28,169Leland Reviews

I worked with Alex on GRE math. I learned how to quickly recognize problems, approach difficult graphs and wording, and form strategies for taking the GRE. MyGRE score improved significantly and I was ultimately accepted into an engineering graduate program at the University of Southern California. I highly recommend working with Alex.

I worked with Alex Southmayd for a month of GRE quant tutoring. Alex was extremely clear and thorough in his explanations of different math concepts and strategies. He was also patient and encouraging during our sessions as I hadn't touched math in nearly a decade. My results speak to Alex's effectiveness as a tutor - I raised my quant score from 149 - 159. I directly attribute this improvement to my work with Alex.

I worked with Alex on GRE prep and he exceeded my expectations in every respect. Alex is able to skillfully teach the content and the strategies in a manner that is tangible for students to grasp, particularly for someone like myself being many years removed from the quantitative concepts.

Alex Southmayd was fantastic. His strategies helped improve my GRE Quant score by 30 percentile points, my GRE Verbal score by 20 percentile points, and I scored in the 99th percentile on Analytical Writing. This is a testament to his fantastic teaching and help with guided study. I was skeptical for a long time that I could study to improve on these tests, so I was shocked to see so much improvement.

Ryna came prepared with a plan for my specific goals of scoring high enough to be competitive at an ivy league. I scored a 35, and I attribute Ryna's direct session plans to my success. She's super kind and great to work with!

Highly recommend! Ryna at Book Smart Prep is an extremely knowledgeable and effective tutor. From our first session it was clear that I was working with someone with years of tutoring expertise and a passion for helping others achieve their educational goals. I learned not only how to solve particular problems but how to approach problem solving in general and with confidence. In each area, I felt that she really tailored the lessons to my specific learning style while still challenging me to succeed beyond my expectations. As a student who has taken both individual and group study sessions with Ryna, I can assure future students that Book Smart Prep will help them unlock the educational opportunities they are looking for.

Ryna has been an extreme pleasure to work with! She is flexible with her time and has helped my son and daughter succeed on their SAT and ACT tests. Their personalities could not be more different, and yet Ryna was able to connect with both of them on their level and increase their scores from when they began. As an added bonus, Ryna is also able to guide us through the formation of a college art portfolio, which we are in process of now.

I really enjoyed working with Erfun. He has access to some of the best GRE prep material out there, and his meticulous approach to tackling questions was invaluable for my success on the GRE. I went from scoring in the 310s to scoring 330-338 on practice tests before my exam. I ended up achieving my goal score on the real test and I only had 3 classes with Erfun. In addition, his online teaching format allows you to record lessons and review them while studying -- I found this particularly useful for reviewing concepts and his methodology for different types of questions. His experience, combined with his natural teaching ability, will help you efficiently reach your goal score in the shortest time possible. I highly recommend him for anyone wanting to make quick work of the GRE test and start focusing on other aspects of graduate school admissions.

I worked with Erfun when studying to take the GMAT a second time. I had taken it once after three months of self-study using Kaplan materials, and I received a score that was much lower than I expected and much lower than I thought I could achieve. So I decided to get personalized tutoring the second time around, and I found Erfun after searching on Yelp. Erfun was so helpful in providing a clear study plan and identifying areas for improvement. We Skyped once a week for two hours, and then I studied on my own each day using the materials he gave me. I worked with him for two months to prepare for my second test date, and I felt like we had plenty of time to go over everything and for me to take several practice tests. Ultimately, I retook the test and scored 70 points higher, reaching my target score! Erfun really helped me improve my test-taking strategies and time management, which allowed me to reach my goal. I highly recommend working with him.

I worked with Erfun the past few months on the GMAT and would emphatically recommend him! After studying on my own through Veritas, I was not satisfied with my performance and knew I needed a tutor to take me to the next level. I was initially hesitant to meet over Skype, but it was seamless and made no difference whatsoever. With his help, I went from a baseline 560 to a 740! Erfun is incredibly thorough and detail-oriented, and creates a study plan specifically to target where you need it most. Other tutors I spoke to were only going to help with quant, and as a native English speaker (and strong writer) I thought I didn't need as much work on that side. However, we worked on both together and the verbal made just as much of a difference! He will find the places you need work and help you hone your skills where you need it most to get the best score possible. During our first session, we set realistic, achievable goals together and created a plan on how to get there. If you put in the work, he will help you get to where you want to go. You get what you pay for with this stuff, and while his rate is not the cheapest you'll find, invest in YOURSELF and work with him. It'll be worth it. I would recommend him in a heartbeat to anyone looking to reach their full potential. Thanks again Erfun!!