Get ahead of the curve

Hi, I’m Laurence

I grew up in Northern California, and have been living in the UK now for over 8 years. I have a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters in Professional Acting from the renowned Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. My hobbies include Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, playing the guitar, and learning French.

I have been specialising in SAT and ACT preparation for 7 years now. I’ve taught prep courses at Harrow, Highgate, City of London School, International School of Brussels, South Hampstead High School, Dulwich College, and others. I’ve worked with hundreds of students who have gone on to attend outstanding American Universities like Stanford, UPenn - Wharton, Georgetown, Pomona, NYU, and so on.

I am fully DBS-checked and regularly complete child protection and safe-guarding training to keep up to date.

I appreciate that this style of examination is generally unlike anything most of my students have seen before, and I love being able to help students adapt what they already know, fill out any gaps in their current knowledge, and develop a thorough understanding of how these exams work. This adaptation is essential for students to maximise their scores, in order to make their university applications as strong as possible.

ACT, SAT, what’s the difference?

SIMILARITIES

  • Both tests have 4 sections

  • Both tests cover topics limited to American high-school level Math and English

  • Both are timed

  • Both are restricted to multiple-choice style questioning (for the most part)

  • Neither offer partial credit, or reward a student’s demonstration of their reasoning

  • Both are likely to include styles of questioning that are extremely unfamiliar to students without a history of completing American-style standardised exams

SAT vs ACT

KEY DIFFERENCES

  • English 1
    English 2
    Math 1
    Math 2
    *This means the test is 50% Math

  • Shorter exam ~2 hours

  • Greater emphasis on math skills.

  • This SAT format is nearly brand new.
    Unfortunately this limits the amount of available test prep material.

  • Grammar
    Math
    Reading
    Science
    *The “Science” is better thought of as “technical reading comprehension”

  • Longer exam ~3 hours

  • Greater emphasis on timed reading comprehension.

  • This ACT format has been around a long time, so there are many, many practice tests available.

*These are some of the largest differences, but these decisions should always be made on a case by case basis, in order to determine the test that will be most appropriate for each individual student.

How can I help?

Please feel free to get in touch for a 15-minute complementary call to discuss your students particular needs, as well as rates and tuition packages.

Laurence's clear yet sophisticated method of teaching allowed not only for my scores to grow exponentially, but also allowed me to enjoy and engage with the seemingly boring content. Ranging from simple textbook techniques to unique ways to tackle any problem, Laurence's teaching philosophy creates immediate progress and, importantly, a greater understanding of both the SAT and ACT to improve even further. However, his best quality is his understanding of his pupils; pinpointing how and where one must improve whilst creating a relaxing environment to actually enjoy oneself seems an impossible task: yet, one Laurence achieved. Without him, I would not be where I am and I owe so much to him.

M - 1500 SAT - University of Chicago

What some of my past students have to say…

I received tutoring from Laurence Varda, and it was extremely beneficial in raising my ACT score. His support and patience were incredibly helpful during the stress of college applications, and with his help, I am now attending my dream school – Brown University.

L - 34 ACT - Brown University