Jae was my RC GMAT tutor. We covered the RC strategies that Josh developed. I learned GMAT timing and how to read a long passage very quickly. We focused on the transition words such as however, additionally, firstly, etc. and how to get to the skeleton structure of the passage. Once it was done, we learnt how to connect each paragraph with respect to the other. This was done by writing down the purpose of each paragraph. Finally, we talked about the tone (analytical, argumentative, etc.) and the main point of the passage before moving on to solving questions. We also talked about general timing strategies and the importance of deliberate practice. I was amazed at how in depth Jae and I spent analyzing it together to go over the strategies and look over everything in detail. Jae showed me how to engage in the passage and read actively. The following were my main takeaways: 1. How does paragraph 1 connect with paragraphs 2 and 3: I realized how important it is to pause after a second or two after reading every paragraph and think how each paragraph sits in the context of the entire passage. 2. Pay attention to every detail in the answer choice: I realized that how one word in the answer choice can easily make the choice wrong. 3. Eliminate answers on inference questions: Here I learned that the answers in an inference question must be true, just like the ones on the Critical Reasoning Questions. 4. Deliberate practice - Finally I learnt that the quickest and the fastest way to improve in GMAT questions is through Deliberate practice. I am constantly working hard now to make these takeaways as my habit. I learned to treat every question as my 'real' exam question. That way every time that I attempt a question, I will be solving it the same way as I would in an exam. Previously, I noticed that I was a lot more careless during practice. Secondly, I have incorporated the new way of reading taught by Jae to every article or work document that I have been reading. I have realized that I have gotten a lot faster in my daily readings even while reading a book or newspaper for leisure. Thirdly, I have learnt to pay attention to every single word in the answer choice. Jae emphasized that time matters a lot in the GMAT. Anyone can solve the reading comprehension passages easily if he or she has an unlimited time. However, in GMAT time is very limited. Previously, I was focusing only on the accuracy but now I am also focusing on getting a question correct in a very short amount of time. TPU was were very helpful for RC and I do not hesitate to recommend them! read more

Jae helped me in GMAT Quant for DS and Inequalities. What I appreciated the most about Jae and the other TPU tutors was that they always showed me the most efficient ways of solving questions, even the ones I got correct, and made sure that I understood things in depth so that I wouldn't be phased even if I encountered convoluted questions. Over the course of my GMATPrep, I learned the hard way that it is crucial for me to know how to solve problems fast and efficiently. Even if I knew how to solve a problem, if it took me 4 minutes to do it, then i wouldn't actually be able to use that approach under the time constraints! For the lessons, Jae would not only prep the questions I wanted to go over, but he would always prepare questions that were similar to the type of questions I kept getting wrong to make sure that I had enough practice to master them. It is easy to take notes while Jae teaches, but it was helpful that he would write down key things on his online whiteboard too. He pointed out "nice to knows" during all my sessions. For example, remembering all the prime numbers up to 100 has helped me in DS questions so I could easily disprove statements without having to think of several example numbers before feeling confident in my answer. These key things that Jae pointed out have helped me tremendously and I would see the results right away when I did practice problems on my own. They've also helped me feel more comfortable when answering quantitative questions. I learn best using flashcards, so being able to implement them in my GMAT prep has helped with my memorization of these key notes from Jae. I liked that he went in depth when explaining the reasoning behind some answers when I don't fully understand. He always has an answer and provides examples as back up. I really appreciated that Jae allowed me to have open discussion with him to talk about the meaning behind some formulas, or why or why not some methods are better than others when looking at certain types of questions. I also liked that he altered the questions slightly on the spot to change the meaning and strengthen my understanding by challenging me. This method helped me be aware whether I truly understood what I was learning. After every lesson with Jae I was genuinely excited for my next study session as I always saw my accuracy go up! read more

