Nationwide ACT, SAT & College Prep Specialists — Based in Chicago
Anya Pasowicz has spent years inside Chicago's most competitive academic environments — first as a student, then as an educator and coach. She serves families nationwide via remote sessions and in person across Chicagoland. Students she has supported have reported more than $2 million in scholarships and acceptances to universities including Harvard, Cornell, and UChicago.
Selected Student Results
A meaningful ACT or SAT increase can expand a student's admissions and scholarship opportunities — especially when the improved score strengthens an already competitive application.
Why Elevate
Large tutoring companies often mean a rotating roster of tutors and fees that cover corporate overhead. An independent specialist works differently.
Sessions are conducted via video from anywhere in the country. No commute, no scheduling around geography — just expert coaching delivered directly to your student, wherever they are.
You work with Anya or Lizzie — not whoever is available that week. Every session is with the same specialist who knows your student's history.
Each student receives a clear plan based on their starting point, test date, and goals. Programs provide enough consistency for meaningful progress while remaining personalized and practical.
Extensive background with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, 504 Plans, and test anxiety coaching. Every student gets a plan built for how they actually learn.
The Process
A repeatable four-step method that turns scattered preparation into a focused, results-driven plan.
A full practice test establishes a precise starting point. No guessing. No generic assumptions.
Anya builds a personalized plan targeting your student's specific gaps — not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Two-hour sessions with targeted homework that reinforces material without overwhelming other commitments.
Students go into their exam confident, prepared, and strategically equipped to perform under pressure.
Programs & Packages
ACT and SAT preparation is offered in structured packages so students have the time, accountability, and targeted practice needed to make meaningful progress. Every package begins with a baseline assessment and a personalized study plan.
A targeted program for students with a specific section weakness, a solid starting score, or a shorter preparation window.
A comprehensive plan for students who need sustained instruction across multiple ACT or SAT sections, pacing, and test strategy.
The highest-support option for ambitious score goals, significant foundational gaps, or students preparing across more than one test date.
Selective Enrollment & Private Admissions
Chicago's Selective Enrollment system is unlike any other in the country. Anya is a Whitney Young graduate — this isn't research, it's lived experience turned into a repeatable method. Preparation is also available for competitive private high schools that use their own entrance exams.
What Families Say
Anya came in with a detailed plan — time management, pacing, and strategies that worked. His scores jumped from 28 to 33. Beyond the score, he learned to approach problems strategically rather than rushing.
We were nervous about the SEHS exam — it felt like a black box. Anya mapped out exactly what the test rewards and drilled it systematically. My daughter got into Jones on her first attempt.
She helped me dig deeper and find the real story I wanted to tell. I went from stuck to proud. I was accepted to Cornell, and I truly believe my essay played a huge role.
Anya spent weeks preparing my son specifically for Northside Prep — the reading, the math pacing, all of it. He walked in calm and prepared. Getting that acceptance was one of the best days of our family's life.
Selected Student Outcomes
These examples reflect score increases, school acceptances, and scholarship outcomes reported by students and families who committed to a focused preparation plan.
ACT & SAT Score Jumps
Score growth varies by student, starting point, timeline, and consistency. The examples below show the kind of progress students have achieved through targeted instruction and sustained practice.
All Reviews
Anya came in with a detailed plan — time management, pacing, and strategies that worked. His scores jumped from 28 to 33. Beyond the score, he learned to approach problems strategically rather than rushing.
We were nervous about the SEHS exam — it felt like a black box. Anya mapped out exactly what the test rewards and drilled it systematically. My daughter got into Jones on her first attempt. We are so grateful.
My son had his heart set on Ignatius but his scores weren't there. Anya identified exactly where he was losing points and rebuilt his approach section by section. He got in. Worth every penny.
Anya spent weeks preparing my son specifically for Northside Prep — the reading, the math pacing, all of it. He walked in calm and prepared. Getting that acceptance was one of the best days of our family's life.
She helped me dig deeper and find the real story I wanted to tell. I went from stuck to proud. I was accepted to Cornell, and I truly believe my essay played a huge role.
Anya created a clear roadmap and taught my son memory strategies and how to approach every question type. He scored a 5 — beyond our expectations — and genuinely enjoyed learning history again.
Anya broke down each assignment and developed my daughter's own voice and critical thinking. By the AP exam she felt confident and prepared. Her teacher even commented on her growth.
Anya structured lessons to maintain engagement, breaking topics into smaller sections. My daughter stayed on task, built confidence, and her test scores improved noticeably. Truly tailored.
Anya worked with my son on stress-reduction and pacing — not just content. He went into the ACT feeling prepared rather than stressed. Strategy, practice, and support all made the difference.
Anya created a plan with active recall, practice tests, and concept mapping. My son developed strategies to tackle challenging questions — not just memorize. His scores improved significantly.
My child started looking forward to math homework instead of dreading it. Within weeks, test scores improved and he gained real confidence. Anya's ability to simplify complex concepts made all the difference.
Anya structured lessons with conversational practice, essay writing, and comprehension exercises. By the AP exam my daughter felt prepared and calm. Her consistent encouragement was key to her success.
