Video: How GRE Prep is like the Pizza Industry
The most important factor in GRE prep is the person teaching you.
GRE Prep Classes & Tutoring in San Diego
Everyone: Below are the 4 options I have to help you get ready for the GRE.
Military members, veterans, and college students: email Vince for discount information.
OPTION 1. Vince's free GRE resources. My free resources are better than the stuff big companies will charge you for.
OPTION 2. Online and customized GRE courses. Just scroll down a bit to check them out.
OPTION 3. Vince's in-person GRE classes. Includes free office hours with Vince. These are temporarily online via Zoom.
OPTION 4. One-on-one GRE tutoring for a completely customized experience. To see our GRE tutors' bios, locations, and pricing, click here. Temporarily online via zoom.
Remote GRE Courses
GRE Verbal Online
$74
I've twice gotten a perfect 170 on the GRE's verbal section, and GRE Verbal Precision is my online GRE verbal video course designed to improve your verbal score. I call it "verbal precision" since it teaches you to be able to precisely tell whether answers are right or wrong. Unless you're already scoring near 170 for verbal, this course will improve your accuracy and confidence. Includes the official ETS Verbal Reasoning book and my GRE prep journal.
Instructor: Vince Kotchian
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GRE Customized Study Plan
$197
What people need for GRE prep varies tremendously, so one-size-fits-all courses don't work very well for many people. One of my most popular services is a personalized GRE study plan that includes weekly check-ins with me. We'll create a complete plan and schedule for math, verbal, and the essays that is based on your unique situation and goals for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Bonus: My GRE Verbal Precision online video course is included ($74 value).
After you sign up, email me with: 1. if you have them, your scores on any ETS practice or real GRE tests, 2. your goal score, and 3. how much time you have to prepare. Then I’ll contact you to schedule a 45-minute phone call, Zoom call, or in-person meeting to create the plan. You'll send me a weekly study report so we can adjust as we go to make sure the plan is working optimally.
Instructor: Vince Kotchian
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Personal Statement Help - 1 Hour
$97
A strong personal statement / statement of purpose can really help you get in to graduate school.
In this one hour session, our resident application essay expert, Lauren Hammond, will work with you to either develop a plan for your essay, or to refine an existing draft.
Instructor: Lauren Hammond
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Personal Statement Help - 5 Hours
$397
A strong personal statement / statement of purpose can really help you get in to graduate school.
Our resident application essay expert, Lauren Hammond, will work with you for one hour to either develop a plan for your essay, or to refine an existing draft. You'll then be able to schedule 4 additional hours of essay help with her (these can be broken up into either 30- or 60-minute sessions).
Instructor: Lauren Hammond
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In Person GRE Classes
GRE Verbal Class
$295
8 / 12 Remaining
In my experience, 99% of people will benefit from a GRE verbal class, since talking through official questions with an expert will improve your ability to precisely tell whether answers are right or wrong. We'll cover every aspect of the verbal and essay sections of the GRE in this small group class. Includes all materials + free Saturday morning office hours with Vince to get extra help.
Dates: Starts April 20th and ends May 4th
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.
(Mondays) (3 Meetings)
Instructor: Vince Kotchian
Location: Zoom meeting (online)
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GRE Math Class
$495
7 / 12 Remaining
Whether you haven't taken a math class in 10 years or you just need to brush up on your skills, this GRE math class is for you! We'll cover all the basic and advanced GRE math concepts and mix in official GRE questions to show you the strategies that make this part of the test easier. Includes all materials + free Saturday morning office hours with Vince to get extra help.
Dates: Starts April 22nd and ends May 20th
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:50 p.m.
(Wednesdays) (3 Meetings)
Instructor: Vince Kotchian
Location: Zoom meeting (online)
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ABOUT OUR IN-PERSON GRE CLASSES
What will this GRE class cover?
GRE Math courses cover the math sections of the test and GRE Verbal courses cover the verbal and essay sections - taking both a math and verbal class will prepare you for the entire GRE.
After doing this for 11 years and working with all kinds of people, I'm really good at explaining the GRE. My expert advice combined with the opportunity to talk things through with me will raise your scores - as long as you're willing to put in some hard work. I'll cover both concepts and strategies and throw in every tip, trick, and hack I've learned over the years.
Here are a few of the takeaways:
- All GRE math concepts explained in simple terms
- How to precisely prove answers for vocab and reading passages
- How to deal with tricky critical reasoning questions
- How to make sure you're ready to write great essays
- How to develop good technique and strategy for verbal and math questions
- How to squeeze the most value out of practice questions through analysis
- How to effectively study outside of class
- How to decipher the GRE's patterns, logic, and rules
- How to analyze your practice tests and make better test-taking decisions
Everything we do is designed to maximize your test-day performance and your score.
What's included in the price?
- Weekly in-person office hours with Vince so you can get extra help!
- A 1, 2, 3, or 4 month study plan that covers every part of the GRE.
- All books and materials. (For online classes, these are shipped / emailed to you.)
- Hundreds of video explanations of GRE questions and concepts. In-person GRE verbal classes include free access to my complete online GRE verbal course (normally $74).
What makes your GRE classes different?
Long answer: Does your hairdresser do your taxes?
Short answer: I've been doing this for 11 years.
Test prep is not a common career, so most test prep teachers - especially those who work for big organizations - are working part-time while they finish grad school or look for a "normal" job in their field of interest. Once these instructors move on, the big company hires more newbies and the cycle repeats. This is why big companies and universities don't tell you who's teaching their classes.
Cost? Duration?
