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
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “A word of advice: start with George early. Building the proper foundation in math is crucial to getting good grades in all years of high school as well as good SAT math scores.”
✏️ “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)
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “George brought my grade from 63 to 100. Enough said.” (Honors Algebra II Student)
✏️ “George’s influence was not only on math but his success comes from the universality of his was of thinking. George has become a good friend and has really changed our boy’s life for the better.”
✏️ “I have had many math teachers in the past, but I have never had a math teacher like George. George is the best math teacher I have ever had; no other teacher I have ever had can even compare. It seems like my other teachers has a lesson plan and tried to make me adapt with the lesson plan. George builds his lessons around what I am capable of, so each lesson is completely learned to its fullest. He has even helped me catch up after past teachers have brought me down and held me back. I am extremely thankful that I was able to meet and learn from George, and I hope I can continue to learn from him.” (‘A’ in Honors Pre-Calculus)
✏️ “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 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)
✏️ “We simply could not ask for a better qualified, kind and sincere educator for our son.”
✏️ “In my junior year in high school I was taking some challenging courses, courses which on my own I would have had trouble handling in combination with SATs and AP exams. However, George helped me manage not only my classes but also my standardized tests. I ended up with solid grades in my math and science classes as well as an 800 in the math portion of the SAT and a 780 in the SAT IIC for math. Without George’s tireless enthusiasm and unstoppable will to help me I don’t know how well I would have done.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “This is exactly what we have discovered in George – To Teach or Instruct Thoroughly. George not only has read our son’s Advanced Algebra book, he has wrapped himself around it. He teaches with enthusiasm and a deep concern for our son. He genuinely cares that our son not only understands the many different concepts but also makes sure that our son is able to effectively apply them. Our son has 125 new problems every week and George makes sure our son fully understands each and every one. Our son’s grade has improved from a B- to an A- and we expect this trend to continue along with his growing mathematical confidence. Our son smiles broadly at the end of every session. George is the MVP of the academic playing field! Thank you George.”
✏️ “In a word, George is wonderful! Highly experienced in all branches of mathematics, he also is an exceptionally nice person who cares about his students. Along with solving the problems du jour, he has imparted life lessons about setting goals, working hard, and planning for the future. After working with George for six years, my son will graduate high school with an A in Honors Math and head off to be a math major in college. Back in seventh grade, I wasn’t sure how this was all going to play out. I owe a huge thanks to George for all he’s done for my son. I am so glad I made the call.”
✏️ “I have always struggled with math, but George has helped me conquer the beast.”
✏️ “I can always rely on George to help me understand a particularly challenging concept in math.”
✏️ “Anyone who says that the SAT Mathematics section cannot be taught has not met George. After scoring a low 600 on my first practice exam, George stepped me through the process of learning how to take the test as well as the mathematical concepts behind it. After several months of training, George helped me to receive a perfect 800 on the Math section. And if that wasn’t enough, he also guided me through the SAT Mathematics IIC Subject Test, which, with his aid, I scored another perfect 800. Thanks to George, I was able to conquer the SAT’s.”
✏️ “We can’t say enough about how good a teacher George has been throughout the years. We feel that our children are well grounded in fundamentals and have the confidence to take on any academic challenge in the future. George is devoted to his craft and a truly unique academic tutor.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “Over the past three years, George has become the family’s de facto math and science consiliari. He has not only guided our first son to a string of 800’s but instilled in him a sense of academic confidence and curiosity that will serve him well in college. He also started down the academic path with our second son this year – a very different learner than the first – yet he has struck the appropriate chords with him. George is a born teacher. He is enthusiastic about his subjects, explains and teaches in a clear and logical manner, and patiently drives the learning process. We can always count on George and will continue to rely on him in the future.”
✏️ “We knew our son was brighter than his grades were showing. George did wonders, going back to basics and making sure he really understood the underlying concepts for both math and chemistry. His grades have improved, his confidence is back, and he recently hit the 700 mark on his math SAT. Now, if only we could send George to college with him...”
✏️ “He takes the time to understand the individual needs of our child, and goes the extra mile to make sure our son has all the material needed to be successful. He builds a clear picture for success with forward thinking and planning, makes sure the child is at ease, and provides great feedback on each lesson.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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)
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “George re-defines the definition of tutor. We have never met anyone with his credentials, mastery of the subject and infinite sense of caring and can-do attitude. The stress level as it relates to school work has gone way down in our home since he began tutoring our daughter. We only wish we had met him years sooner.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “George is a wonderful example of a professional instructor for mathematics and science. The quality of instruction administered in a calm, patient, and open manner reflects his true concern for the student. The dialog that exists between teacher and student is superb, as the knowledge that is sought and shared establishes itself. We are glad that academia has produced such a top notch instructor for our son.”
✏️ “George has instructed our son and now our daughter. We have found that George tailors his teachings to meet our children’s individual needs and not just the ‘text book’. George covers everything and then he covers it again making sure they understand thoroughly. It is with great confidence and pleasure that we recommend George to be the very best available!”
✏️ “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 wish all students could have the opportunity to have such an excellent teacher.”