Kevin is an amazing tutor. He caters each lesson to help you learn and think about the GMAT questions in the most efficient way. Kevin broke down what to expect in terms of sentence correction errors. He gave me a list of common errors on these types of problems along with priority level. This helped me analyze each question quicker to better understand what the GMAT question is testing. Each problem set I went through with Kevin got harder and harder, which was good as I got to challenge myself with my tutor by my side. Along the way, Kevin pointed out little tips and tricks to easily eliminate wrong answers, such as which words require a comma, which words are incorrect 99% of the time, and so on. Kevin reiterates that there will usually be more than one clue towards the correct answer, and whether I get the question right or wrong, he goes into detail to ensure I fully understand the various reasons of elimination for each answer choice. What I really liked about working with Kevin is that even though there was structure to the instruction, there was still time for me to ask questions and have some open discussion while learning. The TPU team is extremely patient! They made me feel comfortable enough to tell them when I don't understand something, even when they've explained it a few times. Kevin recapped where my weaknesses were and what I should focus on in my study sessions. He provided me with lists to study (i.e common/tricky idioms), guidelines to follow, and asked about my study plan to ensure I was on the right path. After working with Kevin, my sentence correction accuracy went up by 20%. His advice and methodology had an immediate impact on my study habits and reflected positively on my accuracy. Prior to working with Kevin, I never knew that, like other areas of the GMAT, there are common types of questions that show up in sentence correction questions. The step by step hierarchy method to determine errors and eliminate answers is something I've implemented right away when tackling sentence correction questions. I like how TPU is able to simplify the GMAT questions down to a set process for each type of question. read more

Josh and Tim make a great team! I had 3 weeks to get almost 200 points, so I reached out to Josh and told him my situation and time constraints. I was already working with a different tutor for Quant, so I was seeking Verbal help. Josh asked for my score report, which I sent, and he immediately knew what to do. He was very upfront about what we could and could not accomplish in our timeframe and mapped out a plan to make the most of my situation, given my time, score, and budget constraints. Josh recognized that SC was what held my Verbal score back, so we focused all our energy on SC. He planned out exactly what I would be doing *down to the day*, loaned me all the necessary materials, and set me up with his partner Tim, with whom I was able to start meeting immediately. Tim and I worked remotely on SC based on Josh's lesson plans. He was very friendly, patient, and relatable, and he really tried hard to answer my questions and make sure I really got what was going on, even taking extra time to go beyond the curriculum Josh had mapped out. Any time Tim was the least bit uncertain about anything, we could always just ask Josh and he would take care of it. I found the lessons very helpful and motivating. Plus the online nature made meeting very convenient. Josh would regularly check in to make sure everything was going smoothly, and even talked with me for an hour on the phone just before my test, while he was on a business trip to NYC. That is some serious dedication. When all was said and done, we brought my SC score up 17 points with 7 hours of lessons!! His curriculum and Tim's feedback were both VERY helpful. Although I didn't hit my super ambitious target, I was very impressed with what they could do in such a short time, and definitely would have continued had my situation allowed it. I highly recommend them. They really care about their students, and it shows! It may have been expensive but Josh does not rest until he sees results! He is someone that genuinely cares about ones success and I'm glad I chose to work with his company. read more

Jae is one of the most personable and caring tutors I know! His quant knowledge is outstanding and especially the ways in which he teaches you to do the problems as fast as possible - an essential component to attaining a high quant score. Even if I already knew how to solve a quant problem using two methods, one of which was faster, Jae would explain a third method that would be even faster! He emphasized when to use what approach and gave me insightful tips on when to use the answer choices on problem solving quant questions to guide my choice of approach or to assist me if I encountered a difficult problem and didn't know how to proceed. My only regret is that my time and budget constraints did not allow me to continue working with Jae in order to practice more difficult quant questions. Nevertheless, I was still able to attain a 730 (Q47, V44) on my exam after working with both Jae and Josh, and did not run out of time on the quant section because of Jae's help (which is what happened the first time I took the GMAT). After my exam, I told Jae that if time were not an issue I would retake the GMAT to master the quant section because I think the quant questions are fun and I know with more practice I could improve. This also reflects my Skype sessions with Jae, they were fun! He made learning quant problems and also CR questions an enjoyable process. He also made time to Skype with me on very short notice, often the very next day or even the same day I contacted him, despite living in different time zones. In addition, he truly cares about his students and wants them to do well. This is reflected in the fact that he made time to Skype with me the day before my exam, just because there were two last problems that we had not managed to cover the day before, and also in his encouraging words while Skyping and messages he sends throughout the preparation process. Jae was a vital component to boosting my moral and encouraging me that I could achieve a higher score, a factor that I think should not be underestimated when taking the GMAT. read more

