Math Tutor (UPenn/Wharton Grad)

I believe comptent tutors are able to communicate concepts clearly, know a student's strengths and weaknesses over time, and ensure the student is engaged with the material.

I stand out with my ability to communicate as if the student was learning all related concepts for the first time. Sometimes as classes progress, the teacher might immediately assume you can connect A, B, and C, with very little time to process each of the concepts. I break down large concepts into bite-sized pieces so that the student can understand how all the pieces connect.

An example might be expanding the product of two binomial coefficients. In doing so, one would be expected to know how to combine like terms, taking the product of variables and coefficients, and knowing how to order the terms for the final answer all the while using FOIL. I would review each of the pre-requisite steps to ensure the student is ready to tackle FOIL so before s/he knows it, the concept becomes second nature.

Additionally, a lot of math concepts might be dry or hard to understand with just formulas and theorems. I try to incorporate real-life or relatable examples to make concepts more practical or interesting.

Furthermore, I understand that after a tutoring session, a tutee might feel overwhelmed by all the material that was presented to him or her right after. I have a website where I will write up within the day or next day the concept(s) with examples that we discussed as a convenient way to recall the material.

Finally, no tutor is perfect for everyone. I don't believe in a dogmatic approach to mentoring or tutoring students and am always receptive to new approaches to tutoring students!

Background:

High School:

The Bronx High School of Science (2007-2010), GPA: 94.93/100.00 (Advanced Regents Diploma)

College:

Northwestern University (2010-2011), transferred to UPenn after freshman year

University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School (2011-2014), GPA: 3.57/4.00 (cum laude), Bachelors of Science in Economics (Concentrations in Finance and Statistics) and Minor in Mathematics

Career:

* Commodities Trader at an investment bank in New York, NY

* Quant Trader at a prop trading firm in Chicago, IL

I honestly love helping people feel the 'aha!' moment when they learn something new. In my prior tutoring experience, I invested a lot of time outside of the session crafting new approaches to communicate difficult concepts to my tutees. I always found it really motivating whenever the student was able to understand the material and take it to the next step.

This has led to a student obtaining one of the highest scores in the class on his final when he never or barely was passing math, several students seeing higher scores on their tests, and in my professional experience, a major stregnth in feedback I have received has been my dedication to ensuring all my colleagues and new hires were up to speed on the technical aspects of the job.