ACT, SAT, and GRE Tutoring + Personal Statements
In-person SAT, ACT, and GRE tutoring in Carmel Valley (San Diego 92130), by appointment. You can also work with us online via Zoom nationwide.
Office (by appointment):
12625 High Bluff Dr. #113
San Diego, CA 92130
Phone: (858) 367-0187 - for in-person tutoring, the fastest way to get started is to text Blake at this number. Or use our contact page to email, text, or call any of us.
We publish all of our tutors' direct phone numbers - so you can connect to an expert ASAP.
Map and directions
Free parking and EV charging is available. To find Blake's office:
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Enter the building and go down the stairs into the courtyard.
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The office is in the back right corner (Suite #113).
What to Expect
We help with GRE, SAT, ACT, ISEE, and graduate admissions personal statements. Many students work with us online from outside San Diego, and many local families prefer in-person sessions with Blake in Carmel Valley. Whether you meet in person or online, the process is the same:
- A plan that fits your timeline. We start by clarifying your score goal, deadline, and current level.
- Targeted sessions. We focus on the highest-impact skills and strategies for your test.
- Clear homework. You'll always know exactly what to do between sessions.
- Measurable progress. We track what's improving and what needs attention, so you don't waste time.
Who This Is For
This is a good fit if you want:
- A personalized plan, not a one-size-fits-all course
- Help breaking through a plateau
- Accountability and structure
- Efficient prep when you're busy or on a tight timeline
Meet the Team
Blake Jensen — SAT, ACT & GRE Tutor (In-Person at This Office or Zoom)
Blake is a native San Diegan and former Division I basketball player (St. Mary's and Whittier College). He has been tutoring the SAT, ACT, and GRE for nearly 20 years. He's the only tutor on the team who meets students in person at this office. Text Blake directly at (858) 367-0187.
Vince Kotchian — GRE Specialist (Online via Zoom)
Vince has been a full-time GRE tutor since 2007. He has scored a perfect 170 on GRE Verbal and a 167 on GRE Quant, co-authored Barron's GRE practice test books, and created GRE courses and apps used by thousands of students. He tutors exclusively via Zoom. $295/hr or $2,700 for 10 hours.
Matt Sheelen — SAT, ACT & ISEE Tutor (Online via Zoom)
Matt holds an M.A. in Education from Stanford University. He has been tutoring the SAT, ACT, and ISEE for 15+ years, with ISEE students admitted to the most competitive private schools in San Diego. Matt tutors via Zoom only.
Lauren Hammond — Personal Statement Expert (Online via Zoom)
Lauren holds a PhD in English from UC Riverside and is UCR's Graduate Writing Center Specialist. She has been a writing consultant for nearly 10 years, helping applicants to 48 graduate and professional programs. Online via Zoom and Google Docs. $225/hr or $995 for 5 hours. Call or text: 951-395-4646.
Carmel Valley and the schools around us
Our Carmel Valley office sits near the corner of Del Mar Heights Road and High Bluff Drive in San Diego 92130, about a 5-minute walk from Torrey Pines High School and a 10-minute drive from Canyon Crest Academy. Both schools are nationally ranked. Torrey Pines enrolls about 2,644 students and reports an average SAT score of 1360 and an average ACT score of 30, with roughly 85 percent of seniors sitting for the SAT each year according to the SDUHSD school profile. Canyon Crest Academy is the #1 public high school in California and #30 in the nation by Niche.
What these rankings mean in practice: the student population around this office is academically competitive, and the test score expectations for college admissions are above national averages. Most students we work with in this area are targeting 1450 and above on the SAT and 32 and above on the ACT. For graduate school applicants, our GRE students typically target 320 and above for MBA, JD, and research program admissions.
Vince wrote about the San Diego test prep landscape for the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2024. It is an honest look at who benefits from preparation and who does not, worth reading before you make any decisions about test prep.