In preparation for the GMAT, I first signed up for and completed a full course from one of the leading well-known test prep companies. The course was great in that it provided a thorough introduction to fundamental concepts and assigned extensive homework to help master the material. After the course, I concluded that I needed more personalized instruction, especially given the abbreviated time frame I was working with. I stumbled upon TPU was impressed by the testimonials and the vast amount of information available on the service. After filling out the intake form, I heard back from Josh almost immediately. During our first conversation, he asked great questions and provided well-reasoned responses to my (many) questions. Despite this, I was reluctant to move forward simply due to the cost of the service, but Josh remained patient with me, offered helpful advice and stayed in contact. I ended up working on Quant with Jae and am so thankful I did. It was immediately evident why Josh and his team have garnered the reputation I'd read about. Without much guidance on my part, Jae came extremely well prepared for our sessions. Our time was focused on quant problems, specifically number properties, rates/work, probability as well as a few others. Jae's interactive style proved very useful and I appreciate how patient and methodical he was. I highly recommend TPU to anyone who is looking to augment his or her studies with personalized tutoring to dramatically increase their scores. read more

I loved working with Jae on GMAT quant! He is understanding, friendly, supportive and exceptionally patient. Between Jae, Josh, and me, the three of us had a balanced dynamic. Josh pushed me to achieve my full potential with a thorough and individualized curriculum, and Jae showed me efficient ways to solve problems for which I didn't know the tricks. They are easily the best tutors with whom I have ever worked. I work full time, so it's difficult to keep up with studying and tutoring sessions. But Jae was willing to accommodate me as much as possible: early mornings, evenings, and even the weekends. He also kept in regular contact, frequently checking in to see how I was keeping up with the entire curriculum and how he could support me. It was the ideal balance of structure and flexibility. I started their program with a 580 and a Q38, feeling totally frustrated by the quant section... and I finished with a Q49 and a total score of 720! I felt as prepared as one can feel for the GMAT, and Jae's investment in me played an integral role in my success. Jae showed me lots of efficient and interesting ways to solve and understand the quant problems. I hate to admit it, but I was actually starting to enjoy math by the end. If you are looking for tutors who genuinely care about your success and are fully committed to helping you reach your GMAT target, Josh and Jae are your guys. read more

I worked with Jae a little under a month to achieve my GMAT score of 750 (48Q 45V). We met for 30 minutes every day for 2 weeks before my test, and I was really impressed by the quality of our sessions. Jae was very flexible with timing and would be ready to meet with me on short notice. Moreover, Jae always made sure to be 100% prepared when we had our lessons - he has a very unique way of breaking down problems into simple parts, and with every question we went through, I could feel my confidence grow in mastering complex topics like probability and inequalities. If there was anything I was unclear about, he would go over our allotted time to make sure that I understood fully. Lastly, what I really appreciated was Jae's honesty. If he didn't know the answer to my question, he never faked it with an incorrect strategy, and would instead take the time to do research and follow up the next day with a very thoughtful answer. Overall, I cannot recommend Jae and Josh highly enough for your GMAT tutoring needs. There are many test prep services out there, but Jae and Josh are two professionals who take immense pride in their work, and their help made all the difference in achieving (and surpassing) my target score! read more

