At Educational Connections, we’re more than just a tutoring company.
We believe that every student, even the most accomplished ones, can use a little help with optimizing their study habits. For that reason, we incorporate skills like staying organized, planning ahead to reduce procrastination, and study techniques into most everything we do. We offer four services: Subject Tutoring, Executive Function Coaching, Test Prep, and College Consulting.
Want practical homework, organization, and study tips?
Subject Tutoring
We meet students where they are. At Educational Connections, we have an outstanding virtual tutoring program proven to fill in the gaps, keep students on track, improve executive function skills, and make parent lives a lot less stressful.
Test Prep Tutoring
Our expert test prep tutors individualize private, online sessions to help students prepare for high-stakes standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and SSAT. Solid test scores can make a big difference in whether students are admitted to the college or private school of their choice, even when tests are optional.
Executive Function Coaching
Our Executive Function Coaching is a unique, research-based program to help your child master the skills they need to succeed in school and life. In this program, your child will learn how to get organized, manage their time well, study effectively, and stay motivated.
College Consulting
Our College Consultants specialize in getting to know each student's unique interests and goals. In this program, your rising 9th - rising 12th grader will learn to create a theme around their high school experience to ensure their college applications stand out.
What Sets Educational Connections Apart From Other Tutoring Companies
What our families are saying...
Sunny NB
00:08 30 Apr 22
Wonderful, professional, and experienced tutors! We've used their tutors for general education help as well as for... executive functioning. Results are seen in the grades, but also confidence in the subjects they get tutored and less stress. Aside from their tutors, their customer service is excellent and responds quickly.read more
Michelle Keaney
14:48 27 Apr 22
The folks at Educational Connections are amazing. They have made a huge impact on my daughter's confidence in physics.... The tutor they paired her up with is fantastic. My only regret is that I wish we called sooner! We will continue to use them undoubtedly in the future. I highly recommend them.read more
Jane Ziamanesh
14:43 13 Apr 22
Educational Connections is great! Karen McGuinness matched the perfect ACT prep tutor for my son. Overall, a... wonderful experience!read more
Patricia Chaney
18:27 22 Mar 22
My daughter loves working with her tutor remotely, which is something I didn’t think would happen. So, kudos!
Yong Lu
22:48 20 Jan 22
Educational Connections have the best tutors/teachers! Our son has worked with them in the past 3 years (on math and... English) and made such great progress. All of us are very pleased.read more
Cynthia Norris
16:47 04 Jan 22
I've been extremely pleased with the expert tutoring services from Educational Connections. Both tutors I've obtained... for my child have been very knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. I appreciate the summary notes I receive on each session and the clear communication from the individual tutors and the central office staff. This service has been invaluable, especially during the pandemic.read more
Steven Petroff
21:42 20 Dec 21
Very responsive to a unique and short-notice tutor request. Staff was friendly, engaged and understanding. Have used... Educational Connections several times in the past, always a positive experience. Highly recommended.read more
Dr. C Hall Hamilton
19:06 20 Dec 21
My son received the best tutoring and guidance from Ms. Dorothy. In less than a year, his comprehension and... interpretive skills greatly improved, and he now enjoys reading. The techniques used are geared towards the student and his abilities and the approach works. I’m so glad I found this company and I’m grateful For the right pairing between my child and the tutor.read more
Katherine Welch
15:21 17 Nov 21
I was introduced to Educational Connections through my son's high school, which contracts with the company to offer... practice ACT and SAT tests. My son took one of each, and I received a complementary 20-minute consultation session as a result of his participation. Those 20 minutes with Karen were truly invaluable. She wasted no time in letting me know my son should take the ACT (rather than the SAT) and why. She asked about his schedule (both academic and extracurricular) and recommended he take the ACT twice in the fall of his junior year (earlier than is typical). She reviewed their tutoring services in a very low-pressure manner. Karen took what felt like an overwhelming number of weighty decisions and left me with nothing but confidence that we were on the right path. I was so impressed with this call that we opted to contract with them for tutoring services.I provided what I felt like was very little guidance about who might be a good match as a tutor for my son (but it was all I could come up with). but from Karen's introductory email and my introductory call with Andy, I knew Karen had NAILED this pairing, and time only proved that hunch correct. My son LOVED working with Andy. He was encouraging and quickly focused in on areas where my son needed more support vs. where he had solid skills. Communication, with weekly emailed updates, was outstanding. It was hard for me to see the sessions end because they have been so overwhelmingly positive. Andy has been an outstanding tutor and mentor to my son.Corbin has now taken his ACT twice and improved four points from his spring practice test. Given where he started (with a solid score), I had low expectations about the amount of improvement we would see. Four points exceeded my expectations. To be sure, my son worked hard for this result, but it also wouldn't have been possible without the support of Educational Connections, Karen, and Andy. They all receive my highest recommendation.read more
