Custom Tutoring & Daily Support from the World’s Most Elite LSAT Coach
Hello! I’m Rachel. I’m a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School. My LSAT students regularly see increases of 15+ points. As a professional designer and illustrator, I’m a uniquely visual and creative instructor. I guide each LSAT student on a daily basis, which makes my tutoring perfect for ADHD students, procrastinators, and 170+ aspirants. As of June 2023, I have just over 1600 hours of professional LSAT teaching experience.
Break Up Your LSAT Studying Into Manageable Guided Daily Journeys
Your 3-Step Starpath to LSAT Success
1. Customized Study Plan
Proper planning leads to stress-free success. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of your LSAT goals, schedule, learning style, and current challenges, we’ll work together at our first session to create your custom LSAT study plan. With a roadmap in hand, you’ll know what you should be working on each day and be able to see how your daily efforts stack towards larger LSAT success. Fall off plan? Don’t worry, it happens. Weekly coaching sessions enable us to smoothly adapt your testing strategy on a week-by-week basis in response to life’s unexpected changes.
2. Elite LSAT Coaching
I scored in the 99.8th percentile of LSAT examinees, have 1000+ hours of professional tutoring experience, and developed my study routines attending Harvard College and Yale Law School. I’m also a professional illustrator. In our weekly coaching sessions, I’ll make learning easy by translating complex LSAT concepts into clear visuals and simple explanations, while delivering personalized LSAT instruction tailored to your individual strengths and weaknesses. I’ll show you how to build effective study habits like an elite student to routinize peak testing performance.
3. Daily Guidance & Accountability
Unlike other tutors, in addition to providing planning and tutoring support, I also offer high-impact accountability management. After your weekly lesson ends, I’ll check in with you every day. If what you need to work on is unclear, I’ll provide clarity. If you’re prone to procrastination, I’ll give you the structure and accountability you need to study successfully. If you need calming guidance, I’ll gently guide you forward. This level of support makes my coaching truly elite and impactful. It keeps you focused and maximizes the impact of your customized study plan & weekly coaching.
My Coaching Style is Warm, Positive & Effective
Rachel was the best tutor I could have asked for. When I first started tutoring, I scored a 149. After completing tutoring with Rachel, I scored a 179 on test day. Rachel was exceptionally patient, understanding, and supportive. She listened to my needs and tailored each lesson to meet those needs. Not only did this help to improve my score, but it made tutoring an enjoyable experience.
Sophia, +30 points // 149 to 179 official score
Having ADHD, it was especially difficult to concentrate on Reading Comprehension and I didn’t think that it was possible for me to improve on this section. Rachel created a customized plan that helped me grasp the core concepts and it was fascinating to see how my comprehension skills improved in such a short period of time. Rachel is innovative, encouraging, and attentive. The LSAT felt overwhelming until I met Rachel.
Grace, +10 points // 152 to 162 official score
I grew up believing that I was a slow learner and that it just naturally took me longer to grasp certain concepts. After meeting Rachel, I came to the realization that the style in which I was taught had a huge impact on my learning process. Her method of tutoring incorporated a lot of visual aids, along with a restructuring of the way I memorized information. That was super helpful in letting me better retain information and avoid wasting time… Speaking from personal experience, it helped a lot to have someone in my corner who believed in my potential when I didn’t.
Ryaan, +17 points // 155 to 172 official score
As a tutor, Rachel takes a compassionate, yet rigorous, approach. I could tell immediately that Rachel was a highly experienced tutor, especially when she adapted our one-on-one weekly lessons to fit my preference for visual stimuli, such as diagrams and illustrations—and around my tight schedule of working from 9-5. By the end of my challenging journey, I was able to increase my initial performance to a score I’d genuinely thought was beyond my ability.
Kyle, +12 points // 152 to 164 official score
Impactful & Evidence-Based LSAT Coaching
My coaching system builds on research about what triggers student motivation, develops lasting understanding, and heightens academic achievement.
"Tutoring is remarkably effective at helping students learn, with over 80% of the 96 included studies reporting statistically significant effects."
