One-on-one GRE tutoring via Zoom or in-person in Carmel Valley
Work with Vince Kotchian or Blake Jensen - GRE tutors who each have 15+ years of experience helping people raise their scores for competitive graduate, business, and law programs.
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Who it’s for: Anyone, but we specialize in helping MBA and JD applicants get 320+ scores for admission to top ten progams. We work with students nationwide and worldwide.
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Format: Zoom, or Blake meets people in his Carmel Valley office.
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What’s included: a complete study plan, customized homework.
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Pricing: $275 - $295 / hour (but we offer discounts on packages).
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Availability: Vince meets Monday through Friday, Blake is more flexible. We're on Pacific time.
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How to get started: Contact either of us to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
What GRE tutoring with us looks like
Most people assume tutoring is all about discussing questions you're having trouble with. That's only about 25% of what's needed.
Here’s how we typically work:
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We start with the study plan. A comprehensive study plan designed to improve all areas (foundation, strategy, experience, and timing) is crucial - all our tutoring includes a customized plan based on your situation and timeframe.
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Each session is tailored to what YOU need. We go straight to the issues that will give you the highest return on your investment, whether that's strategy, timing, or even test-taking mentality.
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You don’t just learn strategies. Conversations with us will teach you how the test is written, so you can see past the GRE's traps, recognize what questions are asking, and optimize how quickly you can get to the right answer.
Testimonial
"Vince was a great resource and support for my GRE prep, helping me get to a 165 on the GRE Quant. We met several times via Zoom, where he patiently broke down specific quant concepts and walked through several high yield verbal strategies with me. I really appreciated his weekly study plan emails, which provided structure to my test prep, and willingness to send thoughtful and quick email responses to questions as they came up. I would definitely recommend Vince for anyone looking to improve their GRE score." - Emma Goodman (read this review on Google Maps)
Meet GRE tutor Vince Kotchian
Expert guidance. Higher scores.
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.
Between tutoring sessions, we'll be communicating via email - to make sure your study plan is optimized - and via my private Discord, where we can discuss specific GRE questions.
My specialty is helping MBA and JD 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.
Rates: You can either pay for tutoring with Vince hourly at $295 per hour, or pay a flat fee of $2900 for his flexible tutoring package:
- In the flexible tutoring package, you can schedule 1 hour of tutoring each week for six months.
- Tutoring appointments are Monday through Friday as early as 9:30 a.m and ending no later than 6 p.m. Pacific time.
- The $2900 can be paid all at once or in four payments of $725.
- Hourly tutoring or personalized study plan clients can convert to the flexible package and subtract what you've already paid from the $2900.
- Not sure it's right for you? After our first meeting (but before our second), you can get a complete, no-questions-asked refund.
- My 15% active duty military discount does apply to my hourly tutoring rate, but it does not apply to the flexible plan.
The package also includes a free hour of personal statement tutoring with Lauren Hammond, our graduate admissions essay expert!
If you're interested in working with Vince 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 is a true difference maker, and a gentleman. I was struggling with my GRE studies for a long time, and it wasn't until I discovered Vince's service that my scores drastically improved. He was extremely effective in developing my critical thinking skills, and getting me to understand the nuances of the exam. Suffice to say, I am grateful to Vince for helping me secure a seat in a top 10 MBA program." - Junaid Lughmani
Meet GRE tutor 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 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 $275 / hour (or $247.50 / hour for 15 or more hours).
He meets clients in his Del Mar Heights office or online via Zoom.
"Having used another tutoring service prior, I can definitely say that Blake's explanations were much clearer and his methods much more effective. He didn't just show me how to solve individual problems, but instead taught me the broader concepts and tools that would allow me to tackle a variety of problems. He has in-depth familiarity with all of the GRE material as well, which was really beneficial when it came to crafting a study plan. After studying with Blake, I was able to increase my quant score to above a 160 and get the score I wanted for my programs. Definitely recommend!" - Hina Malik
Video: How GRE Prep is like the Pizza Industry
The short version of the “pizza” point
GRE prep looks like an industry full of choices… but most of those choices are basically the same product in different packaging.
A lot of companies sell you the feeling of productivity: videos, dashboards, streaks, and endless “practice” that doesn’t behave like the real test.
What actually moves your score is much simpler (and less exciting):
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Use realistic material as your foundation. If the questions don’t behave like ETS's, you can get “better” at the wrong game.
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Build an error log and treat it like gold. Your score is hiding inside the mistakes you keep repeating.
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Practice timed, then review untimed. Speed without understanding is fragile. Understanding without timing is useless.
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Learn to spot ETS patterns. The GRE is incredibly consistent—especially in verbal and reading.
