History Tutoring

Martin Bigil-Rico is a rising senior at Harvard University studying Computer Science and Statistics. He attended a public magnet high school in Southern California, where he held leadership positions in five clubs and participated in several of the nation’s most prestigious summer STEM programs. Martin achieved a 1510 on the SAT and earned 5’s on AP exams including English Language and Composition, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C: Mechanics, and Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. At Harvard, he co-founded SAT Daily, an app designed to help students access advanced SAT study resources; served as an editor for the campus Philosophy Review; and worked as a software developer for the Harvard Rocketry Club. He has extensive experience teaching the SAT, ACT, AP exams, and a wide range of academic subjects from English to Calculus, as well as providing college admissions coaching and essay support. His college counseling students have been accepted to top universities including Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame, Washington University in St. Louis, Boston University, UCLA, and UC Berkeley.

Kiri-Anna is a sophomore at Harvard pursuing a double concentration in Biology and Government. She attended public high school where she took 14 AP classes, with particular strengths in History, Biology, English, and Statistics. She took the SAT at age 14, scoring 770 math + 780 verbal. She applied solely to colleges with competitive acceptance rates ranging from 3% (Harvard) to 12% (UC Berkeley) and was accepted to every school that she applied to. On campus, she is involved with the International Relations Council, including competing at and chairing Model United Nations conferences. She also works for the Office for Sustainability at Harvard. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and is trained in Shakespearian theatre. She is a choral soprano and performed at Carnegie Hall. She played Varsity hockey in high school and has played the violin for ten years. Relevant coursework at Harvard includes Government, Economics, Planetary Science, Organismic Biology, Comparative Literature, and Data Science.

Sophia (Class of '28) is from Bethesda, Maryland, and graduated from a private, all-girls school with Highest Honors as President of the Cum Laude Society. In high school, she scored a 1540 on the SAT and balanced passions in science and the humanities. Sophia published a research paper in the Journal of Neurorehabilitation and completed numerous internships–including research at Johns Hopkins, shadowing neurosurgeons at Walter Reed, and working on a project at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. A designated STEM Scholar and Captain of the Varsity Softball Team, Sophia also founded student organizations like the Future Faces of Medicine Club and the Peer Tutoring Club, while earning awards and recognitions for her writing. Sophia has extensive experience in working with students of all ages. She specializes in advanced, AP, and introductory college-level STEM courses; Latin (including National Latin Exam prep); and essay help for both class assignments and the college application process. In this, she is dedicated to helping students build a strong and compelling narrative to build their confidence throughout this process and stand out to admissions officers. Now, Sophia studies Neuroscience and English on the pre-medical track, planning to pursue a career in surgery. She is an executive member of Mission:Brain, a journalist for The Harvard Crimson, and a supervisor at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, to name a few of her engagements.

Mercy Ghobrial, a Harvard College Government student, is passionate about international relations, law, and civic engagement. A top graduate of Upland High School with a 4.7 GPA, she ranked in the top 2 of 700 seniors, earned the California Seal of Biliteracy in French, and completed 12 AP courses, including U.S. History, Government, Comparative Politics, and English Literature. She specializes in tutoring humanities, essay writing, and college applications, with additional experience in Algebra and Pre-Calculus. As president of the National Honor Society, Mercy led tutoring initiatives across eight schools and mentored students academically and extracurricularly. An award-winning debater, she has placed in regional and national competitions. She interned at Askander Law Firm, translating for Arabic-speaking clients and assisting in court. At Harvard, she tutors in the Citizenship Tutoring program, teaches civics through CIVICS, and is a member of the Harvard College Debate Union. She also manages SEO and content for her family’s construction business. Having navigated the college admissions process herself, she is eager to help students craft compelling essays and applications that showcase their strengths and unique stories.

Aurora (Class of 2027) is from Conroe, Texas, where she graduated as one of the top students in a class of over 1,000 from the Academy of Science and Health Professions. She now studies Psychology and Government at Harvard College and earned a perfect 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 5.28 weighted GPA. Her academic strengths include English, writing, history, and math. At Harvard, Aurora serves as a Project Lead for both the Global Research and Consulting Group and the Clean Energy Group’s Equity Department, where she works on sustainable and equity-driven initiatives. Her college essay—beginning with “I was born in prison”—received national media coverage (People Magazine, New York Post, KTVU) for its emotional depth and honesty. This powerful narrative helped secure her spot at Harvard and has made her a sought-after mentor for students applying to college. Aurora specializes in college application strategy, essay writing, and SAT-related English and math. She brings a warm, organized, and thoughtful approach to her tutoring and is passionate about helping students find their voice and stand out in the admissions process. She currently works with HSA Tutoring and plans to pursue a career in law, policy, and advocacy.

Public Speaking: competitive speech and debater for 8 years. Top Speaker at Tournament of Champions for debate, National Online Forensics Tournament Champion for Extemporaneous Speaking ACT Reading & Writing: 36 on both sections English: three years of Honors English in high school, accepted into Harvard top freshman humanities seminar - ending with an A in the course History: 5 on APUSH exam Language: 6 years of Chinese experience, worked in China with a Chinese companies for two months speaking only Chinese

Mary Catherine Hanafee LaPlante is a senior at Harvard University studying Economics and Government. Originally from Mount Prospect, Illinois, she scored a 1550 on the SAT and a 1500 on the PSAT. She is comfortable tutoring a wide range of subjects, including all levels of math up to AP Calculus BC. She is also well-versed in the sciences—especially Chemistry and Physics—and has a strong passion for History and the social sciences. She earned 5s on AP Calc BC, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, AP U.S. History, AP World History, and AP Human Geography. In high school, Mary Catherine was the Illinois State Champion in Science Olympiad (Ecology), captain of the Varsity Lacrosse team, and the founder of a non-profit that successfully eliminated pesticides and herbicides from her local community’s public spaces. She also ran a successful college essay editing service for two years and has extensive experience helping students craft compelling personal statements and supplementals. At Harvard, Mary Catherine conducts research with the Harvard Economics Department and is involved in cutting-edge AI research. She’s also been offered a full-time role at McKinsey & Company following graduation. With years of tutoring experience and a proven academic track record, Mary Catherine brings both subject expertise and mentorship to every student she works with.

Hailey Krasnikov is a recent Harvard College Graduate from Albany, NY double majoring in Neuroscience and Economics. In high school, Hailey was the Editor-in-Chief of her newspaper for two years as well as the Tournament Director for her school's chess club. At Harvard, she was on The Harvard Crimson's Super Executive Board for two years and managed a group of 30 staffers. She also conducts clinical research at Boston Children's Hospital investigating eye pain and the effects of painful light. Hailey has experience tutoring college applications, college essays, a wide variety of high school subjects specializing in writing, math, and science, as well as APs such as Language and Composition, Psychology, Biology, World History, European History. Physics, U.S. History, and U.S. Government.