math)

✏️ “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 was flexible and accommodating when my daughter and I found ourselves overscheduled one month before three scheduled SAT-2 examinations. He organized a study program, identified the appropriate tools, and worked out a mutually acceptable schedule on short notice. His thorough understanding of the information and the test process coupled with his kind and cheerful personal style was very effective. The outcomes met our very high expectations, and we look forward to working with him in the future.”

✏️ “George, over the past few months, we have been amazed at the progress you have made with our daughter. While the improvement in her ‘trial run’ SAT scores has been significant, of equal note has been the change in the way she now approaches math problems: she thinks differently! Your ability to explain the processes behind the formulae, and the way that you teach to each student’s strengths, is a thing of beauty… For a 17 year old to stay focused on math over and entire summer is a testament to your ability to engage someone’s imagination and intellect. I am grateful for all of the encouragement and focus you have provided. And, while I look forward to much improved success in our daughter’s upcoming SAT scores as a direct outcome of your work, I also appreciate the confidence you have helped her build over the summer. She is clearly far more prepared for the tests ahead than she was in early June. My only regret? We didn’t do this sooner.”

✏️ “The patience, commitment and encouragement of the instructor have helped our son bring his grades up significantly; and as his marks improved, so did his spirits and his confidence.”

✏️ “My son is a freshman in honors geometry – a really tough course!! George has been instrumental in explaining the concepts, teaching him how to solve the theorems and encouraging him throughout the year. Without this assistance – this year would have been much tougher. The insight into my son’s learning style and his clear and thorough explanations of each concept have given my son the confidence to tackle this vigorous course. He looks forward to meeting with George and doing his math.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “Math has never been my forte – even though George tells me I’m good at it every time I meet with him. Which in a way is true – because when George is teaching me I am good at math. Instead of only showing me how something works, he’ll explain why it works, which is exactly the teaching style I need. The difference in style, and therefore effectiveness, between George and my teachers at school is so vast that there’s a distinct possibility I would be failing math without him.”

✏️ “I could tell, my son really liked you and already is getting huge benefits from working with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

✏️ “We have had many tutors in the past and George by comparison is extraordinary. George’s weekly sessions helped my high school boys achieve never before A’s in their math classes. My husband and I were so impressed with his intelligence, dedication and patience. These qualities allowed my boys to truly understand SAT test taking and math strategies. We highly recommend George!”

✏️ “I don’t know how I would get through high school without you.”

✏️ “Math had never been my strong suit, but in only a short time tutoring with George, my math SAT score increased by more math 100 points. More importantly, I find myself realizing that math can, indeed, be fun and interesting. George’s teaching style is engaging and his enthusiasm for even the most mundane math is contagious, spurring me to apply myself to my studies. George delineates even the most impenetrable concepts with patience and clarity. I greatly appreciate the deeper understanding of math that George has imparted to me, and I look forward to the future!” (780 SAT Math)

✏️ “Before working with George, I thought of math as a drudgery. The subject required a lot of work and study, but it seemed to me that no matter how hard I applied myself, I could not affect a change in my grade. Math was a chore and an ugly spot on my report card. After being taught by George, however, that all changed. George takes the time to explain the mechanics behind a formula, never allowing memorization where there is understanding to be had. Under George’s tutelage, I began to see the beauty of mathematics, and as my interest in the subject grew, I found myself considering it less a boring necessity, but a more rewarding challenge. George’s teaching has turned my opinion of math completely on its head, and also yielded pleasant results during the final exam. Although my term grades before meeting George were not fantastic, I was able to score highly enough on my final exam to bring my overall math grade up to an A-. Without George’s careful guidance, this certainly would not have been possible. I cannot recommend his services highly enough – under George, not only my grades, but also my outlook on math changed for the better.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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)

✏️ “I am very impressed and happy with George as a tutor for my daughter. With his extensive knowledge, he can instruct her in both math and science, both for the classroom and SAT prep. I think he is very patient as he works with the student and is able to quickly discover how best to work with them.”

