Private MCAT Tutoring — NYC, San Diego & Online
Expert 1-on-1 MCAT tutoring with Dr. Stuart Donnelly, Oxford Ph.D. — a private MCAT tutor for CARS and all four science sections. Our students gain 15 points on average.
Personalized MCAT Preparation That Delivers Real Results
Looking for an MCAT tutor near me? The MCAT is one of the most demanding standardized tests in the world, covering biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, sociology, and critical analysis. A strong score opens the door to top medical schools, and the difference between a good score and a great score often comes down to preparation strategy.
Dr. Stuart Donnelly has spent over 20 years helping pre-med students master every section of the MCAT through private, one-on-one tutoring. His students gain an average of 15 points, with many reaching the 90th percentile and above. Whether you are starting from scratch or retaking the exam, Dr. Donnelly builds a study plan tailored to your specific strengths and weaknesses.
Credentials: Ph.D., University of Oxford • 20+ years of private tutoring experience • Hundreds of successful MCAT students • Founder of mcatdoctor.com and doctormcat.com
What Makes Our MCAT Tutoring Different
Every session is built around your diagnostic data, your learning style, and the sections where focused work will yield the greatest score improvement. Dr. Donnelly also recommends the best study materials and curates practice questions from premium MCAT sources to ensure your MCAT studies are focused and efficient.
Personalized to Your Weaknesses
We begin with a thorough diagnostic review of your practice scores, then design a study plan that targets the exact content areas and question types where you lose the most points.
Proprietary Passage Strategies
The MCAT is a passage-based exam. Dr. Donnelly teaches proven techniques for reading science passages efficiently, extracting key data, and eliminating wrong answers under time pressure.
All 4 Sections Covered
From Chemical and Physical Foundations to Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior, every section receives focused attention based on your individual needs.
+15-Point Average Gain
Our students see significant score improvements. The combination of targeted content instruction, passage strategy, and full-length test practice drives measurable results.
About the MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test has 230 questions across four sections, with 6 hours 15 minutes of testing time and about 7 hours 30 minutes of total seated time. It is scored 472–528 and is required by nearly every medical school in the United States and Canada.
2027 key facts (AAMC): 35 test dates from January 15 to September 11, 2027; registration opens October 20–22, 2026; the 2027 fee is $360 ($145 with Fee Assistance). See the full 2027 MCAT test dates, deadlines and score release dates, and what your result means on our MCAT scores and percentiles guide.
Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
59 questions in 95 minutes. Tests your understanding of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics as they apply to biological systems. Roughly 25% of passages are chemistry-focused and 25% physics-focused, all presented in a biological context. First-year college chemistry and physics are essential.
Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills (CARS)
53 questions in 90 minutes. The only section with no science content. You read dense passages from the humanities, social sciences, and ethics, then answer questions testing comprehension, analysis, and reasoning. Many students find CARS the most challenging section because it cannot be memorized — it requires practiced reading strategies.
Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
59 questions in 95 minutes. Covers biology, biochemistry, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Topics include molecular biology, cell biology, organ systems, genetics, and metabolism. This section has the broadest content scope and rewards students who understand both the details and the big-picture connections.
Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior
59 questions in 95 minutes. Tests introductory psychology and sociology concepts as they relate to health and disease. Topics include perception, cognition, emotion, social stratification, demographics, and cultural influences on health. Many students underestimate this section and lose easy points as a result.
Our MCAT Tutoring Approach
Dr. Donnelly uses a structured, data-driven method to help each student build competence and confidence across all four sections of the exam.
Chem/Phys: Building Problem-Solving Fluency
Students often struggle with this section because it demands rapid integration of chemistry and physics knowledge within biology-framed passages. Dr. Donnelly focuses on teaching you to identify the core scientific principle in each passage, set up calculations efficiently, and avoid the common traps that AAMC question writers build into answer choices. You will work through progressively harder passage sets until timed performance becomes second nature.
CARS: Developing Active Reading Discipline
CARS rewards a specific type of disciplined reading — not speed reading, but focused comprehension with constant internal summarization. Dr. Donnelly teaches you to identify the author's central thesis within the first pass, anticipate question types before you see them, and use the passage structure itself as a map for finding answers. Students who follow this approach raise their CARS score by 4–8 points on average.
Bio/Biochem: Connecting Content to Application
The biology section covers an enormous amount of material, from enzyme kinetics to organ physiology to genetics. Rather than brute-force memorization, Dr. Donnelly emphasizes understanding the underlying mechanisms so you can reason through novel passages you have never seen before. Sessions include targeted content review combined with passage-based practice that mirrors the actual exam format.
Psych/Soc: Mastering the Terminology
Many students treat this section as easy points, but the AAMC tests nuanced distinctions between closely related concepts — the difference between conformity and compliance, or between reliability and validity, for example. Dr. Donnelly ensures you know the precise definitions and can apply them in experimental and passage-based contexts. This section is where disciplined students often pick up their easiest additional points.