Reiko Pendleton
01:08 16 Nov 21
We had great experience with Educational Connections. My daughter really liked her tutor and learned a lot at each... session. At the end of the session, I was given the summary from the tutor which was real helpful.read more
Komal Bazaz Smith
21:57 15 Nov 21
Our tutor has been wonderful - understands both my boys, pushes them to excel and challenge themselves, and explains... concepts in a clear and understandable way. He has been excellent and we are so thankful to have developed such a great relationship!read more
Alexandra Potocka
16:47 01 Nov 21
I will try to remember to update this review after my son has taken the HSPT but so far I am very pleased! Andy, my... son’s instructor, has been extremely punctual and thorough. He’s great at figuring my sons weaknesses and focusing on them to help him improve. I will only know after the test if this was truly worth my money but it seems like even if he doesn’t do great it will have been extremely good practice and will help him with future SAT’s. Time will tell!read more
Kim Dahlhausen
15:29 12 Oct 21
We are very happy with Educational Connections services. Coach Kathy has worked very well with my 8th grade daughter... in helping her to outline upcoming and immediate homework assignments. Emily has improved on staying on task for her assignments each week because I also get a brief outline 3x per week after they meet so I can drive the homework completion with her. Helpful to be in the know on homework daily especially as a single mother. I appreciate the extra help! More importantly, it teaches my daughter executive functioning in planning.read more
Nicole Willis
20:14 29 Sep 21
I've been an employee with Educational Connections Tutoring and Test Prep for 3 years now. I can honestly say that... everyone that works with our families is 100% dedicated to the academic improvement and fully supporting our students and families. It's been a joy to work with our office staff as well as the varied coaches that bring such needed help and guidance for our students. Any time we hear about the positive affect our coaches make in the lives of our clients, it reinforces what we're all doing. Some of us even use the services for our own families for either subject tutoring or help with organization and planning. So happy to be working for such a positive company!read more
Mira Patel
18:47 08 Jun 21
We had a wonderful experience with ECT. Our tutor was fantastic and my son and his friends looked forward to their time... with her. She was so active with them and created activities that were of their interest. A weekly report was emailed to me detailing the learning that happened. I will definitely use them again!read more
Jill Fernicola
15:40 04 Jun 21
This last year has been a challenge for all of our kids including my two boys. The pandemic that started last March and... stay at home orders with FT virtual school and then two days virtual and two days in classroom was unprecedented. We were with a different tutoring company last year and they were not yet set up to start in September so I called EC Tutoring to see what my options would be. I am so grateful for our tutor Erin. He was just amazing with my kids. He is kind, patient and insightful and created a learning-study process with them . Erin would ask about their week, activities, interests (sports, gaming, guitar lessons), as well as what needed to be addressed for school work. It was not just that he took time to see what was going on in each class and having great discussions as well as giving tips and processes for them to practice in and out of class. The skills Erin has taught my kids will carry them through life. Erin took the time to create a great bond and gave them time to socialize a little while tutoring. Which was needed after being at home and cut off from friends, activities and school. The boys excelled and did fabulous despite the pandemic challenges of school. I am so thankful I spoke with Erin last fall and that I made the change to EC Tutoring. My oldest is off to college and will continue with the tutoring to help him ease into the college life and how to set study time as well as playtime. My youngest will continue as well and we look forward to the Fall. Thank you for your services this last year.read more
Khristi Driver
22:22 02 Jun 21
I can’t say enough about the positive impact the Executive Functioning Coach had on my Sophomore son’s performance and... my peace of mind. He had an excellent 9 weeks, got his work in on time, and was not overwhelmed because the coach helped him plan ahead. He just finished finals and is excited about the grades he earned. He has a renewed interest in college.read more
