Testimonials
"Kelly was an amazing tutor! He was very organized and structured lessons very well. He was friendly, easy to understand, and was the most effective tutor I've had. I owe my SAT success to him. Working closely with him in an intensive cram sessions, I was able to improve my SAT score by 190 points, an over 15% improvement in just two weeks."
- Noa, 19, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
"I met Mr. Kelly two years ago when I came to Hawaii from Japan to study abroad. When I first arrived in Hawaii, I couldn’t speak English at all and couldn’t even hold a conversation. Thanks to Mr. Kelly’s dedicated guidance, I’m now able to speak English and consistently earn near-perfect grades in school.
I’ve worked with many tutors and cram school teachers over the years, but Mr. Kelly is the most student-centered; he guides students in a way that allows them to grow on their own. His teaching style encourages students to think for themselves and creates an environment that fosters growth. Many teachers and cram schools simply provide answers or impart knowledge when asked a question. However, Mr. Kelly works with you to figure out the reasoning behind things—why you’re struggling and how you can best learn—tailoring his approach to each individual.
For example, I struggled with relative clauses on the TOEFL for a long time. Instead of just explaining what they were, he helped me understand why I found them difficult and worked with me to develop memorization techniques, which allowed me to finally solve the problems.
Also, when I tried the SSAT last year, he dedicated a lot of effort to helping me and played a key role in improving my scores. Reading, in particular, was a major challenge for me since I don’t speak English very well. However, he devised strategies for tackling reading passages and developed methods to
understand the meaning of texts even when I didn’t know all of the vocabulary.
He also compiled a list of frequently appearing words, created a vocabulary notebook, and helped me establish the habit of memorizing seven words a day—42 words a week. Thanks to him, I learned about 1,000 words in just six
months through our lessons alone!!
As for my school grades, thanks to Mr. Kelly, I’ve been getting straight A’s since coming to Hawaii, and this semester I’m on track to achieve a 4.0 GPA for the first time.
When studying math, I would first explain the unit to him, and he would point out where my foundational understanding was flawed. After that, we would solve problems together, and he would explain exactly where I had gone wrong. This year, I scored perfect marks on every math test I took while studying with him.
In science and social studies, while memorizing facts and vocabulary is essential, he also explained the underlying reasons behind
concepts and taught me effective memorization techniques—all of which
sparked my motivation to study on my own.
Finally, thanks to Mr. Kelly’s support, I was able to get through these two years successfully. When I was struggling with being away from my parents or when my studies weren’t going well, he always
listened to me and provided emotional support. Mr. Kelly’s teaching is filled with passion and a genuine love for his students’ growth; he is sure to guide our studies and futures in a positive direction.
- Hiroto, 16, Honolulu, HI
"Kelly is a great SAT teacher who explains answers very thoroughly and makes even the most confusing concepts feel manageable.
More importantly, he is incredibly kind and patient, which made a huge difference in how comfortable and supported I felt while learning.
He helped my test scores go up significantly and taught me helpful strategies and tricks that I still remember. By taking more practice tests and studying different methods with him, I was able to improve not just my academic accuracy but also how I managed my time during the exam.
His approach made me feel more confident and prepared each time I sat down to practice. As a senior heading to the University of Chicago, I truly appreciate Kelly's mentorship and the role he played in helping me reach this point. I recommend Kelly to anyone who wants to increase their SAT score and feel more confident going into test day."
- Brianna, 17, Canadian, TX, accepted to the University of Chicago
"Kelly is absolutely the best tutor we have ever worked with! We hired him for SAT prep, and my son was able to raise his scores significantly! Kelly used the time efficiently, kept our son engaged, and helped to build his academic confidence and skill.
Kelly is very professional, kind, patient, and personable. Such a worthwhile investment, as these are tools that will carry my student into his future academic endeavors and beyond. His utmost competence across many subjects, paired with a gift for teaching, makes him truly top-notch. It’s easy to recognize his passion for teaching and his unique ability to empower students with what they need to succeed."
- Tracee and Dale, Noa's parents, Seattle, WA
"I've known Kelly since our time together at Harvard, where I quickly recognized how his brilliance stood out even among our Harvard classmates, all the more distinctive because of how it has always been combined with an equally deep and genuine kindness, warmth, and humility. He is truly one of a kind.
So when I began applying to law school and needed someone I could fully trust to review my essays, he was the clear choice. What truly sets Kelly apart is his ability to help you get to the heart of what you are writing or studying. He is patient, clear, and genuinely invested in the people he works with.
I would not have gotten into Harvard Law without his guidance. So when my younger sister started preparing for the SAT and ACT, turning to Kelly was the natural choice. He was wonderful with her: encouraging, attentive, and exceptional at building her confidence over time--she'll be starting at UChicago this fall.
If you're looking for support with anything from college essays to test prep, I can't recommend Kelly highly enough."
- Benjamin, accepted to Harvard (three times), Princeton, and Yale, Houston, TX.
"Kelly was the perfect supplement to our children's education. He is an extremely gifted tutor and our children genuinely enjoyed their time with him.
The high school where we recently moved to in the continental U.S. requires all students to take the ACT twice a year, regardless of grade. Our youngest child scored a 32 in math as a freshman, which in our opinion is largely attributable to Kelly's two years of tutoring before we left. Kelly's impeccable academic credentials are only exceeded by his calm, engaging demeanor. Kelly is simply superb."
- Matt and Fumiko, parents of Mark (14) and Michael (15), Phoenix, AZ
When it was decided that Hiroto [see endorsement to the right right] would attend Mid-Pacific High School starting in 2024, I searched desperately for a
tutor, because at the time, he could not speak English at all. Fortunately, we were able to meet a wonderful teacher named Mr. Kelly, and thanks to him, Hiroto is now enjoying a fulfilling school life. I am filled with gratitude.
Hiroto absolutely adores Mr. Kelly. He eagerly looks forward to him every week, always saying, “I have Mr. Kelly tomorrow, so I have to do my homework.” This is entirely due to Mr. Kelly’s wonderful personality. While I tend to scold him easily, he guides Hiroto with such kindness and patience, which has been a tremendous help to us.
Hiroto says things like, “I want to go to Harvard University just like Mr. Kelly,” which sounds like a dream, but even if that doesn’t come true, meeting Mr. Kelly has helped him see a clear vision for his future—and this is all thanks to him. Also,
thanks to him, Hiroto`s current GPA is 3.9, and his goal for next year is a 4.0 GPA."
- Fumiko, Hiroto's parent, Honolulu, HI
"Having always been an insecure writer who shied away from self-promotion, I felt unprepared to tackle my public policy graduate program applications. Kelly was truly a godsend.
Where most would have redlined and instructed on a superficial level, Kelly, with his insight and understanding, probed with questions and helped me unearth my own motivations and interests. He helped me craft essays that succinctly but passionately conveyed the real reasons I was applying, all in my own voice. I
I can safely credit Kelly in great part with my admission to the Harvard Kennedy School. Beyond that, he helped me become a more confident writer in the process and shed my fear."
- Gabi, Harvard Kennedy School c/o 2021, Houston, TX