Tutoring + Personal Statements
Even if you don't picture them as evil robots (see above pic), you still probably don't like standardized tests. Good news - Blake, Matt, and I are SAT, ACT, and GRE tutoring specialists. We're also lucky enough to have Lauren - an expert grad school personal statement tutor - on our team.
Unlike our competitors - who tend to employ a rotating cast of 23-year-olds - we each have 15+ years of experience.
There is gray in our beards but hopefully we've earned some wisdom over the years! P.S. To be clear, Lauren doesn't have a beard.
If test prep was Star Wars, we'd be Obi-Wan Kenobi. Or if this was a Flaming Lips album, we'd obviously be Yoshimi.
Read the 260+ 5-star Google reviews for our main office and the 50+ for our Carmel Valley location. Or read our review page here.
Feel free to text / call / email any of us directly if you'd like to talk about working together.
- Vince Kotchian
Meet the Team
Vince Kotchian — GRE Specialist
Vince grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Boston College. He has been a full-time test prep tutor since moving to San Diego in 2007. He has scored a perfect 170 on GRE Verbal and a 167 on GRE Quant, co-authored Barron's GRE practice test books, created GRE courses and apps, and teaches for GregMAT+. He is also a moderator of the GRE subreddit. Vince tutors via Zoom only.
Blake Jensen — SAT, ACT, and GRE Tutor
Blake is a native San Diegan and former Division I college basketball player (St. Mary's, Whittier College). He has been tutoring the SAT, ACT, and GRE for nearly 20 years. Blake meets students in person at our Carmel Valley office and also tutors via Zoom.
Matt Sheelen — SAT, ACT, and ISEE Tutor
Matt holds an M.A. in Education from Stanford University and is a credentialed K-12 classroom teacher in San Diego. He has been tutoring the SAT, ACT, and ISEE for 15+ years. His ISEE students have been admitted to the most competitive private schools in San Diego and Los Angeles. Matt tutors via Zoom only.
Lauren Hammond — Personal Statement Expert
Lauren holds a PhD in English from UC Riverside and is UCR's Graduate Writing Center Specialist and Fulbright Program Advisor. She has been a writing consultant for nearly 10 years. Lauren works with clients via Zoom and Google Docs. $225/hr or $995 for 5 hours. Reach her at 951-395-4646.
In-Person vs. Online: Here's How We Work
Blake Jensen meets students in person at our Carmel Valley office (12625 High Bluff Dr. #113, 92130 — a 10–15 minute drive from most of the Sorrento Valley area) and also tutors online via Zoom.
Vince Kotchian and Matt Sheelen tutor exclusively via Zoom, which means you can work with them from anywhere — no commute required. For many Sorrento Valley families, this is actually the more convenient option.
Lauren Hammond works with personal statement clients online via Zoom and Google Docs.
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!
What We Help With
GRE Tutoring
Vince and Blake are GRE specialists with a combined 30+ years of experience. Vince has scored a perfect 170 on GRE Verbal and 167 on Quant. We specialize in helping MBA, JD, and graduate school applicants — particularly those targeting 320+ scores for top-ten programs. All GRE tutoring with Vince is online via Zoom, but Blake meets people in person at our Carmel Valley office. We also offer Vince's personalized GRE study plan ($495) as a more affordable alternative to full tutoring.
SAT Tutoring
Blake and Matt work with high school students across San Diego on the digital SAT. Blake meets students in person at our Carmel Valley office; Matt tutors via Zoom. Score improvements of 200–300 points are common. We offer packages starting at $2,250 for 6 hours.
ACT Tutoring
Blake and Matt. Students routinely reach scores of 30–36. Blake is available in person at Carmel Valley; Matt tutors via Zoom. Same package pricing as SAT.
ISEE Tutoring
Matt Sheelen is our ISEE specialist with 15+ years of experience. His students have been admitted to Bishops, La Jolla Country Day, Francis Parker, Cathedral Catholic, and Our Lady of Peace. Matt tutors the ISEE exclusively via Zoom. If you're in Sorrento Valley, Mira Mesa, or UTC and applying to a San Diego private school, Matt is your tutor.
Graduate School Personal Statements
Lauren Hammond (PhD, UCR) helps applicants write compelling personal statements for 48 graduate and professional programs — from PA school and DPT to MBA, law school, and everything in between. $225/hr or $995 for a 5-hour package. All sessions online.
What people usually tell us they tried before they called us
We hear the same handful of stories when new clients reach out. This is not a knock on every other option, but an honest summary of what tends to go wrong:
- For GRE: a generalist tutor or an online course that covers everything at once. Vince has scored a 170 on GRE Verbal three times and a 167 on Quant. He has tutored nothing but the GRE since 2007. A tutor who covers GRE alongside SAT, ACT, GMAT, and LSAT is dividing their expertise across five different tests. Vince does not do that. The GRE is all he does, every day, and the depth of pattern knowledge that comes from that focus is genuinely different from what a generalist can offer.
