Robert Yaffe

College: University of Pennsylvania
Graduating Year: 2011
Branch: Ocean Township, NJ – Summer 2009
Students taught: 35

Why I did the SMP:

The summer after my freshman year, I was planning on doing independent tutoring. Then, I was contacted by Ivy Insiders and was provided with the opportunity not only to tutor but also to run my own business. I figured that this was a much better way to get real world experience than to just tutor on my own. I also really believe that the Ivy Insiders approach to teaching the SAT is the correct one. There is no one more qualified to teach the SAT to the next generation of high school test takers than college undergraduates who have recently taken and done very well on the SATs.

About my experience:

Through my experience with Ivy Insiders, I learned the challenges of running a business. I got management, sales, and teaching experience. I think that you learn the most from challenging experiences and working with Ivy Insiders provided me with those experiences. I had to leave my comfort zone and do things that were a bit foreign to me. I made sales cold calls, fielded inquiries from both interested parents and interested students, communicated with school officials, managed high school campus leaders, and even dealt with the occasional disgruntled customer.

This was a very rewarding experience. I have already seen the skills that I gained working for Ivy Insiders have a positive effect on many aspects of my life. I am more effective when communicating, I am more prepared to handle difficult situations, and I am more efficient in managing my time.

I worked for Ivy Insiders as a branch manager for two years and I was able to see my branch grow considerably. The first year, I worked by myself and the second year I worked with two co-branch managers. Now, Ivy Insiders is an established name in my area, and it is very exciting to be the one who brought Ivy Insiders to my town.