MCAT Tutoring Options
Choose the program that matches your timeline, starting score, and target score. Every plan is customized after your free diagnostic consultation.
Comprehensive Program
3–6 Months
The full preparation experience. Ideal for students starting early or beginning from a lower baseline. Includes complete content review across all four sections, passage strategy development, weekly practice tests, and ongoing score analysis.
- Full content review — all 4 sections
- Weekly 2-hour sessions
- Full-length practice test schedule
- Customized study plan & homework
Score Booster
6–10 Weeks
Designed for students who have already completed initial content review and need targeted help with weak sections or passage strategy. This focused program identifies the highest-value areas for improvement and attacks them systematically.
- Diagnostic score analysis
- Focused work on weak sections
- Passage strategy intensive
- Practice test review sessions
Retaker Recovery
Flexible Timeline
Taking the MCAT a second time requires a different approach than the first attempt. Dr. Donnelly works with retakers to identify exactly why the first score fell short — whether it was content gaps, timing issues, passage strategy, or test-day anxiety — and builds a revised plan to close those specific gaps.
- Previous score deconstruction
- Gap analysis & revised strategy
- Test-day performance coaching
- Pacing & endurance training
What Our MCAT Students Say
“I appreciated how Dr. Donnelly concisely tailored his teaching to fit my learning style. His strategies are unique and helped me improve my MCAT score by 17 points to an amazing 523! I got a perfect 132 score on the Bio section and near perfect scores on all of the others (130 on Chem/Phys, 130 on CARS, and 131 on Psych/Soc). Thank you Dr. Donnelly!”
“Last year, I took the MCAT after studying on my own but my results were VERY disappointing. Physics and Gen Chem have never been my strong point so this year, I decided to get some professional tutoring help and contacted Dr. Donnelly. After just two months of working intensively with Stuart, I raised my Chem/Phys score by 7 POINTS! and my total MCAT score by 13 POINTS! That's how clear and thorough his instruction was. He really was exactly what you would want from a tutor because he really does care about how you do and even kept in contact with me after my exam to help me with school applications. He was an invaluable resource.”
“Dr. Donnelly is a great tutor and genuinely cares about you doing well in your MCAT. Thanks to Stuart, I was able to understand the concepts of general chemistry much faster than I would have on my own. He made learning easy and stress-free. His strategy for dealing with the CARS section was also REALLY effective! I shot up by 7 points in that section alone and ended up with a 516 overall.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Private MCAT tutoring rates vary depending on the program length and frequency. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your goals and receive a personalized quote. We offer comprehensive 3–6 month programs, shorter score booster packages, and retaker recovery plans.
Our students gain an average of 15 points on the MCAT. Results depend on your starting score, the time you invest in independent practice, and how consistently you attend sessions. Students who follow the full study plan and complete all assigned practice typically see the strongest improvements.
We offer both in-person MCAT tutoring in NYC and San Diego, as well as fully online sessions via Zoom. The majority of our students now choose online tutoring for its scheduling flexibility, and sessions can be recorded if students wish. Visit our online tutoring page for details.
Ideally, you should begin private MCAT tutoring 4–6 months before your exam date. This allows enough time for thorough content review, passage strategy development, and full-length practice test cycles. If your exam is sooner, our Score Booster program can make a meaningful difference in 6–10 weeks. Check the 2027 MCAT test dates to plan backwards from your exam.
Dr. Stuart Donnelly holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford and has over 20 years of private tutoring experience. He has worked with hundreds of MCAT students and specializes in all four sections of the exam. He also runs mcatdoctor.com and doctormcat.com, two sister sites dedicated exclusively to MCAT preparation.
Why Students Choose Dr. Donnelly as Their MCAT Tutor
When you search for MCAT tutors near me, you will find dozens of options. Here is why students choose Dr. Donnelly over large prep companies and freelance MCAT tutors.
Oxford Ph.D. vs. Part-Time Tutors
Most MCAT tutors on platforms like Wyzant or Varsity Tutors are recent test-takers with limited teaching experience. Dr. Donnelly holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University and has spent over 20 years tutoring the MCAT full-time. His depth of knowledge across all four sections is unmatched.
Personalised Plans vs. Generic Curricula
Large MCAT prep companies like Kaplan and Blueprint use fixed curricula. Dr. Donnelly starts with a diagnostic assessment to identify your exact weaknesses, then builds every lesson around closing those gaps. No wasted time on material you already know.
+15-Point Average Gain
Students who complete a full MCAT tutoring programme with Dr. Donnelly gain an average of 15 points on their composite score. Many surpass the 90th percentile. These are real results from students across the country; see our MCAT percentile guide for what each score means.
In-Person or Online — Same Results
Whether you meet Dr. Donnelly in person at our NYC or San Diego office, or work with him online via Zoom, the quality of MCAT tutoring is identical. Online students achieve the same score improvements as in-person students. Sessions can be recorded if students wish.