By Stephen Stirling
Two college students from northern Queens are looking to help borough high school students beat the SAT exam without breaking the bank.
Catherine Zhu, a Harvard University student from Flushing, and Daniel Gray, a Columbia University student from Bayside, will be offering a free introduction to their new SAT tutoring program this weekend at Sacred Heart School in Bayside.
Zhu and Gray, who both completed their sophomore years at college last month, are working for IvyInsiders — a tutoring business that sends students from Ivy League schools into their own communities to offer tutoring help other similar programs cannot.
“We’re really the underdog here … a lot of people are going to go to Kaplan’s program or the Princeton Review,” Zhu said. “When I was in school, I took courses with Kaplan and it didn’t do much for me, but it was expensive.”
Both Zhu and Gray have been tutoring for several years and said they can offer a more personal experience with instructors that are easier to relate to.
“What we really want to do is try and calm students down,” Gray said. “You don’t need to be a Ph.D. to ace the test.”
Gray said because they are still in college themselves, not only do they have more recent familiarity with the test, but they can also easily relate to high school juniors and seniors looking to better their scores.
“When I took a course in high school, my instructor was in his mid-40s and he had never taken the test himself,” Zhu said. “We know the test.”
Zhu and Gray said their program also offers financial assistance for students trying to improve their scores who don’t have the money to enroll in a tutoring program.
The pair will hold a free introductory tutoring session at 216-01 38th Ave. in Bayside Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by a free practice test Sunday at 12 p.m. Those interested can contact Gray at 917-769-3073 or Zhu at 718-877-5806 for more information.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at sstirling@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
