AP Computer Science Principles Tutor — Online

Most online tutors stay with a student for 6–8 weeks. Tae's longest-running students are in year 5.

Palo Alto Mentor is the online private practice of Tae Hyun Nam — a long-term STEM mentor for high-achieving high schoolers. Two families have been with him since 2021, working through middle-school math, AP coursework, and college admissions with the same mentor. Not the rotating cast of tutors that Wyzant, Preply, and Varsity rely on.

What Tae covers in AP Computer Science Principles

• Big Idea 1 — Creative Development: program design, iterative development, debugging
• Big Idea 2 — Data: binary, data representation, abstraction, lossless vs. lossy compression
• Big Idea 3 — Algorithms and Programming: control flow, variables, lists, procedures, simulation
• Big Idea 4 — Computer Systems and Networks: internet, protocols, fault tolerance
• Big Idea 5 — Impact of Computing: bias, ethics, digital divide, computing innovations
• Create Performance Task: the 12-hour project worth 30% of the AP score — topic selection, code, video, written response strategy
• End-of-course exam: 70 multiple choice questions in 2 hours, mix of coding (in pseudocode) and conceptual
• Pseudocode language: the College Board's specific pseudocode (different from real languages)

Who AP CSP tutoring at Palo Alto Mentor is for

Best fit: students who want an introduction to computing concepts without deep programming, students for whom AP CS A would be too programming-heavy, and students at schools that offer Principles but not A. Easier than AP CS A but still real college credit.

How sessions work

• 100% online via Zoom plus a shared digital whiteboard
• Weekly cadence — 1-hour standard, 90-minute during exam season
• Personalized progress tracking: Tae logs weak topics across the year
• Mock exams in the spring with detailed scoring breakdown
• Direct text and email access between sessions for time-sensitive questions

Related subjects

• AP Computer Science A Tutor
• AP CS A vs Principles: which to take
• How to get a 5 on AP CS A

About Tae

Tae Hyun Nam is the sole tutor at Palo Alto Mentor. Based in South Pasadena, California; teaching online to students nationwide. Reviews from five-year families specifically mention his ability to work across “algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, and computer science” with the same student — the breadth and continuity that make the multi-year mentorship model work.

Book a 20-minute intro call

The intro call is free and runs about 20 minutes. Contact us to schedule.