Experienced, Warm and Affordable English, SAT, and ACT Tutor based in Philadelphia

I'm currently a senior in high school, and I can not imagine what my high school career would have been like if it weren't for Miss Nancy Merlin. Out of all of the instructors/tutors that I have had, I learned the most from Nancy!
I started working with her during my sophomore year of high school. Because I had a difficult teacher for my literature class, I was struggling to write concise essays and get high marks on my papers. Nancy not only helped me to score A's, but she also taught me remarkable writing and language skills that I continue to use to this day. From my experiences with working with Nancy during my sophomore year, I learned that every teacher has a different style of writing. Nancy was able to help me identify my teacher's methods, expectations, likes, and dislikes. I used these skills when I worked with my literature teachers from junior and senior year.
Once I was a junior, I began to prepare and study for the SAT. Without Nancy, I would not have been able to get a high score on the reading portion. Nancy and I prepared for the SAT's reading and grammar portion through lessons and practice tests. She taught me how to identify the different types of questions that I would see on the SAT, which specific methods to use when answering these different types of questions, and how to read with speed AND accuracy. In order to get a high score on the reading section of the SAT, knowing these tactics is crucial. It is important to acknowledge that not everyone works the same, and Nancy knows this very well. This makes her a unique and understanding tutor. She was able to match certain tactics with my personal flaws, strategies, and way of thinking. When I began preparing for the reading portion of the SAT, I would get around 13-16 errors. I lacked confidence and was so certain that I wouldn't be able to get the score that I wanted. After Nancy taught me these strategies and helped me apply them to practice tests, I was making less errors and feeling more confident. When I took the official SAT for the first time, I ended up getting a 740 out of 800 on the reading section!!! I can say with full confidence that without Nancy's help, I would not have performed as well on the SAT.
After my junior year of high school was over, Nancy helped me to write essays for college applications. This experience was by far the most rewarding to me because not only did I learn how to use my voice in a concise but effective manner, but I also discovered what I was truly passionate about and which obstacles/experiences helped to define me as a unique individual. The way Nancy helped me to verbally discuss my thoughts and then transfer them onto paper is a process that I ended up using to assist my peers and their college essays. I got accepted into amazing universities, including UC Davis and Cal Poly SLO.
A tutor's objective is to assist a student with his/her academics, and Nancy goes beyond these expectations. After working with Nancy, I was satisfied to earn the high scores, but I genuinely grew more confident, skillful, and enthusiastic about writing and literature. She helped to understand that these subjects are not easy or black and white, but rather gray areas where improvement is something that one should consistently strive for. She has helped me to effectively transfer my thoughts onto paper, get creative with my style of writing, and grow confident in writing, speaking, and digging deeper into literature. She will help you to get the results that you want, and you will learn so much about your writing style, your way of thinking, and your individuality!

Nancy works really hard to understand the root of your mistakes and then tries to find out why you are making that mistake. She is also very straight to the point and makes sure that you get the most out of you’re session together .

Nancy was extremely helpful and responsive to my needs throughout our time together preparing for the ACT. She quickly identified what areas I most needed to improve in and, through consistent instruction and advice, boosted my skills considerably. Nancy also helped me balance efficient time management with close readings of questions, graphs, and texts, which ended up being a very valuable skill for the ACT.

Nancy was also able to put together a collection of practice exams and questions (from a variety of sources) which accurately reflected the actual ACT. I feel very confident in saying that, without Nancy’s guidance and instruction, I would not have done nearly as well as I did (35 overall) on the ACT.

Nancy is very through, she picks up on weaknesses and teaches how to make them strengths. She is always prompt and well prepared. Nancy has taught me strategies to tackle my difficulties and how it applies to more than just a question.