Created by Educators
Ivy Prep was founded by two friends and educators, James Caldwell and Alex Payne, in 2013 with the goal of helping students develop their academic abilities from the foundation up. The two had each been private tutors for several years by then, and they decided to partner up to allow their skill sets to complement each other. Alex was a trained science and math tutor, while James was a seasoned writing and humanities tutor. With their complementary talents and their passion for education, together they built Ivy Prep- a company that today has helped thousands of students across the city of Los Angeles reach their academic dreams.
James Caldwell
Founder and Director
James Caldwell founded Ivy Prep in 2013 with one goal in mind: to help students develop their academic abilities from the foundation up. Originally hired as a writing tutor in 2006, James now has over 17 years of experience in education across a breadth of subjects. While his specialty may still be teaching writing at all levels, he is also exceptionally skilled at math, has a passion for history, and is a master ACT and SAT tutor. He holds a dual Bachelor of Economics and Government from Claremont McKenna College, ranked the #11 best college in the nation as of 2024.
James founded Ivy Prep because after seven years as a tutor, it was clear that education was not just a job for him but a passion and a calling. Today, there isn’t a day that goes by when James doesn’t devotedly spend time checking in on Ivy Prep’s students and its team members. Ivy Prep isn’t just James’ job, it is his purpose, and that dedication will be evident in the personalized and tailored attention that you receive from him and the entire Ivy Prep team. In his spare time, James is an avid sailor, pilot, surfer, and spearfisherman.
Our Tutors
Our tutors are the reasons that our students find success time after time. We have too many to list each of them here, but they all have a few things in common. Every Ivy Prep tutor has at least three years of experience teaching or tutoring their speciality and they each hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Those are the minimum requirements. Many of our tutors have over 10 years of experience and many have either Masters or Doctorate degrees. Our GMAT tutors all scored in the 99th percentile. On top of that, every single one of them has a natural talent for putting students at ease and effectively explaining their material. At Ivy Prep we hire only the absolute best tutors, and as a student you will understand why.
Call Ivy Prep today at (866) 266-0072 and let us help you on your path to success!
A Passion for Test Prep
After Alex left Ivy Prep in 2017 to pursue his own dream of becoming a doctor, James decided to begin expanding the company’s standardized test prep programs. For years, Ivy Prep helped students excel in academic subjects like Algebra 2, Physics, or Global History, but the company had found new and tremendous success helping students with tests like the GMAT, the GRE, the SAT, the ACT, and the ISEE. Over the next several years, Ivy Prep would go on to develop over 20 proprietary courses and programs, with almost all of them targeting standardized testing. To ensure the success of these programs, the team searched Los Angeles high and low for the most talented and experienced tutors around, and they developed a roster of talent unmatched in the city. Students spend years and years building a strong transcript in school, and with an Ivy Prep GMAT or SAT course, they can now also get an elite standardized test score to go along with it.
Top-Tier Talent
As Ivy Prep continued to grow, the results were clear: Ivy Prep students found themselves succeeding in their goals time after time. The main reason behind this was simple. The driving force behind Ivy Prep’s success has always been the elite tutoring talent on its team. Whereas most tutoring companies look to hire whichever good tutors will work for the least money, Ivy Prep has always maintained that paying our tutors top-of-the-market compensation is how to attract best-in-the-world talent. It is a strategy that has worked exceptionally well. Not only that, but since Ivy Prep is a boutique company, we are able to offer those tutors to our students at well below-market rates. Ivy Prep pays its team the most and charges its students the least. It is that simple.
Join Our Success Story Today!
You can start your journey toward your goals by enrolling in one of our classes or letting us set you up with a one-on-one tutor today. We offer our services online, in-home, on-campus, or just about anywhere that works well for our students. Your first session comes with a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Whether you need help studying for the GMAT or prepping for a chemistry exam, Ivy Prep has an elite tutor who can personalize our proprietary curriculum just for you.
Give us a call today at (866) 266-0072 and let us help you on your path to success!
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