Harker students often work at an advanced level, and they benefit from a tutor who can keep up. Our tutors are Stanford students with deep knowledge in their subjects, from multivariable calculus to computer science.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.
We help Harker students go deeper in their classes, prepare for standardized tests and work on college essays. Sessions are one-on-one, at your home or online, whichever fits an already full day.
Meet our tutors
Physics first, then chemistry and biology
Harker’s upper school science follows a set order. Every ninth grader takes Physics or Honors Physics, then chemistry in 10th grade and biology in 11th. Honors Physics asks students to build mathematical models from their own lab data, and it’s taken alongside Honors Geometry or a higher math course, so a freshman may be learning new math and using it in physics at the same time. Chemistry the next year builds on that problem-solving, and students who want AP Chemistry in 10th grade complete a summer course first. A Stanford tutor can work across both subjects in one session, connecting the algebra and geometry to the physics problem in front of your student, and help with lab analysis and unit test review so each year starts on solid ground. Learn more about our science tutoring.
Keeping an honors or AP placement
Harker places students in each subject based on the previous year’s work, and its honors and AP sections come with a clear expectation. A student earning below a B during a grading period can be put on Placement Review for about two weeks, or until the next major assessment such as a unit test. If the grade doesn’t come up, the student moves to the grade-level section. Students can also choose to move to a less demanding section until the last week of October.
Moving up works the other way: a solid A in a grade-level course, plus department approval, opens the honors or AP course the next year. Tutoring can help at each of these moments, whether that’s catching a shaky unit early, preparing for the test that matters most, or building the habits a student needs to take the step up.
Our tutors, in parents’ own words
All reviewsFind a math tutor“Our tutor is truly amazing! He is so patient, explains things well, asks great questions, and checks for understanding. Owen really enjoyed working with him and they accomplished so much. This is really a game changer for us! I had high hopes and he exceeded them.”
Find a writing tutor“Our tutor was a senior at Stanford who tutored my son in English, and also SAT preparation. My son received great marks on the SAT exam and also improved his grade in AP English from B to A.”
Find a reading tutor“The girls have loved their time with her, and it showed: Clara's CAASPP score was excellent and Ruby has done tremendous improvement in her reading from below grade level to at grade level!”
“Thanks for your tremendous partnership over many years!”
Find a math tutor“Your program really helped us. Henry pulled up his English last year to an A, and his next tutor helped him pull up his math and bio.”
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Find a Tutor“Fantastic tutoring service. The tutor (who was a Stanford junior) really connected with my son and inspired him to learn. He had some great study tips and was able to help my son raise his grades by quite a bit.”
Find a math tutor“She found a perfect match for my son… He is stellar. My son has grown leaps and bounds in math. Our tutor is not only a subject matter expert but teaches very well, highly prompt, flexible when needed.”
Find a math tutor“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.”
Find a reading tutor“We had an incredible experience with our daughter's previous tutor from Cardinal for a couple of years!… She is doing really well with her reading and comprehension and I think our tutor put her at two grade levels ahead.”
Find an online tutor“Their response time is outstanding. Neil responded quickly to my tutoring request for my 15-year-old. Love knowing that I have access to these high-quality services for my children. And, we use them via Zoom since we live in Tennessee. I cannot say enough great things about this business:)”
Find a Tutor“Very professional service with excellent teachers. My son loved his teacher, called him the best he ever had! I can very highly recommend it.”
Find a Tutor“I am usually not one to write a review, but I wanted to communicate how great Cardinal Tutors was for my child. They had a very flexible plan which helped accommodate my child's needs and I saw a tremendous return (grade-wise) from their services. Could not recommend more highly.”
Find a math tutor“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.”
Find a coding tutor“I have been absolutely impressed by her lessons over the past few months. Lily also loves working with her. She has been making great progress with her programming and writing.”
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Find a math tutor“The subsequent long term tutor that we had for pre calc and for ACT tutoring was amazing. She was completely professional, organized, thorough and easy to work with.”
Find a math tutor“You have been a wonderful inspiration for Eli and we are very grateful for having you in the past half-year!”
Find a math tutor“My son had a wonderful experience with Cardinal Tutors when he needed help with his High School math and science classes. It turns out my son also needed help staying organized with all his assignments, something that the tutor helped with as well.”
Find a coding tutor“The program has been awesome for us. Theo loves working with our tutor and has learned so much.”
“Our tutor is just outstanding — great with Theo and very communicative with me. Super helpful!”
Find a Tutor“I reached out to Cardinal Tutors and was lucky enough to find the most amazing tutor. I wish I had found him earlier.”
Find a math tutor“We used Cardinal Tutoring again in the Spring 2018 for precalculus. Once again, she had a great tutor she really liked and who really helped her this year. My daughter is a senior so we won't need Cardinal Tutoring again, but I highly recommend them!”
Find a math tutor“I wanted to thank you for finding our tutor who tremendously helped Sam with his math.”
Find a Tutor“We have had an excellent experience with Cardinal Tutors for the past two years. Neil was very responsive whenever we had any questions. We definitely strongly recommend them and plan on using them again in the near future.”
Find a math tutor“It was great to find a couple of really smart young women who helped not only with the subject matter, but became great role models.”
Find a Tutor“You connected Leo with a great tutor and made the process seamless.”
Find a math tutor“We used Cardinal Tutors and were happy with the level of professionalism and responsiveness we received. The math tutor selected for our son was a good match for him.”
Find a math tutor“Perfect fit to jumpstart my son's new habits and attitudes towards math.”
Find a math tutor“Nora enjoys her sessions with her tutor and it's already helping her confidence with math.”
Find a Tutor“CT is awesome-- they found a great tutor for us. Only wish they could find more!”
Find a Tutor“She is doing great at school, on top of her stuff… We loved working with you and will recommend to friends.”
Find a math tutor“My son looked forward to his time with his tutor and felt good about his efforts and progress.”
Find a Tutor“You and your team are doing an amazing job. Thanks for all the help!”
Find a Tutor“Iris loved working with her tutor!! … Also, I have another student for you — a friend of Iris's that needs help.”
Find a Tutor“Your matchmaking service is very clever and provides great options.”
Find a Tutor“We love our tutor! A great start, she is excellent and has jumped right in.”
Find a Tutor“We had our first tutoring session yesterday and it was fantastic!”
Find a math tutor“Our tutor has been a great fit for our family - she’s patient and friendly and explains math concepts in a way that my 10 year old daughter enjoys. My daughter says that her time with her tutor is the highlight of her day. She goes from a state of panic about math to confidence in just one hour.”
Find a Tutor“We have had an excellent experience with Cardinal Tutors for the past two years. Neil was very responsive whenever we had any questions. We definitely strongly recommend them and plan on using them again in the near future.”
Find a Tutor“She's a great tutor who has helped June progress.”
Find a Tutor“Thank you for selecting an excellent tutor for her.”
Find a Tutor“Our tutor is great! We are very happy with the service.”
Find a Tutor“It's been a great experience for our daughter with her tutor.”
Entrance exams for Harker applicants
Harker’s test depends on the grade: applicants to grades 2–5 take the ISEE, and middle and upper school applicants can submit the ISEE or SSAT. Scores are due by January 5, 2027, and Harker considers only the first set you submit. We help students get comfortable with the format and practice the reading, vocabulary, reasoning and math for their level. Learn more about our entrance-exam tutoring.
Learn more about our Cupertino tutoring nearby.
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