Tutor · Mentor · Coach in Their Corner
Tutoring & Academic Mentorship for High-Achieving Students
Your Student Doesn’t Need More Pressure! They need the right person in their corner…
I’ve worked with high-achieving, multi-passionate students since 2007. The ones doing AP everything, varsity sports, and extracurriculars while pretending it's all fine. I don't just teach the material. I teach them how to handle being that student.
In your kid's corner.
Same Coach Every Week · Real Parent Updates · No Upsells, No Surprises
TEST STRATEGY
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COLLEGE ESSAYS
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EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
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STRESS MANAGEMENT
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TEST STRATEGY • • • COLLEGE ESSAYS • • • EXECUTIVE FUNCTION • • • STRESS MANAGEMENT • • •
Settle the Score
Most test prep keeps kids just
Prepped Enough to Pass, but
Never Quite Confident Enough to
Stop Worrying.
Cram sessions before the test. A stack of practice tests with no strategy behind them. A tutor who's great at math but has never once asked why your kid shuts down during timed sections. The score has been unsettled long enough.
Real prep isn't more hours. It's the right diagnosis: what's actually blocking the score, addressed directly, so test day stops being an event to survive.
"It's like when you find a really good doctor that you will follow wherever they go. You're that for our family."
— Margaret B., Parent · Long-Term Family Client
Why This, Not More Tutoring
Three things Burn Out
High-achieving Students, and
it's Rarely the Workload…
Masking Struggle Behind Good Grades.
Every high-achieving student learns to hide the cost behind the transcript: the exhaustion, the 2am spirals nobody's supposed to know about. Eventually the strategies that got them this far stop working, and it's not just a bad test. It's a full shutdown, right when it matters most.We build recovery into the system itself. Performing fully shouldn't come with a penalty.
Every Planner They've Tried Has Failed
They haven't failed to find a study system. Every planner and productivity hack on the market has failed them. So they improvise from scratch every night, rebuilding the plan in their head. Talent without structure has a ceiling, and they're closing in on it fast. I diagnose how they actually think and work first, then build a system for their brain. Not a generic planner.
Varsity athlete. AP student. Theater kid. All The Things.
Multi-passionate students carry a half-dozen versions of themselves with no story connecting them. When college apps, or burnout, force the question "who are you, really," the flag on the play stops everything cold. We find the through-line connecting it all, so their complexity becomes the story, not the problem.
How I Work
Not a tutor in a system.
Your Kid's Coach.
If you have worked with a big tutoring company, you already know what is broken. Rotating tutors. No update between sessions. Random upsells. Billing surprises.
Here is what is different here.
The Approach
Tutor. Mentor. Coach in their corner.
Most tutoring is a transaction. This is a relationship. The students who get the most out of working with me are the ones who let me wear all three hats — the tutor for the test, the mentor for the decisions, the coach for the days when the load is too heavy. Here is what makes that real.
You work with me, always.
One coach. Same person every week. No "your tutor moved up a tier." No "we found someone new for you." Your kid builds rapport with one human and they keep that human the whole time we work together.
You will actually know if it is working.
After every session you get a parent recap with a link directly to their private student portal. This portal details what we covered, where they are, what they are practicing before next session, including their homework. You will not have to interrogate your teenager to find out if tutoring is helping. You will see the trend, not the drama.
I work the kid, not just the content.
Test prep is the deliverable. The work is bigger. Stress management. Self-advocacy with teachers. Decision strategy. Executive function. The stuff that makes the score gains stick — and the stuff that makes your kid actually want to come to the session.
No upsells. No surprises. Realistic timelines.
I will tell you the truth about what is achievable on your timeline. If your kid does not need more SAT prep, I will tell you. If they would benefit more from college essay support than another diagnostic, I will tell you. Your money is not a sales target.
I work around the chaos.
Tournament weekend? AP exam crunch? College visit Tuesday? I have worked with athletes and overscheduled high achievers since I graduated from college. Scheduling flexibility is the rule, not the favor.
One coach for the whole family.
Got a sibling three years behind? My ongoing packages can flex across multiple students in the same household. Be the family that has one tutor, not five.
Subjects & Services
Test prep. STEM. And Everything Around it.
SAT & ACT
Both tests. Strategy first, content second. Score plans built around your student.
AP Bio · Chem · Calc
Plus general high school chemistry, biology, algebra, and calculus. STEM is my home turf.
Essays & Personal Statement
Brainstorm, outline, draft, polish. The essay that sounds like your kid, not a template.
SAT vs. ACT · Test-Optional
The decision before the prep. Which test, which schools, what timeline.
Time + Task Management
Planners, study systems, calendar architecture. Especially for ADHD brains.
Pressure Management
Stress management coach for 10+ years. The mental piece is the academic piece.
Self-Mastery Mentorship
Knowing who you are before you decide where to go. Strengths-based fit work.
Teacher Communication
Asking for help. Negotiating extensions. Owning the conversation with school.
How We Start
Three doors. Pick the one that Fits.
Most families start with the free Rapport Call. If you already know what you need, you can jump straight to a Decision Strategy Session or ongoing tutoring. I will tell you the truth about which door is right.
Rapport Call
"Tell me what is going on. I will tell you what is realistic."
