Design Tech High School, known as d.tech, has no AP classes: students opt into honors work inside their regular classes, and every year includes a design lab. Our tutors are current and former Stanford students, from engineering to the humanities, who explain hard material clearly and enjoy a student who likes to build things.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.
We tutor d.tech students in everything from Algebra 1 and Physics to Calculus Honors and Advanced Physics, and help with essays, long writing projects and college applications. Sessions are one-on-one, at your home or online.
Math, including Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus in one year
At d.tech, ninth graders start in Algebra 1 or Geometry, then move through Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus to Calculus or Advanced Statistics, with honors versions along the way. One course packs all of Algebra 2 and all of Pre-Calculus into a single year for students ready to move faster. In Pre-Calculus, students are graded mostly on their process and how clearly they explain it. A tutor helps a student keep up in a compressed course and lay out their reasoning step by step on paper. Learn more about our math tutoring.
Honors you opt into
At d.tech, honors is something a student chooses within a class, in English, chemistry, biology, advanced physics and math, by talking with the teacher and taking on the extra work. Students are assessed on whether they’ve mastered the material, with chances to revise before the graded tasks and unit exams. A tutor helps a student take on the honors work without falling behind and make real changes in each revision. Learn more about our high school tutoring.
What parents say
“My daughter went from a C in Algebra II to an A- in one semester. The tutor was great, she really related to my daughter and made learning fun for her. Not only did her grade in math improve, her study habits improved and she’s doing better in all of her classes.”
Eduardo S., San Francisco
“The tutors themselves have been great: well-prepared, thoughtful and on-time. At each level of math needed, we found these Stanford students to be not just helpful tutors but great mentors as well. … This is a first class operation.”
Christy S., Portola Valley
“My son was a senior this year and I reached out to Cardinal Tutors and was lucky enough to find the most amazing tutor. I wish I had found him earlier.”
Sharon C., Los Altos
Writing at d.tech
Sophomores at d.tech write persuasive essays and take part in structured debates, and juniors spend the year outlining, drafting and revising a long-form fictional story. A tutor reads drafts with your student, helps them plan a long project in stages, and tells them plainly what will make the next draft stronger. Learn more about our English and writing tutoring.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.