✏️ “During my sophomore year in high school, before I began tutoring with George, I worried constantly about the effect my math grade would have on my grade point average. George started teaching me during the beginning of my junior year, and now, having graduated from high school, I can look back and say that George’s superb skills as a tutor led me from getting B’s in Algebra II to A’s in BC Calculus. Thanks to George, math stopped being a constant source of worry for me and became a course that helped me maintain my GPA. I studied under George for two years, and my attitude towards mathematics changed immensely during that time. George’s patience and creativity make him an ideal tutor for both struggling students and those who wish to broaden their understanding of mathematical concepts.” (770 SAT Math, 770 SAT Math IIC)
✏️ “Working with George has improved my math skills immeasurably. I was able to achieve a near perfect score on my Math SAT as a result of George’s dedication, patience, and skill in our tutoring sessions. He made sure I not only understood the concepts but had a deep knowledge of them. I also worked on my school work with George and felt that our work together put me well ahead of my fellow students.” (790 SAT Math)
✏️ “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!”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “George, you are perpetually a star! Thanks so much for all your help with our son. We are so very appreciative.”
✏️ “What would our schools be like is we could witness George’s way of teaching there? Quality, it works!”
✏️ “I missed a year and a half of school and George has been very helpful in getting me caught up in math.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “George is hands down the best tutor we have ever encountered. He understands that students cannot excel in math unless their knowledge is built on a solid foundation. In tutoring my daughter, he returned to basics, discovering areas of weakness and explaining misunderstood concepts. A comment that my daughter made in passing, “I can ask George any question about math, and he can answer so that I can understand.” While he is conservative in making promises about outcomes, he committed himself 110% to ensure as successful an outcome for my daughter as possible. Our first goal was to achieve strong performance on the math SAT, where he approached the subject matter in a methodical, knowledgeable way, she scored a 780 on her first math SAT. With that successful experience under our belt, we then wanted to ensure strong classroom performance for the fourth quarter of her junior year. My daughter was receiving B+’s in her honors pre-calculus class (and averaging B’s on her tests and quizzes), but the subject matter became increasingly more challenging, and she was faltering in her ability to grasp concepts, particularly with respect to the topic of probability. George worked week in and week out to review the various chapters with my daughter, preparing her for tests, encouraging her after a difficult test. She received a B+ for her fourth quarter work, which I believe would have been significantly lower without George’s help. In order for my daughter to achieve an A- for the year, she needed a 95% on her final exam. George worked tirelessly to help her achieve this goal, but again was cautious in guaranteeing any results. My daughter and I were thrilled to see her report card a month after her final, with an A marked clearly for her final exam! We look forward to George helping us negotiate BC calculus as well as the Math Subject II test in the fall!”
✏️ “I’m proud of my accomplishments since he has worked with me.”
✏️ “I am very happy to recommend your services to any family that wishes to prepare their children above and beyond what is found in the secondary schools curriculum. Our son who had a declining grade eight in middle school transitioned to Walpole High School and achieved honor roll status his freshman year. His continued Math and Science success is continuing now into his sophomore year and none of this would have been possible without your help. I can’t thank you enough for not only your Math and Study Skills help but more importantly your teaching the importance of life skills to our son. It has been said that ‘If you give a man a fish you give him a meal, however if you teach a man to fish you feed him for life’.”
✏️ “Five years ago I was struggling in my math and science classes. I tried around with a lot of the brand name tutoring companies, but I was just not improving the way I wanted to. So, when my mother told me she had hired another tutor I felt a little reluctant. However, after a few sessions with George I could actually see results. My success in learning the material properly reflected itself in both my grades and my ability to learn new material more readily. I can’t stress enough just how different George is from other tutors. George’s ability to work with his students and figure out on an individual basis how to teach subjects is unparalleled. My junior year I managed to get fantastic scores on all my standardized tests, including a perfect 800 on the math SAT. To me, George has been a great friend and an incredible asset throughout my high school career. George makes the material accessible and I cannot recommend him enough.” (800 SAT Math, 36 ACT Math)
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “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.”
✏️ “My senior year brought with it an abundance of math challenges. I had decided to enroll in BC Calculus, as well as take the Math II SAT2. I never considered myself to be particularly good at math, so I was very worried about how my various math undertakings would pan out – but, under George’s tutelage, I ended up doing better than I could have ever expected. Often investing extra time into lessons, George Patiently taught me enough about precalculus and calculus to raise my average SAT2 by more than 180 points and nudge my math grade to an A. George takes the time to explain the underpinnings of each theorem, never resorting to memorization when there is understanding to be had. Whenever I brought my confusions to George, he could explain with perfect clarity what had gone wrong in my calculations. Two years ago, I never would have envisioned myself having my current relationship with math – one where I can look forward to new challenges rather than dread tests and quizzes. Without George’s unparalleled skill as a teacher, I would never have improved in math to the point that I have. As a student, I cannot recommend George highly enough. More than achieve tangible results in terms of grades and numbers, I have developed an entirely new attitude towards mathematics thanks to George.”
✏️ “Math SAT 800, 36 on the ACT Math, and 99% in Math Honors Pre-Calculus. In the time that we have worked with George that was the result. I do not believe anybody could have achieved better results. George, however, makes it look easy. What else can you say.”