Stellar GRE

I took Orion’s 8 week GRE prep course 9 weeks before I was scheduled to take the exam. I hadn’t prepared at all. Orion is a true expert and master of this exam – in his course you will gain access to wisdom and little-​known insight about the test, its scoring, and how to strategically attack it. My roommate was taking the Princeton Review online class at the same time, we would compare what we were learning, and it was clear that Orion’s curriculum was superior. This showed in my final GRE scores, and I can safely say I dominated the essay sections by using his strategies. If you’re looking to hack the GRE, learn to deal with test anxiety, and get the highest scores possible through the most clever approach to the test, you want Orion on your side.

I would hands-​down recommend Orion if you are looking for a GRE tutor. I took his 8-​week group class and I am so thankful that I did. He really cares about his students and makes all of the material really approachable. I definitely felt significantly more confident both with my skill levels and my test-​taking abilities after I left his class.

I highly recommend Orion, for all the reasons others have mentioned, but particularly for his ability to tailor his teaching to best address individual weaknesses. Specifically, I came to Orion answering quantitative questions with decent accuracy but only completing about 13 – 14 questions in the time limit. After 2 months with Orion, I could answer all 20 in a section without losing accuracy.
Orion uses time in his sessions very efficiently. He really helped me improve my speed by identifying common question «tricks» and by showing me alternative, faster ways to solve problems. He truly has an adept, all-​around understanding of all sections on the test and is well worth the investment.

Whoever you are, whatever you’d like to do, if you’re planning on taking the GRE, I recommend Orion fully and wholeheartedly. Orion’s calm, compassionate manner, combined with his knowledge and methodology, make him simply unparalleled.
The GRE is a hurdle nearly all aspiring graduate students dread (I know I did). Having taken the SAT, LSAT, GMAT and now the GRE, I can say from first-​hand experience that test prep tutors are plentiful and are often just as effective as independent practice. This is not the case with Orion. Orion will teach you strategies for, and give you insights into, the GRE you will not get anywhere else.
I give Orion 5 stars only because Unilocal doesn’t offer a higher rating.

Orion is an extraordinarily talented teacher. I walked into my first session knowing that I needed to double my quantitative and improve my verbal in less than a month and a half to get into my dream school, Harvard Graduate School of Education. As I write this review, I can happily report that I just got my acceptance letter and could not have prepared for the GRE so efficiently without Orion.
Orion helps you identify strengths and weaknesses quickly, and he gives strategies and homework based on your individual need. Furthermore, he knows the test inside out and can answer any question in a thoughtful and thorough way. Listen and take note of every tip or trick he says! His knowledge about the writing no doubt gave me the tools to succeed on test day. He also has a remarkable way of normalizing the nerves and anxiety. I highly recommend Orion! A word of advice to get the most out of your time… do your homework and come prepared to work during your study time. You want to take full advantage of that 1 on 1 time with an expert!

What everyone has already said about Orion in these reviews is all true – Orion is an exceptional teacher who can help you to achieve your GRE goals. What hasn’t been said, however, is that if you choose to work with him, I recommend doing so as early as possible, especially if you’re after a significantly large jump in your score. I worked with Orion with that goal in mind – to bring up the abysmally low quantitative score from my first GRE attempt to some number that would be acceptable to a graduate admissions board. Given this first score, I had extremely low confidence in my abilities when we first starting working together. Due to this, our first lessons mainly focused on helping me learn how to relieve my stress and anxiety when faced with a full quant section by developing a strategy for the test. After working with Orion for about two months, I had all the tools I needed to feel competent enough to tackle any question on the quant section, and all of my previous anxiety was gone. This change in my attitude was entirely owed to Orion’s patience as a teacher and zen-​like approach to test-​taking. He showed me how to recognize the patterns within the test, and when you first discover this it’s kind of like when Neo takes the red pill in The Matrix and wakes up to the reality of existence. After taking dozens of practice tests over the course of multiple coffee-​fueled nights you want to run through the streets screaming «The test is that there is no test!» It was a remarkable moment indeed. Sadly, while two months may seem like a more than adequate amount of time to prepare for the GREs, it was not for me, and I deeply regretted that I had scheduled the test leaving no possible chance for retesting. I had to take the test just as I was finally beginning to assimilate all the skills that Orion had taught me, but I still needed a lot more practice to do well. If I had worked with Orion sooner, I would have had more time to practice his methods on my own and I know that would have greatly improved my score in the end. This was entirely my fault since I waited too long to get in touch with Orion in the first place. So don’t make the same mistake that I did! Call Orion ASAP. Don’t wait!

Orion is a wonderful tutor. He is not only very knowledgeable about the GRE, but he also does a great job of instilling confidence in his students. I had originally planned to study for the test on my own but found myself needing a little extra help and a schedule to follow. Orion did a great job of exposing me to as many problem types as possible and successfully tailored the homework and tutoring sessions to fit my ability level. The techniques and strategies he teaches are practical and easily applied. He sincerely wants his students to succeed and his tutoring certainly helped me achieve a high score on the GRE.

Working with Orion was really a pleasure. He was enjoyable to work with, sincerely encouraging, and knew his material backwards and forwards. I considered taking an online prep course, but I’m so glad I chose not to! The tutoring I received from Orion was personalized to fit my weaknesses and strengths in a way that an online program never would be. By the time I sat for my exam, I felt confident with the material. In the end, I achieved scores competitive enough to apply to the top tier graduate program in which I was interested. I definitely owe this in part to him!