In-person GRE Verbal courses are $295 for 9 hours of class time, and in-person GRE Math courses are $495 for 15 hours of class time. Discounts are available for students and active duty military. Taking both a verbal and a math class will prepare you for the entire test.
When should I take a class?
It's better to take a class first and then study on your own as opposed to vice versa, because by taking a class, you'll learn how to study more effectively, with the right materials. The GRE is NOT about memorization - so don't worry about forgetting what you learned in the class if your test isn't coming up right away. In fact, you will really benefit from having some time to practice on your own after the class ends!
Who should NOT take the class?
Everyone, even high scorers, will probably benefit from a verbal class. Learning more precise verbal technique and analysis skills will raise your score, even if it's already high.
If you are very solid on math concepts, keep in mind that in GRE math classes we spend a lot of time teaching concepts. So, the main benefit to you might be the test-specific techniques we teach as well as the accountability and structure the class provides.
What's that, you say? You know your math concepts AND you have the discipline of a Navy SEAL? Then check out our customized GRE study plan option.
Registration Form
Please Note: if you are not directed to a payment confirmation page when you submit this form, please scroll back down and double check your payment information.
San Diego GRE Tutoring
We offer both in person and online tutoring.
The most important question for you to ask, we think, is "Who will be the person tutoring me?"
Our competitors hire new tutors and give them a fixed curriculum to teach. We hire long-time tutors (average experience: 9 years) and trust them to adapt the tutoring to the student for a completely customized experience.
Look for each tutor's location and pricing in their bio.
Vince Kotchian
Vince: I grew up in small-town Connecticut and completed the honors program at Boston College, graduating with a B.A. in English Literature. I moved to San Diego in 2007, and I’ve been working full-time as a test-prep tutor ever since. Along the way, I've written some test-prep books and courses, but I still enjoy GRE tutoring, even after 11 years. When a student texts me that she aced the test or got into her reach program, I still literally jump up and down and grin.
In my spare time, I like traveling using miles and points (Japan is our favorite country to visit), reading (favorite authors include Haruki Murakami, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, and Philip Pullman), watching The Great British Bake-Off (and sometimes actually baking things), hiking and camping, and rooting for the Red Sox and Patriots. I live in the Kensington neighborhood with my hilarious wife and our crazy cat.
To inquire about working with Vince for GRE tutoring, please email us and include any ETS GRE practice or real test scores (if you have any), your goal score, and your application due dates, along with any other information you think is relevant. Vince meets students in his Sorrento Valley office, his Mission Valley office, or online via Zoom. He has weekday availability only.
Vince also teaches all of our GRE classes.
Matt: I am originally from Hopkinton, Massachusetts - the start of the historic Boston Marathon. I went to college at Northwestern University, where I graduated with a degree in Theatre. After college, I wised up and moved to the warmer coast. I worked in Los Angeles for many years as a full-time SAT / ACT tutor and part-time arts educator.
I have been tutoring for over 10 years and have spent thousands of hours helping students improve their scores. Recently, I moved to San Diego after getting a M.A. in Education from Stanford University, and I currently work as a credentialed classroom teacher.
When I’m not working, I enjoy good books, performing improv comedy, surfing, watching Game of Thrones, and enjoying the charms of San Diego. I live in North Park, where I love to get out and take advantage of all the delicious food in the area. I am also a huge Boston sports fan - the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics are my favorite teams.
GRE tutoring with Matt is $149 an hour ($134 / hour for 10 or more hours). He meets with students in North Park, or online.
Matt Sheelen
Blake Jensen
Blake: I’m a native San Diegan, father, and an aficionado of basketball, vintage video games, pitchy karaoke, and lecturing my son on how much better Star Wars was "back in the day." I played college basketball at St. Mary’s College and Whittier College where I earned my B.A. in Psychology in 2002.
Having been a full time test prep coach for over 13 years, I have seen just about every type of student and tutoring situation. This allows me to give my students exactly what they need to reach their goals.
My years of experience have also led me to coach my students a little differently than most. A lot of test prep revolves around how to answer a question. While that is a necessary component, there is something missing. Identifying what is needed to answer a question is at least as important, especially for timed tests like the SAT, ACT and GRE. I show my students how to look at the test the way I do, to the patterns and tendencies of the tests to make students faster and more accurate.
Though I still work with students of all types, these days I tend to specialize in students with ambitious score goals.
GRE tutoring with Blake is $149 / hour (or $134 / hour for 10 or more hours). Please note, the only time Blake is available for GRE tutoring is before 2 p.m. on weekdays.
He meets clients in his Rancho Santa Fe office or his Sorrento Valley office, or online.
Bronte: My fondest memories of growing up here in San Diego are the Sunday evenings I spent cruising the beaches of Coronado with a gyro in one hand and a portable camera in the other (the kind you had to drop off at CVS to get developed)!
After graduating from SDSU, I accepted my first job as a SAT/ACT instructor. I quickly realized that my ability to be meticulous, my passion for problem solving and puzzles, and my inherent drive to organize information allowed me to mechanically maneuver students through standardized tests.
After living in Denver for the better part of five years, I moved back here - as beautiful as a white Christmas was, I recently became an aunt and knew I had to get home to my family. You can still find me hanging out on the sand, although my portable camera has been replaced with a math book and my gyro with an acai bowl.
GRE tutoring with Bronte is $120 per hour ($108 / hour for 10 or more hours). She particularly loves to help students who struggle with math.
Bronte meets with students in her Sorrento Valley office or online.
Bronte D'Acquisto
