Our Tutors:
At Main Line Tutorial, we are proud of our top-notch teaching team. Our tutors have the background and expertise that set us apart from other companies, so you can be assured that you are getting the best academic assistance available.
Lisa Gelman, Ph.D. – Educational Consultant
Lisa holds a B.A. from Smith College and a M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, she instructed undergraduates in writing and was awarded the Chimicles Teaching Fellowship based on student evaluations and faculty recommendations. In addition, she has taught political science at Haverford College and at Penn as a Visiting Assistant Professor. In 2004, Lisa started tutoring SAT and ACT prep and writing in the Baldwin School, Shipley School and Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy libraries during the school day. Soon after, she expanded Main Line Tutorial by hiring tutors who specialize in other subjects and by offering in-home tutoring. She drew largely from the Penn community due to her strong connections there. Over the years, she has helped hundreds of students prepare for the SAT and ACT, navigate the college and graduate school admissions process, and write application essays that get results. Among the colleges and universities her clients have been accepted to are Barnard, Brandeis, Brown, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, George Washington University, Harvard, Stanford, University of Southern California, Williams, Penn, and Yale. Lisa’s approach to tutoring has always been firm, but nurturing. She strives to alleviate the pressure that high school students and parents face as they prepare to apply to colleges. As a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, Lisa regularly attends conferences and seminars to learn about the latest trends in education and college admissions. She is also a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association.
Adam – History, Writing, PRAXIS, Organization & Study Skills
A dedicated teacher and tutor, Adam enjoys assisting students of all abilities achieve their educational goals. Adam is a graduate of the University of Delaware and holds a J.D. (cum laude) and a M.A. in secondary education from Temple University. He helps coach his two daughters’ sports teams. Adam joined Main Line Tutorial in 2008. Read more about Adam.
Carrie – Latin & College Essays
Carrie graduated cum laude from Smith College, where she majored in classical languages and literature and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Carrie received a Ph.D. in classical studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Carrie tutored Latin while in college, taught high school Latin in Virginia, and has taught Latin and mythology at Penn. Carrie works with high school and college students in person in Philadelphia and by Skype. She joined Main Line Tutorial in 2008. Read more about Carrie.
Charles – Physics & Calculus
Currently a doctoral student in physics at the University of Pennsylvania, Charles graduated with honors from Haverford College. He was a teaching assistant at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth before becoming a high school physics teacher at Stoneleigh-Burnham, a prep school in Massachusetts. From there, Charles went on to spend two years as a lab director for the Department of Physics at Mount Holyoke College. Charles works with high school and college students.
Danielle – SAT & ACT, Literature Subject Test & College Essays
Danielle is a graduate of Duke University where she received a B.A. in English and was an admissions essay reader. She went on to receive her M.S. in education with a concentration in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in creative writing. Danielle teaches for the Philadelphia School District. She is adept at working with students from a wide range of academic proficiencies. Other professional interests include creative writing, theater, Latin, and cultural and women’s studies.
David – SAT & ACT, A.P. History, Study Skills & College Essays
David holds a B.A. in English from Rutgers College and a M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught high school history and English. He is currently studying education law at Temple University. Before joining Main Line Tutorial in 2010, David tutored SAT test prep with a national company for many years. Read more about David.
Don – A.P. Physics, A.P. Calculus, Statistics, & SAT, ACT & MCAT
Don received a B.S. in physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was one course short in double majoring in math. He is presently pursing a Ph.D. in physics at Bryn Mawr College, where he was awarded the Doris Sill Carland Prize for Excellence in Teaching and the McPherson Award in Excellence. In addition to teaching undergraduates at Bryn Mawr, he has also taught in the post-baccalaureate premedical program. An experienced teacher and tutor, Don enjoys sharing his passion for math and science with his students.
Eileen – French and Spanish
A Main Line native, Eileen graduated from Rosemont College, where she majored in Spanish. She later received a M.A. in Spanish. Eileen currently teaches beginning and intermediate French and beginning to A.P. Spanish at a local private school. Eileen has taught at Montgomery County Community College and Middleburry College's language program at Swarthmore College. Eileen enjoys Latin dancing, including flamenco, which she learned in Spain.
Elizabeth – Math & Biology
After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in biological resources engineering, Elizabeth completed a Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in biomedical engineering. Elizabeth is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. She has experience teaching science and math to middle school and high school students.
Elliot – Physics, Chemistry, Statistics & Math
Elliot holds a physics degree from Villanova University, from where he graduated summa cum laude, and was inducted as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in physics from Bryn Mawr College. Elliot is an expert at explaining complicated concepts in a clear and concise manner. Elliot works with high school and college students in person and by Skype.
Francisco – Math, Chemistry, Biology, Study Skills & MCAT
Francisco has an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. While an undergraduate, he tutored students in some of the most challenging course material with humor and professionalism. Francisco works with high school and college students in person and by Skype.