- 30-min conversation with the parent and/or student
- What is actually happening (academics, schedule, stress)
- Honest read on whether I am the right fit
- Recommended next step. No pressure, no pitch.
Decision Strategy Session
"Should we even take the SAT? What about test-optional?"
- 90-min session for the family who needs the decision, not the prep
- SAT vs. ACT vs. test-optional analysis
- School-fit and timeline mapping
- Strengths-informed game plan you can run on your own
Private Tutoring + Mentorship
"Same coach every week. The whole junior year, in your corner."
- Weekly 1:1 sessions in your subject(s) of choice
- Parent recaps after every session
- Shared progress doc you can see anytime
- Family plan available — sibling-friendly
What Families Say
Real Students. Real Parents. Real Outcomes.
"It's like when you find a really good doctor that you will follow wherever they go. You're that for our family."
"She did it! 1530!!!!! Ellyn, we have no words to thank you for everything you did. You are special."
"I got a 1430 on the December SAT!! Thank you so much for all of your help."
"Genuinely, I get SO much more out of this than my Princeton Review class."
"In at Michigan Honors, Wash U in STL, Case Western, and Boston College! Thanks for all the help on the SAT!"
"I hope you take a lot of pride in your work, because you are an amazing tutor and a delightful person!"
"Ellyn is creative, patient, and pushes my daughter in ways that I can't. They get so much done in their sessions. She has a magic touch and my daughter loves her!"
"I absolutely love Ellyn tutoring me! She makes such a hard and boring subject much more fun. My test score improved 20% to 30%."
Parents say it's the rare combination of "oh, that makes so much sense" and
"why hasn't anyone explained it this way before?"
The Film Room
Strategies, stories, and insight to Level Up!
VIDEO • ARTICLE
If I was Still a Student, This is How I Would Use Notion to Stay Organized
Read More »
FREE MASTERCLASS
SAT vs. ACT Masterclass: Which Test is Best for You/Your Student?
Fit Check
Am I A Fit for your Family?
You are in the right place if:
- Your kid is a high achiever who is also overwhelmed, anxious, or overextended.
- You are tired of rotating tutors and silent sessions.
- You want a long-term mentor, not just a test prep vendor.
- Your kid has ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or mild ASD and needs a coach who gets it.
- You want honest answers about what is realistic for your timeline.
- You want post-session updates without having to interrogate your teenager.
We are probably not a fit if:
- You want elementary school tutoring. I work with middle school and up.
- You want guaranteed score jumps with no input from your kid.
- You are looking for an in-person tutor. I am 100% online.
- You want unlimited access between sessions instead of structured support.
- You are hoping I will pressure your kid into things they do not want to do.
Academic Background
Credentials for the
Skeptical Parent.
Tutoring Experience
Ellyn has been serving as a mentor, teacher, and tutor to undergraduates and high schoolers since 2007 — including over 7 years as a Premium-tier tutor for Revolution Prep, ranked in the 2024 World's Top EdTech Companies. She has 10+ years of experience as a certified professional coach and stress management coach.
Education
B.S. in Microbiology,Cum Laude with Honors— Washington State University
B.S. in Genetics & Cell Biology — Washington State University
M.S. in Microbiology & Immunology — University of Michigan
Research Publications
Ellyn has three published research studies and can mentor students interested in science careers, lab life, graduate programs, and research:
Free Resources
Free resources for students & Parents.
Objections, Answered
The questions Before you ask them.
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Yes. I have ADHD. I have worked with ADHD high achievers, dyslexic students, dysgraphic students, and students with mild ASD for 15+ years. Your kid does not have to translate their brain to me. They will not be told to "just focus harder." We will build study systems that actually work for the brain in front of us.
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That is exactly what the Decision Strategy Session is for. We will look at your kid's transcript, target schools, athletic recruiting situation if applicable, and current scores. Sometimes the answer is "do not take it again — your transcript carries them." Sometimes the answer is "one more shot in the summer is worth it." I will tell you the truth based on the data, not what keeps you booking sessions.
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After every session you get a recap email: what we covered, where they are, what to practice. You also get a shared progress doc you can check anytime — baseline scores, current scores, skills covered, next milestones. You will not have to ask your teenager how it went. You will see it.
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Bring it. Tournament weekends, AP exam crunch, college visit weeks — I have been scheduling around competitive athletes since 2007. Flexibility is the rule, not a favor. Reschedules are easy. We work around the season. We do not add to it.
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Yes. Brainstorm, outline, draft, polish. The personal statement that sounds like your kid, not a template. Especially valuable if your student is going test-optional — the essay carries more weight in that scenario.
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Transparently. Hourly rates are listed at the booking link. Ongoing tutoring is billed monthly with a clear schedule. No upsells, no surprise charges, no "we booked another session on your behalf." If we are working together long-term, we discuss what makes sense for your family up front.
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Tacoma, WA. I tutor 100% online via Zoom — which means the right coach for your kid does not have to live in your city. I have students all over the US. Online is the feature, not the compromise.
Let's Talk
Your Student is going to beOkay.
The Rapport Call is free and there is no pitch at the end. We will talk through what is happening with your student, what is realistic on your timeline, and what actually makes sense as a next step. If I am the right fit, great. If I am not, I will tell you who is.