Christine C. Vivas
23:58 16 May 21
I have worked with Educational Connections twice and their Tutor/Student matching skills are excellent! Mi son had a... wonderful tutor in Middle School who really helped him with his Executive Function skills and my daughter has a reading tutor in High School. Both tutors are outstanding!! I have also attended several lectures by Ann Dolin who was able to share her wisdom in easy practical ways. Thank you!read more
Marla Merrill
22:41 08 Jan 21
We used Educational Connections for ACT prep for my 11th grader. Jon, her tutor, was knowledgeable, kind, and... motivating. Even though my daughter wasn’t thrilled with the idea of prepping early in her junior year, she grew to enjoy her sessions with Jon very quickly. After 12 weeks of weekly tutoring, my daughter was able to raise her score 9 points from her pre-prep test! We couldn’t be more thrilled! Thank you EC Tutoring and Jon!read more
Rima Assiryani
23:12 23 Nov 20
I am so happy with the quality of support my son is getting from Maya, she is helping him with strategies and improving... executive skills. She is always professional, punctual, kind and he responds so well to her advice and mentorship. She is a great asset to our family.read more
Maria Zimmitti
23:40 19 Nov 20
I have known Ann Dolin and Educational Connections Tutoring for over 10 years personally and professionally. One of my... kids received ACT prep with one of Ann's tutors, and the process was organized, thoughtful and thorough. Not only did the tutor prep for the test, but he provided helpful strategies that served him well in high school and college. I refer to Educational Connections regularly in my practice and know that kids and their parents will be in excellent hands. Ann truly cares for her families and tutors, and this shines through in their work.read more
Gwyn Hicks
02:38 16 Nov 20
Both of our kids had great success with EC Tutoring in helping prepare for their SAT. Both times, EC did a terrific job... of pairing my child with a tutor who matched their style and was able to connect. In each case, the tutor took an interest in their success and the progress was amazing. Highly recommend.read more
Sara W
15:42 14 Nov 20
I've used Educational Connections for years as a referral source for many of my clients. They offer unique personalized... services, show proven research behind what they do and all their tutors have been great. You'll be in great hands here!read more
Allison Sibley
17:41 13 Nov 20
EC Tutoring helped my son (3rd grader) navigate the transition to virtual schooling during COVID. They were... specialized, attentive, and practical. He went from refusing all online learning to participating in his online classes with much greater confidence. Personally, as a mom I would highly recommend them. Professionally, I know their work from my position as a therapist. They always get rave reviews! EC also helped my daughter with the demands of 8th grade, both writing and and projects for academics and the high school application process.read more
Debbie W.
16:47 16 Oct 20
I’ve used EC Tutoring on several occasions over the years for both my son and daughter, most recently for ACT and SAT... prep. They have been great, providing us with tutors who were easy to work with and who helped both of my kids raise their test scores significantly. Currently a senior in high school, my daughter began a test prep tutoring package in late 2019, anticipating taking the ACT in early April 2020. She was all set to take it, and then COVID-19 hit, and her test was cancelled. She re-registered for later test dates – June, then August, then September – all ended up canceled. By the time the end of the summer rolled around, I signed her up for some additional test prep sessions with ECT to help make sure she was up to speed again after the long break. ECT matched her with Suin – a total go-getter of a tutor and really sharp. This time around the sessions were virtual, and while I might have been skeptical at first, the virtual sessions were even better than our previous in-person sessions simply because scheduling tutoring time was easier without having to factor in travel time. Shortly after my daughter began prepping for the ACT again, we discovered her August ACT had been cancelled, so she made the switch to prepping for the SAT instead just to broaden her test taking opportunities. Suin was able to quickly identify the strategies my daughter would need to adopt in order to do well on the SAT. My daughter just took her first real SAT in September and raised her SAT score 200 points compared to both a mock SAT she had taken in 2019 and also a mock test we gave her in August at the start of her SAT prep with Suin. We are beyond thrilled. Her test score is either above or at the top of the middle 50% range for all of the colleges she’s applying to, putting her two reach schools well within her grasp now.ECT and Suin are great, and I highly recommend them both.read more
James Gianiny
16:32 07 Jul 20
EC was a game-changer for my son. They are hyper-attentive to the individual needs of the student and a great... organization to work with. My son went from failing high school math to a B average. Moreover, he actually looked forward to working with his tutor on a weekly basis, taking a lot of stress off of both of us.We are now using RC for ACT prep and to help across multiple subjects—even the ones where his grades are good.read more
