Two keys.

My first time taking the SAT, I was terribly disappointed in my score. I knew I could do better. My family couldn't afford a tutor (and I was probably too proud to think I needed one anyway), so as I prepped for my next test, the ACT this time, I devoured an ACT prep book and practiced the test over and over. That's where I learned the first key to mastering a test: deliberate practice. This time I scored much higher. But that was it; I never took the test again.

Years later, working in New York as a performer, I saw the advantages some of my friends and colleagues had because of their impressive alma maters, and some of the disadvantages I had from going to a school below my potential. I thought, "I absolutely could have gone to those schools if I had just had..." and that's when it hit me.

"...a mentor."

As a teenager I had been too proud and too poor for a tutor. Yet my whole performing career had been made possible by deliberate practice with brilliant mentors who saw where I was, showed me where I needed to improve, and coached me until I got better. That's the second key.

So I decided to be that mentor for someone else. I may have scored below my potential, but my students won't. I got myself trained by some of the best tutors in the country, learned how to ace any test put in front of me, and learned how to teach anyone the skills they need to reach their goals.

That's what this is. If you're a student who has ever looked at a score and thought "I know I can do better," I built this for you.

Giving back

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 world-class mentorship at a price within their budget.

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

Know a student who needs the seat? The waitlist is here.

Look up. Climb up.

It's the motto on everything I make, and it comes from something I believe about every goal worth having. First you have to look up, to know where you want to go. Then you can climb up to where you aim. Two ups. The first one is a conversation; the second one is practice. I help with both.