Where do you meet students for AP Calculus tutoring?

Meryl's Magic Math tutors meet students at local Columbus, Ohio libraries (Hilliard, Dublin, New Albany, or Old Worthington) or online using Zoom and an interactive whiteboard.

Don't let location deter you from finding the best AP Calculus tutor. We have found online tutoring to be as effective as in-person tutoring with advancing technologies and the abundance of online resources.

Meryl’s Magic Math started after Meryl saw several AP Calculus students in her classroom struggle in math for the first time. Previous math courses taught students how to solve problems and students would replicate the process. In AP Calc, students are also expected to apply the problem-solving technique to new situations like graphs and tables, when most of the homework is looking at functions. When students asked her how to solve those unique problems, Meryl explained complex concepts so simply that students would say, “That’s magic!” Hence the name Meryl’s Magic Math.

We start sessions out by answering any questions students have, and reteaching concepts that are unclear. We explain concepts simply and in multiple ways to ensure understanding. Then we build confidence in the concepts by practicing the skills in their assignment problems or our past assignment/test questions. Finally, we apply the concepts to challenging questions from multiple perspectives, including previous AP exam questions, in order to prepare for upcoming tests. Practicing those difficult questions helps improve test scores, as we often hear Calculus tests are harder than the homework questions.

What sets us apart from other Calculus tutors is that we curate a wide variety of past AP exam questions from multiple perspectives so even if something new comes up on a test, it helps build problem solving skills to analyze what was given and determine a course of action to find the solution. Also, Meryl has graded the AP exam so she is familiar with key notation to ensure your student is earning the maximum amount of points on free response questions.

If this is aligned with your goals of tutoring, we could be a great fit for you. If you are only looking for homework help, we may not be the best fit because you can find a cheaper tutor.

How to Hire the Best AP Calculus Tutor

The following questions will help guide you to hire the best AP Calculus tutor for your goals.

1. What AP Calculus tutoring rate are you comfortable with?

If you can afford it, consider the value in hiring a certified teacher, who is an expert in both Calculus and teaching math. This ensures they know how to teach Calculus as opposed to someone who just passed the class the previous year or semester (and is likely a lower rate).

Do you find test questions to be harder than homework questions? When Meryl taught AP Calculus, her tests were composed of released AP exam questions. A tutor who is a current or past AP Calculus teacher could provide you with their past tests and more AP exam level questions. Getting more practice with these questions (that are likely aligned with your test questions) will help improve test scores.

Bonus tip: has the teacher graded (been a "reader" for) the AP exam before? In doing so, Meryl learned tips to maximize points earned (and not lose points for notation errors!) on the AP Calculus exam.

If you look for a tutor on a tutoring website like Wyzant, their rates will be high as the company takes a portion of the hourly rate.

2. What results have other students got, as seen in reviews or testimonials?

Does the tutor have a history of student successes in Calculus, in AP® exam scores, improved grades, and more confidence?

Check out our testimonial page or Google "Meryl's Magic Math" to read our reviews.

3. Do they offer AP® Calculus tutoring online or in person?

We have found online tutoring to be as effective as in person tutoring but some students prefer sitting face to face with a tutor, and we offer in person tutoring in Columbus, Ohio.

4. Ask the potential tutor to explain a concept you've struggled with in class.

This will demonstrate their teaching style and ability to communicate difficult concepts in a way that you can understand. We offer a free 15 minute consultation to make sure we'd be a good fit for you and your educational needs! Just fill out the New Student Form below or email merylsmagicmath@gmail.com to schedule the free consultation.

5. Do they provide any support or resources outside of the tutoring session?

We've found a lot of students never learned how to study for math tests. The best way to study is to practice more problems, so we compiled the best resources to study for AP Calculus tests. These are great resources for students to continue to practice Calculus and study for tests between sessions. We know AP Calc students generally have a lot of homework each night, so any extra practice between sessions is optional.

As the AP Calculus exam approaches, we provide a study plan to pass the AP Calc exam, and other helpful review materials.

Ready to get started with tutoring? Click below to fill out our New Student Form.