Our expert private tutors
Our highly-educated and friendly tutors have all achieved full marks on the tests that they teach, and know them inside out.
All of our tutors:
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Have achieved full marks on the tests they teach;
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Are highly educated at top US or UK universities (many have PhDs);
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Undergo extensive training in these tests;
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Know the application processes for schools and universities inside out;
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Are passionate about their subjects and about teaching;
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Have CPD-certified Safeguarding qualifications updated regularly;
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Are fully DBS checked; and
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Want you to do as well as possible.
Our tutors are selected not just for their experience and their knowledge of their subject areas but also for their communication and motivational skills. They’ve graduated from some of the best universities in the US and UK, and understand the American standardised tests inside out. They’re passionate about helping students to achieve their goals and know how to get them there through the right balance of challenge and support.
We only take on tutors who have a proven track record. Before starting work with us, tutors undergo extensive training in our teaching methodology. Our most experienced tutors have well over 1000 hours of standardised test experience.
About our Academic Director, Lead Tutors, and Senior Tutors:
Our
Tutors
are experienced specialists, who have passed the tests they teach with full marks. Our
Senior Tutors
are highly experienced specialists, who have taught several hundred hours each. Our
Lead Tutors
are our two most experienced and popular tutors and who lead on courses. Our
Academic Director
is Dan Escott, who leads on all learning, teaching, and curriculum development at UES. All our tutors have passed the tests with perfect scores, and have all gone through a thorough recruitment and assessment process.
Here is a selection of our tutors:
Aida Rocci Ruiz (Lead Tutor)
Aida grew up in Spain and always considered studying in the United States a distant dream more than an actual option. She began studying Business Administration and Finance at CUNEF, in Madrid. After three years, she ventured into the peculiarities of the US application system on her own and became one of the twelve transfer students accepted into Harvard University in 2011. Aida graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude with Highest Honors in Psychology in 2014. Her experience led her to co-found a non-profit organization to empower and coach Spanish students from non-international schools to access top American universities.
Shortly after, Aida returned to Harvard to pursue a Master's in Fine Arts in Dramaturgy and Theatre Studies at the American Repertory Institute in collaboration with the Moscow Art Theatre. During her postgraduate studies at Harvard, she became a teaching fellow, assisting top field professors and leading several undergraduate classes. She then went on to a second Master's in London at the prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; now, as a professional dramaturg, she helps playwrights and directors to find their unique voice to express their ideas. She uses the same skills to inspire young students to tell their story in a compelling and personal way in their US college applications. On top of teaching, she continues to work as a literary advisor and editor in the dramatic arts, and writes for The Theatre Times.
All of these experiences inform how Aida approaches tutoring. She focuses in developing the student’s learning tactics for long-term gains. Utilising skills from her academic and professional experiences, she curates how students learn and connect different materials with both rigour and ease. In a relaxed, friendly, and supportive atmosphere, students often find that they already had the key to learning in them and leave with long-lasting strategies to tackle new learning challenges.
Aida teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
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ISEE and SSAT: all sections and levels
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AP: Psychology
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US College Counselling and Application Support
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US College Essay Guidance
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Portfolio Review
Olivia Munk (Lead Tutor)
Olivia grew up in Queens, New York and attended Harvard University in 2012. She graduated Cum Laude in 2016 with a degree in English and a minor in Mind/Brain/Behavior. At Harvard, she was an active theatre director and wrote for The Crimson's magazine,
Fifteen Minutes
, for which she served as Editor-at-Large. She blogged for Harvard's Office for the Arts, and was a Becky Greenwald Ledecky Fellow for Harvard Magazine, which allowed her to write columns, news articles, and personal dispatches. After graduating, she went on to pursue a Master of Studies in English (1900-present) at St. Catherine's College, Oxford. She was awarded a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa in order to found her theatre company, Part of the Main, which focuses on improving the representation of women creatives and women's stories in the professional theatre industry.
At UES Olivia specializes in assisting students with both the Maths and English sides of the SAT and the ACT, as well as the ISEE/SSAT and AP Subject Tests. Olivia approaches tuition is a friendly manner, taking special consideration of a student's comfort. Olivia believes that when students feel supported in lessons, they are able to better engage and take an active role in their studies. Olivia excels at making the content approachable, particularly for students who may feel intimidated by the harder maths concepts such as algebra or complex American grammar concepts.
As well as tuition, Olivia also provides application support for personal statements, essays, and college choice.
Olivia teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
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AP Subjects: English Literature, Economics, US History
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A-Level Subjects: History, English, Economics,
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ISEE and SSAT: all sections and levels
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Specialist Subjects: English Literature, Maths
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Humanities: History and Geography
Sean Kelly (Lead Tutor)
Born in the north of England, Sean holds a BA in English language, graduating from the University of Manchester with First-Class Honours in 2008. Two years later, he became a fully qualified teacher and has amassed over ten years' experience teaching at prestigious secondary schools in the UK, Spain and the Middle East. During this time, he has gained a reputation for helping countless students to fulfil their academic potential.
Sean recognises that the most successful lessons take place in environments in which students feel comfortable and supported and so he believes that building a rapport with his students is a crucial part of the learning journey – something that he has always been successful in doing. Sean also aims to instil in his students the confidence to take ownership of their own learning; he sees this as crucial in developing into a well-rounded, successful individual.
