MCAT Self Prep

Kennedy found Garrett to be especially available and very knowledgeable. Here is what she has to say about her experience tutoring with Garrett: “Garrett definitely made a difference in my experience as a student. Without giving the answers away he would prompt my train of thought in the correct direction to think through my own problems. It was a rare occasion when he would need to refer to outside resources for the knowledge necessary to answer my questions. When seeking help his help, it was obvious to me that he had prepared beforehand. Not only were his chemistry and teaching skills superior, but he was very personable and was always willing to try and describe things in multiples ways without any annoyance or hurriedness, as I have had other tutors do in the past. He was also friendly and created an air of relaxation and focus, even when I may have been stressed or distracted. Lastly, he would take time out of his busy schedule to reply to emails or even meet in person to resolve any problems. When compared to past and present tutors, Garrett definitely made more of an effort and therefore had a greater effect on my learning.”

Kennedy

Garrett was a huge help during my MCAT preparations, between him and the MCAT Self Prep website I felt confident on Test Day that I had reviewed everything and that I had a clear understanding of the topics. Whenever I had any questions Garrett was super helpful by explaining the answers in a comprehensive way, (with diagrams when possible). Garrett was super flexible with our meetings and it was always super convenient to meet with him online. It was also a huge help that he would ask me questions after we reviewed a topic, because it allowed both of us to check my understanding, and then further review the material if necessary. Over the 5 weeks that I was intensely studying for the MCAT my score increased from 500 to ~512 on my last practice exams. Garrett's explanations and strategy tips really helped me make this score jump! I am so glad I found him and the MCAT Self Prep Website!

Elka

Brady found that as a tutor Garrett was always prepared with the expertise and materials to enhance his learning. Hear what he has to say about this experience: “Garrett was a tremendous help to me as a tutor. I came into it unprepared, and Garrett helped me climb the learning curve. He was extremely willing to accommodate my schedule, often meeting with me outside of his regular hours. These meetings were vital to my learning difficult thermodynamic, equilibrium, acid-base, and descriptive chemistry concepts that weren’t covered fully elsewhere. During our sessions, Garrett demonstrated good tutoring skills by solving problems together, giving me hints rather than telling me the answer right away. I felt that Garrett had extremely good mastery over some extremely difficult material, and his retention of the material especially impressed me. Garrett worked very hard to prepare in ways that helped me create an overarching framework for the concepts that we learned and helped me understand how they connected in greater detail. Garrett went above and beyond as my tutor, and I am very grateful to have had Garrett for a tutor when it was critical to have someone help me get from where I was to where I needed to be.”

Brady

Ashley found that Garrett truly pushed her to do her very best. Here is what she has to say: “Garrett was an effective tutor for me because he always had 3 or 4 ways of explaining a concept if I was not understanding it the first time. He was really good at making sure I actually understood the steps and concepts he was talking me through. If I nodded my head and said I understood the question and what he had taught me he would say, “okay, explain it to me then, and show me how to solve it.” This was incredibly effective because it forced me to actually master the reasoning behind questions, not just learn how to solve one particular question that I would never see again. Another thing he did that was specifically helpful for me was breaking down challenging problems into the simple concepts that I already knew. He helped me tackle problems step by step instead of getting intimidated by the seemingly impossible scenarios given. Garrett, unlike many other tutors I had, cared that I truly knew what I was doing. He wanted me to understand and appreciate the material I was learning so that I could apply it later as well.”

Ashley

Hear Mike explain how Garrett’s tutoring with Garrett helped him break the curve and get close to a perfect score: “Garrett tutored me in a chemistry class and he was able to simplify concepts that I found difficult. He gave me the tools I needed to understand the material rather than just put me through a process of fact memorization and regurgitation. He taught me skills that I could apply in different scenarios. This applicable knowledge helped me so much more in the class and it was apparent to me that many of my classmates had missed out on that aspect in class and had not sought out additional help as I had with Garrett. The class average on the test covering the material that Garrett tutored me in was the lowest in that semester, but I got a near perfect score. I did not just do well personally, but I excelled beyond my classmates thanks to Garrett’s tutoring. He never made me feel dumb for not knowing certain things and he was extremely approachable which, in my experience, is not always the case with tutors or teaching assistants. He recognized that I had the capability to succeed in a subject matter that I know little about and helped me recognize that too.”

Mike

Graham has this to say regarding his experience tutoring with Garrett: “Garrett is a good teacher because he searches to truly understand the concepts that he is teaching. Whenever I asked him question he was either already prepared with the answer or he would quickly learn and give me the full answer rather than a half answer.. This helped me learn because I was always confident I was receiving the correct answer and never had any gaps in my understanding. His knowledge and preparation helps his students to succeed.”

Graham

Garrett was a huge help on my MCAT journey. I went from a 500 on my first diagnostic to a 512 on the real thing. He was always positive and prepared for our meetings. He was flexible and met with me via online video chat since we were in different states. His upbeat tutoring style helped me keep a positive attitude despite being stuck in the library for weeks on end. Garrett excelled at breaking down obscure passages and explaining complex ideas. I would recommend Garrett to anyone who needs a little extra help with the MCAT. Meeting with Garrett for just five session supercharged my MCAT prep and put me in the 86th percentile of all MCAT test takers.

Trevor