East Bay Area · UC Berkeley Engineering Graduate · 10 Years · Hundreds of Students

Your teen is putting in the work. But without knowing their blindspots, hard work alone rarely moves the score. Joan finds what your teen cannot see on their own and builds a plan around exactly that.

I simplify the SAT so your teen can think about it in their own words.

You could go with a big brand SAT tutoring program. But they only meet online. They will never shake your hand or even see what your teen's handwriting looks like. In Joan's sessions, she observes their note taking skills, the neatness of their work, whether they're missing steps — and she can see the look on their faces when they've learned something new.

Now accepting applications for August, September, and later SAT dates.

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Joan's Approach

SAT tutoring is both an art and a science.

Most prep programs teach your teen to recognize question types and hope the exact same question shows up on test day. The SAT does not work that way. It is designed to test whether your teen can think flexibly and apply a concept to a question they have never seen before.

Joan's approach is different. She shows students how to break things down simply, in their own words, so they can think their way through any question on the test. That is what makes the difference between a student who memorizes answers and a student who can actually solve the test.

Why Joan

Not your average test prep.

Big prep companies put your teen in front of a screen with dozens of other students and call it tutoring. This is different.

Fully 1-on-1

Every session is built around your teen specifically. Joan sees exactly where they are struggling and addresses it in real time, every single session. No two students are the same. Joan pays attention to that.

In Person or Online

Your choice. Joan can come to your home or meet via Zoom. In person sessions are available in Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Alamo, Danville, Lafayette, and Orinda. Not sure if your area is covered? Mention it on your first call or send an email.

Berkeley-Level Instruction

Joan holds a UC Berkeley Engineering degree and has tutored hundreds of students over 10 years. She knows exactly what the test demands and how to get there.

Structured Program

10 weekly sessions, homework every week, and a full length practice test every 4 weeks to track real progress toward their target score.

Built for East Bay Students

Joan knows these schools because she went to one.

This program is designed for students from Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Danville, Lafayette, Orinda, and surrounding East Bay communities preparing for competitive admissions and scholarship opportunities.

Private universities like USC, Santa Clara, Pepperdine, and Loyola Marymount continue to weigh SAT scores heavily in admissions. A strong score also unlocks scholarships within the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), where California students can attend out-of-state schools at significantly reduced tuition. Every point counts.

About Joan

Joan

UC Berkeley Engineering Graduate · SAT Expert · 10 Years Experience

Joan grew up in the East Bay, attended Clayton Valley High School, and went on to earn her Engineering degree from UC Berkeley. She spent 10 years as the Test Prep Director of a tutoring company in the East Bay, where she supervised SAT tutors, oversaw hundreds of students and their progress, and developed the teaching systems that consistently moved scores. Now she brings that same director-level expertise directly to your teen, one student at a time. She has sat across from hundreds of East Bay teens over the years and knows exactly what it feels like to identify a student's sticking points, help them gain traction, and watch them get better. That is why she does this.

10 Years of Tutoring Taught Me This

What actually moves the needle.

After working with hundreds of students, here is what Joan has learned about what actually moves the needle.

Daily beats weekly. Every time.

New information has a 24-hour expiration date. The brain begins forgetting new material within hours of learning it — but if you review it before that window closes, you make a new imprint. Do that enough days in a row and it moves into long term memory. You just know it. Skip a day and you are starting over. This is why I assign daily practice, not weekly cramming sessions.

Write it down. Every single time.

The SAT baits kids into thinking they can hold an entire problem in their head and pick the right answer. That is not how the brain works. Write down each piece of information from each sentence and build the answer on your paper. Your brain connects what it sees on the page — it cannot do that same work invisibly. It needs to see the dots in order to connect them.

Real Results

What parents are saying.

230 Point Improvement

★★★★★

"As a teacher myself, I am always impressed when someone goes the extra mile for my children. Joan did that. We enrolled our son for 12 weeks and he made incredible gains — but he wanted to push even higher. Joan was incredibly responsive, researched further strategies, and talked them through with him. It worked. He took the test a second time and gained 230 points. With a daughter starting SAT prep this summer, I am confident Joan will deliver the same results."

K.C. · Parent · Verified

200 Point Improvement

★★★★★

"Highly recommend Joan! My son jumped over 200 points on the SAT working with Joan. She was very helpful in giving strategies for approaching and solving questions as well as very clear in her explanations for questions that my son needed further help with. Joan was always positive and encouraging even when scores were not improving as quickly as we had hoped. Hard work pays off and we are so glad to have found Joan to help guide our son to success!"

