Jeannie earned a BA from Cornell University and currently serves as a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan. She has helped students get accepted to college through her work with Matriculate, an organization that helped underrepresented high schoolers succeed in college admissions. In this role, she helped students build college lists, craft essays, and apply for financial aid. Students Jeannie has coached have been admitted to top schools, including Cornell, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown.
Jeannie has also served as a teaching assistant at the Ross School of Business. While in college, she led a group of more than 120 women as vice president of her sorority and led a club called StartUM, a student-run incubator at the University of Michigan, where she helped students develop their business ideas from ideation and development to pitching.
Jeannie excelled in the college application process by leveraging her strengths and crafting a powerful narrative showcasing her true identity. This experience ignited a fire within her—a passion to help other students achieve the same results. Jeannie wants to empower students to identify their unique potential, navigate the complexities of the application process with confidence, and overcome any hurdles they encounter.
Jeannie's coaching style is student-centered and strengths-based. She believes in meeting students where they are in terms of knowledge and motivation. The first step is building a rapport and uncovering their individual goals, strengths, and areas where they might need additional support. This personalized approach allows her to tailor her guidance and identify growth opportunities. Once she understands a student's potential, she likes to challenge and motivate them to reach high. She fosters a growth mindset and a sense of ownership over their journey by celebrating their successes, big and small. Ultimately, her goal is to guide students toward achieving their goals and priorities.
One strategy Jeannie finds particularly successful in keeping students motivated is creating a clear timeline with specific goals. This visualizes the journey, allowing students to see their progress and celebrate milestones like finishing an essay draft or securing a recommendation letter. Motivation also thrives on recognizing strengths. She can build confidence and showcase their competitiveness by highlighting what each student excels at and connecting those strengths to specific colleges or programs. Additionally, Jeannie strives to make the entire process relevant. By helping students visualize how their hard work translates into reaching their dream college and achieving future goals, they can see the bigger picture and stay focused on the end goal.
At her core, Jeannie is a highly empathetic listener who is naturally encouraging and optimistic. Having conducted hundreds of student interviews on college campuses through her series called Gen Z Mentality, she understands that every applicant comes from a unique background with their own challenges. She creates a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns. She sees her role as a counselor not just as a guide but as a champion who motivates students to approach the application process with their best foot forward.
In her downtime, Jeannie runs Gen Z Mentality and interviews students about topics ranging from careers, passions, and relationships to money. She also loves spending time outdoors at the beach, traveling, listening to podcasts, trying new foods, and watching The Bachelor.
David graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors from the College of the Ozarks, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art. He has been actively involved in the education realm since 1999; he began tutoring in 2005 and successfully owned and operated his tutoring business, HELP Tutoring, from 2009 to 2020. He has tutored approximately 500 students over the last couple of decades. David’s enduring commitment to tutoring stems from his joy in witnessing students succeed and the realization that tutoring is a powerful avenue to facilitate that success.
David specializes in tutoring at all levels of math, up to Calculus 1 and SAT and ACT prep. Motivated by a passion for inspiring students and helping them unlock their potential, he strongly believes that having a caring mentor invested in students' success yields benefits beyond the academic realm.
As a tutor, David actively engages in his students' educational journeys. His genuine care for their success is evident from the start, as he assists them in charting a clear path to achievement. Employing a direct and uncomplicated tutoring style, David effectively identifies what truly contributes to student success and what doesn't. He identifies the root of students' challenges and fills in any learning gaps. Beyond immediate academic concerns, he emphasizes the broader perspective, aiding students in recognizing the significance of their education—whether it be meeting graduation requirements or acing standardized tests. David ensures students grasp the real-world applications of these concepts and the enduring advantages of mastering them for long-term success.
David excels at customizing his tutoring approach to suit the age and specific needs of his students. He has discovered that maintaining a blend of casual yet professional interaction is most effective, particularly when working with teenagers.
When he’s not tutoring, David enjoys spending time with his wife and six kids. He also enjoys playing Madden football and has been DJing at various gigs for the past eight years.
Sophia completed her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with a minor in Social and Economic Justice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed her Master of Public Health at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and is an MD candidate at UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Sophia has nine years of tutoring experience and has tutored over 50 students. She has also served as a teaching assistant for chemistry and calculus courses, helping students grasp complex concepts and achieve their academic goals. Her ongoing commitment to tutoring is fueled by her passion for science and desire to empower others through education.
Having experienced the transformative power of education herself, Sophia considers it a gift she is passionate about sharing. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring, chemistry at all levels, including AP and IB, and pre-health courses.
Sophia's tutoring approach is rooted in the Socratic method, where she focuses on nurturing both confidence and curiosity. She assumes the roles of a supportive coach and an enthusiastic cheerleader and supplements student learning by consistently asking thoughtful questions.
Sophia’s greatest strengths as a tutor are her intuition and resourcefulness. Sophia adeptly reads body language, ensures breaks are taken as needed, and incorporates mindfulness into her lessons to help students reset and fully engage with the material. Equipped with a diverse set of tools, she not only facilitates academic success but also strives to instill genuine enthusiasm for the subjects.
In her free time, Sophia enjoys shopping, playing basketball, cooking new dishes, and collecting elephants.