Byung

For more than six years, I have been tutoring the SAT, college admissions mentoring, writing, Economics, Maths, and French. I have a bachelor's degree in economics and French from Columbia University, while tutoring kindergarten students to seniors in university.

Tutoring Style

I am a thorough and supportive teacher who believes in a comprehensive, personalized approach to tutoring. I prefer to take a strategic approach to exams and preparation, sharing the methods and tactics to build confidence and achieve all the student’s academic goals. I always aim to go at a pace such that students can have a strong understanding of the foundations, while applying a large collections of practice problems to ensure mastery of concepts. Lastly, I always aim to make sessions a back-and-forth, such that sessions are always engaging and useful for the goals of the student.

Success Story

My greatest success story for test prep was when I had helped to improve the score of one student from 1300s to 1500s on the SAT within a period of two months. Generally, intensive test preparation for the SAT can be difficult as it depends on how to motivate the student and what type of materials to review. I was particularly motivated to assist this student as I observed that he had the proper extracurriculars and GPA to get into a great university only if his test prep scores would work well. We spent multiple hours every week reviewing unique released SATs, various test prep textbooks, and even general concepts from outside the SAT to make sure that all ground could be covered. I was especially proud of this case because I could keep the student engaged with my approach of sourcing from various materials, keeping the classes engaging by forming a connection with the student, and constantly encouraging him despite some expected moments of temporary score declines. Overall, the student ended up at the Ivy League school that he wanted to attend, making the entire experience extremely rewarding.

Hobbies & Interests

My main passions include traveling, learning languages, and chess. I have traveled to more than 45 countries, while I have lived in more than ten countries in my life for a prolonged period of time. I have an advanced level in French and Korean, an upper-intermediate level in Russian and Serbian, and upper-beginner in Levantine Arabic. Finally, I have competed for more than five years in competitive chess and still play online chess at an expert level.