Van Meter Tutoring • Hundreds of Testimonials and Prominent Named 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 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.”

✏️ “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)

✏️ “I got a perfect PSAT math score, thank you!”

✏️ “George is like no teacher I’ve ever had. He takes what looks like a hard Math SAT problem and simplifies it so everyone can understand.”

✏️ “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!”

✏️ “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 is very involved in making sure our son is studying the material he needs to succeed and getting a clear understanding of what is expected of him. George takes time each week to prepare for our son as an individual. Our son enjoys the way George teaches him; it’s a great mix of teaching and really caring about the student. We know George was the right choice, our son went from failing to passing with an A.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “I’ve been working with George for close to three years now and he is unlike any other tutor I’ve had previously. With comprehension comes good grades and self satisfaction I can’t get through just memorization. George’s plethora of knowledge has helped me through numerous courses and standardized tests. Whether it be science, math, and even the SATs, George has been there to help me.”

✏️ “George is a tutor extraordinaire. He is a born teacher who genuinely enjoys the kids he teaches and the work he does. He inspires his students to do their best and is able to establish a rapport with each of them. George has tutored my three teens for several years, responding to each one’s different abilities. He has helped them in all kinds of math, chemistry, physics, ACT, SAT – you name it, George can handle it! George has given each one a very positive learning experience, leading to greater self-confidence and enthusiasm for the subject matter. George encourages each child to take responsibility for his or her own learning. George has a wonderful ability to present concepts in a highly organized manner. All three of my kids report that George’s explanations are better than what they received at school and help them to really understand the concept as opposed to a mechanical application of ‘the rule’. None of the three ever grumbled about working with George. If they are having difficulty with a topic, they don’t panic because they know George will explain it and help them understand the issues. They all three see George as a friend as well as a tutor, as do I. When my two oldest are now home from college, they love to visit with George and bring him up to date on their academic progress.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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 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.”

✏️ “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)

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “Whether in a group or individually George is by far the best tutor I have had. His knowledge is extensive and he teaches in a way that complex subjects are easy to understand. I’ve used other tutors and centers and none compare to George. He is such a great teacher that I kept bugging him to teach at my high school.”

✏️ “George has an amazing amount of patience and challenges me at every turn. The truth is in the results! I am a more confident learner and that carries over to my other courses, as well. I got an A in my Honors Algebra class and look forward to working with George as I prepare for the PSAT/SAT/ACT tests.”

✏️ “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!!”

✏️ “George is a fun guy who knows his stuff. He is enjoyable to work with and the results are astounding.”

✏️ “You are the best!”

✏️ “Dr. George is one smart man! Not only has he brought our son’s math and science grades up to A’s, but he also shows our son the possibilities for his future! While some students crave the latest video games our son craves knowledge that Dr. George unfolds for him every week in a kind and consistent manner. Our student is looking forward to taking the SAT’s because Dr. George is preparing him fully! We know you can’t ‘cram’ for these tests and we feel privileged to have Dr. George teach our son now while he has ample time to prepare fully!”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “George is a great man! In my time working with him I have learned VERY much! I believe that George’s help is of the utmost benefit for anyone who wishes to enrich themselves and to be successful in math!” (800 Math SAT)

✏️ “Working with George has been great and I really look at my classes in school in a different way. I know that I can rely on George to go that extra mile to make sure I really understand what I’m learning, and that makes school much more manageable.”

✏️ “George has been tutoring our son for over two years now, we are very pleased with the results. Our son has a real appreciation for the method in which George teaches, and is confident in his own abilities now to understand and comprehend challenging concepts. With George the lesson is always positive, focused and thoroughly understood. Besides being such a wonderful tutor, mentor, and motivator, George has encouraged our son to excel in other pursuits as well, always looking toward the future. We highly recommend George!”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “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)

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “You have set the ‘gold standard’ that I don’t think anyone else can approach.”

