A Story of You service · Since 2024

Tutoring, counseling & test prep that lift students higher.

SOY Academy pairs each student with a dedicated mentor — turning effort into momentum through personalized academic support, college guidance, and a clear plan for the tests that matter.

Trusted by students & families across the region.

Supporting students through

  • Middle School
  • High School
  • SAT & ACT
  • AP Courses
  • College Applications
Who we're for

Support built around the student — and the family behind them.

Every learner arrives with a different story. We meet students where they are, then build the structure, confidence, and strategy to carry them where they want to go.

For students

Confidence that compounds

Grades climb when a student finally feels capable. We turn confusing material into clear next steps and steady wins.

  • Subject mastery in math, science, reading & writing
  • Test strategy that calms nerves and lifts scores
  • Study habits that outlast any single class
For families

A partner you can trust

You shouldn't have to navigate it alone. We keep you in the loop and turn big decisions into a manageable plan.

  • Clear progress updates after every milestone
  • Honest guidance on courses, tests & colleges
  • Flexible scheduling — online, wherever you are
What we offer

Four ways we move students forward.

Everything is personalized and mentor-led. These are the four things every SOY tutor is built around — mix and match what your student needs.

Subject Tutoring

A dedicated mentor who knows your student by name, across math, science, reading & writing, English, history, foreign language, and STEAM. We diagnose the real gap — not just the wrong answer — and rebuild understanding from the ground up.

Grades K-12 & UndergradOnlineWeekly or as-needed
Start with a free consult →

Test Prep — SAT · ACT · AP

Diagnostic-driven prep that targets the points you're actually missing, with timed practice, proven strategy, and a score goal we work toward together.

Full-length practiceScore tracking

Comprehensive College Support

Essay review, interview prep, and everything else that goes into the application: school lists, scholarships, and deadlines — mapped into a calm, step-by-step roadmap.

Essay reviewInterview prepApplication strategy

Executive Functioning & SEL

The skills that make everything else possible: planning, organization, and time management, paired with the confidence and emotional support to keep showing up. We build the environment a student needs to succeed, not just the content.

Planning & organizationConfidence building

Upcoming Events

Free seminars and talks for families, plus group and summer programs for test prep — a lower-commitment way to get to know SOY before booking one-on-one time.

Free seminarsGroup test prepSummer programs
See what's coming up →
Why it works

Real attention, measurable momentum.

We keep groups small and goals specific. The result is a student who not only improves on paper, but actually believes they can.

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of families would recommend us to a friend
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average SAT point gain after a full prep cycle
0:1
typical student-to-mentor ratio in group sessions
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mentoring hours delivered to date

Your mentors

Educators who've been exactly where your student is.

Subject experts and former students who remember what it felt like to be stuck — and know how to get unstuck.

Our tutors are Duke and University of Virginia graduates — four are currently enrolled at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Between them they hold SAT scores of 1530 to 1550, an ACT of 35, an MCAT of 521, and more than 7,000 hours of teaching experience.

Taehun Lee

Academic Generalist

2nd-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. B.S. Evolutionary Anthropology and B.S. Psychology from Duke University, Phi Beta Kappa. 1,500+ hours taught, SAT 1530.

MathScience

Phuong Huynh

Academic Generalist

2nd-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. B.S. Evolutionary Anthropology from Duke University. 1,000+ hours across STEAM and social-emotional learning classrooms, SAT 1530.

MathScience

Rayhan Jhanji

College Counseling Specialist

Medical student with a B.S. History from Duke University and a Master of Education from Southern Methodist University. 4,000+ hours taught, SAT 1550, ACT 35, MCAT 521.

College CounselingEssay Review

Hamed Safi

Academic Generalist

2nd-year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. B.S. Science and Post-Baccalaureate Program at the University of Virginia. 800+ hours tutoring students from immigrant backgrounds, ACT 34.

Reading & WritingCollege Counseling

View the full tutor directory →

Getting started

Three simple steps to a plan that fits.

No pressure, no contracts to start. We begin with a conversation, build a plan around your goals, and only then get to work.

Book your free consult
  1. Free consultation

    A relaxed 30-minute call to understand your student's goals, strengths, and where they feel stuck.

  2. Personalized plan

    We match the right mentor and map out a schedule, goals, and milestones built for your student.

  3. Start learning

    Sessions begin, progress is tracked, and we adjust together as your student climbs.

Good questions

Frequently asked

We work with students from middle school through high school across math, science, reading, and writing — plus dedicated SAT, ACT, and AP preparation and college counseling.

All sessions are online. That's deliberate — your student is matched with the right tutor for their subject and goals, not just whoever lives nearby. Most of our students are in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia, though online means we can work with families anywhere.

After your free consult, we pair your student with a mentor based on subject, goals, and personality. If the fit isn't right, we'll happily rematch — the relationship is the whole point.

No. We start with a single conversation and a plan. You decide the cadence, and you can adjust as your student's needs change.

Book a free consult

Tell us a little about your student and we'll pair them with the right mentor — the first conversation is free.

Book a free consult

Prefer email? admin@storyofyoumain.org