Bishop O’Dowd draws students from more than a hundred schools to its campus in the Oakland hills, and students start high school with a different kind of math class. O’Dowd teaches geometry and algebra together in a two-year sequence that begins with Geometry with Advanced Algebra in 9th grade, so students coming from a traditional 8th grade class sometimes need help bridging the two.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a UC Berkeley tutor who fits.
Our UC Berkeley tutors help O’Dowd students in math through AP Calculus, chemistry, biology and physics, English, history and languages, along with the study skills that make a busy schedule work. Sessions are one-on-one, at your home in Oakland, Piedmont or Berkeley, or online.
9th grade math at O’Dowd
Geometry with Advanced Algebra asks freshmen to use algebra inside geometry problems from the start. A student whose 8th grade class covered algebra one chapter at a time may know each skill and still not see which one a problem calls for. Our tutors work on exactly that. Strong math students at O’Dowd can go past AP Calculus to Honors Multivariable Calculus, and for them we look for a Berkeley math or engineering major.
Junior and senior year
For O’Dowd juniors and seniors, we add SAT and ACT prep and help with college essays.
The HSPT
Every incoming 9th grader takes the High School Placement Test, given on one shared Saturday in January at the Catholic high schools of the Diocese of Oakland. For fall 2027 entry, it’s January 9, 2027, and students take it only once. Our HSPT prep starts in the fall and builds toward that morning.
What Cardinal Tutors families say
“I highly recommend Cardinal Tutors if you’re looking for a tutor. They are highly professional and extremely effective.”
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Tell us about your student, whether they’re applying or already at O’Dowd, and we’ll find the right tutor.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a UC Berkeley tutor who fits.