A non-partisan think tank, The Brookings Institution, reviewed dozens of randomized scientific studies and concluded that "the evidence is clear that tutoring can reliably help students catch up."
Brookings also notes that "professional tutors typically have more training than nonprofessional volunteers and parents, which makes these models substantially costlier but also expected to yield larger effects." The quality of the tutoring bought influences the quality of the progress made.
"Goals should be embedded in frequent discussions, ambitious in scope, measured by specific metrics, and transparent for everyone to see.”
Research from MIT's Sloan School of Management indicates that the best way to maximize long-term performance is to combine ambitious, specific, measurable goals with frequent and transparent talks about what you're actually doing to achieve them. That's why in addition to tutoring, I provide students with a custom study plan with specific daily goals, continually adapt study plans in response to feedback, and check-in daily to discuss your progress.
"Of the 19 outcome studies identified, 18 studies find that ADHD coaching supports improvements in ADHD and executive functioning symptoms."
According to new research from the University of Pennsylvania, by providing consistent support with staying motivated, accomplishing tasks, and regulating anxiety, ADHD-specific coaching can measurably increase student performance. I’m proud to follow evidence-based recommendations for ADHD coaching. My gentle coaching style avoids triggering RSD, and I’ll set up organizational & time management systems for you as part of your study plan, so that you can learn effectively.
Four Common Reasons Students Seek LSAT Coaching
170+ Goal
In the last two years, I’ve had twelve students score a 170+. Their scores were: 180, 179, 179, 179, 178, 177, 177, 176, 175, 173, 172, 170. With enough time, I’m sure we can get you there.
Test Anxiety
Welcome to the club. This is a very common problem, which is why I incorporate test anxiety management as an active part of my coaching practice. Let’s help you calm down on the exam.
ADHD
Great! ADHD students are wonderful students to teach, because they can make huge leaps when taught in engaging and flexible ways. I promise to make the LSAT (a tiny bit) interesting.
Timing Issues
There are two ways to beat timing issues. Stress out about it and get lucky, or completely master the exam. Practice makes smooth, and smooth makes fast. I’ll show you how to practice correctly.
How a Former Student with ADHD Shot Up to a 179
Breaking through a challenging score plateau, Ally shot up 19 points to a 179.
Here is her story, in her own words—
“I originally sought out tutoring because I knew that I was working with a decently short timeline, ADHD, and a high ‘goal score.’ I felt as though I needed a tutor in order to stay on schedule and maximize my studying time.
Not only did Rachel keep me on a schedule, but her schedule helped me create an organized routine which really helped me—both from an anxiety and focus perspective. I knew what to expect every day from my studies, and each week placed emphasis on areas which ultimately helped me to achieve the highest possible score.
What I did not necessarily anticipate when I sought out tutoring was what I consider to be the most beneficial, and unique, aspect of working with Rachel. Once I reached a certain territory/bracket of scores, I began to plateau, as she informed me students often do. At that point in scoring and studying, I think it’s especially difficult to strategize and teach yourself material without a second set of eyes.
In order to make the extra—crucial—jump, Rachel created not only highly personalized strategies, but also highly successful ones! Whether recommending supplementary material, introducing new study strategies, or helping me understand complex and nuanced concepts, Rachel’s expertise materialized most in this area of my studies.
My second score jump ended up being as large as my first. Not only did my score increase 19 points by test day, but I also felt as though I had “done all that I could,” for lack of a better phrase. A lot of this had to do with a second unanticipated consequence of tutoring, which was test day prep, outside of the material itself.
During my studies I would often find myself panicked on practice tests, or simply in the wrong mindset. Rachel helped minimize anxiety and maximize performance by keeping me in a routine, but also by emphasizing and aiding the sort of test prep that often goes unnoticed: taking care of yourself.
All of this guidance came to fruition on test day, when I remained calm and in my routine, and even ended the test feeling as though I had performed to the best of my abilities. All in all, Rachel went above and beyond my highest hopes and expectations for tutoring. Not only did she help me accomplish the goals I had set for myself at the beginning, but she helped me achieve things I didn’t even know I could.
