Academic Coaching Services

Phillip has been tutoring both my high school sons for the last year and a half. They are each different writers so I can write from the perspective of two different types of tutoring that Phillip provides. For my older son, he is able to help in fine tuning and teaching the more nuanced touches of a finished paper. For my younger son, he helped greatly with organization and structuring his papers. After just a few lessons, my younger son has improved 10 fold. He is more confident and earning As in English! Phillip is always incredibly responsive and accommodating with online appointment times. He always gives a thoughtful and detailed update after each lesson. Probably the best compliment though is that both my boys think he is the best tutor they have ever had. According to them, he is the GOAT!

         -Deborah, parent

Hi Dr. P! Happy New Year! I just wanted to let you know that I got accepted into Brown University. Thank you for all of your help with AP Lit and SAT Prep, as well as my college essay writing. You have really helped me a lot! I am planning on majoring in the humanities, which you have served as inspiration to me as well.  Thank you again!

          -Gabi, student

Hello, Dr. Phillip. I just wanted to let you know that I scored a 5 on AP Language and Composition. I want to thank you for all your help. You have been a great teacher, and I could not have done this well without you. 

        -Michael, high school student

Dr. Pittman, thank you for all your help with our daughter. We appreciate you taking the time to listen and to remedy the challenges. Our family is so fortunate to be able to work with you.

         -Terrance and Elizabeth, parents

Hi, Dr. Phillip. I just wanted to let you know that I got two 5s on my AP English tests and will be headed to Scotland in the fall. Thank you so much for all your help. I really couldn’t have done it without you!

          -Emilia, high school student

I'd like to thank you for helping my son with his project and for guiding him down he path of self development and success. We were able to see him achieve another milestone with the completion of his Eagle project.  As you may have heard, the project went off without a hitch.  The planning was evident and certainly influenced the success of the project. He showed true leadership and we were able to complete the project in 3 hours!   I had planned on 5 hours. We appreciate your time, advice and efforts to see him get one step closer to his Eagle rank! My son also commented that your recent session helped him tackle his new writing project.  He seemed confident with the assignment and overall had a good attitude about working on it. I hope he's able to apply the skills / tips you reviewed going forward. I look forward to seeing his evolution.  I know he's on the right track with your mentoring and it's much appreciated! BTW... he seems to be using his planner, so that's a good sign. 

         -Miros, parent

Thank you so much for your help, Dr. Pittman. Samitha decided to stay local and go to Rice and pursue pre-med. She was deciding between UPenn, Duke, and Rice up until the last minute and felt that staying local had its advantages. Thank you so much for coaching her through her AP English courses.

        -Tej, parent

YOU ARE REALLY MY LUCKY PERSON, DR. P! A 5 ON AP LIT!!!! WE DID IT!!! I couldn't have done this without all your practice tests, and somehow with your magical aura or teaching or whatever magic thing you do, you always allow me to get the best results with the least amount of practice tests. 

           -Amphitrite, student

Dr. Pittman, I just want to thank you for all the support you have given me over these past two years. I would not be where I am today without your guidance. I really appreciate the time you dedicated to help me improve my SAT scores and my essays. I am also committed to going to The University of Michigan this fall.

          -Alex, graduating high school student

Dr. Pittman, high school would not have been the same without your entertaining stories, and my future would be completely different without your assistance on the college application process. I’ll use what you taught me at MIT. Continue to do such great teaching and good luck with everything!

         -Yue, high school student

Phillip is extremely adept in helping both of my high school children in English essay writing. He helps them organize the essays into well structured pieces with excellent flow and syntax.          

          -Lenore, Parent 

Thank you so much for all your support this past year! I wanted to let you know that I got a 5 in AP Lang, and there is no way I could have done it without your help! Thanks again, and looking forward to seeing you in August!

           -Marc, high school student

Pittman, thank you for being so patient with me this year. I loved your class. I have learned so much, and I’m sure it will help me tons when I write my college apps. I really appreciate all that you have done.

         -DaShawn, high school student

I’m excited to tell you that I got a 5 on AP Lit! Thank you for your help and guidance throughout the course! 

           -Krishna, high school student

Hi there, Dr. Pittman. I just wanted to let you know that our daughter qualified as a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Thank you for all of your help as we truly appreciate you so much.

          -Sandy, parent

Dr. Pittman, I know it’s been awhile, but you’re still the best English teacher I’ve ever had. Thank you for helping me get a job as my cover letters kick butt (or so I’ve been told, haha).

         -Catherine, strategy and operations manager

Great ACT Instructor

From session # 1, my daughter felt much more comfortable about how to approach the ACT test. Phillip offered her instruction but also helpful hints on how to approach each section of the test. She was so much more confident after just one session. Highly recommend Phillip.  