What families and grad school applicants often tell us they tried first
We hear a consistent set of stories when new clients first reach out. This is not a knock on every competitor, but an honest summary of what tends to go wrong before people find us:
- Group prep courses (Princeton Review, local group classes, etc.). Group courses are cheaper, and they work for some students. But a student at Torrey Pines or Canyon Crest who is already scoring in the mid-1300s on the SAT needs something different from the student starting at 1050. Group instruction moves at one pace and cannot adapt in real time. The most common outcome we see: a student finishes a group course and lands within 20 points of where they started, because the course never addressed their specific weaknesses.
- Marketplace tutors (Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, and similar). These platforms connect families with tutors at various price points. The quality varies enormously, and the consistent issues we hear about are: no systematic teaching method, sessions that feel like doing practice problems together without a real diagnostic, and no homework or accountability structure between sessions. The credential "I scored a 35 on the ACT once" is not the same as knowing how to diagnose why someone else keeps missing specific question types.
- A subject tutor rather than a test prep specialist. SAT Math is not the same as AP Calculus. ACT Science is not a science subject test. Hiring a strong math or science tutor to prep for the SAT and ACT often produces frustration on both sides, because the test rewards pattern recognition and pacing rather than the content knowledge those tutors are teaching.
- Self-study using official practice tests without a diagnostic framework. Official practice tests are the best available material, but doing them without knowing what to focus on and how to review the results is only marginally better than no prep. The student does the test, sees a score, but does not know which specific patterns they keep falling for. Blake and Matt's sessions are built around exactly that diagnostic work.
- For GRE: a generalist tutor or generic online course. Vince has scored a perfect 170 on GRE Verbal three times and a 167 on Quant twice. He tutors exclusively on the GRE and has done so full-time since 2007. A generalist tutor who covers GRE along with SAT, ACT, GMAT, and general test prep is not the same as someone who has spent nearly 20 years exclusively on one test.
Vince's blog post "Does Your Hairdresser Do Your Taxes?" makes this point more pointedly and is worth a few minutes if you are comparing options.
Video: Vince and Blake on the Digital SAT
Vince and Blake recorded this podcast episode discussing what changed when the SAT went digital, what it means for how students should prepare, and how to decide between the SAT and ACT. A useful 20 minutes before your first consultation.
Vince's YouTube channel also has more than 200 GRE prep videos covering vocabulary, quant concepts, reading comprehension strategies, and full walkthroughs of ETS practice problems. Visit the channel.
What We Help With
GRE Tutoring
Blake Jensen meets GRE students in person at this office. Vince Kotchian — a GRE-only specialist with a perfect 170 Verbal score and 167 Quant — tutors via Zoom. We specialize in helping MBA, JD, and graduate school applicants reach 320+ scores for competitive programs. Also available: Vince's personalized GRE study plan ($495), which includes a custom weekly schedule, Discord community access, his GRE Verbal Precision course, and two check-in calls.
SAT Tutoring
Blake Jensen meets SAT students in person at this office and also tutors via Zoom. Matt Sheelen tutors SAT via Zoom only. Score improvements of 200–300 points are common. Package pricing: Foundation (6 hrs / $2,250) or Momentum (12 hrs / $4,200).
ACT Tutoring
Blake meets ACT students in person here and also tutors online. Matt tutors ACT via Zoom. Students regularly reach scores of 30–36. Same package pricing as SAT.
ISEE Tutoring
Matt Sheelen is our ISEE specialist (15+ years, Zoom only). His students have been admitted to Bishop's, La Jolla Country Day, Francis Parker, Cathedral Catholic, OLP, and more. If your child is applying to a San Diego private school, Matt is the tutor to work with.
Graduate School Personal Statements
Lauren Hammond (PhD, UCR) helps applicants across 48 graduate and professional programs write compelling personal statements. $225/hr or $995 for a 5-hour package. All sessions online. Contact Lauren directly: 951-395-4646.
Areas we serve from this office
Our office is near the corner of Del Mar Heights Road and High Bluff Drive in San Diego 92130. Families come to us in person from Carmel Valley and the surrounding communities. We also serve all of these areas via Zoom for students and grad school applicants who prefer remote sessions.
