Tutoring + Personal Statements in Sorrento Valley, San Diego
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
Serving Sorrento Valley and the Surrounding Area
We work with students and adults from Sorrento Valley, Sorrento Mesa, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, UTC / University City, and Kearny Mesa. If you're near the 805/5 corridor in north San Diego, you're in our neighborhood.
We're also a short drive from UC San Diego — which means if you're a UCSD student or recent grad preparing for the GRE for graduate school, you're in the right place. Vince has been helping UCSD-area students reach their GRE target scores for over 15 years, all via Zoom.
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.
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.
Our Values
FAQ
Our central goal is helping your (child/student/loved one) succeed on a very important test, and we structure everything around that. We help you find the best test for you, help you assess where you are scoring right now, and help you create and execute a plan to get to your score goals.
Our sessions are 60 - 90 minutes each, once to twice a week. Our programs are meant to fit the student, not the other way around: we tailor the program to each student's unique situation after a detailed assessment. Here are a couple of sample programs:
1. begin about 3 months from the test, meet once a week for 90 minute sessions, with about 1-3 hours of homework total for the week.
2. begin about 2 months before the test, meet twice a week for 60 minute sessions, with about 2-4 hours of homework total for the week.
Here's the latest concordance table.
We will put your student's success first. We will communicate successes and issues with you. If you have questions or concerns, we will deal with them promptly.
We work closely with some great consultants if you'd like help with college admissions. Let us know if you'd like a referral.