Ivy Bound
About
Ivy Bound stands out with clients for four reasons:
1. Our instructors credentials. All tutors have a top 1% score in their area of expertise, and all teach with clarity, enthusiasm, empathy, and high test knowledge. Beyond that, all bring dedication and passion to help elevate their students. All of our tutors use proven strategies that Ivy Bound has been developing and tweaking for over 20 years.
2. Clients have a choice. We have over 50 active tutors, and several methods of instruction. If you choose a private tutor, you control where / how the tutoring occurs, number of hours / pace. Students also have input on what materials used. We offer efficient,, and informative instruction. We pride ourselves on flexibility and accommodation. Each student is different. Learn the way YOU need to.
3. Our commitment. Many students need a motivational push; many other students have the motivation but need the organization to get studying done effectively. Ivy Bound's personnel help with both. Our founder conferences with parents and students each month, and each family gets an advisor who keeps in contact to ensure we are doing everything we can to help each student meet their goals. Outside of communication, we do offer money back if students do not meet their goals.
4. Our success. Ivy Bound has been assisting students for over two decades, and we have several instructors who have been teaching for nearly 40 years! On average, our students see a 100-150 point increase on their test(s), and our academic clients ALWAYS see their grades improve.
We like our work because we enjoy seeing people succeed ,and meet their goals. Being able to help someone meet their academic, and even post academic aspirations is very rewarding.
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Once we have assessed what type of help you need / your preferences, we will compile a list of tutors for you to choose from. All clients have the option to 'interview' prospective tutors. Once you have made your choice, we send over an enrollment agreement. Once this document is e-signed and returned, you can begin to schedule sessions.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
We find there is no formal education that directly help with tutoring technique. The best tutors are naturally enthusiastic about helping others, naturally have empathy for others, and naturally have a creativity to help untangle difficult concepts. None of this is learned in school. A few aspects our founder works at are; developing clarity, learning from others stumbles, and applying feedback. These too do not come from formal education. As far as academic related qualifications, our tutors have scored very highly, and are required to retest every other year to ensure they can still assist at the highest level. All tutors must excel in whatever subject they are teaching. These tutors range from brilliant college students to college professors.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Our tutors start at $39/hr, and our classes are $1150. The class price includes both material and instruction. With private instruction there is a material fee. We recommend 25-30 hours for SAT, and 30-40 hours for ACT. When it comes to academic prep, the length of recommended instruction varies. On our website, you do have the option to prepay for a set number of hours. However, this is only an option, NOT mandatory.
How did you get started teaching?
Ivy Bound has many tutors with many different stories.. Our founder, Mark Greenstein, got his start tutoring 1st generation college students in South Central Los Angeles. Others taught in schools, others learned they had an academic gift, and began to tutor in high school.
What types of students have you worked with?
From our founder: Oh my. I've been at this for 35 years. So, the better question is what "types" have I NOT worked with?. I don't even like the term "type" with any human characteristic. That's especially true in education - there are spectrums of diligent, of talented, of knowledgeable, of creative, of interested. Point is, each student is different, and our instructors have worked with all types.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
A young woman improved over 200 points, and she is going to attend Harvard in the fall. We are all very proud!
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Find a tutor you're comfortable with. Whether that's personally, academically or both.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Do not think, just ask. No student should have to cogitate just to pose a question. They are YOUR tutor. A tutor should be highly adaptive, and compassionate. Your needs should be be taken into account from the moment you begin.