Success Stories

My scores helped me gain admission to the Ph.D. program

I am writing to recommend Anya Doyle as a tutor for anyone studying mathematics. As an undergraduate in college, I wanted to apply for a Ph.D. program in the Humanities, but I dreaded the mathematics section of the GRE. I scored an abysmal 350 on the first practice exam I took, in the bottom 6th percentile of all test takers. I turned to Anya for help.

Anya guided me through nothing less than a re-introduction to all of the mathematical concepts tested on the GRE. We dealt with arithmetic, algebra, geometry, Cartesian graphs, probability, and a variety of other disciplines, all of which she eased me into deftly and patiently. Despite my aversion to mathematics, which I did not refrain from vocalizing on many occasions, she found a way to explain even those ideas that I resisted most stubbornly. When her first few attempts at explaining an idea did not get through, she would indefatigably seek and find a new approach, another model to help me understand. She remained good-natured at all times, although I was usually grumpy and annoyed. Most remarkably, no matter how many explanations failed to reach me, she could always think of a new tactic until I finally understood. Her natural gifts for teaching, including her extraordinary patience, make her an excellent tutor, both for difficult students like me and for those who share her enthusiasm for the material.

After weeks of tutoring with Anya, I took the official GRE and scored 700 on the mathematics section. My scores helped me gain admission to the Ph.D. program in Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago, where I am now in my first year of graduate study. I have been awarded a five-year fellowship to assist me in completing the program. I do not know if I could have achieved this level of success without Anya’s help.

[Anya’s] method of teaching is clear, direct, and encouraging.

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Anya Doyle, who has served as our daughter’s math tutor over the past year. We first contacted Anya on a colleague’s recommendation for SAT preparation. But Tess, her father and I, have seen the value in continuing to work with her as our daughter tackles the challenges of advanced placement calculus at Edmonds Woodway High School.

While reading, verbal, and reasoning skills come easily to Tess, math had been a challenge.  Frustrated in class, she felt lost and behind, and afraid to ask for help. That had started to lead her down a trajectory of waning confidence and achievement.

Working with Anya, Tess significantly improved her quantitative performance on the SAT, and went from the verge of dropping precalculus to earning an A in her last quarter. As mentioned, she is currently enrolled in advanced placement calculus. Along the way, her perception of herself has changed—she now sees herself as good at math. What had been a limiting factor in terms of her academic and career prospects has been turned around.

We are extremely thankful for Anya’s ability to break math concepts down in a way that makes them easy to understand. Her method of teaching is clear, direct, and encouraging. She is personable, articulate, and professional without being intimidating. She accommodates Tess’s learning style in a way that has proven effective. We have bumped up the tutoring to twice a week because the course load at this point is heavy and because Tess is also a nationally competitive junior rower who spends 15 hours a week in practice. Not everything is easy, and we are also thankful for the work ethic that Anya supports us in instilling.

I cannot imagine your finding a math instructor more highly qualified, dedicated to working with youth, or a better role model, particularly for girls and young women, than Anya Doyle. I truly wish that Anya had been there for me when I was in high school.

Mrs. Doyle came to us highly recommended from previous students and instructors.

I am highly recommending Anya Doyle as an instructor for any student. She has been my son’s chemistry instructor for the past year. Her lengthy qualifications and expertise makes her an exceptional instructor. She not only is able to teach students but also gives them the understanding and reasoning behind what is being learned. Anya is very punctual and an extremely hard worker. Mrs. Doyle came to us highly recommended from previous students and instructors. We feel very fortunate to have her as our son’s instructor and would recommend her teaching skills to any other student.