About iLearn Academy

What services does your business offer and what makes your business stand out from the competition?

The ways we stand out are simple: - Real instruction. Our ACT/SAT test prep is not just a general review of concepts, it includes complete instruction centered around the individual needs of the student, based on real ACTs and SATs, and supplemented by our own curriculum we've continually developed and refined over the nine years we've been in business. - Accountability. After every lesson, we send home lesson notes that include homework and keep parents updated on student progress. Finally, in addition to our own homework, students will complete 10 or more real ACTs or SATs over the duration of our course, and receive a score for each one. This allows parents to watch students' scores rise as they learn, and gives students invaluable confidence going into the test, since they know exactly what they're capable of. - Individuation. We do not take a one-size-fits-all approach to education. We know each student is unique, both in learning style and in their personal set of strengths and weaknesses. We adjust both our teaching style and subject matter to meet the individual needs of each student, and our emphasis on private and small group (four or fewer) instruction allows us to do this very effectively. - Subject matter experts. Many of our tutors are certified teachers, others came to us with considerable experience, but all of our instructors have proven themselves to be effective educators. In addition to ACT and SAT test prep, we offer K-12 tutoring in the core subjects of English, Math, Science, Reading, and History, PSAT and ISEE test preparation courses, and even help with college planning and admissions essays. We also offer ESL for adults preparing to pass TOEFL and IELTS exams. Tell us what you need!

What was the inspiration to start or run this business?

I was a school teacher for 15 years, and saw a lot of students who were underserved by the school system and fell further behind in class every year. I know these students could have excelled with just a little bit of personalized support. Nine years ago, I was able to realize my dream of starting a tutoring center where I can help these students by providing individualized instruction in the specific areas they need most.

What do you love most about your job?

Like any other educator, I have a great love for teaching and watching students grow academically and develop personally over time. Several of our students have been with us since we opened nine years ago, and are now getting ready to graduate high school and start college. It's an honor to have students stay with us for so many years, and I love knowing I've contributed so much to laying the foundation for their current successes.

What is the best reaction you've ever gotten from a customer?

In general, the best reactions from customers are the referrals we get. When parents reach out to us because they've heard such good things about one of our tutors that they request that tutor by name, we know we've made the right impression. More specifically though, was when the father of a graduate of our 10 week ACT course called us, very excited, to tell us that his son had been told he'd been made captain of the football team and, on the same day, had received his official ACT results back in the mail. The 23 he'd gotten before starting our course had, after 10 weeks of hard work, turned into a 32. He eventually was accepted into the college of his choice, something that would have been impossible with his previous score.