I could not recommend Rachel more highly, especially for students with specific needs, whether those needs be related to mental health, attention, or working on a specific timeline or with a specific score in mind. One of Rachel’s many strengths is her ability to adapt and personalize her approach, maximizing each student’s success.”
— Ally, +19 points // 160 to 179 official score
Ideals are like the stars: we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them. — C. Schurz
Hello, I’m Rachel.
I’d like to share with you my credentials, how I got here, and a bit about my life. I hope that by sharing my story with you, you’ll understand why I love teaching so much and what leads me to care deeply about my students.
Hey there, I’m Rachel. I’m a professional illustrator and the sole tutor/owner here at Starpath. To give you the short rundown on my educational credentials. I graduated from Harvard College with a 3.9 GPA and scored a 177 on the LSAT. I also won $275,000 in law school merit scholarships. Along with offers from Harvard, Stanford, and NYU, I ultimately turned down a full ride to the University of Chicago Law School, graduating from Yale Law School in 2019.
After finishing my 1L year with a perfect transcript, I started to wonder why I wasn’t as happy as I thought I’d be. Surrounded by accomplishments, my life felt increasingly empty. Looking for a way to connect with myself again, I returned to my art practice, carving out precious time between classes. Although it took me a long time to admit it, in secret, I started nurturing a tiny, private dream of someday becoming a nomadic professional illustrator instead of an attorney.
As I was on the verge of graduating, a close friend took me aside and said that I should give my dreams a shot today, rather than tomorrow. Although it took all the courage I had, I decided to give up my offer of a job with the Federal Trade Commission to pursue the road untraveled as an illustrator and LSAT coach.
Since then, my clients have included organizations such as Vox News and Move Texas’s youth voter turnout campaigns. I’ve helped students increase their LSAT scores by as much as 30 points and developed new methods of approaching ADHD education. My life is unconventional, but I love being my own boss and having total freedom in what I do each day.
Although our lives outwardly diverge, I believe my students and I are on the same journey. As they’re wrestling with conditional diagramming, or learning to detect the author’s attitude in an RC passage, I’m working to master the fundamentals of art and business. After my day ends as your LSAT coach, I become a student diligently poring over instructional books myself.
As a result, I genuinely know when students are coming from when they try their best, but need another or a different explanation. I relate to their struggles and challenges. Like making art, or carving out a meaningful life path, learning is a frustrating, satisfying, messy, non-linear process. I want my students not to be afraid to need help and I take pride in providing clarity along the way.
Many of my students come to me after working with other tutors who they found dismissive, condescending, or just too dang good at the LSAT to relate to their problems. In my experience, being solely in the “teacher” role for years can cause even the best educators to lose touch with the difficulties of learning something for the very first time. I truly believe that in order for teachers to remain effective, they must remain dedicated, imperfect students on some level as well.
As a nerd, I love this exam. I get a kick out of the weird diagrams and obscure facts about giraffe kidneys (thanks LSAT). However, although that’s part of why I enjoy my job, the biggest reason is something else entirely. The most meaningful experience I have as a tutor is being the person that always believes in my “studynauts.” When my first ADHD student teared up in front of me, saying she had thought ADHD would hold her back throughout adulthood, I realized that being that person is as important to me as any work I could do as an attorney.
I’ve taught the LSAT for over 1000 hours now and every hour has given me something new to consider. Each student is truly a different challenge. I used to work for a big LSAT prep company, but I started my own business after realizing that many students considered “impossible cases” are able to blossom like crazy when given ridiculous amounts of love, support, and personalized instruction. Because I work for myself, I can afford to take the time it takes to care.
The LSAT is a difficult exam, but you can do it. Sending you a thousand wishes for joy and success this year. Please let me leave you with some practical help, along with my well-wishes. Sign up below to receive free worksheets, online workshops, and other supportive resources.
