GRE tutors in San Diego, near you, & online
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How we can help
If you've been out of school for years - or maybe even decades - it can feel intimidating to do something like study for an exam, especially one with high stakes like the GRE. The good news is your verbal abilities have probably gotten better over the years without you even trying, since you've been reading this whole time - which passively develops your vocab, comprehension, and even writing skills.
The bad news? Your math ability, unless you were extremely good at math back in the day, may have atrophied into a pile of goo. I won't sugarcoat it - it'll take some hard work to get that ability back, but it can be done. The GRE doesn't test hard math concepts - it's just the greatest hits from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and statistics. Also, motivation may be a bigger factor than you think - after all, your life probably is pretty comfortable by now, and generating the discipline to study for a test might be tough.
If you're interested in GRE tutoring, we'll start off with a free phone call to discuss your situation and goals, and from there, develop a study and tutoring plan to make the most of the time you have.
BTW, Vince also offers a personalized GRE study plan if you're not sure you need live tutoring.
P.S. We also help people write their graduate school admissions essays and statements of purpose!
Why us?
The most important question to ask, we think, is this:
"Who will be the person tutoring me?"
We're probably the most expensive tutors in San Diego. Why? In stark contrast to our competitors who employ a rotating cast of 23-year-olds, our tutors have an average of 10 years of experience. We pay them really well because we only hire tutors who are extremely good at what they do.
One-on-one tutoring, with us, is completely customized to your learning style, personality, and needs.
In our GRE tutoring sessions, talking through the nuances of practice questions not only allows us to explain, in detail, the strategies that work, but those conversations also allow us to see what you're thinking and adjust our instruction minute-by-minute - something you can't easily get from a big class and that you certainly can't get from a GRE video course.
(Above: Vince demonstrates a key GRE quant strategy.)
Conversation is what makes private tutoring so valuable. It allows us to see the best way to help you, whether the problem is content, strategy, timing, test anxiety, or even your personal approach to studying and test-taking.
"Is GRE tutoring worth it?" Here are some of the benefits:
- A study plan and schedule tailored to your specific situation and adjusted as you go
- Talking through questions with someone with several years of experience with the GRE and its many quirks
- Math explained in plain English
- Feedback on your essays
- Accountability and encouragement :)
One-on-one tutoring is simply the most effective way to raise your GRE score.
Look for each tutor's location and pricing in their bio.
Vince Kotchian
Vince: Hi!
What you probably will benefit from most, in my experience, is:
- A GRE study plan tailored to your specific situation
- Following that study plan to build foundation, learn strategies, practice effectively, and learn from your mistakes
- Maybe also GRE tutoring (see below)
If you have more than a few months to prepare, I recommend starting with my personalized study plan and then moving into tutoring after you build some foundation.
If you have less than a few months to prepare, tutoring should probably start soon. All tutoring includes my customized study plan / customized homework, so you can maximize your productivity between sessions.
Contact me if you'd like to chat about any of this!
About me: GRE prep is literally all I do.
I grew up in Connecticut and completed the honors program at Boston College. I moved to San Diego in 2007, and I’ve been working full-time as a test-prep tutor ever since. I've scored a perfect 170 in verbal and a 167 in quant on the GRE.
I've co-authored GRE prep books and created GRE courses and apps, but I spend most of my days working with people one-on-one. I enjoy tutoring since it's a conversation, and discussion is actually what makes the process so valuable. It lets me follow what you're thinking and focus on what you need most, whether that's content (like understanding math concepts), strategy (like figuring out if a reading comprehension answer choice is right or wrong), timing, or even something like study skills, test anxiety, or test-taking skills. Plus, I can give you support and reassurance during what can be a stressful process.
My specialty is helping MBA applicants get their scores above the 320 mark. If you're applying to a competitive program and want to give yourself every possible chance to score well, I'm your guy. Of course, I am happy to work with anyone as well.
Vince is a true GRE specialist - he's one of the very few tutors out there who ONLY teaches GRE prep. His publications include Barron's 6 GRE Practice Tests, LinkedIn's GRE prep course, and the apps "GRE Math Knight" and "GRE Vocab Cartoons". He also teaches for GregMAT+ and is a moderator of the GRE subreddit.
If you're interested in working with him for private GRE tutoring via Zoom, please contact us with a description of your situation, and we'll set up a free 15-minute consultation. Vince charges $325 per hour, or $295 an hour if you buy a package of 15 hours.
P.S. Still need to write your personal statement? Learn more about how our admissions essay expert, Lauren Hammond, can help.
"I am an older student applying for a graduate degree in psychology. I hadn't taken a standardized test in twenty years and my first GRE score reflected my long lapse in testing. In the first session, Vince knew exactly what I needed to focus on in order to achieve my targeted score. He gave specific homework that immensely helped my test scores. I had tried another tutor before Vince but it was a waste of time and money. Vince has a keen understanding of what each student needs to do in order to be successful. I highly recommend him for standardized testing and personal statements." - Kate Carter
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 15 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, identifying what is needed to answer a question is at least as important, especially for timed tests like the GRE. I show my students how to look at the test the way I do, to the patterns and tendencies of the test to make them faster and more accurate.
GRE tutoring with Blake is $250 / hour (or $225 / hour for 15 or more hours).
He meets clients in his Carmel Valley office, or online via Zoom.
Blake Jensen