Sean recently ventured into the world of full-time tutoring, using the skills and experience he has acquired over the years to prepare his students for a range of exams, including GCSE and A-level English. He now teaches all sections of the ACT and SAT.
In his free time, Sean likes to keep himself as physically active as possible. In recent years, he has developed a greater appreciation for the great outdoors and has spent many a chilly night in his tent in fields across the UK.
Sean teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
Sarah Azamtu (Senior Tutor)
Sarah graduated from the University of Bristol where she obtained her Master's in Aerospace Engineering. At university she first began privately tutoring during her free time, coaching students to achieve high marks in their A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate.
During her time at Bristol she conducted multiple research projects focusing on areas such as advanced composites and bridging the gap between human-computer interaction and materials science. She also has a keen interest in space travel and was lucky enough to work with Airbus and The European Space Agency, working on the design and development of one of their Earth observation satellites. Outside of the lecture theatre, she was a cheerleader on her university’s national champion team where she was thrown into the air hundreds of times a week! In her term breaks, she also liked to spend her time hiking and volunteering abroad and was fortunate enough to receive an award from her university for this work.
After achieving her master's degree with First Class Honours, her interest in space led her to a role at a cutting-edge reusable rocket engine company in Oxford. Tutoring has always been something she has enjoyed and she is particularly drawn to the challenging style of the SATs and ACTs. She believes it is important to excite and encourage her students so that they are eager to learn, especially as the tests require students to think differently from what they may be used to with the UK curriculum.
Sarah teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
Elsa Rohm (Senior Tutor)
Elsa has been engaged with education in the United States from a young age. She attended numerous engineering camps at Brown University and developed a passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, serving as a mentor in the program. While at university, Elsa tutored middle and high school students, particularly in mathematics, and provided support for university applications.
Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Elsa graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in Environmental Engineering and Community Health and a minor in Dance. Following this, Elsa completed her MSc in the Control of Infectious Diseases with distinction, the highest honor, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Since joining UES, Elsa has utilised her experience to help students achieve their goals on the SAT and ACT tests as well as help students prepare for university in the US. As part of this, she believes in the importance of developing strong relationships with students, parents, and families.
Elsa teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
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ISEE/SSAT: all sections
Lily Lesser (Senior Tutor)
Lily is an American who has lived in London since 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Princeton University and a Master’s Degree in Medieval History from Jesus College, Cambridge. With her deep academic background, she brings a strong understanding of what top US universities are looking for in their applicants, particularly when it comes to mastering the SAT and crafting compelling college essays.
Lily has a passion for education and has successfully guided students through the complexities of the US college testing and admissions processes. As the oldest of four girls, all of whom have attended elite American universities, she also has a wealth of first-hand experience in navigating the rigorous demands of standardized tests like the SAT, as well as the nuances of building a standout college application.
In addition to her tutoring, Lily has been working for a museum design company in London as a content developer and project manager, where she played a key role in shaping the storytelling for the British Museum’s ’Troy: Myth and Reality’ exhibition and Battersea Power Station’s Lift 109 attraction. She is currently pursuing a law conversion course in preparation for a future training contract at Slaughter and May.
Lily’s approach to tutoring is rooted in her personal and professional experiences, making her uniquely equipped to help students achieve their academic goals, particularly those aspiring to study in the United States. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and coxing at Auriol Kensington Rowing Club.
Lily teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
Ezra Harker Shaw (Senior Tutor)
Originally from Scotland, Ezra is one of our most experienced tutors and teaches the full spectrum of US standardized tests including the ISEE, SSAT, SAT, and ACT, as well as UK tests including Common Entrance exams. Since graduating with a 1st Class English Degree, Ezra has gone on to obtain a MA in Russian Literature from UCL and is currently undertaking a PhD on Collaboration in Literature.
A tutor for nearly ten years, Ezra has taught the SAT and ACT in top schools around the UK including City of London Boy's School, Uppingham, Marymount and LAE Tottenham. As part of UES, Ezra has helped their students gain places at top colleges in both the USA and UK. They particularly specialise in working with students who have dyslexia or other learning difficulties.
A published poet, Ezra runs poetry workshops and also teaches English & Creative Writing at university level. Their experience with writing and literature helps inform their teaching style, as they teach students to think critically while encouraging students' talents and building their confidence. Using this wealth of experience, Ezra is able to tailor their teaching in order to be effective when working with students of all different ages and backgrounds.
Ezra teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
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ISEE and SSAT: English at all levels
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Specialist Subjects: English Literature
Lori Wormald (Senior Tutor)
Lori attended university and spent the early years of her working life in the US before being transferred by her employer to UK. Lori had a successful career in the IT industry based in the UK and throughout Europe and the US. She became a full time tutor twelve years ago, focusing mainly on A level maths, GCSE maths, and the US math curriculum.
Lori began working with both the ACT and SAT in 2014 and has logged hundreds of hours helping students achieve their test prep goals. Given her experience with both the US and UK education systems, Lori is particularly good at helping students interpret the ACT and SAT and how they differ from the traditional UK exams.
Lori holds a BSc in mathematics with distinction and BA in Education - both from the University of Minnesota.
In Lori's spare time she loves to play tennis, ski, paint, walk her dog and spend time with her husband and adult son.
Lori teaches:
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ACT: all sections
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SAT: all sections
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A-Level/GCSE: Maths
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AP: Calculus
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