Trent Dahlin Tutoring

Scholarship

One seat is always reserved.

My mom and I couldn't afford a tutor when I was in school, and I didn't feel right about starting a tutoring business only for families who can. So I made a vow: I will always keep at least one student on my roster who can't afford my rate, and give them the same mentorship at a price within their budget.

How the scholarship works

A scholarship student gets the full program: twelve two-hour sessions, three proctored practice tests, notes after every session, the check-ins, the parent calls, all of it. The only difference is the price, which we set together based on what your family can comfortably pay. For some families that's a small monthly amount; for some it's nothing.

Because I hold one seat at a time, there's a waitlist. When a seat opens, I go to the list, read every application again, and choose the student I think will make the most of it. That isn't always the lowest income or the lowest score; it's the student who wants it and will do the work. The essay matters more than anything else on the form, and the student has to write it.

Applying is free and takes about fifteen minutes. I read every application myself and reply within a week.

Help me add a second seat

If you'd like to help me expand the scholarship roster, you can contribute here. Every dollar goes toward a scholarship student's tuition; when the fund covers a second program, I open a second seat. (This is a small business, not a nonprofit, so contributions aren't tax-deductible; they're just kind.)

Who this is for

A student in grades 9 to 12 whose family can't afford the full program, who wants to raise an SAT or ACT score, and who is willing to do about three hours of practice a week. Free or reduced-price lunch, a single-income household, or an unusual circumstance are all good reasons to apply. So is simply not having the money.

Income information is used only to set the price. It's stored in my private records, seen by no one but me, and deleted on request (privacy).

Waitlist application

Apply for the scholarship seat.

A parent or guardian should fill in the first two parts. The student writes the essay, in their own words.

Part 1 · The family

Please tell me your name.
Please enter a working email so I can reply.
Please choose a range (or "prefer to explain").

Free or reduced-price lunch, a single income, a recent change, anything. Short is fine.

Part 2 · The student

Who is applying?

Part 3 · In the student's own words

Written by the student, not a parent. About 150 to 400 words. I'm not grading your writing; I'm looking for whether you want it and whether you'll do the work.

Please write at least 120 words or so. Honest beats polished.

A sport, an instrument, a game, a language, anything.

I need a parent or guardian's okay to follow up.

Applications go to me and nobody else. I reply within a week.