Testimonials

Steve is the best tutor we could have found to cover all the ACT subjects: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Essay Writing. We also appreciate the detailed summary provided for each lesson. Very happy with our results!

– Ed. W.; parent of an ACT student at Deerfield High School who improved her Composite Score by 4 points after eight lessons.

Stephen was a wonderful tutor for our daughter. Stephen’s tutoring gave her the skills and confidence to do well on the ACT exam. This was a good foundation for her to finish her degree, and obtain a Masters in Education.

– Mr. and Mrs. A.; parent of an ACT student at Maine West High School

Steve is a fantastic tutor. He not only helped improve my [ACT Composite] score by three points, he also helped me get over my test anxiety. I can now go into a test confident and sure of myself.

– Allie, an ACT student at Evanston Township High School who took five lessons.

Steve is without a doubt an exceptional tutor for standardized testing. But he is SO much more than that. He has an incredible ability to “read” his student and tailor the way he teaches and the words he chooses that will best resonate with the individual. We were in awe of the way he interacted with our son “M”, who’s a junior in high school. Within five minutes of meeting, Steve had our son’s complete and total attention for a two hour stretch!

As a result of Steve’s incredible support, “M” earned top scores for both the ACT and SAT. For the ACT, his Composite score improved from a 31 to a 34 on the ACT, including perfect scores of 36 in Science and Reading! On the SAT, he scored in the top 95% on his first attempt. Through it all, “M” felt confident, calm and balanced because of the tremendous support and guidance he continues to receive from Steve.

We can’t recommend Steve highly enough. He is amazing!


– Jennifer G., parent of an ACT/SAT student at Highland Park High School

I could not have felt more prepared for the GRE due to Steve’s tutoring. He taught me useful strategies for tackling the test. Steve was thorough, readily accessible, and adept at explaining the most complex subjects so that they are easier to understand. With his help, my total score improved by nine points after only five weeks of study. I know that I could not have gotten into my top-choice master’s program without Steve’s help. I’d recommend him to anyone.

– C, a GRE student admitted to a graduate program at Northwestern University.

I am usually quite conservative with my testimonials, but it is without hesitation that I would recommend Stephen Byer as a tutor. My daughter is often challenged by math and science and needs additional assistance. In her high school career, she has had several teachers whose teaching style did not accommodate her need for a more thorough explanation of the process. Stephen was able to assess her academic needs and altered his tutoring to best suit her method of learning. Many can tutor, but not many can disseminate the necessary information based upon the student’s strengths so that they can feel successful. Others can tutor, but a gifted tutor will provide the education and build the student’s self-confidence, so often marred by the classroom experience, to allow for true mastery of the information.
As a result of the care and attention received in their tutor/student relationship, my daughter reached her goals both in the classroom and on her ACT, scoring in the 90th percentile. Just as importantly, I am perpetually impressed with the concern and investment Stephen demonstrated in my daughter’s progress. I am grateful for this forum to openly thank him for his professionalism and his friendship.

– Wendie R.; mother of an ACT/academic student at Glenbrook North High School

You absolutely should hire Stephen as your child’s tutor. I echo the other testimonials, and also want you to know that his initial, detailed response to my questions concerning the tutoring process helped put me at ease and it was clear that he had my child’s best interests at heart. We worked together to create a plan for increasing my son’s ACT score. All of this personal dialogue was at no charge. Stephen was also flexible on timing and came to us for the sessions; he was able to engage my son in learning and greatly increased his confidence in his abilities. Stephen’s insight into the test preparation process and my son’s needs resulted in a 5-point increase in his composite ACT score (from 27 to 32) over just a few sessions. My son was admitted to one of his top-choice schools, and his ACT score qualified him for a generous scholarship, thanks to Stephen. He is literally worth every penny.

– Pamela D.; parent of an ACT student at Buffalo Grove High School

The ACT tutoring Steve provided to our daughter Kelsey was instrumental not only in raising her scores but of equal importance, her confidence in taking a standardized test. She was never one that did well on standardized testing despite her being in a gifted academic program. Steve’s instruction taught her the logic and theory of the test and test-taking, and provided her with the much needed practice that impacted her overall performance. The end result was a five point improvement in her ACT Composite Score after nine lessonsand she was accepted into a very competitive college with a scholarship. Graduate school is soon on the horizon, and I am convinced had we not had Steve’s help, Kelsey’s performance would not have been as strong. I am so glad our daughter could approach this type of testing with a belief in herself and her abilities that was guided by Steve’s direction and knowledge.

– Jane F.; mother of an ACT student at St. Viator High School