I am a terrible test-​taker, and I could not have worked up the courage to register for the GRE (much less take it) had it not been for Orion. He’s the best!
His perfect test scores and ability to adapt his teaching style to the individual student make him an amazing teacher. I shudder when I think about what my scores could have been without Orion, and he helped me reframe my mindset and approach to problem-​solving.
My scores improved 1.5−2x from when I initially started working with him, and have been raving about his methods ever since. I knew that Manhattan/​Kaplan/​other group class-​based services wouldn’t have worked for me; I definitely needed the 1:1 attention, and cannot say enough great things about him.
Do it; you won’t regret it.

Orion is very helpful! In one short month of working with him I doubled my original raw diagnostic quantitative score. I was feeling more confident in verbal, so we only focused on math together. I was feeling completely overwhelmed and a bit hopeless before I started my tutoring sessions with Orion. It had been almost a decade since I had taken math and I knew I was fighting an uphill battle. Orion helped to break down concepts in easily understandable ways. He provides guidance in how to tackle a problem, using formulas, common sense, and a little insight into the test.
Highly recommended!

Orion is the kind of math teacher I wish I had had at school! He explains in a clear and easy to understand, logical way, is very patient and incredibly good at making you feel like you are achieving your goals. I had to take the GRE (which I have never done before, being from outside of the US) and from the diagnostic test he increased my score by around 400%. I would recommend Orion as a tutor with full confidence! Really one of the best teachers I have had — can’t thank him enough!

I can tell you this much: Your decision IS a great one if you choose to work with Orion. His teaching methods are not only effective, but extremely efficient. He is very strategic in assessing where your weaknesses are and focusing on them. He saved me hours of attempting to reteach myself all of the concepts/​equations/​formulas/​etc. Instead, he laid things out in a very comprehensive and memorable way, complete with random facts and historical backgrounds of the concepts (great for cocktail parties) which made them stick.
When I took my diagnostic, I think I got 8 out of 40 quantitative problems correct… maybe (no judging). On our last session, I got 6 out of 40 incorrect. That should speak for itself.
Oh, and I got the score I was aiming for, with a few extra points on top! He’s awesome.

Orion is excellent. Believe what all the reviews say. He is not only a great teacher; he is also very knowledgeable about the GRE itself and the strategies to approach the test logically as well as finding the correct answer. I am terrible at math and in no more than a few weeks, Orion brought me back up to speed as if I had never left the classroom. If you are looking to prepare yourself in the best way possible for the GRE, then call Orion. He is truly the best tutor I’ve ever had.

The thought of having to re-​learn equations and formulas that I hadn’t had to remember in over 10 years was incredibly daunting and scary. But deciding to go to Orion for help was the best decision I could have made. He was there every step of the way, guiding me and showing me how to think in a way that I hadn’t had to in a very long time. I cannot recommend Orion enough as a tutor. I am truly grateful for everything that he did for me.

Orion was a fantastic tutor and really helped me out in a last-​minute crunch. I had been studying for 5 months for the GRE and toward the last week before my exam, I found out about Orion. Even though I only met with him once for a couple hours, I found it to be extremely helpful in clearing up my concerns about the quant comp math questions using the «plug-​in» versus «set them equal to each other» methods. He’s really nice, patient, extremely smart, and knows how to explain concepts from different angles to help you understand. It was amazing that he was able to meet with me on such a last-​minute basis and my only wish is that I found out about him sooner!

I came to Orion after having taken the GRE once and being disappointed with my verbal score. We worked together for six weeks and I made outstanding progress on my second exam. Standardized tests are not my favorite and before Orion, I really felt that the GRE verbal section was subjective and that it would be impossible for me to ever see that there was a «best answer choice.» After our time together, I not only was able to approach the verbal section in a more logical and methodical way, but now apply what I learned during out sessions to my college coursework. Call Orion– he is a phenomenal tutor and is very dedicated to his students.

I can’t recommend Orion highly enough. The man knows the GRE inside and out and he has a flair for reducing the most convoluted topics into comprehensible ideas. However, smarts are par for the course for any perfect scorer. What sets Orion apart from the pack is his ability to transform what could easily be an academic chore into a fascinating game. After a few weeks, I was looking at the test VERY differently. Not only did this make the prep process a lot more fun, but I saw a dramatic increase in my scores as well. And, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about, right? Well worth the time and money. I don’t know what I would have done without him.

Orion worked for my test prep company in New York City, and I highly recommend him. Orion understands how to connect with and motivate people to move them through their difficulties towards confidence, higher test scores and — ultimately — acceptance into their top schools.
He knows his material, and he knows how to teach it. His success rate with his students was fantastic. They did phenomenally well, and they all said he made the process easy.

In every sense of the word, Mr. Taraban is the quintessential maestro of intellectual inspiration. His verbal acumen and mathematical profundity are not only the virtues of a paramount mind, but a holy grail to those who strive for veritable academic excellence. A true visionary and sage in his own right, Mr. Taraban has forever impacted my life in such a way that can never be articulated consummately. I urge those pursuing advanced education to look no further than Stellar GRE. With time and practice, you will wholeheartedly accede.