Advantage Testing | Los Angeles Tutors

PAUL SIEMENS
Director
Advantage Testing of Los Angeles

Paul Siemens, Director, is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where he majored in English and American Literature and Language and made the Dean's List in every semester. He received the Harvard College Scholarship for Academic Distinction and the Jonathan Levy Prize for the most promising actor at Harvard. He is a National Merit Scholar, a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholar, and an AP Scholar with Distinction.

Paul is Executive Board Member Emeritus of Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. He is also the co-founder and former Producing Director of The Immediate Theater Company, an ensemble named "Best Theater Company" by the New York Press. Paul has written three plays that have been produced in New York, and his drama and fiction have appeared in print and online media.

Paul taught the first SAT classes offered to Prep for Prep and Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) students in Advantage Testing's partnerships with those organizations. He tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and academic Math and writing.

ADAM SCHOLZE
Associate Director
Advantage Testing of Los Angeles

Adam Scholze, Associate Director, is a graduate of Stanford University, where he majored in Economics. While at Stanford, Adam was active as an Economics tutor for Stanford student-athletes and volunteered as a math tutor for underprivileged youth in East Palo Alto. In addition, Adam was a Stanford Football Varsity Letterman and played in the 2000 Rose Bowl. He was the Bergen County, NJ, Y.M.C.A. Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an AP Scholar. Before joining Advantage, Adam worked as a Global Equity Analyst for Franklin Templeton Investments. At Advantage, Adam has volunteered his services as a tutor for Prep for Prep, Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse American (LEDA), and Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA). He tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math, Literature, Biology, and Chemistry, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, GMAT, GRE, MCAT, and academic Economics, Math, and Science.

Mark Bemesderfer
Mark Bemesderfer is a cum laude graduate of Yale University, where he majored in American Studies and was selected as the senior class salutatorian. Mark has over twelve years’ experience as an educator, teaching at the Wheeler School in Providence, RI, the Curtis School in Los Angeles, as well as in an array of educational programs including the Breakthrough Collaborative, Jumpstart, and an intensive writing program run through Stanford University. He tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in US History and Literature, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, GRE, LSAT, and academic Writing.

Andrew Burlinson
Andrew Burlinson is a cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where he majored in English and American Literature and Language and served as the President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Originally from Larchmont, New York, he attended Mamaroneck High School, where he was salutatorian and won the Brown Book Award, the Harvard Book Award, and the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Expository Writing. Andrew studied at the Actors Center in New York and has appeared Off-Broadway, on television, and in numerous national commercials. He tutors the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, and academic writing.

Laura Chen
Laura Chen graduated with honors from Brown University, where she majored in Comparative Literature and won the Weston Acting Award, and graduated with an MFA in Acting from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. As an actress, she has appeared in numerous television shows and Off-Broadway. She volunteers as a mentor with the Young Storytellers Foundation and enjoys cooking and practicing yoga. She tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test in Literature, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, and academic Writing.

Marisa Echeverria
Marisa Echeverria is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she majored in Literature and was awarded the Jonathan Levy Prize for the most promising actor at the university. She received an MFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and has performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and on numerous television shows. Originally from Pasadena, Marisa attended Polytechnic School and was the recipient of the Headmaster's Award. At Advantage, Marisa has volunteered her services as a tutor for Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA). She tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Spanish and Literature, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, and academic Spanish and Writing, and conducts interview training for all academic levels, from secondary through graduate schools.

Johanna Igel
Johanna Igel is a graduate of Northwestern University where she double majored in Theater and Psychology. She worked as a substitute teacher at New York City's Rodeph Sholom School, helped organize the junior board of the Center for Social and Emotional Learning, and frequently read with children at the Frederick Douglass Center. An accomplished actress, Johanna has been active in bringing New York's improveverywhere to Los Angeles and has appeared in various web series and a feature film that will be premiering in Sundance 2010. She tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Literature, PSAT, SSAT, and ISEE.

Anastacia Junqueira
Anastacia Junqueira graduated with honors from Stanford University, where she majored in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities: Modern Thought and Literature. During her time at Stanford, she studied creative writing under Tobias Wolff and received film grants to direct short films from the Stanford Film Society for three consecutive years. She received another Stanford Undergraduate Research Grant in support of her thesis, which explored French New Wave Cinema and Jean-Luc Godard's "Contempt." Most recently, Anastacia's short film, "Tide Pool," was screened at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City as part of their New Filmmaker’s Program. She tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in French, Math, Literature, US History, and World History, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, and academic French, German, and Italian.

David Matos
Dave Matos, Founding Tutor, is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in Physics. While there, he received the Distinguished Tutor Recognition (Mathematics for Scientists and Engineers). He was also recipient of the Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Drama Award and has appeared on many popular television shows. Dave has been tutoring consistently for the past twelve years. He tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests in Math and Physics, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and academic Math and Physics.

Michael Newman
Michael Newman is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in Dramatic Arts. While there, he taught English as a Second Language in the UC Berkeley ESL Program. He studied Choy Li Fut Kung Fu for 8 years and was an instructor for 6 years. He has also studied at the Groundlings and currently participates in both improvisational and stand-up comedy. He tutors the SAT, ACT, PSAT, SSAT, and ISEE.

Tara Waugh
Tara Waugh graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, where she double majored in Art History and Molecular & Cell Biology with a specialization in neurobiology. More recently, she graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts at USC, where she received an M.A. in Critical Studies and an M.F.A in Film Production. Working with USC’s Institute for Multimedia Literacy, she was a teacher and scholar and received a Distinguished Teaching Award for her work integrating new media into the classroom. Tara has been teaching and tutoring test preparation for over fifteen years. She tutors the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Test in Math, PSAT, SSAT, ISEE, GRE, LSAT, and academic Math.