✏️ “George quickly and accurately assessed our son’s needs, then put together lesson plans, exercises and study guides geared to address his specific needs. He just came home with his first A.”

✏️ “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 not only taught me math and chemistry, but taught me in a way that was practical and easy. Compared to school teachers, George actually explains things in a simple way and most importantly taught me how to think through any problem, which is by far the most valuable lesson I have learned from him.”

✏️ “The SAT Subject Test for Math Level IIC is not an easy test. One must completely understand the topics that are covered to complete the problems, and one must have precision and speed to score high on the test. With George’s help, I was able to get high scores on many of the practice tests which reflected my real score. George has taught me the best ways to approach each problem; I can now solve each question quickly while understanding the math behind each question completely. I am very thankful that I was able to meet George, for his teachings and support allowed me to success on the SAT Math Level IIC test.” (780 SAT Math Level IIC)

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “George is the best math tutor our daughter has ever had. He has given her the critical skills to understand, encode and recall mathematic principles to achieve her best possible classroom scores.”

✏️ “I wish all students could have the opportunity to have such an excellent teacher.”

✏️ “Not only has George quickly and effectively helped my daughter to significantly raise her ACT math scores but he has boosted her confidence ten fold!”

✏️ “George has tutored my son for the last two years and my daughter for the last year. He has helped them easily master the skills they need to be successful in high school. Further, the one-on-one sessions enable him to push them both a little further and expand their understanding. As a result, my children are very confident students. Best for me – no more math drama.”

✏️ “George plainly has a mastery of math and science that runs both broad and deep, and he is very, very good at communicating with both students and parents in clear English pitched to their level of scientific understanding, wherever that may be. He clearly cares about his students, and we feel very confident that he is happy to help any way he can.”

✏️ “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 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.”

✏️ “Our son was diagnosed with lymphoma during his freshman year and has been out of school for a year and a half. In addition to feeling sick from all of the chemo treatments, he was feeling hopeless that he would ever be able to catch up with his schoolwork. What he wanted the most was to catch up in math – Algebra II. George was the answer. For almost a year now George has been teaching him in our home for 4-6 hours a week. Not only is he catching up but he is also maintaining an A average and he will be able to enter his junior year this fall feeling completely confident in his math knowledge. We are so grateful to George for that. Although he has a long way to go catching up in all his other subjects and he still has another six months on chemo treatment, he is ready to get back to his life as a normal high school student. Couldn’t have done it without George! Thank you for your dedication to our son – mathematically and emotionally!!”
“George is a great tutor and a very nice person to talk to. I would recommend him for anyone.”

✏️ “After the first couple of math tests at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, I knew I needed help. After just a couple of sessions with George I immediately became a standout in the classroom, consistently on the verge of a perfect test. George rebuilt the foundation of my mathematical skills, allowing me to see the ‘big’ picture and to intertwine new ideas with old concepts. His ability to aid me in understanding the undercurrents of what my teacher was lecturing on in school allowed me to excel in the classroom. I have had George as a tutor for three years and he has inspired a sense of appreciation in the workings of Mathematics that I am now considering pursuing the subject as a major in college.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “Since I took the hardest math class at my school this year, I was nervous about my math grade. Thanks to George, on my last test I got the first 100% I’ve gotten since freshman year! My math has greatly improved since I started working with George, and for the first time I find that I am genuinely interested in math. I cannot recommend George highly enough!”

✏️ “George is a very relaxed, but serious tutor, making every session fun while also imparting incredible amounts of math knowledge. It is because of my sessions with George that I realized how much I love math and it is now my favorite subject. I have earned a straight A in math this year thanks to George.”

✏️ “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.”

✏️ “Thanks to George I not only feel more confident in math, but I also feel like I am receiving a strong education from someone who is dedicated to helping people learn. Every lesson is based on what I need, and he never disappoints. His approach to math is both fun and engaging. He helps me get the results I want without substituting memorization for learning.”

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