Nicholas Bacarella

Nick first realized his penchant for teaching standardized tests shortly after he took his first SAT. After scoring in the 99th percentile on the test, Nick began tutoring his classmates to understand the nuances of the exam that, to that point, had totally perplexed them. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, Nick worked with several companies (as well as an independent consultant) to deepen his involvement with the test prep industry. In 2014, Nick made the transition to teaching these exams full-time, migrating to Hong Kong to work for the city’s top test prep and admissions consultancy. In his time there, he worked with hundreds of students to prepare for the SAT and ACT, playing a small but pivotal role in 27 Ivy League admissions success stories. A highlight of Nick’s time in Hong Kong: he helped an enthusiastic student with limited English fluency, achieve a 510-point increase on the SAT, ultimately securing admission (and a full scholarship) to Wesleyan University. That student regularly texts Nick with updates about his life, reminding Nick of the deep satisfaction of tutoring every time he does.

Nick is now a full-time freelance tutor, meeting with students from all over the world via the Internet. He regularly works with students for the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, ISEE, and SSAT. Drawing on his time as a college application consultant, Nick also works with students applying to boarding school, college, and graduate school, helping them craft essays, raise their grades, and providing advice on how to maximize their chances of acceptance.

On a personal level, Nick prides himself on being able to develop a rapport with students of any age and background. His interests are broad-ranging and deep, meaning that Nick always has some common ground with whoever he meets. In the recent past, Nick has bonded with students over chess, Victorian literature, behavioral economics, particle physics, NBA basketball, and stand-up comedy. Nick often stays in contact with his clients long after his working relationship with them ends, evidence that he connects with students on a wavelength that the average educator does not.