A.W. · Parent · Verified

What to Expect

Joan meets students where they are — whether they are extremely driven or juggling a full schedule of sports, school, and a social life. She builds a plan that is realistic for their life, not just their score. That said, weekly homework is not optional. It runs about 3 to 4 hours, broken into 30 to 45 minute chunks, and is assigned directly through the practice suite software. Students who complete it with genuine curiosity and retry their missed questions see the biggest gains.

Typical improvement for a student who follows the program consistently is around 100 to 130 points over 10 weeks. Results are not guaranteed and depend entirely on the student's effort and commitment.

The Program

Everything you need.

A complete 10-week SAT prep program built around your teen's schedule and goals.

📅

Sessions

10 Weekly Sessions · 1.5 Hours Each

📍

Format

In Person at Your Home or Online via Zoom

📝

Homework

Weekly Assignments to Complete Between Sessions

📊

Practice Tests

Full Length SAT Practice Test Every 4 Weeks

🎯

Test Dates

Prep for August, September, or Later SAT Dates

📱

Phones

Silenced and Put Away for Every Session

Now accepting early access applications for August and September SAT intensives. Apply now to secure your spot.

Pricing

Simple, transparent pricing.

A fully personalized 1-on-1 program where every session is built entirely around your teen, with homework, practice tests, and Berkeley-level expertise included every step of the way.

One family saved $44,000 in tuition.

After raising his SAT score through Joan's program, their son qualified for the WUE scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno. Your investment in this program could pay for itself many times over.

10 Weekly Sessions · 1.5 Hours Each

✦ 10 x 1.5 hour sessions (15 total hours)
✦ Fully 1-on-1, built around your teen
✦ In person or online, your choice
✦ Weekly homework assignments
✦ Full length practice test every 4 weeks
✦ Custom SAT prep schedule built on your intro call
✦ $199 practice software included

Pay in full Best value · Save $175

$3,299

2 installments $1,737 due at enrollment · $1,737 due at session 5

$3,474

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Have a friend with a similar SAT score? Ask Joan about 2-student sessions at a special rate. Students should be within 50 points of each other to keep sessions focused and productive for both.

Want to continue beyond 10 weeks? Some students choose to keep going after the initial program — especially those targeting larger score gains. Additional sessions are available at $310 per 1.5-hour lesson. We can talk through whether that makes sense for your teen on the intro call.

Step One

Book a free 30-minute consultation call.

This is always the first step. Before anything else, Joan wants to learn about your student: their current score, their target score, their test date, and what has and has not worked so far. From there she will build a custom plan together with you. No pressure, no commitment.

Joan genuinely enjoys these calls. She loves hearing about where a student is and figuring out the best path forward. Pick a time that works for your family.

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FAQ

Common questions.

Joan is currently accepting applications for the August, September, and later SAT test dates. With 10 weekly sessions, students who start now have time to complete the full program before their chosen test date. Joan will help you build the right schedule on your intro call.

Yes. Students are assigned practice problems each week to complete on their own. Session time is used to review, ask questions, and go deeper. Students who come prepared get the most out of every session. This is not a passive program. The work your teen puts in between sessions is what drives results.

No. Phones must be silenced and put away for the full session. Every student is expected to be present and focused. This is a distraction-free environment and that is part of what makes it work.

Students use an SAT practice suite included in the program price. It includes a parent and student dashboard so you can log in anytime to view homework completion and practice test scores. Full length practice tests are taken every 4 weeks so you can see real score movement over time.

Yes. You can reschedule any session with more than 24 hours notice at no charge. Rescheduling with less than 24 hours notice incurs a $45 fee. This helps Joan protect her schedule and serve all students fairly.

If you need to withdraw, you will be refunded for any unused sessions. Sessions already completed are non-refundable. The per-session value is $300 regardless of which payment option you chose.

In the rare event Joan needs to cancel, a makeup session will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time at no extra charge.

Credit card only. After your intro call with Joan, she will send you a secure payment link. Your spot is reserved once payment is received.

Yes, on a limited basis. If you have friends or classmates with similar SAT score ranges who want to prep together, Joan can offer small group sessions at a special rate. Mention it on your intro call and she will put together a custom plan.

150 Point Improvement · WUE Scholarship Earned

★★★★★

"My son went from a 1050 score to a 1200 in approximately 4 months. By increasing his score to above 1160 he was able to qualify for the WUE scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno. His GPA was not high enough by itself but the SAT score automatically qualified him. This resulted in $44,000 in tuition savings over the next 4 years. We could not be more pleased."

S.H. · Parent · Verified

Results like these start with one decision. Spots are limited.

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