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Pratishta’s passion for admissions counseling comes from her belief that every person has a unique, awesome story waiting to be shared. However, she acknowledges that effectively presenting these strengths can be challenging. Pratishta’s affinity for admissions counseling stems from her own journey of navigating the process alone. She gained invaluable insights, and it brings her immense joy to pay it forward by guiding students toward realizing their aspirations.
Pratishta’s teaching style focuses on strengths and building a strong relationship first. She is easy-going and loves having fun and getting to know every person she connects with. Pratishta thrives on structure and loves letting applicants take the lead while providing a lot of scaffolding. As a coach, Pratishta believes in meeting students where they are and helping them reach their best, helping them hone in on what they want to improve, and offering clear solutions to make progress together. Pratishta excels at breaking down tasks effectively into smaller steps, getting the difficult tasks out of the way first, and building in short breaks and fun activities during sessions.
Outside of coaching, Pratishta loves to box, cook, hike, kayak, and discover amazing restaurants. She’s also an avid adventure sports fan and has been skydiving and bungee jumping.
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Robert is a Duke University alumnus with over three years of tutoring experience. His journey into teaching began with a desire to combine his passion for education with his love for mathematics.
Robert specializes in tutoring mathematics and ACT, SAT, and SSAT prep. His passion for tutoring is fueled by student success and progress.
Patience, understanding, and encouragement are the heart of Robert’s tutoring style. He strives to instill confidence in his students by posing the right questions and motivating them until they can independently arrive at solutions. His approach is centered on guiding students to recognize patterns and develop problem-solving skills on their own, a methodology that has transformed failing students into straight-A achievers.
According to Robert, the beauty of math is its logical root. He is skilled at adeptly exploring the subject from various angles until it becomes understandable for each student! His strength lies in breaking down complex topics and tailoring explanations to suit the unique understanding of each student.
Aside from tutoring, Robert enjoys playing the guitar and staying active through weightlifting and Jiu Jitsu. He also played football at Duke!


Valeria earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University, where she served for three years as a Writing Center Tutor. She has also served as a Certified English Language Learner tutor and Matriculate College Advising Fellow. Additionally, she has worked as an Executive Assistant and College Prep Coordinator at Freedom University for two years, an organization dedicated to providing college prep classes, college and scholarship application assistance, and leadership development for undocumented students in Georgia.
As a first-generation student, Valeria intimately understands individuals' challenges when navigating higher education with limited support. Her passion for coaching is deeply rooted in her experiences and further fueled by her diverse admissions counseling roles. Working with students from varied backgrounds, she is inspired by their unwavering determination to pursue education despite facing adversity.
Valeria’s teaching style is kind but firm, allowing students to have grace with themselves while encouraging them to take steps to achieve their goals—a responsibility that is ultimately up to them. She ensures each student's wants and dreams are centered in every conversation. For example, a student may want to be a doctor; ensuring they know each step to take in the college admissions journey is one step closer to achieving their dream. Valeria is open-minded and willing to talk through every decision, big or small. She is excellent at recasting ideas back to the applicant in a clear, concise manner, and she is a thoughtful listener and deep thinker who takes time to absorb and understand how to strengthen a candidate’s ideas.
When she isn’t coaching, Valeria enjoys writing, jogging, journaling (physically + digitally), playing Animal Crossing, and board games.














Foundation Learning’s physics tutors have extensive tutoring experience or hold physics/science-related degrees. Our tutors are knowledgeable, friendly, and confident.
Yes, Foundation Learning aims to make it easy for parents to check their child’s progress using our progress tracker. This tracker shows you precisely what your child is working on and allows you to see tutor comments and feedback after sessions.
Yes, Foundation Learning ensures families, students, and tutors stay on the same page using our progress tracker. Families can check the tracker to gauge student progress and view tutor comments.
We always start by learning more about students’ needs, educational goals, commitments, and preferences. Learning more about students helps us match students to a tutor we think will work best with them.
The best package for you is the one that best fits your needs and goals. We work with students needing varying levels of support. If you’re unsure which plan is best for you, our team is happy to help you explore your options!