Laura T
20:27 03 Mar 20
We have used EC Tutoring for both my high school boys when it was time to prep for the ACT. Both boys had their... composite score go up 4 points. My younger son already had a strong score after taking the ACT for the first time but wanted to improve. EC thought 4 tutoring sessions would be enough and they were right. His score went from a 31 to a 35. I really appreciate that they did not try to oversell us on how many sessions to sign up for. I would highly recommend their services.read more
Eileen Harrity
21:05 03 Feb 20
We started using educational connections for my son. He needed help with his English class. They matched him with the... perfect tutor for his personality and his educational needs.We just started using one of their tutors for SAT prep, unfortunately the first tutor that was paired with my daughter was a terrible match. But after I spoke to them about it, they did not hesitate in getting her a new tutor. The new tutor is a perfect match. Both experiences have been very positive.Would highly recommend.read more
Olivia Smith
07:01 10 Dec 19
The tutoring working with my daughter is knowledgeable and has really established a positive working relationship with... my child. We are really glad to have found Educational Connections tutoring test Prep.read more
Hilary Kamins
19:56 24 Nov 19
We were so pleased with our SSAT tutor, Barbara! She was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful in teaching my... son strategies, reviewing math, vocabulary, etc. We highly recommend Educational Connections!read more
Conrad Harrell
20:56 20 Nov 19
I've used these guys for over 10 years and now my 3rd child and am shocked at the consistency of this business --... especially how each tutor continues to be of the highest caliber. If you are looking for really high quality tutors - especially ones that can handle multiple high level subjects - this is the place to go!read more
Vicki Hurlebaus
00:59 26 Sep 19
We were very happy with both of the tutors we used from Educational Connections! Both of my students raised their test... scores significantly after using the high quality tutors that Educational Connections selected for my kids. Each of my kids had different tutoring needs, and EC was able to accommodate their unique requirements in tutoring. I would highly recommend Educational Connections.read more
William L
19:40 01 Aug 19
The staff at EC Tutoring is exceptional. My son was matched with an amazing tutor who fit his personality and learning... style extremely well. Not to mention raised his ACT score dramatically! Loved working with everyone at EC and highly recommend them to anyone for subject tutoring and test prep!read more
As Featured In:
Blog and Resources
iGeneration Learning: How Technology Rewires Brains and Teaching Strategies
For the last three days, I’ve been attending the Learning and the Brain Conference sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. Almost one thousand individuals in education-related fields from all over the country have come to Crystal City to learn about the latest brain research from the world’s leading neuroscientists and psychologists. This year’s conference title, “Web-Connected Minds: How Technology Transforms Brains, … Read more
Can Skype Help with Studying?
Just the other day, my fourteen year old son, Will, announced that he was going to Skype (is this word now a verb?) with his friend Kelly in order to study for an upcoming test. I was instantly skeptical. After all, it’s unlikely that any real studying can involve social media…right? I was wrong. That … Read more
Place Praise on Kids’ Effort
Ann was recently featured in a “Parent to Parent” article by Betsy Flagler of The Buffalo News. We’ve posted the article below – let us know your thoughts! — Some kids expect kudos every time they turn around. But general praise for their brains, beauty or brawn can backfire. Instead, get specific about your child’s … Read more
My Teen Won’t Read — Is It Worth the Power Struggle?
Getting any child to read can be a challenge, but trying to encourage a teenager to read is even more of an undertaking. While the benefits of reading include an increased vocabulary, better grades, and higher SAT scores, the struggle may not be worth it if the parent/child relationship is impacted. Good news – there … Read more
Are You Done Yet? How Parents Can Help Their Easily Distracted Child
If your child is easily distracted and struggles to stay focused and finish homework, you are probably a frustrated parent! For some students, homework that should take 45 minutes ends up consuming two hours regardless of a parent’s cajoling and handholding. The good news is there is a better way to help these students. … Read more
3rd Graders Held Back? And Parents Don’t Have A Say? 4 States Are Considering It
Iowa, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Colorado are considering legislation that would make students repeat 3rd grade if they can’t pass state reading exams. This has sparked a debate over whether retaining students actually boosts their achievement or simply increases the odds that they will drop out. From kindergarten through 2nd grade, parents could still insist … Read more