Tutor
Viki McHugh
A lively, reassuring approach to English and test preparation.
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23 years of SAT® and ACT teaching experience
1,000+ students tutored
Author of three published books
How Viki teaches
Grammar is a particular strength for Viki. She starts by finding out what a student understands, then works through the confusing parts with them. Her sessions are energetic and collaborative, with students doing the thinking alongside her.
- Use the baseline to find patterns in missed questions and decide where to begin.
- Talk through answer choices together, explaining why one works and the others do not.
- Build shared whiteboard notes and keep students actively involved as they practice.
Who she works well with
- High school students, especially juniors and seniors preparing under time pressure.
- Students who feel unsure about testing and would welcome a personable tutor who helps them build a sense of ownership.
- Students with ADHD or executive function needs who benefit from practical tools and an approach tailored to how they learn.
Tutoring subjects
Test Preparation
- ACT: English, Reading, Writing
- HSPT: Language, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Skills
- ISEE Lower: Essay, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning
- ISEE Middle: Essay, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning
- ISEE Primary: Reading
- ISEE Upper: Essay, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning
- PSAT™ 10: Reading, Writing
- PSAT 8/9: Reading, Writing
- PSAT/NMSQT®: Reading, Writing
- SAT®: Reading, Writing
- SSAT Elementary: Reading, Verbal, Writing
- SSAT Middle: Reading, Verbal, Writing
- SSAT Upper: Reading, Verbal, Writing
English, Reading & Writing
- American Literature
- AP® English Language and Composition
- AP® English Literature and Composition
- British Literature
- Composition
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
Executive Function & Study Skills
- Executive function (grades 6–8)
- Executive function (grades 9–12)
More about Viki
Viki McHugh has 23 years of SAT® and ACT teaching experience and has tutored more than 1,000 students in English and academic skills. Her work has included individual tutoring, group classes and intensive summer and winter test preparation. She has also taught literature, middle-school reading and AP® English Language.
Viki sees a struggling student as someone who needs the right tools. She begins with a baseline, looks at where the student is getting stuck and works through questions with them. Grammar is a favorite area, and she has developed her own teaching resources over the years. She wants students to understand the reasoning behind an answer and feel comfortable asking questions, trying an idea or getting something wrong along the way.
Her experience also includes coaching young adults with ADHD and autism in executive function skills. She brings that attention to individual needs into her tutoring: when a student disengages, she looks for what may be confusing them and finds a way to bring them back into the work.
Writing has been part of Viki’s professional life beyond teaching, too. As a grants editor, she reviewed more than 300 proposals a year for clarity and structure. She earned a B.A., cum laude, from DeSales University and holds a Level 5 TEFL diploma.
Outside tutoring, Viki is a heavy metal musician and the author of three published books. Her favorite treat is chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
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