Meet our tutors:
Matthew Camp
Matthew Camp is the founder and CEO of PrepSlam, LLC, the parent company of VocabSlam and VocabSlam Tutors. Matt is a PhD candidate at Columbia University, studying Politics & Education. He has taught SAT courses for Kaplan and Test Takers, Inc., and has held employment in higher education and public relations for more than 10 years.Matt specializes in showing students the underlying patterns of standardized exams, building on their existing knowledge, and helping students manage time and stress. Matt received a MA in Public Policy from Rutgers University and double majored in political science and psychology at the University of Delaware. He likes the Beach Boys and biking around New York City (with a helmet!).
Joshua Haimowitz
Joshua Haimowitz graduated Columbia University with an M.A. in Physics Education after graduating from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Evolutionary Anthropology and Physics. He has passionately pursued various interests within education for over seven years. These include experiences tutoring a variety of standardized tests, high school math and sciences, as well as instructing guitar, bass, and other musical instruments. In addition, he has spent time abroad, in Asia, teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.Joshua utilizes a goal-oriented approach to tutoring in which specific weaknesses must first be identified, and then targeted for improvement. Metacognitive habits and practices are encouraged using think-aloud strategies in order for the student to have awareness of their own approach to the problem or content. This fosters a keener perception of the tricks employed by the writers of the exam and ways for the student to avoid common pitfalls. A combined strategy of improvement in fundamental skills with an advanced understanding of the specific aspects of the test generates a very powerful and effective approach to score enhancement.
Nick Kurian
Nicholas Kurian is studying economics, with a focus on education policy, at Columbia University. Nick has over 10 years experience with the SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, SHSAT, and a wide variety of New York State Regents exams. A Wesleyan University graduate, he served in the United States Peace Corps in French-speaking West Africa. On his return, he worked for several test prep companies, both boutique and corporate, as a teacher, teacher trainer, and curriculum developer. He taught a wide variety of students, from public schools to independent schools to Catholic schools, and a wide variety of ages, from middle school to mid-life crisis.He spent a three years teaching World History and AP Statistics at the Bronx Aerospace Academy. After, he founded his own business, Kurian Consulting, and has written an SAT course aimed at the public high schools: The SAT Genius. Also aimed at the public high schools and middle schools is a course, From Rebel to Ruler, which gets students ready for college and careers. He is using a tweaked version of the course to structure the peer mentoring programs of Mercy College and BMCC. Nick enjoys drawing, reading, and working out. He is the head trainer at MovNat NYC, which aims to get people to work out in nature by crawling, climbing trees, lifting rocks, carrying logs, bounding down trails, and being generally crazy. He has run 4 marathons.
Joseph Luesse
Joe Luesse is the Evaluation and Assessment Manager for Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School. He received a Master’s degree in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and previously taught high school English for 10 years in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit. He likes to get down to Krautrock and Alice Coltrane.