One of the most frustrating things about the GMAT Quant PS was that even though I understand how to solve most of the questions, I was not be able to solve all of them in under 2 minutes. As a result, I often the 2nd half of the exam and got many of them incorrect. TPU pushed my arithmetic speed beyond my previous limits with custom built exercises that helped me practice calculations with numbers that commonly appear in the GMAT. Jerry also taught me the most efficient ways to do arithmetic, which also improved my speed and reduced my rate of error. He showed me that I had also been rewriting too many lines of math, not because they were necessary, but because I had subconsciously formed bad habits in schools. TPU's emphasis on Quant efficiency paid off, and I was able to save enough time to work through the tougher questions in the 2nd half of the exam. Another unexpected positive consequence was that I was able to save my precious study time as well, as I was able to solve every question around 50% faster in study mode! I highly recommend TPU's GMAT quant program, especially for those who feel stuck in their current score range. read more

I had a great GMAT Reading Comp (RC) tutoring experience with Jae. He was professional and was willing to go question-by-question with me, explaining helpful hints and strategies, as well as analyzing how to think for the exam. Jae's teaching methods were very helpful. He would push me to analyze even further to deduce the correct answer on more difficult questions. When I would cite my reasoning for rejecting an answer, he would encourage me to dig deeper. What else is flawed about the answer? This method has helped me pick apart the answer choices differently, deepening my previous approach. Time management was one of the subjects we reviewed that was most helpful. When summarizing longer passages, I would take copious notes which take a significant amount of time to write. One of the strategies Jae showed me was taking shorthand notes, paying attention to the arguments, tone, and author. Going forward, I know how to extract the essential details under a time crunch. I have some sharpened tools under my belt as I move forward in the GMAT prep process thanks to Jae. read more

Josh and his team are great! I took the gmat in June 2016. I only had 5 weeks to study (~5-6 hours per weekday) and wanted an intensive, effective, and efficient study plan. After looking at a bunch of options, I decided to work with Josh. I'm very happy I decided to work with him and his team - my score rose almost 5 points per hour I spent with him/other tutors on his team. I also appreciate how they approach teaching the content. There was a heavy emphasis on the fundamentals, which equipped me to solve problems I hadn't encountered prior. After just a few meetings, I realized how unbelievably different their approach is to how the book/gmat answer explanations are. At this point I don't know how anybody learns anything from gmat official guides alone... Those answer explanations are so wrong and unhelpful!! Lastly, Josh and his team are very friendly and were always checking in to make sure I was on track to meeting my goal. My score improved significantly from my first practice test to the real thing. So overall - I highly recommend them!! read more

Josh is an excellent GMAT tutor. We covered problem solving for the quant section, which was extremely helpful in developing an approach to both straightforward and more complex problems. He provided many valuable examples on how to use arithmetic and logic to simplify what the question is asking, which ultimately leads to a more time efficient way to approach problems. The strategies Josh taught are very useful, and I haven't come across any of them in many of the more mainstream GMAT preparation series (MGMAT, Magoosh, etc). I definitely changed my approach toward this section, and look forward to reinforcing the principles taught by Josh through many practice questions. I am confident that working with TPU will lead to a much higher problem solving score on my quant section. If you are having any difficulties with this section at all, I highly recommend scheduling a session with Josh to improve your skills. read more

I had a great time studying GMAT Reading Comprehension with my gmat tutor Cody. We used the strategies that Josh developed. I always find myself stuck reading passages as time passes by and I realise I am already past the red mark. Cody diagnosed my strengths and weaknesses and helped me focus on the important things. He was very accommodating to my schedule so I was able to focus better during the class. His teaching methods were insanely helpful to me as I tried to skim through the passages and was able to shortlist the answer choices to two closest to the best answer accurately. Moreover, Cody even went a step further and calculated the time it took me to finally select the better of the two closest answers. This really helped me analyse my methods and discover what to improve in the crucial steps of my ways. It was a great experience with TPU, I highly recommend it! read more

