We’re glad that you’d like to know more about Biltmore Tutoring!
Located in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina, Biltmore Tutoring helps students across all areas of the educational spectrum. Our Master’s degree and PhD level tutors specialize in preparing students for the ACT, SAT, SSAT, and other standardized tests.
SSAT students who have been through our program have been awarded the last three Headmaster scholarships at Christ School, as well as two Nielsen scholarships at Chatham Hall and a full scholarship at Exeter. Our ACT and SAT students have experienced tremendous gains, and have accumulated scholarships worth millions of dollars (including full scholarships to elite schools such as Princeton and Wake Forest; others have been awarded the exclusive Morehead-Cain scholarship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill).
Recently, a local magazine interviewed Stacey Caskey, the co-owner of Biltmore Tutoring. Here is what she had to say about Biltmore’s educational philosophy.
What is Biltmore Tutoring?
Biltmore Tutoring is a tutoring and test preparation company. Our specialty is one-on-one, private tutoring, using proprietary techniques to teach our amazing test-taking strategies for the ACT and SAT.
Where did you grow up? How long have you lived in the area?
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Brooklyn College and Queens College. A National Board-certified educator, I taught in the NYC school system for eleven years before moving to Asheville in 2001. I taught at Claxton Elementary from 2001-2010 and am now the educational director and co-owner of Biltmore Tutoring and Test Prep. My husband, Brian Caskey, grew up in DeLand, Florida, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from Stetson University before going on to complete a graduate degree in Liberal Studies at UNC-Wilmington. Our daughter, Allison, is a ninth grader in the public school system.
What interested you in opening a tutoring and test prep center?
Throughout the years, there were many times when a parent would ask me where they could supplement their child’s education; and really, there were no outstanding local options. Asheville has had a need for educational services that remediate, enrich, and allow a child to achieve academic success. Biltmore’s philosophy helps students excel, as well as to get into the colleges of their dreams.
What makes Biltmore Tutoring different?
At Biltmore Tutoring, we firmly believe that tutoring leads to achievement. We also believe that parent involvement is crucial, which is why parents have real-time, online access to the tutor’s session notes and are part of the dialogue. At Biltmore, we require our tutors to possess at least a Master’s degree! When you bring your child to work with one of our tutors, they have been matched with an expert.
Why are college admissions tests, like the ACT and SAT, so important?
College admissions are much more competitive now. In 2010, Harvard accepted only 6% of their applicants, Stanford 7%, Duke 14%, and UNC 29%. What does that mean for your student? Excellent ACT and SAT scores are needed before students will even be considered by a college admissions committee. Grades, extracurriculars, and class ranking remain important, but test scores make a very important first impression.
Given your educational expertise, what advice can you offer to residents?
The best gift you can bestow upon your child is the opportunity to excel. Better test scores and grades will open doors to experiences that previously seemed out of reach. Younger students gain self-confidence and self-esteem when they perform well in school.
Pre-learning is not a new concept. When students are introduced to upcoming school topics beforehand, especially at the AP or Honors level, they excel. They enter the classroom prepared and confident. Biltmore works extensively with local principals, teachers and curriculum experts to keep your child a few steps ahead at all times.
The best and most important advice I can offer to parents is to be proactive in their child’s education, and to always expect academic success.
We invite our Asheville neighbors to stop in at our state-of-the-art educational center, take a look around, have a cup of coffee, and talk to us about their child’s academic needs.
Discover the power of real academic advisement, of college counseling, of daily access to the tutor’s notes and to people who care about your child’s progress. Discover the Biltmore Tutoring difference.