✏️ “Ever since I began my sessions with George, I have significantly improved my mathematical skills and have consistently been able to maintain high test scores. George has restructured my foundation and constantly solidifies key concepts, which help me to take each problem step-by-step and achieve the correct answer while truly learning the material. George not only helps to get the correct answer but also goes far beyond what is asked and works out multiple solutions to the simplest and most difficult problems. George is able to break down problems into manageable pieces unlike any other math teacher I have ever had. I commend George for his knowledge on the subject. I know with George’s help and positive attitude, I am confident that I will do well. Without George both my algebra and chemistry skills would be nothing like they are today. Thanks George and I can’t wait for another successful year!”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “George is a miraculous Math tutor. At the end of December I called George and told him my predicament, that my son was doing his mid-terms in a few weeks time and that he needed immediate Math tutoring. George tutored him five times before his mid-terms and he did very well. I’m grateful to George for coming to our assistance at such short notice. In addition to doing so well in his mid-terms my son has gained much more self-esteem in himself as George taught him how to approach doing Math homework and prepare for quizzes and tests.”

✏️ “George hands down takes the prize for the best overall math tutor. He brought my math SAT score up 220 points while maintaining my honor role status. George is an authentic man who truly cares about his students.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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 tutor and is a great person to work with and not only has helped me learn, but also improve the quality of my work and has helped me change my style of doing math into an easier and more comprehensible method.”

✏️ “George has been tutoring our son for four years, and we are extremely pleased with the results. George has taught our son the way he needs to be taught to, he is positive, thorough and focused. Our son has a confidence in his abilities he could’ve only imagined before. George not only teaches, he mentors and advises, he truly cares about his students and their accomplishments. We highly recommend George, he will not disappoint!”

✏️ “Initially we brought to George tutor our daughter in AP physics. He ended up tutoring her in both Physics and Pre-Calculus. He also provided help in preparing for SAT and ACT exams. We were very pleased by his dedication as a teacher. He goes above and beyond the average tutor by following up on exam results and checking in the night before to make sure she was ready or to answer any last minute questions. My daughter truly believes she would not have made it through those classes without George’s help.”

✏️ “George did an excellent job working with our daughter over the past year. He built her confidence and knowledge base so she could execute complex math problems under time pressure. We believe that one of George’s key strengths is his ability to work with strong students in advanced classes to achieve top performance. In addition, our daughter had fun working with George. We will use him in the future.”

✏️ “The SAT Subject Test for Math Level 2C is not like the normal SAT math section. The normal SAT math section has easy math that really just tests one’s problem solving skills. On the Math Level 2C test, both one’s math skills and problem solving skills are tested with more rigor. George taught me how to link all the topics I needed for the test and more to allow me to see many different methods of solving each problem. On top of that, he taught me how to pick the most efficient and accurate method so I would have plenty of time to spare to check my answers of at the end of the test. Because he taught me how to connect so many topics, sometimes solving one problem a certain way would reveal the solution for another problem on the practice tests. On the practice tests I was able to score very high with ample time left, and on the actual test I scored a 780.”

✏️ “George has been active in the academic lives of our two sons for the last four years. Each learns in a very different manner but, amazingly, George has been able to unlock both of their intellectual personalities. He consistently gets to the whys and wherefores of mathematics and is tireless in ensuring that his students’ math foundations are strong. He motivated our oldest son so much that he now is majoring in math in college. He has guided our second son to the top of his math class and now beginning to guide his SAT studies. George proved that an ‘800’ was possible; perhaps he can make it two in a row. George is always willing to go the extra yard to help his students and takes a sincere interest in their success. George has a gift that few have – a brilliant intellect coupled with an intuitive ability to teach. I count on him as part of our family because of the time and effort he has devoted to the education of our children.”

✏️ “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!”

✏️ “Our son’s entire success this year is because of Dr. George and his smart and savvy Perdocere Math Tutoring! With Dr. Georges innate knowledge of the academic world we feel confident that we are steering our son in the absolute right direction towards his passion for learning, achieving and most importantly to his happy and bright academic future! We will continue to supplement our child’s education with Perdocere Tutoring because Dr. George has given him the confidence we only dreamed he could achieve! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

✏️ “Before I met George, math was just another subject to painfully struggle through in order to achieve passable results. Once he and I began working together, it opened my mind to the possibilities that I could have with the joy of math. As my ACT math tutor, George made me realize how important a good work ethic, fun spirit, and a willingness to learn can create a love for something that I never thought I would’ve enjoyed. Now I can say that I am confident and happy in doing math not only for the sake of learning something new everyday, but also because George showed me how to take pride in something that I can do.”

