Elias Neibart

Elias Neibart was a Pat H. Odom Dean’s Achievement Scholar at Emory University. Neibart graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Emory, and is currently working and tutoring before attending law school.

Neibart interned with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

During college, Elias Neibart also conducted research focusing on the founding of the United States of America and the United States Constitution. Neibart participated on the Emory University Mock Trial Team, where he was a nationally recognized mock trial competitor.

Neibart currently works in New York City, and he will soon attend Harvard Law School.

Where did the idea for Elias Neibart Tutoring come from?

After self-studying for the LSAT for 6 months, I decided that I wanted to share my knowledge, strategies, and test-taking skills with other prospective law students. So, during the summer of 2019, I officially founded Elias Neibart Tutoring. As the founder, owner, and only employee, I exercise full creative control over lesson plans and student development.

When I was studying for the LSAT and looking for a private tutor, I was peeved by the cost and lack of flexibility of the major test preparation companies. Most private tutors charged well over $100/hour and had little to no availability for new clients; you had to work within their schedules, not the other way around. I started Elias Neibart Tutoring to offer a high-quality, cost-effective, and flexible option for test-takers.

Our classes are customized and personalized to meet the specific needs of our students, building on their testing strengths, and eliminating testing weaknesses with cutting edge study strategies and proven test-taking tactics.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

A typical day involves one or two two-hour sessions with my students. Before each session, I usually spend thirty minutes reviewing my lesson plan. To make the best use of my time, I plan out lessons the minute; I create 8 fifteen-minute blocks, and I note what concepts or questions I want to review during each segment. By doing this method, I ensure that both me and my students are staying on-track and using time effectively.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I think it is very important to be enthusiastic about the material you are teaching. If you are engaged, your students will be engaged, and this energy brings lesson plans and the ideas I try to convey to life.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Most tutoring is shifting online. COVID-19 and CDC guidelines meaningfully altered the way that all tutoring companies operate, and the industry is trending towards using Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams. This shift excites me because now I can reach students in any geographic region that need assistance. I am no longer limited by my usual 25-mile radius.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Every day, before I start working, I make detailed checklists of the tasks I need to accomplish for the day. Throughout the day, I address each and every task on my list. By breaking my day apart into small, measurable goals, I do not get overwhelmed by the amount of work that I need to accomplish.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

With respect to LSAT preparation, I always recommend blind review. This method consists of going over your completed practice tests before you score them and attempting to answer all of the questions that gave you trouble before looking at the answer key. This essential practice forces students to engage with the most difficult questions they encounter on practice exams, and, at this point, it is considered the gold standard in LSAT review.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

One strategy I employ is personal client outreach. Some larger companies market to consumers in a very impersonal manner, but, being a small business, Elias Neibart Tutoring sends personalized emails and messages to client referrals. These customized outreach techniques make clients feel more welcome and reinforce that they will not merely be another student in the crowd; they will receive individual feedback and instruction.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

When COVID-19 first began to impact the United States, I struggled to shift my business online. I failed to properly acquaint myself with Zoom and Skype, and, accordingly, I did not attract a sizeable customer base, at first. But, as the pandemic continued, I devoted time and resources to familiarize myself with all available technologies. Now, I solely use online platforms to tutor, and it has benefited the profitability and efficiency of my business.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

One business idea I have is a phone application where tutoring students can post questions and receive feedback from other students. This would create a social media platform of sorts where students in need could crowdsource answers from their peers.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

The best $100 I spent was on my Fitbit. As someone who values physical fitness, I have always been drawn to smart watches, but the Fitbit also helps me manage my schedule, text messages, and phone calls. Given that I wear my watch every day, it was $100 very well spent.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Elias Neibart Tutoring uses Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams to conduct teaching sessions, and on the Wyzant tutoring platform, where students can chat with me and send me session requests. I prefer these software platforms because they are user-friendly for both teacher and student. These platforms are also widely used by students during their schooling and at their places of work, so they are very familiar with all of their tools and functionality.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Although it has nothing to do with LSAT tutoring, I always recommend people read The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. The book is a work of fiction, but it provides valuable insight into relationships and love.

What is your favorite quote?

“Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost.”

― Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Key Learnings:

• By breaking my day apart into small, measurable goals, I do not get overwhelmed by the amount of work that I need to accomplish.
• If you are engaged, your students will be engaged, and this energy brings lesson plans and the ideas I try to convey to life.
• Customized outreach techniques make clients feel more welcome.