Donald Viscardi

Donald served for over three decades as the Master Tutor at an internationally recognized test prep company and has tutored literally thousands of students of all ages. He also has trained hundreds of other aspiring tutors and has been involved in the development of course materials for high school, college, and grad school entrance exams. He has led numerous seminars and participated in panel discussions based on his expertise in various standardized tests. Donald has worked with the families of leaders in the arts, finance, and government realms, travelling (at least in the pre-Skype/Zoom days) throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America.

Donald attributes much of his success to the sheer breadth of his experience. He has encountered such a diversity of learning styles that he has the keen ability to focus immediately on a student’s most pressing needs, finding the most efficient and fulfilling course of action, and ultimately following through to a successful test day. Donald strongly believes that the one-on-one process is multi-dimensional and that a great tutor finds various ways to connect with and inspire his students. He likens his approach to the Confucian philosophy: “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.”

Donald highly values so many accomplishments during his career, helping countless students realize their dreams of acceptance into a top school or attaining that seemingly unattainable score. For so many of his students, he has served as the proud guide from their high school entrance days, reconnecting for college admissions, and later on for business or law school. In fact, Donald has become the go-to tutor for entire extended families, working his magic among siblings and cousins, ushering them to their next milestone. Recently, his proudest achievement has been to tutor several students who are the children of his former tutees!

Donald is a native of Brooklyn, NY, where he lives currently with his lovely wife of 27 years and his two teenage boys. For the last 15 years he has devoted much of his spare time to coaching baseball and flag football at a local community sports league, and he is exceptionally proud of his 5 division championships in football in the last 8 of those years. Donald is an avid walker/hiker, and you can catch him daily on the loop in nearby Prospect Park or traversing the tranquil paths of Greenwood Cemetery. He loves photography and enjoys creating videos and slide shows for his extended family, chronicling events, major and minor. Donald is also passionate about horror films and literature and has spent many a late night revisiting the exploits of Fred Kruger and Jason Voorhees!

Testimonials:

“Donald was my tutor for 2 years while I prepared for my ACT and SAT Subject Tests – his patience and instruction on the mechanics of test taking were vital to my success in the process. During that time, I was living in Asia and Donald was accommodating to the time difference and made the transition stress free at such an important time in my school life.” ACT Student, Hong Kong

“I can’t thank Donald enough for helping me to increase my SAT score tremendously! I struggled a lot with the reading section, but Donald helped me gain confidence, and he taught me great strategies to answer the questions correctly. Donald was so welcoming and comforting, and on top of that, he helped me get into one of my dream colleges.” SAT Student, Upstate New York

“Donald worked with both of our boys on their ACT’s. They not only enjoyed working with him, but they also ended up with amazing scores! We recommend Donald without reservation; in fact, we have sent quite a few students his way, all of whom having nothing but great things to say about him. Donald not only teaches the academic part of the tests, but he helps the student learn time management as well as coping skills for the stress that inevitably comes with test taking.” ACT Mom, Hong Kong

“Donald was absolutely instrumental in my GMAT preparation. For me, the critical part of my application would come down to my GMAT score, and it was important for me to score 700+. Immediately after I started working with Donald, I saw my quant scores, which were our main focus, go up rapidly. He is great at breaking problems down to their basic components, and he helped me find my weak areas assigning homework that targeted them. Certain types of problems that had been my downfall in the past gradually became manageable through Donald’s step-by-step approach. Donald also made pacing suggestions that automatically boosted my diagnostic scores 100+ points. Perhaps the best qualities of Donald are his patience and support. He provided excellent advice on how to approach the new at-home testing options and how to stay sane in a less than normal pandemic environment. During an incredibly trying time, Donald was able to maintain composure and still help me excel with my prep. It is clear that Donald has amassed an incredible amount of knowledge about the GMAT. There was no question or problem that he could not answer. As someone who needs structure, I discovered that Donald’s systematic approach of diagnostic exams combined with targeted practice was ideal. I am certain I would not have been able to achieve a 110+ point increase without Donald’s help. I would highly recommend him to any student and will always be grateful for his help!” GMAT Student, New York, NY

“I will always regard Donald’s incredible teaching style and personality as the key reason I was able to have great success in the college application process. When I started tutoring with Donald after my sophomore year, I was scoring in the middle to high 20’s on the ACT and having trouble with time management and certain key reading and math skills. Throughout the next year working with Donald, my standardized testing skills greatly improved. By the end of the process, I scored a 34, which was eight points above where I started. I honestly could not believe the progress I had made, which opened up another realm of schools which I had a realistic chance of getting into. After the ACT, Donald helped me build my Common Application and my subsequent successful early decision application to Brown University. Throughout the process, Donald was an incredible source of motivation and reassurance. His depth of knowledge regarding every aspect of education and life in general was inspiring. More importantly, Donald was an incredibly kind, helpful, and warm person to work with, which made a massive difference. I am so thankful for all of Donald’s help!” ACT/Application Essay Student, Greenwich, CT

“Donald and I worked together for a period of about five months, once or twice per week, as I prepared for the LSAT. Donald curated our schedule and materials to my specific needs and honed it all based on my progress and timeline. What I valued most about Donald’s expertise was his encouragement and positivity. He spent time working not just on my testing skills, but also on building my confidence and alleviating my testing anxiety. He genuinely cared about my well-being and stress levels throughout the process. I ended up only taking the test once and am now a first-year student at University of Pennsylvania Law School. Thank you, Donald!” LSAT Student, New York, NY

“My family hired Donald Viscardi in 2019-2020 to tutor our twins for the SAT’s. Little did we know the enormous impact Donald would have on them. The girls desired not only to go to a top university but to go together. Donald worked individually with the girls and helped their dreams come true! More importantly, he gave them such confidence in their study skills—skills that they use in college today where both maintain A averages as classmates at a great school. Donald was more than a tutor, he was also a mentor and a therapist!” SAT Mom, Upstate, NY

“I worked with Donald Viscardi as he tutored my two sons over the course of many tests…from SAT’s to LSAT’s to GMAT’s. His calm, soothing demeanor was as much a comfort to me and my children as was his expertise about the exams and the on-the-mark pointers he gave to taking them. We all found his help invaluable.” SAT, LSAT, GMAT Mom, New York, NY

“It is no lie to say that I wouldn’t be where I am without Donald. Whether as an overwhelmed high schooler preparing for the SATs, or an anxious college graduate diving back into standardized testing and applications for the GRE, Donald has helped me weather some of my most personally treacherous storms. Not only does he have complete mastery of the subject matter, but his insights into the tests’ very nature provide you with the sort of deeper understanding that enable you to achieve your very best. More importantly, Donald’s calm authority promotes confidence in his students, and makes you realize that there’s no problem you can’t think through and solve. Studying with Donald is a uniquely rewarding experience that made me not just a better test taker, but a better learner and thinker as well. I would not be where I am—I would not be who I am, without him.” SAT/GRE Student, New York, NY

“The challenges of standardized testing go beyond solely comprehending the material. Having studied with Donald for both the SAT and the LSAT, winding up at my top-choice school in both cases, I can testify to the fact that his understanding of the exams is top-notch. But what makes Donald such an excellent tutor is the belief that he instilled in me that I could conquer these exams if I stuck to the plan that we established. By the end of our time together, I truly felt equipped to tackle any question thrown my way, and that was a testament to Donald’s steadiness throughout the process (with just the right amount of humor lamenting the fate of our beloved New York Jets mixed in to keep us loose). I cannot recommend Donald more highly, both as a tutor and as a friend.” SAT/LSAT Student, New York, NY