And Still We Rise

December 31, 1969

Perennial Press

by Miles Corwin

"Expressing concern about the inequities in America's high schools, [AT Founder Arun] Alagappan says he offers his services pro bono to about 15 percent of his students. The mean gain for these students-most of whom are from the inner-city-is slightly more than 300 points, he says. They benefit the most from the tutoring because they are starting at a lower point. 'Instead of just reviewing fundamentals,' Alagappan says, 'you're often teaching fundamentals.'"

"Advantage Testing can charge premium prices because the tutors are so well qualified. [AT founder Arun] Alagappan is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and many of his tutors... also have graduate degrees from prestigious universities. Alagappan teaches the students more than just test-beating gimmicks. For the math section of the SAT, he teaches the underlying principles of algebra, geometry, and arithmetic that comprise the foundation of the exam... For the verbal section, he teaches principles of logic that help students with the analogy and sentence-completion sections of the exam."