🤓💖 Rachel Cheong
Improve Your Score ➔
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Starpath Values & Commitments
Mastery
My goal as a teacher is for you to be able to teach the LSAT yourself. I will prepare you rigorously and intensively for this difficult exam.
Honesty
I will always value your trust and be honest with you. I will expect you to be completely honest with me and to speak up when you are confused.
Joyfulness
I teach because I love to teach. I will always strive to connect you to your love of learning and let you be your full self in our coaching sessions.
Respect
We will both be prepared and punctual for our lessons. We will treat each other as equals and capable, ambitious professionals.
Consistency
Knowing excellent habits feed excellent performance, I will hold you to your LSAT commitments with gentleness, patience, and care.
Creativity
I will be curious about the way your mind works and seek to adapt our lessons to your learning style. I will explain things many different ways.
Self-Forgiveness
Failure is not separate from success, but a part of success. I will always believe in you and encourage you to forgive and believe in yourself.
Longevity
I will operate my business aiming not for short-term profits, but long-term longevity. Ideally, I will remain in your life as a mentor and a friend.
But Am I Smarter than Other Tutors? Eh, Probably Not.
There are many wonderful LSAT instructors out there and I’m lucky to be friends with a few of them. I genuinely do not believe that I am any smarter than other elite instructors. I’m comfortable with that, because I believe that your success on the LSAT won’t come from how dang smart I am. Rather, I believe that it will come from how effective I make every hour that you’re studying on your own.
That’s why I’ve built my coaching system around providing tailored support every day as you study—then supplementing that foundation with weekly tutoring sessions. Other tutors flip the equation. They build their teaching system around the time you spend in tutoring, then leave you to roll around confused while you study alone. But you spend 90% of your study time studying alone.
I understand and respect where the other tutors are coming from. They prefer to enjoy a sane, weekends-off lifestyle while raking in the dough. I prefer the deep happiness of seeing students make breakthroughs they never thought they could.
FAQs
What are you like as an LSAT instructor?
I think success on the LSAT comes from:
(1) mastering core critical thinking skills; and
(2) closing the gap between theoretical understanding and timed performance
To get my students to LSAT mastery: I focus my lessons on actually teaching conditional logic, grammatical analysis, and argumentative reasoning, rather than on passing along rigid (and ineffective) testing rules like “never pick strong answer choices” or “always make scenarios.” Those kinds of tricks can take students from a 130 to a 150, but start to rapidly fail beyond that point, which is where students usually want to go.
To close the gap between learning and performance: I pay close attention to what students get wrong as they do timed practice problems in front of me. As they walk me through what they’re thinking, I start to understand the process and technique errors that are holding them back from success, and what they need to be taught in order to overcome their current obstacles.
Unlike other coaches, I don’t just teach. I listen and watch.
After hours of observing the way my students actually think and behave, I’m able to give uniquely tailored feedback about their individual testing challenges. I'm also quite good (given my other career) at drawing out visual explanations when a verbal explanation proves lacking.
Will my LSAT coaching happen online?
Absolutely. It was designed to. My system uses online whiteboards in innovative ways to introduce visual aids and invite student collaboration. For students in the Austin area, I do offer in-person lessons under special circumstances (currently on pause due to COVID).
Can you help me lower my test anxiety?
In my experience, there are two kinds of test anxiety. The first kind comes up when you haven’t mastered the material and you know it. That’s pretty easy to take care of. The second kind comes up from just being an anxious person. We can work on that one too. As a Buddhist, I can teach you some basic meditation and mindfulness techniques to help you stay in the moment and think calmly when you’re under stress. I’ll also provide a lot of reassurance and empathy during our sessions as you’re learning.
Do you only work with ADHD students, 170+ aspirants, and visual learners?
No, I market myself towards those groups primarily because I enjoy a challenge. About 50% of my students have historically not fallen into any of those categories. I’m happy to work with any student who is willing to put their genuine best into mastering this very weird exam.
How much do you charge and how are you different from other LSAT tutors?
Great question! Check out my pricing page for more.