Ben Ehrlich

Ben Ehrlich has more than six years of experience as a tutor, coach, mentor, and teacher with students of all ages, backgrounds, and learning styles. He specializes in ACT, SAT, ISEE, and SSAT prep, as well as English, History, and Writing, including college essays and other admissions materials.

Ben is the author of two books: the first, The Dreams of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, was published by Oxford University Press in 2016, while the second, The Brain in Search of Itself, is forthcoming from Farrar, Straus and Giroux in March 2022. He has also published both fiction and nonfiction in such literary journals as The Paris Review, Nautilus, The Gettysburg Review, and New England Review, where he serves on the Editorial Panel. He has received artist residencies from Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Jentel, and Brush Creek. Literature is his forte, and he encourages students to read closely, think critically, and, most importantly, love books.

In order to write his own books, Ben traveled to various locations in Spain, from the largest cities to the smallest villages, secluding himself in archives and libraries and interviewing locals. He draws on his experience of intensive research to convey to his students the creativity and resourcefulness necessary to find material, beyond Wikipedia. His projects have demanded immense energy and determination, which he communicates to his students, encouraging them to find their own passions. Ben spent years patiently writing and rewriting his books, honing his editing skills and developing his own voice, a process to which he introduces his students, whether for an academic paper, college essay, or piece of creative writing. Writing can often seem intimidating, and many students are hesitant to do it. But every profession—whether business, law, medicine, or the arts—requires writing skills. Ben teaches the fundamentals of grammar and crafting a good sentence to students at any level, with any aspiration for their lives.

Ben thinks of himself as a mentor as much as a tutor. Having played Varsity Basketball in college, Ben is uniquely able to connect with young student-athletes. His experience as a coach has taught him how to positively motivate his students so that they can work their hardest and perform their best. He has forged important relationships with students throughout his years as a tutor, encouraging them to engage more deeply in their schoolwork and to cultivate a positive attitude towards their future. A longtime meditator, Ben incorporates insights from his practice into his pedagogy, helping students to use their minds wisely. He teaches students to watch their thoughts and become aware of their patterns of thinking so that they can root out errors, see clearly, and diminish any test anxiety. The goal of good tutoring, of course, is for the student to no longer need the tutor. In addition to enriching his students academically, Ben aims to help prepare them to confidently face the challenges of their lives.

Ben attended The Ethical Culture Fieldston School and graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College with highest honors in Literary Studies.