Inner Genius Prep

One-stop shop for test prep, college counseling, college essay coaching, and stress management.

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Know that you can start late, look different, be uncertain, and still succeed.

Misty Copeland (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

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I go to Santa Monica College and am taking Finite Math this semester- do you tutor for that class?

Thanks so much for your inquiry! We recommend working with Rich Lopez, Founder of Boomerang Tutoring, for Finite Math. You can call him at 310 384 7628 or view his website at www.boomerangtutoring.com.

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Learning in Libraries

A collection of some awe-inspiring study spaces for adventurous students.

“We are always looking for that special spot which is somehow fun enough to be distracting yet magical enough to be productive.” - Arts.Mic

• Los Angeles Central Library, Los Angeles 

Opening a book under these beautiful chandeliers seems like a dream. via LAPL

• Seattle Central Library, Seattle

Look at these gorgeous, angled ceilings! via Brew Brooks

• Harper Memorial Library, Chicago

Is this Hogwarts?? via Out of Chicago

• Cornell’s A. D. White Reading Room, Ithaca

You might get distracted by these beautiful wrought iron rails. via Cornell University Library

 • Jay Walker’s Private Library

Opalescent etched glass? This is the Star Trek Enterprise of libraries. via Mental Floss

 • Geisel Library, San Diego

UCSD’s library has a Dr. Seuss Collection and it looks like a concrete tree. Enough said. via College Rank

 • UNAM Central University City Campus Library, Mexico City

This UNESCO World Heritage Site library is covered in Aztec murals! via Complex

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Meet the Team: Lisa

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Meet the Team: Molly

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Meet the Team: Maya

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Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

Helen Keller

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Mindfulness

Stress management is crucial to physical, emotional, and mental well being. 

Mindfulness exercises will help you manage your stress and feel better about your life!

• Practice compassion towards yourself. If you wouldn’t say it to your best friend, then don’t say it to yourself.

• Stop and breathe. When you’re overwhelmed, take one minute to closer your eyes and breathe deeply.

• Breathe in what you want. Exhale what you want to release. One minute later, you’re refreshed.

• Track your moods. Do you get grumpy when your blood sugar is low or you’re multitasking too much?

• Stop multitasking. Do one thing at a time. You’ll be surprised how fast you get things done when you’re more focused.

• Visualize success. Focus on what you want to happen, not on what you don’t want. 

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Positive Self Talk

Feeling stressed, anxious, or bad about yourself?

Take a few minutes to work on positive self talk. You’re a gem and you deserve to feel like one!

“Be mindful of your self-talk. It’s a conversation with the universe.” - David James Lees

• Pay attention to the thoughts you’re thinking and replace negative self talk with positive self talk. “I can do it!”

• Acknowledge what you’ve accomplished at the end of each day. 

• Go to bed with a sense of fulfillment: focus on what you did get done, not what still needs to get done tomorrow.

• Stop saying “I wish” and start saying “I will.”

• Act with care and intentionality. More forethought means more prosperity.

• Take a moment to appreciate every small step you take towards your dreams. 

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The Art of Studying

Use these expert tips to maximize your productivity in school!

1. Create a calming, peaceful, clean space for yourself to study. This space can be in your room, in the kitchen, at a library, at school, at a park, at a café -- anywhere you feel comfortable and safe.

2. Keep your books, notes, and homework organized. Organization is crucial to academic success. 

3. Set feasible, short-term goals for every study session to boost confidence and efficiency.

4. Annotate all of your reading materials. Underline, highlight, and circle to increase retention. 

5. Always check your work and read out loud to minimize typos, grammatical errors, and bad syntax. 

6. Make color-coded flash cards for every unit in your class. 

7. Minimize distractions: time yourself for forty minute chunks during which your phone is off and your computer is away.

8. Take a break for ten minutes after every forty minutes of studying to walk, stretch, and take your eyes off your study materials. 

9. Start studying by talking out your answers to the topics. This boosts your confidence and retention.

10. Draw concept maps to see how different topics are interconnected.

11. Read out loud to yourself from course materials before going to bed to increase retention.

12. When you’re revising your writing, save every draft so you don’t lose any ideas.

13. Listen to quiet instrumental music to regulate blood pressure and reduce stress. 

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An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Ben Franklin

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How Many Sessions Do You Recommend? ​While every student’s goals and needs are unique, we recommend a minimum of eight SAT verbal sessions and eight SAT math sessions, or eight ACT verbal sessions and eight ACT math and science sessions, to constitute a full SAT or ACT program. A sixteen session program provides enough time to thoroughly cover every section of the test and give students sufficient practice to build their skills and gain a significant score increase.

Q2. How Much of a Score Increase Can I Expect? Our students typically improve 300 points total on the SAT (on which a perfect score is 2400), with an approximate 100-point increase in each subject area. Many students improve more than 300 points, sometimes up to 500 points, but such a dramatic increase depends upon the effort the student puts in and the number of tutoring sessions. Our students typically improve six to seven points on the ACT (on which a perfect score is 36), which is equivalent to a 300-point increase on the SAT.

Q3. How Do You Match Tutors with Students? We like to learn about the student before beginning a tutoring program so that we can match each student with the tutor(s) who can best meet the student’s needs and make the test-prep experience as beneficial and stress free as possible. We consider the student’s personality and learning style, interests, schedule and location to match him or her with the best tutor(s) to ensure success.

Q4. What Makes Inner Genius Prep Unique? We are a boutique tutoring company, not a big test-prep factory; we work with a limited number of students and customize everything we do to each student’s unique needs and goals. We offer unparalleled customer service and personal attention to both our students and their parents, making sure we do everything possible every step of the way to help our students succeed. We are your partner in the test-prep and college application process, providing our expertise so your child is as well-prepared as possible to succeed in today’s highly competitive college admissions environment.

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Our Services

• SAT and PSAT Tutoring • ACT Tutoring • Subject Test (SAT II) Tutoring • College Essay Coaching • College Counseling • Academic Tutoring

Inner Genius works with students from the top Los Angeles-area schools, including Harvard-Westlake, Crossroads, Marlborough, Oakwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica High, Palisades Charter High, Wildwood, Buckley, New Roads, Windward, Archer, Loyola, Oaks Chrisitan, Notre Dame, and Yeshiva.

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Individualized, Custom Tutoring

Founder  and director Lisa Poliak’s proven and unique approach incorporates stress management, test-taking skills and whole-brain learning to activate students’ potential and maximize their scores and acceptances. Inner Genius Prep not only prepares students for standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT and Subject Tests (SAT II), but also offers complete college-application consulting services to guide you through the often complex application process, such as choosing which tests are best for your child, writing winning college essays and applications, and staying on track with requirements and deadlines.

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Stress Relief in Four Words

“This too shall pass.”

“Your dreams are possible.”

“No mud, no lotus.”

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Yelp!

Click here to read parent and student reviews of Inner Genius Prep on Yelp!

Check out Inner Genius Prep on Yelp

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