Building Pathways for Reasoning
Sculpted Minds is a boutique tutoring studio providing one-one and small group instruction for students in grades 4–12 in math, physics, chemistry, grammar, test prep, college essays, and more.
How Sculpted Minds Began
Sculpted Minds was born in June 2010, when we acquired our first student.
Every weekend, this seventh grader would come over for geometry “fun” with his friend Aditya. When they got stuck, they would ask Aditya’s mom, Neela (a former schoolteacher) for help. Soon, she found herself conducting geometry races with the goal of solving every problem in the Art of Problem Solving Geometry book.
The child loved these sessions so much that his father insisted we formalize them into a paid tutoring arrangement, and Sculpted Minds was formed. Soon after, the child brought his brother along. And his brother told his friends. And they told their friends. These zestful children lingered throughout the year—some for ten years—until they grew up and went to college. Through the years, as interest has accumulated both in Orange County and beyond, we have transitioned to primarily online offerings. Throughout, our commitment remains to providing a safe, nurturing yet academically demanding space.
Our Approach
Our instructional process, designed to foster both procedural fluency and facility with concepts, includes the following:
clarifying what counts as successful completion of a given task (whether a homework problem or semester-long coursework).
laying out a sequence of manageable steps the task requires.
attending to factors—such as uncertainty about process, gaps in knowledge, reduced engagement—hindering a student’s independent completion of the task.
These observations help us calibrate instructional choices both during and after each round. Learning is supported through cycles of task engagement, reflection, and feedback, with an emphasis on mastery.
Let’s work together
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What People Are Saying
“My time at SculptedMinds was transformative. I struggled in elementary school, wanting to go at a different pace than the rest of my class, but not having that option at a traditional school. Mrs. Neela gave me that option and turned an average student like me into one getting straight A’s, a 34 on my ACT, and placing out of high school geometry with no formal classroom training. The greatest part of SculptedMinds is Mrs. Neela’s incredible analytical reasoning abilities as well as her warm and supportive approach to learning that she demonstrates each session by personalizing the curriculum to address the specific needs of her students. She has an extraordinary amount of experience as an educator, tutor, and mentor, and I cannot recommend her enough. If you are interested in seeing your child laugh and have fun while developing strong academic abilities, this is the place for you.”
—Kayhon Rabbani, Resident Physician at UCI
“We had Neela Ranganathan tutor my son for Single variable and Multivariable Calculus when he was a Junior in High School.
He made significant performance gains with her tutoring in both those subjects. She was willing to personalize the program to suit his needs and promptly responded to his requests.
My son felt like whatever work was done during the tutoring sessions was useful and had immediate impact in classes the following days.
She was readily available during and even after tutoring sessions to provide assistance with Calculus problems. She was approachable and accommodating during the onset of the pandemic and we were able to have effective zoom tutoring sessions.
She truly cared about her students and wanted them to succeed and grasp the concepts so that they would be able to apply the knowledge in future class topics. She was very kind and respectful and students always felt comfortable telling her if they didn't understand any concepts.
We would highly recommend her!”
—Tanuja Palsule, Product Manager at Acer America Corp
“Neela is a phenomenal teacher and person. She cares deeply about her students and has a special talent for communicating knowledge in a robust and fun manner. Highly highly recommend!”
—Navid Ghaffari, Medical Strategy and Communications Lead, Microport | MD Harvard
“Ms. Neela is an exceptional teacher who exhibits a strong passion for teaching. She takes her time with students to ensure they truly grasp the material they are trying to learn, and she approaches teaching with a holistic approach. Ms. Neela was able to transform me from a struggling math student to an Algebra wizard. Her abilities are unmatched, and she would be a stellar addition to any educational setting.”
—Charlotte Hartfield, RN, BCEN