After two months of self preparation, my score was at a standstill and I had no idea how to break through. It was after my 2nd attempt when I decided to opt for online GMAT tutoring. This time, I needed help in the Critical Reasoning section. Initially I was quite hesitant about my decision but my entire ambivalence was cleared just after the first session. For me Weaken the argument and Assumption questions were the most troublesome, but Kevin helped me master those areas and pushed me to learn and grow through various techniques such as Negation, cause and effect etc. I took my sessions with Kevin and exam mode sessions were very important in finding the error's with my previous approach, His brainstorming sessions made me go deeper into the arguments, think, analyze, reason and conclude in the most efficient way possible. You are the best, TPU read more

I worked with Jae on Reading Comp as part of TPU GMAT tutoring and found him very helpful. Jae was able to help me recognize a more efficient approach to attacking the passages. Originally, on specific detail questions, I was looking back at the passage to confirm every answer choice, but Jae pointed out that I could eliminate some of them based on the language in the question stem and/or answer choice. Knowing when to look back and when not to is a huge time saver. Additionally, Jae pointed out the importance of noticing differences between specific examples in each paragraph. Often times, "trap" answers choices are difficult to eliminate if these nuances go unnoticed. As a GMAT tutor, Jae is very patient and detail-oriented. He did a great job working through the logic of why certain answers were incorrect and pointing out common traps on the GMAT. read more

Jae was an amazing reading comp tutor. Analyzing just one passage with Jae was enlightening experience. Even as someone who has gotten high scores on reading comp in the past, Jae helped me view the passage in a completely different light. We went over the overall strategy for reading the passage, and discussed the ways that the paragraphs interacted with each other. The strategy of eliminating incorrect answers with Jae was extremely effective, as opposed to my previous strategy of picking the correct answer. Jae's insight into the psychological component of the GMAT test makers was also extremely helpful. We discussed the ways in which the writers at GMAC will trick test takers to include common every day assumptions and how you as the test taker can avoid the common mistakes. I would recommend Jae to beginners and advanced GMAT RC students. read more

I went over critical reasoning questions with Jae and it was pretty unbelievable how much we were able to cover. He was able to give a complete overview of CR questions, then we went over each question types while going over examples of each. My favorite part about working with Jae was how he was able to help me not only find the right answer, but also identify wrong answer choices as well. He was able to skillfully dissect each statement and find out why it is wrong. And after watching him do so only a few times, I was able to do the same. Using this skill helped me enormously. Jae is also super friendly and easy to talk to. I felt very at ease going over questions with him and made the experience helpful but also quite fun. I thoroughly enjoyed my GMAT tutoring, and my score definitely boosted because of his tutoring. read more

I worked with the GMAT Tutor Jerry for the Quant section of the GMAT. I scored 44 on quant and Jerry helped me hone in on my mistakes. We covered official practice exam questions. It was helpful in the sense that he explained throughly how to decipher all of the information on the gmat and went through the logic in terms of how to approach the question in a direct way. Especially in terms of word problems this is key in deciphering all of the information and it getting lost in translating the algebra. My main takeaways were improving my ability to think about the questions logically and to take a step back to see what the question is really asking. I'm confident that I'll do a better job at organizing all of the information in the GMAT questions in the future. read more

I worked with Jae to improve my GMAT quant score after working with his partner Josh. Jae used the personalized lesson plan created by Josh during our sessions. I would do the homework, timing myself for each problem. The goals set by both Josh and Jae, I initially thought, were unrealistic, however, in sticking with the suggested time limits I was able to significantly improve my mental math abilities and cut down on pesky careless errors. During my sessions with Jae, I would identify problems that I either got wrong, or took too long to solve and he would help me work through efficient methods for solving such problems. He was very accommodating of my schedule as I was traveling during the short timeframe I had to improve my GMAT score. read more