Personal Statement & College Essay Coaching
Writing a college personal statement can feel overwhelming — it is often the most vulnerable part of the application. Anya guides students from uncertain first drafts to polished, authentic essays, including students later accepted to highly selective universities.
Anya's Story
When Anya was a senior at Whitney Young, her personal statement was selected as one of only three essays included in the school's Writing Center example book. That experience ignited a deep interest in personal storytelling that has shaped her teaching ever since.
Her approach goes beyond grammar edits. She guides students through idea development, structure, voice, clarity, and revision — to produce an essay that reflects the student's personality, maturity, and goals in a way that stands out in a competitive pool.
Students Anya has worked with have been accepted to Cornell University and Northwestern University, and have earned full scholarships to the University of Illinois. The essay is more than writing — it is your student's opportunity to be heard.
We uncover the experiences that are uniquely yours — the ones admissions officers have never read before.
We build a narrative arc that is compelling, specific, and authentically the student's own voice.
Multiple rounds of detailed feedback until the essay is sharp, honest, and impossible to put down.
What Students Say
Working with Anya completely changed my college application. She helped me dig deeper and find the real story I wanted to tell — more specific, more reflective, more authentic without losing my voice. I went from stuck to proud. I was accepted to Cornell, and I truly believe my essay played a huge role.
Anya helped my daughter develop not just writing skills but her own critical voice. She focused on content, voice, and critical thinking. Her teacher commented on her growth by the AP exam. These are skills she'll use far beyond the classroom.
Meet the Specialists
Elevate Academic Prep is a two-person expert team serving families nationwide. Every student works directly with a specialist — not a marketplace tutor, not a rotating face — someone with deep expertise in the exact exam that matters most. Based in Chicago, available everywhere via remote sessions.
The Story Behind Elevate
"I have been tutoring my whole life. It started before it was ever a job."
Anya grew up in Chicago and attended Whitney Young Magnet High School — one of the city's most competitive Selective Enrollment schools. While there, she was selected for the Writing Center showcase for her personal statement and spent her time tutoring classmates in AP Economics and AP Calculus.
After earning her degree from the University of Dallas — majoring in English with a minor in Spanish — she returned to Chicago and built Elevate Academic Prep from the ground up. She spent two years as a Math Enrichment Specialist at Saint Mary of the Angels and has extensive experience supporting neurodivergent learners, including students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and 504 Plans.
Anya's passion for tutoring is personal: her own 34 on the ACT earned her a life-changing scholarship that made her college education possible. She founded Elevate to help other students unlock those same doors. Outside of tutoring, Anya is a professional harpist who performs across Chicagoland, bringing the same discipline of quiet, deliberate practice to every student she mentors.
Anya Pasowicz
Founder & Lead Strategist — ACT · SAT · AP · Selective Enrollment · Personal Statement
Advanced Math Division — New
A strong AP Calculus BC score can demonstrate advanced preparation and may earn college credit, depending on the institution's policy. Lizzie brings focused, exam-specific support that connects course mastery with the pacing, reasoning, and problem types students will encounter on the AP exam.
The Specialists
What We Cover
Every engagement is tailored to the student's specific goals, timeline, and learning style.
| Subject / Service | Specialist | Format |
|---|---|---|
| ACT & SAT — All Sections | Anya | 1-on-1 or Small Group |
| Selective Enrollment Entrance Exams | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| Personal Statement & College Essays | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| AP Language & AP Literature | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| AP US History | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| AP Spanish | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| AP Psychology | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| K–12 Math & Reading | Anya | 1-on-1 |
| AP Calculus AB & BC | Lizzie | 1-on-1 |
| K–12 Advanced Math | Lizzie | 1-on-1 |
Programs are recommended after a consultation and are built around the student's baseline, goals, and test date. Families receive a clear written agreement outlining the plan, payment schedule, cancellations, and expectations.
Begins with a full baseline test, followed by a customized 8-, 12-, or 16-session plan. Weekly sessions target the student's specific gaps and include pacing work, strategy, and guided practice between meetings.
Designed specifically for Chicago Selective Enrollment entrance exam preparation, with targeted work in tested content, pacing, and strategy — informed by Anya's first-hand experience as a Whitney Young graduate.
Targeted support for one or more AP courses. Content mastery plus exam strategy — so students learn how to perform, not just what to know.
Story discovery through final polish. Multiple revision rounds, admissions perspective, and a finished essay the student is genuinely proud to submit.
Exam-specific coaching with Lizzie for students aiming for a 4 or 5. Covers both AB and BC tracks with structured weekly sessions and targeted practice.
Flexible weekly tutoring for K–12 Math, Reading, or multi-subject support. Structured around the student's coursework and learning style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elevate Academic Prep is an independent practice built around flexibility, personalization, clear expectations, and direct access to the specialist working with your student. Serving families nationwide via remote sessions.
Apply for a Strategy Consultation
Anya works with a small number of students each semester so every engagement receives her full attention. Complete the form below to start the conversation.
Anya takes on a limited number of students each semester so every family receives her full attention. Complete the form to start the conversation — she reviews every inquiry personally and will follow up within 48 hours.