SF Tutors

Ender tutored both of my kids (one female, one male) as they were approaching the SATs. They are very different personalities, and had different aptitudes for the various areas of high school math. Nonetheless, both eagerly attended their tutoring sessions and felt much more confident in their ability to do well on standardized tests as a result of their classes with Ender. One announced, after a particularly good session, «I’m a genius today!» Ender somehow managed to make them feel that he cared about them personally and wanted them to be successful.
MPT – San Francisco

My two sons have been going to Ender for their entire high school careers – and he is simply put, the best! I was referred to him when my son was in a crisis – literally flunking Pre-​Calculus and in danger of getting an F for the semester. My son was reluctant to go to a tutor, but Ender said – «look, you will know if this is helping in just a few sessions,» and he was right. We saw vast improvement after only three sessions. With Ender’s guidance and explanation, my son went from an F to an A for the trimester and got a B for the semester. After that, he never wanted to head into a math final without a tune –up session from Ender. He did very well in math and AP Stat throughout the rest of his high school years.
So when my younger son tested into the very rigorous Accelerated Math course his Freshman year at Lowell, I knew what to do. I had him start with Ender from the beginning and he was one of the few to emerge from that class with an «A.» We also asked Ender to tutor our sons for the SAT and SATIIs and he helped them pull down a surprising 800 in the SAT II – surprising because my son doesn’t think of himself as a «math student.»
Ender is kind, patient, rational, and as my sons say, «just a great teacher.» Everyone I have ever sent to him has been very happy with the results. Some of my friends decline to go because he is not the least expenseive tutor in town, but I want to say «He is worth every penny!» So often, I’ve seen friends spend lots of time and frustration on a less accomplished tutor – with mediocre results. Ender delivers results. Plus, my sons really like him. He’s low-​key and professional, and he eases kid’s fears.
I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have a resource like Ender for my sons.

I have always had a really difficult time learning math. I struggled so much in high school I just stopped taking math all together after advanced algebra. I tried taking AP stats and dropped after two weeks. Now I’m taking statistics at CCSF to be eligible to transfer to a UC. I would be just as lost as I was two years ago if it weren’t for Ender. Ender has been extremely helpful. Not only is he patient and kind, he will help you reach your goal. I went to him after getting a C– on my first stats test. After one visit, on the next exam I scored a 90% on the curve. The test after that, 100%. I currently have a 97% in the class, something I never thought I could do. Ender’s results speak for themselves. He is worth every penny as long as you put the work in, He won’t do it for you, but he will help you help yourself more than any other tutor I’ve had in my life. Ender is expensive but definitely worth every penny. With Ender there’s no need to worry, just do your best and you will Succeed with his help!

Recommended by a top educational therapist, Ender has helped my child get back on track. It’s a question of fit. I’m giving him 4 stars only because he’s not an educational therapist, not because he’s not «excellent.» After four sessions with him, my child has regained confidence needed to move on to the next level.
Don’t trustthe b.s. negative reviews that are of one extreme or another, it usually lies somewhere in between. The teacher either has the knack… or not. Ender definitely has the knack.

A truly exceptional math tutor.
I give the highest praise to Ender for his ability to keep my son engaged, learning and ultimately excelling in his Statistics class at Lowell High School. After realizing that he was in over his head, we convinced our son that he needed a tutor. He unwillingly began to work with Ender, and after a few sessions began to request him instead of avoiding him. Ender prepped him for all his tests and his AP test, and it made a big difference.
I know that Ender is a great tutor because when my son was asked if his Spanish tutor was any good, he said, «not compared to Ender.»

Ender is an AMAZING calculus tutor. My daughter passed AP AB Calc as a high school senior and nailed the exam. As such she enrolled in 2^nd semester college Calc as a new frosh at a top notch East Coast College. Test one = C. Test two = even worse. Tears. Panic. Thoughts of dropping the class until MOM to the RESCUE. I called a number of math tutors and explained the material that my daughter needed help with. Two of them referred me to Ender. I booked two 1.5 hour sessions during Thanksgiving break. Ender was able to quickly assess the areas my daughter needed help with. He answered her questions with simple, straightforward examples. After one session she was smiling. After two sessions she was confident to the point of being giddy. The next week my daughter took her third midterm and earned a 91% which due to the curve was a straight A. She recently took her final and feels like she hit it out of the park. Ender is not cheap but he is worth every penny. I have recommended him to all my friends. Don’t hesitate to use SF Tutors.

