Strategic. Rigorous. Proven.
Our Philosophy
At The Tutoring Underground, we specialize in helping students succeed on competitive placement exams. From the SHSAT in New York City to national tests like the SAT and ACT, as well as entrance exams such as the TACHS, COOP, SSAT, ISEE, and the Hunter College High School Exam, we’ve developed a curriculum that strengthens the most essential academic skills.
Our students don’t just memorize tips and tricks—they gain a real understanding of reading comprehension, grammar, writing, vocabulary, logic, algebra, and geometry. These core skills build the foundation for lasting academic success.
Tutoring Methods at The Tutoring Underground
We believe the best way to build a powerful vocabulary is through intentional reading. Every student at The Tutoring Underground begins with a carefully chosen, challenging text—Animal Farm by George Orwell.
But we don’t just assign reading. We teach students how to read:
- Slowly and with focus
- Looking up unfamiliar words
- Analyzing meaning in context
This method builds not only vocabulary but also reading stamina, focus, and comprehension. It sets the tone for everything that follows in their academic journey.
Our grammar instruction is built on the TAG system, developed by Yury Getsin in 2003. It’s simple, visual, and effective.
- Triangle for transitions (e.g., "because," "however")
- An underline for the subject
- Get the verb circled
Through this approach, students quickly learn to identify subject-verb agreement errors, isolate the core structure of a sentence, and understand how transitions guide the logic and flow of writing. The TAG system equips students with practical tools they can apply immediately in both writing and reading comprehension.
We teach students to approach reading with clarity and purpose by dividing texts into two categories:
Essays: Usually structured with a point, reason, and example—plus an intro and conclusion. We train students to dissect these patterns and extract meaning efficiently.
Stories: are, in essence, one large example—and it’s the student’s job to uncover the lesson, theme, or main idea by examining the characters’ choices. If a character makes a good decision, the takeaway is to follow that example; if a character makes a poor choice, the lesson is to avoid that path. This approach not only strengthens reading comprehension but also cultivates moral reasoning and critical thinking—skills that extend well beyond the exam room.
Logic connects everything. That’s why we weave it throughout our curriculum using:
- Puzzles and games
- Sequence analysis
- Contrapositive reasoning
- Pattern Identification
Some exams, like the SSAT, even feature dedicated logic sections—but logic helps on every test, especially in reading and math. Students develop sharper reasoning skills, faster processing, and clearer thought.
Every student begins writing by responding to Animal Farm. Their first assignment?
Write an essay explaining how memory is important in the story.
From brainstorming to outlining to drafting and revising, we walk students through every stage of the process. This structured, repeatable approach becomes the template for all future writing assignments—whether it’s a test essay, a school paper, or an admissions personal statement.
Yury Getsin
Yury attended Susan Wagner High School’s Scholars Academy under the guidance of Joan Iervese. He later enrolled in the Macaulay Honors College at the College of Staten Island, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, studying under Blanford Parker. After a decade of tutoring, Yury pursued a Master’s degree at Columbia University Teachers College, where he worked under John Brown and Sheridan Blau. With his teaching license in hand, he spent one year teaching in the public school system before returning full-time to his tutoring company. Now in his twenty-second year of teaching, Yury continues to lead with experience and passion.
The Tutoring Underground emphasizes the development and internalization of specific academic skills and techniques. These are practiced during class, and students are expected to complete twenty minutes of homework each day to reinforce what they’ve learned and prepare for upcoming exams. College-bound students prepare for both the SAT and ACT, as the tests are quite similar. The ACT emphasizes speed, while the SAT focuses more on complexity—so training for both enhances performance on each. Students are encouraged to take practice tests at home using the College Board’s Bluebook, and free practice test days are also held at the tutoring center.
For high school entrance exam preparation, students study for the SHSAT, ISEE, TACHS, COOP, SSAT, HSPT, and the Hunter College High School Entrance Exam. Because of the overlap in content, and the SHSAT’s advanced difficulty, all students benefit from a rigorous focus on reading and math. In addition to exam prep, all students are assigned Animal Farm by George Orwell and will write an essay analyzing the good and bad decisions made in the story.
Classes at The Tutoring Underground run continuously, with new students joining and others graduating throughout the year. The first few weeks are an important adjustment period, so families are asked to offer encouragement and gentle reminders to help their student complete their daily twenty minutes of work.