        -Michele, parent

Amazing writing teacher (with extensive knowledge of the AP Lang test)!

I came to Phillip with only a week left before the AP Lang exam. I had not taken the corresponding AP course, so I really did not know anything about the exam format/grading/timing/etc. Not only did Phillip provide me with helpful exam resources and thoughtful analysis of my essays, he also gave me lots of needed encouragement! The fact that he has read thousands of AP Lang exam essays as an AP grader really made his tutoring excellent. After only two lessons, I felt very well prepared for the exam. Anyone who needs help with AP Lang exam prep should come to Phillip.

         -Lynn, high school student

I am really pleased with how my daughter is progressing with Phillip. I'd like her to be a good writer who is able to reflect her thoughts clearly in her writing. I can see that Phillip is working on her analytic skills as well for the purpose of organizing her thoughts. I read a short essay she wrote about what she plans to be in the future. It was the best writing I've seen from her as of yet. Thank you!

         -Wendy, parent

Patient, Detailed, and Effective

After a couple of tutoring sessions for AP English Language and Composition, Phillip has really improved my confidence for the demanding essays on the test. Having someone who knows exactly what the AP graders are looking for has been a tremendous help.

         -Jenny, high school student

Phillip is great teacher! He knows the subject and knows how to teach. His sessions are packed with valuable information. We enjoy each and every lesson with Phillip as he has so much to offer. Can't ask for more! 

          -Lily, Parent

Highly professional, yet still relates to teens

Phillip is not only highly qualified but very in touch with teenagers. He is definitely committed to their success and willing to work to determine their areas of greatest need. He also takes time to touch base with parents and is receptive to their input. 

         -Susan, parent

Phillip tutored my son for one of his history papers. Phillip was not given the topic until the last minute, yet he offered great comments and stimulated thoughts for my son to go to the next step. Phillip was very patient and has really mastered the skill of effective communication.

         -Sophie, parent

Dr. Pittman, as the school year comes to a close, and I head off to school in the fall, I wanted to share this note of appreciation. I entered junior year with a not-so-open mind and an anti-political attitude that turned out to be somewhat destructive. With AP courses, ACTs, SATs, pressure from parents, and too much importance placed on letter grades, I chose to say “screw it” instead of playing the game. So, instead of just writing the paper or doing the assignment, I had to find purpose and meaning first, and if I couldn;t find one, the work didn’t get done. Assignments were handed in late and grades fell, but there was something different about your class. At the beginning of the year, you assigned a comparison-contrast essay between two non-fiction pieces. The comments proved only to be the beginning. For the first time in my life, I had someone believe in me as a writer and had someone encourage me to want to write, and that someone was you. But, you didn’t stop there. You continued to dole out writing assignments that could be reinterpreted and gave me a newfound love for reading and writing, letting me express myself through words instead of just art, clothes, and hair color. For this, I am truly grateful. You have given me the strength and courage to write and to want to be read, while putting up with my antics the whole way through. In all honesty, you and your class were possibly one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me. So, I thank you again for giving of yourself to us as your students, for sharing your passion for the English language, literature, and writing, and for believing in me. 

        -Sari, high school student

Dr. Pittman, thank you for being such an inspirational and motivational teacher! I learned how to really improve my writing skills, and the writing techniques you taught will really help me at the university level and beyond. 

        -Ahimsa, high school student

Sir, you are a great teacher and our son truly enjoys your meetings. Your continued support and teaching while promoting perseverance will help him gain confidence to achieve a perfect score. We are very thankful to you. Plus, with your kind blessings and mentoring, today our son was announced as a US Presidential Scholar.  We will be grateful to you forever!!

         -Jatin, parent

Dr. Pittman, I just wanted to thank you for being such an extraordinary and influential teacher to me. I always had such a wonderful time in your class, and I learned so much at the same time.

        -Erica, high school student

Yes, I learned a lot in your class, many things for the first time. Thank you for your patience as we all learned. It was a wonderful experience.

        -Zehra, high school student

Just wanted to let you know Anna scored a 1480 on her latest SAT.  750 math/730 reading. Tears of joy. (compared to 1350 on her previous test). 

            Mary, parent

Kristina Pittman was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had! I would honestly take her class all over again now because of how useful it was. She helped me develop as a writer more than anyone else ever has. 

         -Raquel, former high school student

Allie earned a 30 on her ACT! She improved a lot, so thank you for all of your help! We really appreciate you working with her! 

         Jan, parent

As the SAT classes went along, they got more helpful, and I'm really glad I took the class! I like the teacher and my classmates.

        -Mary, high school student

After working with Phillip online for two months, our 9th grade daughter scored a 700 on the Evidence Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT! We are so thankful for Phillip's work with her.

         -Vladimir and Elena