Rigorous one-to-one and small-group tutoring for ambitious students in the United States and Europe, taught by Kristen Amendola. Built for parents who want clear goals, honest reporting and real progress.
Not sure where to start? Take the two-minute fit quiz. Places are limited; join the waitlist if the calendar is full.
Every program starts with a free consultation and a diagnostic, so lessons begin where your student actually is. All tutoring is in English.
Test strategy built on strong fundamentals, so score gains come from real understanding and hold up on test day.
Steady support from first term through exam season, in the courses where falling behind is hardest to recover from.
The depth to move a student from getting by to getting it, from middle school onward.
Students remember what they have reasoned their way to. Each lesson follows four steps, so understanding builds instead of being memorized and forgotten.
Begin with a real question. Curiosity is the engine, so every topic starts with why it matters.
Find the exact gap. Diagnostic questions show where understanding breaks, not just which answers were wrong.
Connect each idea to the last one. Students explain the reasoning in their own words before moving on.
Apply it under test conditions. Timed practice shows what has truly stuck, and sets the next lesson.
I am a first-generation college student who earned a place at Hopkins School by entrance examination and attended on scholarship. I have been tutoring since 2021, and my students are in the United States and Europe.
Before tutoring, I spent 17 years running restaurants and operations in New York City, nine of them as an owner. That taught me to set clear goals, measure results and keep my word, and I bring the same discipline to every student.
I am also a three-time Connecticut State Champion in foil. Fencing taught me that composure under pressure is a skill you can train, which is exactly what test day asks for.
All prices are starting rates. Your exact quote follows the free consultation. Pair and small-group lessons lower the cost for each student, and a brother or sister pays $120/hr on any SAT package.
The first five new families get SAT Core for $2,600 $2,200, SAT Complete for $3,600 $3,150, or three months of STEM coaching at $60/hr (€45 in Europe, £42 in the UK). 5 of 5 places left. See all founding offers.
Saturdays and Sundays, 9am to 12pm. SAT packages cost the same in person as online; other subjects are $140 per hour. See the towns served.
A small number of reduced-rate seats are held each term for families who need financial flexibility. Apply privately and I will reply personally.
For families who prefer a tutor at the table, I travel along the Metro-North New Haven Line from Bridgeport to Greenwich, and to four towns nearby. Sessions run Saturdays and Sundays, 9am to 12pm. SAT packages cost the same as online; other subjects are $140 per hour.
Tell me about your student, their goals and their deadlines. You will leave with an honest view of where they stand and a clear plan, with no obligation.
Prefer to message? Chat on WhatsApp or email hello@upperhandtutoring.com.
Calendar not showing? Open the booking page in a new tab, or email hello@upperhandtutoring.com to join the waitlist.
Parents should never have to guess whether tutoring is working. Every family receives clear, regular updates.
A diagnostic in the first lesson sets a starting point and written goals you approve.
Parents are welcome to join any lesson and can ask for a quick recap at any time.
Choose a written progress report after every four sessions, comparing practice results with the baseline.
Background check completed through the Connecticut Department of Education.
You may sit in on any session, at any time, without notice.
Lessons run on Google Meet. The invitation link is sent to the parent.
Lessons are not recorded. A recording is available on request.
Student information is never shared with anyone outside your family. Privacy policy.
Cancel with at least 48 hours' notice and the lesson can be rescheduled, depending on availability. Lessons cancelled with less notice cannot be rescheduled. If I need to cancel, your lesson is rescheduled at no cost. Fees are non-refundable, except for a new family's risk-free first lesson and the 14-day withdrawal right for families in the EU and UK. Read the full policy.
Choose a short guide, five to ten pages, and I will send it to your inbox.
SAT/ACT Premium packages are $1,300 for 10 hours (Tune-Up), $2,600 for 20 hours (Core) and $3,600 for 30 hours (Complete), the same price online or in person. In euros they are €950, €1,800 and €2,550, and in pounds £850, £1,600 and £2,250. STEM coaching starts at $75 per hour in the United States, €55 in Europe and £50 in the UK. Pair lessons start at $55 per student (€42, £38) and small groups of up to three at $40 per student (€32, £28). SAT pairs are $75 per student and SAT trios $65 per student. A brother or sister of an enrolled student pays $120 per hour on any SAT package. In-person weekend lessons in other subjects are $140 per hour. Your exact quote follows the free consultation.
Yes. Until 7 November 2026 the first five new families can take a founding-family rate; see the founding families page. Every family can book a free 20-minute SAT score review, and a new family's first paid lesson is risk-free: if you decide not to continue, tell me within 48 hours and it is refunded. When you refer a family who enrolls, both families get a free session, and a second referral earns 5% off your next package.
Lessons are held online on Google Meet. A private invitation link goes to the parent, and parents are welcome to join any session. In-person lessons are available in Fairfield County, Connecticut, on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 12pm.
Every student begins with a diagnostic and written goals. After that, parents can choose a written progress report after every four sessions, comparing practice results with the baseline. Parents are also welcome to join any lesson.
We start with a short diagnostic to find exactly where understanding is strong and where it breaks. Together we set goals for the student and the family, choose a lesson plan and agree on how progress will be reported.
Yes. Pair lessons and small groups of up to three students are available for the same subject and level. They lower the cost per student while keeping the attention high.
Lessons, one-to-one and group, are paid in full at the start of each month, with a minimum of two sessions per month and a 10% discount when you book six or more. All cancellations require at least 48 hours' notice. A lesson cancelled with that notice can be rescheduled, depending on availability. A lesson cancelled with less notice cannot be rescheduled. If I need to cancel a lesson, it is rescheduled at no cost. Fees are non-refundable, apart from a new family's risk-free first lesson: tell me within 48 hours of it if you decide not to continue, and it is refunded. Families in the EU and UK may withdraw from a package within 14 days of purchase. If you asked for lessons to begin during that period, you pay only for the lessons already delivered, and the rest is refunded. After 14 days, the standard policy applies. Full cancellation policy.
Access Seats are a small number of reduced-rate places held each term for families who need financial flexibility. Every Access Seat student receives the same lessons, standards and reporting as any other student. Apply privately and I will reply to you personally. Seats are limited and are offered as they become available.
In Fairfield County, Connecticut, along the Metro-North New Haven Line from Bridgeport to Greenwich, including Fairfield, Westport, Norwalk, Darien and Stamford, and in New Canaan, Weston, Easton and Redding. In-person sessions run on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 12pm.
Students are in the United States and Europe. The booking calendar shows every slot in your own time zone, so there is no guessing about conversions.