Jasmina – A.P. Chemistry, Math & MCAT
A graduate of Amherst College, where she double majored in chemistry and music, Jasmina recently earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, Jasmina was a chemistry teaching assistant and taught a first year chemistry class to students from Saudi Arabia. Jasmina has tutored chemistry and math since she was in college. Her students describe her as nurturing and understanding. They appreciate her passion for the subjects she tutors, her energy and her ability to break material down into an easy to understand format. Jasmina is also know for her pep talks and her ability to help her students overcome test anxiety. In her free time, Jasmina plays the guitar and piano.
Jennifer – GRE, GMAT & SAT Math
A Main Line native, Jennifer double majored in psychology and math at Haverford College. She earned a Ph.D. in applied statistics and evaluation at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, she taught undergraduates as a teaching assistant. Jennifer volunteers at Greater Philly Cares and at Haverford College.
Juan – Spanish, Organization, Study Skills & History
Juan holds a B.A. in political science from Stanford and a M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania. He has over ten years of experience teaching and tutoring students at the high school and college level. He is currently a social studies teacher at a selective charter school in Philadelphia, where his classroom focus stresses college preparedness and entrepreneurial leadership development. Juan is a committed teacher and enjoys working with students who have a desire to succeed and a passion to learn.
Kate – Biology, Chemistry & SAT Subject Tests
Kate is a cell and molecular biologist with over ten years of experience in cancer biology research. After receiving a B.A. in chemistry from Colby College, where she ran weekly tutoring sessions for general chemistry students, she graduated from Northwestern University with a Ph.D. in life sciences, cancer biology. Her research experience includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Her professional background demonstrates real world science applications to her students.
Kathleen – SAT & ACT, Subject Tests, Chemistry & Calculus
Kathleen is an experienced tutor who is adept at translating challenging concepts to fit a student's learning style. She graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she majored in computer science, and has a M.S.E. in computer and information science from the University of Pennsylvania. Kathleen has taught both college and graduate school students at Drexel. She has over ten years of tutoring experience and has been with Main Line Tutorial since 2010. She works with high school and college students in person and by Skype.
Laura – Spanish
Laura majored in Spanish at the University of Delaware. She went on to receive her M.A. in secondary education and is presently working on another M.A. in school counseling at Chestnut Hill College. Laura teaches high school Spanish for the Philadelphia School District.
Leah – SAT & ACT
Leah holds a B.S. in biology (summa cum laude) from Moravian College and an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania. At Moravian, Leah was a teaching assistant and also tutored students in physics, calculus and biology. She has more than eight years of experience tutoring high school students on the Main Line. Leah joined Main Line Tutorial in 2006. In addition to tutoring and working full time as an editor, Leah is a spinning and cycling instructor.
Lisa L. – Chemistry, Biology, & Algebra Trigonometry
A graduate of the University of Washington, where she majored in biochemistry and minored in chemistry, Lisa is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania. As a college student, Lisa designed a curriculum and taught science and engineering to elementary students. She also gave flute lessons. Lisa joined Main Line Tutorial in 2009.
Lisa S. – SAT & ACT
Lisa holds a M.A. in curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in biology, from the University of Mississippi. She also earned a B.A. degree in biology from Pennsylvania State University. Lisa taught high school math and science in Mississippi before relocating to the Main Line and currently teaches high school science at a local private school.
Marina – SAT, ACT, ISEE, & SSAT & Mathematics
Marina graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College where she double-majored in math and theater and dance. She also holds a M.A in performance studies from New York University. Marina has taught math at a private school and has more than six years of experience as a tutor.
Melissa – College Essays & Spanish
Melissa has extensive experience in education ranging from classroom teaching to curriculum design and innovation. She has taught writing and ESL in a variety of settings, both in the United States and abroad. She holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from Albright College and a M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania. Melissa was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Spain where she earned a postgraduate diploma in education. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in communications at Temple University and is a professor of Spanish at the University of the Arts. She joined Main Line Tutorial in 2006.
Melissa – Latin
Melissa is a Latin teacher for middle and high school students at a local private school. She graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She also holds a M.A. in classical studies from Villanova University. In 2006, Melissa was nominated for Outstanding Educator by Awards for Excellence in Education.
Samantha – SAT, Math, Geometry, Trigonometry & Calculus
Samantha holds both a B.S. (magna cum laude) and a M.A. in mathematics education from West Chester University. She has taught middle school algebra, as well as college algebra, statistics, geometry, pre-calculus, and calculus. She currently teaches high school advanced algebra I and II and also trains other teachers at Arcadia University.
Sarah – Middle School & High School Math & Science, SAT & ACT
Sarah recently graduated magna cum laude from West Chester University with a M.S. in geoscience. Prior to that, she graduated with honors from The College of New Jersey with a B.S. in physics. She has also completed coursework in chemical physics and education at Columbia University. Sarah leads science enrichment programs and her background includes working with the deaf.
Tom – High School & College Physics, Pre-Calculus & Calculus
Tom is a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, Tom has been a teaching assistant for various undergraduate classes in the physics department. He also tutored fellow students in mathematics and science as an undergraduate at MIT, where he was on the gymnastics team. Tom tutors high school and college students. When he’s not managing experiments related to his studies, Tom enjoys sharing his passion for math and science with students.