Hillsdale groups students into small houses where they keep the same core teachers through ninth and tenth grade, and every senior defends a portfolio of four years of work. Our tutors are current and former Stanford students who write and argue well themselves and help students do the same.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.
We tutor Hillsdale students in math, science and writing, from ninth-grade Biology to AP Calculus, and help with research papers and the Senior Defense. Sessions are one-on-one, at your home or online.
The Junior Humanities Project
Every English class at Hillsdale includes research, and junior English builds to the Junior Humanities Project, a thesis-based research paper that develops an argument from outside sources and ties into US History. A tutor helps a student frame a thesis they can defend, find and evaluate sources, and organize a long paper so it holds together from the first page to the last. Learn more about our English and writing tutoring.
Math from Algebra 1 to AP Calculus
Incoming Hillsdale ninth graders are placed in math by their eighth-grade course, a placement test and a teacher’s recommendation. The usual path runs through Geometry, the tenth-grade core course, then Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus AB or BC, with Finite Math and Statistics as another path. A tutor builds the algebra each later course depends on and helps a student take on calculus with confidence. Learn more about our math 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
The Senior Defense
Hillsdale students build a digital portfolio in advisory, which meets every day, and in the spring of senior year they present it in the Senior Defense, showing what they’ve learned over four years. A tutor helps a senior pick the pieces that show their growth best and practice answering questions about them. Learn more about our academic coaching.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.