✏️ “George’s math skills and patient manner have increased my son’s confidence and competency in his own math skills. He is able to explain complicated math concepts in simple terms while making the process enjoyable. George’s enthusiasm for math is contagious and helps ensure his students to be equally enthusiastic.”

✏️ “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!’ ”

✏️ “Who you gonna call?? We have relied on George for both of our daughters in tutoring Mathematics and Chemistry. I noticed George’s ads, called him and the rest is history. For my older daughter, we began seeing George in the second half of her junior year. She needed a quick review for her upcoming SAT, after having scored in the 600’s for her PSAT. She received a 730 on her first try. In addition, my daughter was struggling in her Precalculus course, despite studying under a different tutor earlier in the year. George salvaged my daughter’s junior year math grade, and she ended the year with an A-, after a rocky first half. He takes a very methodical approach to teaching, and doesn’t believe in shortcuts. To excel, the student must understand the concepts, and not simply memorize rules. We called on George again to help my daughter through her senior year Calculus BC course, as well as to tutor her for the retest of the SATs, for the Math II exam and for her AP exam in BC Calculus. Needless to say, the results were stellar. She improved her SAT math score to a 780; received a 790 on her Math IIC exam; eeked out an A- in her BC Calculus course for the year, and topped it off with a 5 on her AP BC Calculus exam. She was thrilled particularly with the AP score, because it satisfied her Math requirement in college. But guess what? She may become a Computer Sciences major, and is probably going to have to take a lot more math. And she can approach college math with confidence, given the solid foundation George provided her. My younger daughter is a junior in high school and is taking AP Chemistry. She loves the subject, but was finding the subject matter increasingly challenging during the fall semester. We called George, he taught her for three sessions and she was thrilled to get an A on her mid-term, and an A for the fall semester. She was impressed with his thorough understanding not only of the subject matter, but of how the teacher required questions to be answered. He discerned that the teacher required responses that exactly followed the AP test… my daughter adjusted her answers accordingly. I think we are going to have to call on George again soon…the material is becoming challenging again, significantly more difficult than the questions on the Chemistry AP exam, and we take comfort in knowing he has complete mastery of the material and boy, does he know how to teach! — A happy parent.”

✏️ “He has genuine passion for teaching in its most basic sense. His subject knowledge and teaching style encourages our child’s participation in a planned roadmap for success.”

✏️ “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!”

✏️ “Following a couple of years with disappointing math teachers, my son was struggling in his Algebra 2 course – and then the pandemic hit, and distance learning compounded his problems. At this point we reached out to George. George took the time to work back through the older material to build up a strong foundation for future success. The first few months were triage; even so, we noticed improvements in performance almost immediately. In addition to laying a strong mathematical foundation, George has done a great job teaching my son solid study habits and test-taking strategies. My son is comfortable with the material and confident that he will perform well on his tests. I am certain that my son is now on a trajectory that will guarantee success in math through the end of high school and beyond.”

✏️ “When I began my sessions with George, I was very apprehensive. I didn’t enjoy math and spending two extra hours outside of school was not something that I looked forward to. As the weeks went on, my confidence in my abilities skyrocketed. George quickly defined my problems, and made a long lasting impression on the work I now do. Not only did my scores dramatically increase but so did my school work. I now approach problems differently and find math to be more enjoyable. George is a wonderful teacher and I cannot explain how much he changed my approach to math. If I have any advice, it would be to listen to everything he says. He knows what he is talking about and the next time I walk into a mathematical minefield I know there will be a trap in the dusty corners that I can conquer. Thanks for everything George!”

✏️ “George has a very nice personality and is very smart. He has a nice way of conveying information to hold my son’s attention. George has been very helpful to my son, bringing his grades to a passing A and building his confidence in math.”

✏️ “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)

✏️ “As an extraordinary tutor for classroom math in both middle school and high school, we have now asked George to prepare our daughter for math on the college SAT. We have absolute confidence in George to help our daughter achieve her highest possible SAT math score.”

Click Here for the Complete List of Hundreds of Parent and Student Testimonials. What’s Shown Above is a Small Sampling.