Communities within about 15 minutes
- Carmel Valley (92130) and Pacific Highlands Ranch
- Del Mar
- Solana Beach
- Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe
- Torrey Hills and Torrey Pines neighborhood
- Black Mountain Ranch
Communities within about 20-25 minutes
- La Jolla
- Encinitas
- Rancho Penasquitos
- 4S Ranch
- Carmel Mountain Ranch
- Sorrento Valley (our main office)
For students and grad school applicants outside San Diego, Vince, Matt, and Lauren work with students across the U.S. and internationally via Zoom. Blake also tutors online for students outside the Carmel Valley area.
Frequently asked questions
Who meets students in person at this office?
Blake Jensen is the only tutor who meets students in person here. Vince, Matt, and Lauren tutor online via Zoom. For in-person SAT, ACT, or GRE sessions, Blake is your tutor.
How do I get started?
For in-person sessions with Blake, the fastest path is to text him directly at (858) 367-0187. For any other tutor, or if you are not sure who is the right fit, use our contact page and someone will get back to you quickly.
How does your approach compare to group prep courses?
Group courses serve an average student at an average pace. Our tutoring is entirely one-on-one. Blake and Matt build a specific plan around your student's diagnostic results, updated each week based on what that student specifically missed. There is no generic curriculum. For students who are already performing well academically, the difference between a group course and targeted one-on-one tutoring is usually the difference between not improving and improving meaningfully. For an explanation of why, read "Does Your Hairdresser Do Your Taxes?"
What about tutors on Wyzant or Varsity Tutors?
Marketplace platforms have tutors at many price points. The quality varies. The issues we hear about most often: tutors with no systematic method beyond going through problems together, no homework structure, no check-ins between sessions, and no real diagnostic framework to identify why a student keeps missing specific question types. Blake and Matt have 15 years each of full-time experience and a specific method built from those years. That is a different thing from someone who scored well on the test once and now tutors part-time.
Do you offer online tutoring?
Yes. All four tutors work online via Zoom. Blake, Vince, Matt, and Lauren each tutor remote students. The prep quality is identical in-person and online.
Is there parking?
Yes. Free parking including EV charging is available in the lot. Enter the building, go down the stairs into the courtyard, and Blake's office is in the back right corner (Suite 113).
What tests and subjects do you cover?
GRE (Vince and Blake), SAT (Blake and Matt), ACT (Blake and Matt), ISEE (Matt), and graduate school personal statements (Lauren). See the service descriptions above for format details.
When should a high school junior start SAT or ACT prep?
The practical minimum is 10-12 weeks before a target test date for a student who can do weekly homework. For most Torrey Pines and Canyon Crest students, that means starting in early summer before junior year for fall tests, or January for spring tests. Starting earlier is always fine. Starting later makes the process more stressful and the results less predictable. See: "5 Bad Ideas for Your Kid's SAT or ACT Prep."
What are your hours?
By appointment. Vince is generally available Monday through Friday. Blake, Matt, and Lauren have flexible schedules. Contact us to find a time that works.
Do you offer a military discount?
Vince offers 15 percent off GRE tutoring for active duty military. Contact us for details.
Can you help students with LD/ADHD or test anxiety?
Yes. Blake and Matt both work regularly with LD/ADHD students on the SAT and the ACT, and with students managing test anxiety. Building predictable routines and specific strategies is a core part of how they work with every student, not just students who need accommodations.
SAT and ACT Tutoring Reviews
Carmel Valley Office Photos
Why Choose Us?
The factor that matters most in test prep is the person working with you.
We don't hire new tutors and train them, since we realize that "tutor" is not a long-term career for most, and that we'd inevitably have lots of turnover if we hired a bunch of recent college graduates like our local competitors do.
Just because someone is smart and went to a great college does NOT mean they're a good tutor - effective tutoring goes way beyond the ability to explain how to do a question. Your hairdresser doesn't do your taxes, right?
Our tutors not only can explain the test well, but will help you with everything from content to strategy to things like test anxiety, test-taking skills, time management, and how to get more out of the studying and homework you do.
Experience really matters. We've learned what works and what doesn't work, so you can raise your scores as efficiently and effectively as possible - if you're willing to work hard, that is!