Rude over the phone, refused to provide rates or other relevant information. Can’t speak to the actual tutoring, as I was essentially turned away over the phone.

Amazing math teacher for a non-​math student!
Ender was recommended to me by word of mouth as a high school senior (for precalc), and he is by far the best tutor I’ve had yet. I’ve been through a lot of tutors for math throughout the years, and he’s the only one I’ve had that made me feel comfortable, and not stupid, about not understanding math in the way it was taught to everyone else. He seemed to enjoy himself, which made me enjoy going to tutoring, and he explained things in ways I could understand while actually making an effort to go over concepts multiple times without me having to ask. Unlike a lot of tutors I’ve had, he’s very pleasant, thoughtful, and easy to be around, and doesn’t make you feel inadequate for not understanding, or make you feel like an imposition when you do ask him to explain something more than once. Even though I only went once a week, we managed to cover a lot of material and even start (and sometimes finish) homework assignments for the next few days.
I highly recommend Ender for tutoring in anything math related.

Ender Markal and Lauren Shufran can’t explain anything even if their lives depended on it. Stay away from SFTutors! Don’t waste your time and money.

Ender was fabulous with my son Oscar. He helped him to improve his score by 10% when he took it the second time. He also lent a calculator to my son when he didn’t have it with him and we still need to get that back to him! (will right after the holidays!)
Thanks SF Tutors!

Ender Markal is an amazing teacher! He is smart, soft spoken, funny and puts his students immediately at ease. My daughter’s been through several other tutoring programs that proved not only absurdly expensive but utterly ineffective for her. When we found SF Tutors and met Ender we felt our luck had changed. Ender really has a talent for explaining algebraic concepts and possesses the uncanny ability to reach through to his students so that they really understand! There should be a hundred positive reviews for SF Tutors. Really! My daughter looks forward to her tutoring sessions and is excited about a subject that used to make her anxious and frustrated. Needless to say, she’s raised her math grades considerably and the confidence she’s gained has been invaluable to her as she gets ready for high school. Don’t short change yourself by going to other places… call Ender at SF Tutors and you’ll feel like a weight’s been lifted off your shoulders. Really.

I am a media professional, six years out of college and never been a fan of Algebra and Geometry. Where would I even start to prepare for the GMAT? I knew I needed to start from scratch, so I reached out to Ender from SFTutors. Ender was a wonderful tutor who worked with me one-​on-​one to refresh my math skills, reestablish and simplify the foundations of GMAT math covered in the exam. I tried the Kaplan course; unless you know the material, you are simply learning ways to take the test. Ender on the other hand, makes learning interactive and practical while building confidence in the student. I would highly recommended working with Ender if you are mathematically challenged or seeking a mathematical challenge.
Michelle
September, 2007

After 10 years in finance, I realized it was time for a new challenge — to pursue my MBA. I immediately purchased a few texts to start my math review; this was a rude awakening. I have not attempted this type of math problems in over 10 years, my confidence was shaken, now what? I contacted Ender immediately and discussed with him my dilemma. He assured me that it was manageable and to begin with the fundamentals. I initially did not understand why he wanted to simplify every problem step by step to this degree? However as the GMAT progressively became more difficult and lengthy in questions, I understood why Ender brought me back to the fundamentals of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, etc.
Ender is incredibly patient and extremely bright. The academic degrees and the mathematics knowledge he obtains, Ender could easily work for a top tier corporation. However due to his passion for teaching, he has chosen otherwise; an uncommon trait to find. Aside from his knowledge base, he is gifted in identifying a student’s method to absorb material and «tweak» the process to meet their needs.
I truly found an enjoyment working through these math problems, and developed a confidence that was never instilled in me. I am thankful for Ender’s personalized attention, and I will continue to use him in the future for additional math issues related to my profession or courses I need additional help with. Overall, Ender is a unique, patient, and incredibly intelligent tutor who can teach professionals with outstanding math issues or exams. Highly Recommended!!!