Sebastien

 

I am a recent Princeton graduate, living in the Princeton area, with several years of experience tutoring students in a variety of contexts. I have always loved learning and helping other people learn; finding ways to help others overcome their personal academic hurdles is extremely rewarding to me.

Throughout my time in college, I pushed myself to go beyond the familiar and comfortable – by immersing myself in Arabic, taking courses in everything from the history of western thought to game theory to computer science, and studying abroad for a year at Oxford, where I adapted to the tutorial system and excelled on final exams meant to be taken after three years of preparation.

Each of these experiences demanded a unique approach, but together, they led me to become aware of the fundamental skills and strategies that are crucial to succeed in learning any unfamiliar material: giving information no more or less attention than its importance merits, locating it within a larger context, and connecting it to what one already knows. As a tutor, I enjoy passing these lessons on to students and strive to make my tutees not just better test takers, but better students and better learners.

While teaching Arabic through Princeton’s Residential College Peer Tutoring Program, I worked with students who were having problems in introductory classes. To get them back on track, I identified the source of their difficulties. This required me to listen carefully and ask the right questions, but that was not always enough. Because students are often unaware of their misunderstandings, I also took a more active approach, asking them to walk me through their approach to a difficult exercise step-by-step. This process allowed me to tailor lessons to each student’s individual needs – something I also did on a larger scale when I was the sole instructor for a young beginning Arabic student during my senior year. As a rule, I bring the same attentive, personalized approach to every meeting with a student.

College:

Education: Princeton University
Undergrad Major: Philosophy

High School:

Class Rank: 2
Awards & Honors: High School Salutatorian, Principal's Honor Roll, Outstanding Academic Excellence Scholarship Recipient, National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, AP Scholar With Distinction
Interests & Activities: Model United Nations (Secretary-General), Orchestra (Viola), Chamber Orchestra, County and Regional Music Festivals, Tennis, Cross Country
SAT Scores: 720 Math, 760 Critical Reading, 780 Writing
ACT Scores: 34 English, 28 Math, 36 Reading, 31 Science, 34 Writing
AP Exams: 5 US History, 5 World History, 5 Psychology, 5 English Literature and Composition, 5 US Government and Politics, 5 Calculus BC
SAT Subject Tests: 800 Literature, 780 World History, 780 US History, 740 Math II

Other:

Other Awards: Cum Laude, Nominated for Annual Quin Morton ’36 Writing Seminar Essay Prize, Awarded grants from the Program in Near Eastern Studies and Fred Fox ’39 Fund to study Arabic in Morocco

Other Interests & Activities: Debate Panel, Peer Tutoring, International Relations Council, Human Values Forum, Tennis
Location: Princeton University

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