- For GRE: a self-study plan with official ETS materials but no diagnostic framework. Official ETS materials are the right practice tools, but doing practice sets without knowing which patterns to focus on and how to review the results is slow progress. Vince's personalized GRE study plan exists for exactly this reason: it gives you the structure and targets you need without requiring full private tutoring.
- For SAT/ACT: group prep courses from tutoring centers. Group courses serve an average student at an average pace. Blake and Matt work one-on-one only, with a plan that changes every week based on what that student specifically missed. There is no cookie-cutter curriculum. Read Vince's "Does Your Hairdresser Do Your Taxes?" for a sharper take on why specialist experience matters.
- For SAT/ACT: tutors on Wyzant or Varsity Tutors. The consistent complaint we hear: the tutor was smart and had scored well on the test but had no systematic method, no meaningful homework assignments, and no structure between sessions. It felt like doing practice problems together rather than building skills.
- For personal statements: a general writing tutor or a college counselor who dabbles in grad school writing. Lauren Hammond has a PhD in English from UC Riverside and is UCR's Graduate Writing Center Specialist. She has worked with applicants to 48 graduate and professional programs. She is not a generalist writing tutor who helps with personal statements on the side. That depth of program-specific knowledge matters when the difference between a strong and weak statement can change an admissions outcome.
Video: Vince and Blake on the Digital SAT
Vince and Blake recorded this conversation about what changed when the SAT went digital, how students should adjust their approach, and how to decide between the SAT and ACT. Worth watching before your first consultation.
Vince's YouTube channel has more than 200 GRE prep videos, including walkthroughs of official ETS practice problems, vocabulary strategy, quant concept reviews, and full-length reading comprehension sessions. Browse the GRE prep videos.
Frequently asked questions
Which tutor should I contact first?
It depends on what you need. For GRE: contact Vince directly at (760) 542-8395. For in-person SAT or ACT: contact Blake at the Carmel Valley office, (858) 367-0187. For online SAT or ACT: either Blake or Matt. For ISEE: Matt Sheelen. For graduate school personal statements: Lauren Hammond at (951) 395-4646. Or use the contact page and we will route you to the right person.
How does your GRE tutoring compare to self-study or online courses?
Vince's personalized GRE study plan ($495) gives you a custom weekly schedule, Discord community access, and two check-in calls. It is the most efficient option if you are self-directed and mostly need structure and a specific focus. One-on-one tutoring ($295/hr or $2,700 for 10 hours) is the right choice if you have hit a plateau, struggle with a specific section, or want someone analyzing your performance week by week. Vince explains this tradeoff clearly during the initial call.
What makes Vince's GRE tutoring different from other GRE tutors?
Vince has scored a 170 on GRE Verbal three times and a 167 on Quant twice on actual ETS tests, not practice tests. He has tutored the GRE full-time since 2007 and has co-authored GRE prep books and created GRE courses used by thousands of students. He also teaches for GregMAT and moderates the GRE subreddit. He tutors exclusively the GRE, which means his pattern knowledge and diagnostic speed are a direct function of doing one thing for nearly 20 years. See Vince's GRE score report.
How do your SAT and ACT tutors compare to group prep options?
Blake and Matt work one-on-one exclusively. Every session is built around what your specific student missed last week. There is no group course curriculum. For students who are already academically strong (Torrey Pines, Canyon Crest, private school level), the difference between group prep and targeted one-on-one tutoring is usually the difference between flat results and meaningful improvement. See: "5 Bad Ideas for Your Kid's SAT or ACT Prep."
How much tutoring is typically needed?
Our sessions are 60-90 minutes, once or twice a week. Two sample programs that work well: (1) start 3 months before the test, meet once a week for 90-minute sessions with 1-3 hours of homework per week; (2) start 2 months before the test, meet twice a week for 60-minute sessions with 2-4 hours of homework per week. For GRE, Vince typically recommends 2-3 months of preparation for meaningful gains.
Do you offer online tutoring?
Yes. All four tutors work via Zoom. Vince, Matt, and Lauren work online only. Blake offers both in-person at the Carmel Valley office and online. We also work with students throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Do you work with students who have LD/ADHD or test anxiety?
Yes. Blake and Matt each work regularly with LD/ADHD students on the SAT and the ACT. Vince has experience with LD/ADHD GRE students as well. Test anxiety is addressed by building predictable routines and specific strategies that reduce the uncertainty that triggers panic.
Do you help with college admissions beyond test prep?
We work closely with several excellent college counselors in the San Diego area and can provide referrals. Our focus is test prep and personal statements. For broader college application strategy, we are happy to connect you with the right people.
