What clients have said:
"Michael O'Connell first tutored me 3 years ago at a tutoring center in Cupertino, CA. He was a great English tutor and helped me improved my essay writing skill dramatically by focusing on my essay's organization and unity. This year when I started applying to graduate school, after spending countless hour on essays and still unsatisfied with them, Michael was the first person who came to my mind. I emailed Michael using the email on a really old business card he gave me, hoping I could still reach him. I was glad I found him, but unfortunately he had moved to Hawaii. He proposed that we work remotely on my essays and, skeptically, I agreed to give it a try. To my surprise, the result turned out to be excellent! We emailed essays back and forth, and then leveraged Google Docs (docs.google.com) to fix on my essays real time as we discuss our essays' strategies over the phone. I was really satisfied with my essays and I am really glad that we gave this method a try. It actually saved me a lot of time doing it remotely. Thank you Michael!"
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Ryan Cheng, Cupertino CA"Michael O'Connell has been an excellent tutor for my three sons over the past year. Michael is skilled in many areas of study and in particular English and History which he has made enjoyable for my kids. He has also been excellent in helping them with their study skills and planning.
My two elder sons, 17 and 15, have been challenged by Michael's ability to have discussions with them on almost every subject. Over the year they have benefited from his skills as a tutor as well as his wisdom as an educated young man. My younger son, 13, was not terribly interested in Michael or being tutored, however through his wit and understanding of kids, Michael has been able to motivate my son to put in the effort that is needed to improve grades."
- Gail & John Diserens, Burlingame, CA
In the two years that I have spent in your classes, I have had a great time learning the concepts and details of writing. I improved dramatically, beginning as a struggling, ineffective writer and transforming into an efficient, insightful writer. Your class has made a gargantuan impact in my life, and since then, I have made use of all of your advice whenever I write; there were even a few times when my English teacher personally congratulated me on my writing because it surpassed her standards tremendously. Thanks for being my teacher and tutor in writing, Mr. O'Connell.
Mr. O'Connell stands out in many ways as a teacher. His affability and sense of humor help establishing a relationship with him that makes the learning process so much easier. The most notable characteristic of Mr. O'Connell is his ability to adhere to your needs. His teaching methods will bend and stretch according to the tutees needs, which makes him quite possibly the best teacher a student can ask for. His knowledge of writing is not overshadowed by his amazing personality. I have just finished applying to colleges, and in all my essays I made sure to use the techniques he had taught me two years ago. Very few teachers in my life have truly wielded the power to influence students and help them learn. Mr. O' Connell definitely is the best teacher I have had, and has been a great friend throughout the years.
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Brandon Lee"Mike was a wonderful choice for us to choose as a tutor because he is genuinely concerned about the future well being of the children he tutors. This was evident through our progress meetings with him as he provided useful insight into the mindset of our troubled student. This helped our family truly understand what obstacles he was encountering in his school life that he would not openly disclose to all of us. Mike was able to do this because he has a unique ability to garner the trust of his students to allow for more open lines of communication. Therefore, if you want to learn more about what your child truly needs to improve, Mike is one of the best tutors you will find."
- Huei-Saint Shwe
When I first went to Mike's class, I had some reservations because I've attended SAT classes before that didn't help improve my writing score. However, Mike was really supportive. He patiently explained the problems I got wrong on my practice tests and helped me generalize some of my common errors as well as teach me some short cuts. In terms of helping my with my college essays, he was a greater person to provide feedback on my ideas. He was respectful of my interpretations of the prompts, but he helped me refine my ideas into a fluid, creative essay. Many times, I wallowed in self-despair and misery, but Mike always lifted my spirits by helping me look at the positive aspects of my writing. After a few months under his tutoring, I received a 770 on my real SAT writing portion, and I was accepted into the University of Chicago, whose essay Mike helped me revise. Thanks again Mike!
A grateful student forever,
Xiaolin Gong