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Use an artisan, not a jack-of-all-trades. Most GRE tutors do GRE prep as a side hustle on their way to something else. We're full-time tutors and have been for 15+ years.
What we focus on in tutoring (by section)
GRE Quant (math)
Quant issues usually come from four places:
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Missing foundations (exponents, algebra, rate/work, coordinate geometry, etc.)
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Strategy execution (you know the math, but your process produces errors or is slow)
- Lack of experience (questions look new and strange to you because you haven't seen many of them)
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Timing decisions (not knowing when to skip and when to double-check)
In tutoring and study planning, we always optimize for foundation first, then move into the other three areas.
GRE Verbal (sentence equivalence, text completion, reading)
Verbal is where we really to understand the rules the GRE plays by.
We work on things like:
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how to recognize evidence for what words to choose
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how to predict answers before looking at choices
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how to eliminate trap answers quickly (especially in reading)
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how to stop re-reading passages 3 times
Conversations really help with verbal, since we can see how you're thinking and point out more effective ways to approach questions.
AWA (Issue Essay)
We’ll make sure you have:
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a simple structure you can repeat
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a plan for generating examples quickly
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a way to write clearly under time pressure
GRE Tutoring FAQ
We specialize in helping MBA and JD applicants get 320+ scores to apply to top ten programs, but we're willing to work with anyone with the discipline to work hard.
In stark contrast to our competitors who tend to employ a rotating cast of 23-year-olds, Vince and Blake each have 15+ years of experience. Vince spends 100% of his time working with GRE clients, unlike most GRE tutors (who are often GMAT tutors who dabble in GRE prep).
In our online 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.
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.
All tutoring includes detailed study planning and uses official ETS practice material.
A class (or course) is one-directional and one-size-fits-all: they teach, you (hopefully) learn.
Tutoring is a loop:
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you try the work
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we diagnose what’s happening in your head
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we fix the specific problem
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you practice it the right way
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repeat
It’s also the fastest way to stop wasting time—because we can immediately cut the stuff that isn’t helping or isn't needed.
Yes. The content is the same, and the strategy is the same. The difference is that at-home test day is more about setup and avoiding surprises: your environment, your pacing, and having a plan for staying calm if and when something goes wrong with the proctor or the tech.
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
- We get straight to what YOU need to improve your score as efficiently as possible
- Math explained in plain English
- Feedback on your essays
- Accountability and encouragement :)
We usually recommend about 10-15 hours of tutoring. That's enough time for us to talk through the strategies for each type of question and go over a few practice tests with you. Of course, some people need fewer or more than 10-15 hours. Given that tutoring is pretty expensive, we'll optimize everything based on your situation to give you the most bang for your buck.
If you’re studying consistently and reviewing well, most people see meaningful movement in a couple of months. If your foundation is shaky (especially in math), it can take longer—but it’s still straightforward: build skills, then build speed.
Usually one (or more) of these:
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they’re doing a lot of work, but not doing high-quality review
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they’re using too much third-party material and building instincts that don’t match ETS
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they’re stuck in a verbal plateau, usually due to reading comprehension strategy
- they think their quant foundations are good, but they aren't
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they have strong quant knowledge, but they lose points to execution and timing
Most of our clients spend between $2250 and $2900 on GRE tutoring with us. If you're active duty military, we offer a 15% discount on any purchases, as well.
Since tutoring is a significant investment for most people, we want to do everything in our power to make sure it works! We work to make sure our clients always have a clear picture of what it takes to improve and what they should be working on between tutoring sessions, and we'll always be straight with you in terms of whether your goals and timeframe are realistic.
Most people, given a typical tutoring plan and a couple of months to study, increase their GRE scores about 10 points. Some people improve way more -- or way less -- than that. A lot depends on how much study time OUTSIDE of tutoring the person has, and how effectively they use that time.
When you hear about a huge score increase, it's often because the person had a strong verbal and math knowledge base and just needed to figure out how the GRE worked... and/or because they truly worked their ass off! The converse is also often true: people with below average reading ability and who never learned the math concepts the GRE tests will generally have a much tougher time and need a longer-term study plan.
You can count on us to be honest about your potential given your situation, goals, and progress with the material, and to give you every resource we know of to help you improve, including a completely personalized homework / study plan.
Yes! Learn more about our TOEFL Speaking and Listening tutoring.
Common situations we help with
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“My quant score won’t break 160.”
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“I keep missing reading questions even when I understand the passage.”
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“My scores bounce around and I don’t know what to fix.”
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“I’m aiming for a top MBA / JD program and need a plan that’s efficient.”
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“I’m working full-time and need structure (and someone to keep me honest).”
If any of those are you, the next step is simple: schedule a quick consult and we’ll tell you what we think the best path is.