Tao Groves

Tutor, Test Prep and Academic Subjects

Tao Groves was born in Charlottesville but is also a citizen of Switzerland and the UK. He
graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University
of Virginia and is currently pursuing a master's in systems engineering. As the only current
university student on the Clayborne team, Tao is well-equipped to advise students as they
prepare for their own higher education. His teaching journey began in tenth grade, when he
helped his classmates prepare for the AP computer science exam in exchange for coffee. He
quickly discovered the joy of sharing his passions with others and continued teaching wherever
possible – as a teaching assistant, ski instructor, and eventually as a professional tutor.

Tao is inspired by passion; seeing what is possible when one lives every day to master a skill or
contribute to their community makes him feel like he can accomplish anything. He strives to
bring the same zeal and excitement to every session, showing others how to enjoy learning as
much as he does while sharpening their skills in math, English, programming, and many other
disciplines. For example, one of his elementary school teachers who would challenge students
to tell her the most interesting word they learned each week. The student with her favorite
word would receive five extra minutes of recess. He once won this coveted prize with the word
“borborygmus” (the sound made by a grumbling stomach). Many years later, he would use this
word in an application essay to UVA. The way this teacher was able to turn an otherwise
mundane exercise into the highlight of each week, instilling in him the knowledge he still uses
to this day, serves as the single greatest inspiration in his own tutoring journey.

He hopes to one day start his own software company, as he finds the thrill of working quickly
with a small team to do something entirely new to be one of the most satisfying feelings in life.
He also wants to take the Emotional Intelligence for Professionals course, as he feels this would
be a helpful skill to master as he begins working with larger and more diverse teams and taking
on more professional responsibility.
In his free time, Tao loves to spend time outdoors, be it through hiking, skiing, wedding
photography, or competitive ultimate frisbee. He can often be found on the downtown mall
with a book in one hand and a latte in the other.

Tao’s test preparation credentials include:

• 5+ years preparing students for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams
• Perfect SAT 1600 (800 V, 800 M)
• Perfect ACT 36 (36E, 36M, 36R, 36S)
• Perfect scores on 8+ AP exams across 6 disciplines