September 2011

This is a free event in our annual Navigating College Admissions Speaker Series. Both parents and students are encouraged to attend. For more information about all of this year's sessions, please click here!

Every month we shine the spotlight on one of our expert One-on-One, In-Home Tutors or Classroom Program Teachers. This month we spoke with Andrew Tichovolsky. Andrew is a favorite One-on-One Tutor among Summit families.  His students describe him as "kind and encouraging" and "as nice as could be."

How long have you been with Summit? For over 3.5 years.

What do you do outside of Summit? I just started my third year at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, specializing in intellectual property and commercial law.  I am also an amateur stock photographer and enjoy an occasional game of softball, especially when I don’t injure myself.

Which subjects do you tutor? For both the ACT and SAT, I tutor students in the math and verbal sections.  I also help students with SAT subject tests, such as math and U.S. history.  Currently, I am training for the ISEE and SSAT.

What kind of tutor are you? Students are my bosses.  They need to tell me when I am or am not effective, so I can tailor my style to their individual needs.  Preparing for college entrance exams can be boring; high energy, lots of interaction, and a self-deprecating sense of humor can help.  All students need to feel confident in their test-taking abilities.  Confidence comes from solving problems on their own, having different strategies for attacking problems, and knowing what time-consuming problems to skip.  

What was your favorite subject in school? History was my favorite subject in school.  Having a firm grasp of history makes anyone a more complete person.  A liberal arts education requires three things: the ability to read, to think about what you read, and to write about what you think.  No subject better prepared me for this process.

Where did you go to college? For my undergraduate degree, I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  I promise never to utter “Go Big Red” or “Ithaca is gorges” during a session!

What was your major? My major was political science.  I chose it because I wanted, and amazingly still do want, to be a lawyer.  However, I also took a lot of history, economic, and computer science courses.

What do you love most about tutoring for Summit? Three things stand out about tutoring for Summit.  First, I have confidence in what I teach because Summit has a scientific approach to test preparation.  Second, Summit offers many opportunities to grow as a tutor, such as frequent training sessions and new teaching materials.  Finally, I love watching my students progress over the course of a program.

What have you learned from your students? My students have taught me patience and flexibility.  Most important, however, they have taught me when to sit back and let them figure out something for themselves.

What is your greatest Summit tutoring success story? I cannot remember the exact scores, but one student was so excited to go from the high-20s to the mid-30s on the ACT that she filled up my voicemail with appreciative messages.  Concrete score results are great, but I particularly love to see students turn their weakest subject into their strongest.

Andrew has helped countless students maximize their scoring potential, but he is only one of our expert tutors. Call us today at 1-800-MYTUTOR (800-698-8867) to speak with a Program Director to learn more about One-on-One, In-Home Tutoring and Classroom Programs in your area.

---

SAT Word of the Month