I’m not new here. I went to UC Berkeley Law School — Professor Jan Vetter, who taught civil procedure, was one of the two best teachers I’ve ever had — and afterwards I clerked for Judge Jerome Farris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. I never practiced law, but I do know where the road you’re on actually goes. And for years I tutored all over the Bay Area, out of the Berkeley Hills, before I moved to Tucson.
In my twenty-five years of tutoring I’ve helped over 2000 students prepare for their exams and get into top programs in law, medicine, business, and more. Formerly with The Princeton Review and later Kaplan1, I’m now bringing my expertise directly to those who need it.
Most of the students who have reviewed me are from here — Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose, Redwood City, Vallejo, Mountain View, San Ramon. Principally Berkeley and Stanford students, though plenty from elsewhere; I don’t keep track.
I get back to the Bay Area now and then, and in-person sessions can be arranged when I do. Nearly all of my tutoring is over Zoom these days, which my students tell me works at least as well as sitting across a table — I was doing it this way long before everybody else was.
The tests
LSAT — the test I have the longest history with and know best. I first took it in December 1992, which got me into Berkeley Law; I scored 177 then and have since gotten 180. I started teaching it in 2001. My students have gone to every one of the T14 schools, and about half of them get to 169 or more.
MCAT — around a thousand students since 2002, and I’ve taken the official test four times, including the current version. My highest official scores were 43T under the old scoring and 525 under the current one. Physics and general chemistry are my strongest areas and most students’ weakest.
GMAT and GRE — perfect scores on both, taught since 2002. I cover them together because they’re very similar tests.
I also help on the SAT and ACT, and do subject-specific tutoring in biology, physics, chemistry and math.
Unlike most tutors in the test prep industry, I’ve actually taken every test I teach — the real, official ones, not online mockups or practice tests. Ask the tutor at the big company down the road when he last sat the test he’s about to teach you.
What my students say
“He’s a guru. Best decision I ever made… I began working with Doug and had difficulty breaking 140. He quickly brought my score up to the 160’s, and after 15-20 more sessions I routinely tested in the coveted 170’s… I ended up placing at one of my top choices with a 75,000 dollar scholarship.”
— Kellon M., San Francisco
“The first practice test I took with no previous knowledge of the content, I scored a 147. After the two and a half months with Doug, I scored a 169 on the LSAT!”
— Paris M., Oakland
“I came to him two weeks before test day, mostly looking for help in chemistry/physics. I knew it was no small order… Ultimately I scored 5 points above my initial goal score, largely due to Doug’s help.”
— Raizel D., Berkeley
“He could be direct in calling out weak areas… but this is what a student like myself needed to excel… Doug helped me surpass my MCAT goal with an AAMC Official Score of 509.”
— Davis B., San Ramon
Every review I’ve gotten, on Google and Yelp alike, has been five stars (so far; fingers crossed). There are more on my reviews page.
Rates, and getting started
My rate is $240 an hour, and you pay only for the time we spend working together, not for any preparation on my part. More on the rates page.
I don’t charge for initial consultations, whether they last five minutes or more than an hour, so there’s no reason not to get in touch. Text me at 512-934-1566 — it’s the most reliable way to reach me quickly and I prefer it. Email works too, as does voicemail.