FOUNDERS
Michael Robin
Michael has worked as an educational consultant, tutor, and teacher for over fifteen years. After graduating from Harvard with honors, Michael was selected to join Teach for America, which sent him to New Haven, CT to teach 11th and 12th grade English; Michael was later one of fifty American teachers chosen to pilot Israel’s first summer school program, and taught English to low-income Palestinian and Israeli children. Since relocating to Los Angeles, Michael has guided hundreds of kids to success with the college process, in their academic classes, and on the SAT, ACT, and ISEE.
Peyton McDavitt
Peyton graduated from Harvard with an A.B. in The History of Art and Architecture, a citation in Spanish, and a love of teaching. While at Harvard, she began volunteering at the MLK Jr. elementary school in Cambridge, which ignited her long career of tutoring and mentorship. Her academic acumen spans from teaching young children to read to guiding advanced students through college essays preparing students for the Johns Hopkins summer program for the gifted and talented. She has taught English to Spanish speakers while living abroad in Santiago, Chile, been flown to Italy to tutor writing and math, and guided countless students through test prep to Ivy league admissions.
OUR TUTORS
Tyler M.
Tyler is a passionate and experienced science educator who holds a Bachelor’s in Chemistry & Biochemistry from Miami University, a Master’s in Mind, Brain and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (M.Ed), and a dual Master’s degree in Social Policy (M.B.A) and Conflict Resolution (M.A) from the Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis University. Tyler began his career in Teach for America, which sent him to Bridgeport to teach 7th & 8th Grade Science, where he led hundreds of students towards significant gains. He was later invited to serve as a visiting professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, teaching “Educational Neuroscience for Classroom Teachers.” Over the last decade, has served as the Director of School Operations at Achievement First’s Aspire Elementary in Brooklyn and as Managing Director of Programs at Teach for America-Connecticut. Tyler is a master at leveraging students’ strengths to help them grasp difficult concepts; his favorite thing is seeing his students thrive.
Rachel N.
Rachel has worked as a test prep and academic tutor for over a decade. She received perfect scores on the ACT and SAT Math II, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Miami with a dual degree in Computer Science and Psychology, and prides herself on tailoring her approach to each student’s individual learning needs. She’s guided countless students to major score gains on the SAT and ACT, and has even had students jump by as much as 6 stanines on the ISEE-UL. Rachel brings to the job a positive, unique energy that makes even the most reluctant students enthusiastic about their sessions. One of her favorite success stories is that of a 6th grader who, when she started tutoring, "hated math" because she was "just bad at it." After a couple of months, the student had written “Queen of Math” on her notebook.
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Katie K.
Katie has been tutoring math and test prep for over seventeen years. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston College, where she majored in Math, Theater, and (for a time) Physics and was a member of the Honors Program as well as two Honor Societies. A test prep master, Katie has perfect scores on her PSAT/SAT Verbal and Math sections and also on the Writing SAT II. She even got a 5 on her AP Calc exam! Her students learn the ins and outs of these exams, mastering content as well as the unique formats of the tests. She loves tutoring math, from Algebra through AP Calculus AB, and is excited to see her students achieve better grades, higher scores, and greater confidence in themselves. She is proud to offer students test-taking skills, math know-how, and some humor in each session.
Chris S.
Chris graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Theater (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa). He has over fifteen years of experience helping students with test prep (SAT, ACT, SSAT, SHSAT) and a wide variety of high school subjects. Chris believes that listening and positive reinforcement encourage comfort and confidence, and he's proud to have watched dozens of students turn that confidence into academic success. Outside of tutoring, Chris enjoys writing, board games, and puzzles.
Claudine Q.
Claudine is an alumna of Princeton University with over a decade of tutoring experience. In her test prep sessions, Claudine emphasizes learning the design and patterns of the ACT/SAT, allowing students to predict the test in order to achieve their highest score potential. She has shepherded students to perfect scores on the SAT/PSAT, score jumps of up to 12 points on the ACT, and has helped students gain admission to Ivy League schools. She was so successful with her students that the founder of Tutor Ted (now a partner of Ivy Method) asked her to co-write one of their SAT prep books. Claudine also specializes in foreign language tutoring having minored in French and Italian at Princeton in addition to her degree in International Relations.
Catherine Y.
After graduating from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Human Biology and minors in both Psychology and Law & Health Care Studies, Catherine was selected to join Teach for America in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she taught middle and high school science. Upon receiving her M.S. in Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2020, she was hired as a founding biology for a newly developed high school in Los Angeles. Catherine loves building relationships with students and creating a fun, educational atmosphere during her tutoring sessions. Most importantly, she is passionate about identifying unique ways to support the individualized needs of each of her students, and works with kids to improve everything from their organizational habits to their test-taking skills.
Martha M.
Martha (she/her) is a teacher and performer from Los Angeles, California. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is currently working towards an MA in Psychology from the University of the West. Martha has been tutoring since 2005; subjects of specialization include the SAT, ACT, U.S. History, Algebra I, Geometry, and all things Language Arts, including writing coaching. When not working with students, you can hear Martha’s voice in video games such as God of War and Saints Row as well as animated programs such as the upcoming Transformers: Earthspark on Nickelodeon.
Allison G.
Allison has over fifteen years experience as a private tutor and instructor at the college level. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Chinese Language & Culture. While studying for her PhD, Allison taught everything from Introduction to Political Science to Contemporary Chinese Politics. As one of Ivy Method’s resident SAT whizzes, Allison has helped countless students prepare for their SATs and has even tutored Chinese students for the SATs — in Mandarin. She particularly enjoys helping students through the process of essay-writing and editing, and also tutors French, Mandarin, and history.
Chase E.
Chase began tutoring with a boutique education firm in Fairfield, CT while still an undergraduate at Yale. He has since accrued over eleven years of experience, helping hundreds of students to achieve their highest possible test scores. In addition to tutoring the SAT, ACT, SSAT, and numerous Advanced Placement exams, Chase supports students in a broad range of academic subjects including English, Chemistry, and Calculus. He attributes his success to his ability to genuinely connect with each student, taking into consideration their individual strengths, weaknesses, personality, and learning style, allowing him to craft an incredibly personalized approach. Chase takes pride in not only improving his students’ performances on tests and report cards, but also in instilling a greater appreciation for critical thinking and excitement about learning. When not tutoring, Chase can be found rock climbing, working on his short story collection, or exploring the Connecticut running trails with friends.
Katharyn B.
Katharyn is a college writing professor, writing tutor, and published novelist with over a decade of experience. She received her MFA in 2014, her MA in Literature in 2018, and has been a Writing Professor at Azusa Pacific University since 2017. Her first novel was published by HarperCollins in 2016, her second novel comes out in 2021, and she is under contract for two more novels with Penguin Random House. Having spent over a decade studying literature and honing her own writing process, Katharyn is passionate about helping students improve both their writing process and their product.
Ilana G.
Ilana has worked both as a teacher and writer for nearly twenty years. Upon graduating from Barnard College, she joined the New York City Teaching Fellows and subsequently taught high school English (and occasionally math, in really hairy situations) in the Bronx for over a decade; she then did a several-year stint as an English professor in one Tennessee’s state colleges. Throughout this time, Ilana also worked as a private tutor, specializing both in academic writing and essay applications. Prep school? College? Law school? Magician school? Whatever you're trying to get into, she's got you covered. A freelance writer in her own right, Ilana received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, and is the author of a (humorous) memoir about teaching, along with a lot of (less humorous) articles about everything from education, to political nutcrackers, to Jane Austen. She believes everyone has the capacity to be a good writer, and enjoys helping students to discover that skill in themselves.
