# Dan Lerman

> Columbia-level coaching for students chasing the dream school.

## Pages
- [Now](https://danlerman.com/now/): What Dan Lerman is focused on now: the Tutor Dojo, SAT boot camps in London and New York, turning 40, and speaking at the Tikvah Marom Summit.
- [About](https://danlerman.com/about/): Dan Lerman has spent 18 years getting students unstuck. A PhD in Cognitive Science, degrees from Duke, Georgetown, and Columbia, and a knack for teenagers.

## Articles
- [My Grandpa Abe once turned down Spielberg ](https://danlerman.com/grandpa-abe/) — 2026-07-02: My grandpa was a living legend. Head of the table. The Godfather. Never graduated high school but read the WSJ every day. Fled a work camp and hid in the…
- [The Larchmont Comedy Series Is Back!](https://danlerman.com/the-larchmont-comedy-series-is-back/) — 2026-06-11: Dan Lerman on the Larchmont Comedy Series returning June 18: a backyard comedy show, newly renamed to honor the neighborhood that makes it possible.
- [The DILFs of Larchmont Made It Onto KTLA](https://danlerman.com/dilfs-of-larchmont-ktla/) — 2026-06-10: Dan Lerman recaps the DILFs of Larchmont dad group's KTLA television segment, filmed at Tacos Tu Madre and aired on the For a Good Time feature.
- [The Next Comedy Phenomenon Has Arrived](https://danlerman.com/the-next-comedy-phenomenon-has-arrived/) — 2026-06-02: Dan Lerman on glimpsing comedy's future at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival: a live taping of Stamptown, the show he keeps urging friends to see.
- [[ARCHIVED] DILFs of Larchmont: Microcomedy and Shopify Store Announcement](https://danlerman.com/dilfs-of-larchmont-microcomedy-and-shopify-store-announcement/) — 2026-01-28: Dan Lerman shares the DILFs of Larchmont microcomedy series, what the dads do with five free minutes, and news of a Shopify store launching soon.
- [Reflections on the Eve of a Second Child](https://danlerman.com/second-child/) — 2025-11-12: Dan Lerman reflects on the eve of his second child: the ways life gets tougher, the ways it gets better, and a few predictions about number two.
- [It's Official! The Professional Tutoring Program (PTP) is Live](https://danlerman.com/tutoring-program-is-live/) — 2025-11-10: Dan Lerman launches the Professional Tutoring Program, a first-of-its-kind university-backed tutor training built with Columbia University.
- [Laughs on Larchmont: The Recap](https://danlerman.com/laughs-on-larchmont-the-recap/) — 2025-11-03: Dan Lerman recaps Laughs on Larchmont, a sold-out comedy crawl that raised about $1,500 for Hilarity for Charity and a local neighborhood group.
- [I Saw Alanis Morissette in Vegas!](https://danlerman.com/alanis-morissette/) — 2025-10-27: Dan Lerman writes about seeing Alanis Morissette at her Vegas residency, the vulnerability she shared on stage, and why the night moved him to tears.
- [The John Curley Show: The James Bond of SAT Tutoring](https://danlerman.com/john-curley-show/) — 2025-10-02: Dan Lerman joins The John Curley Show on KIRO Newsradio to talk about his James Bond moniker and the war on knowledge in education today.
- [Big Life Update: Chief Cognitive Scientist at Advantage Testing](https://danlerman.com/chief-cognitive-scientist/) — 2025-09-22: Dan Lerman joins Advantage Testing as Chief Cognitive Scientist, sharing why he sees tutoring as a true profession and how the firm builds skill.
- [[ARCHIVED] Laughs on Larchmont: A Comedy Crawl for a Cause](https://danlerman.com/laughs-on-larchmont/) — 2025-09-18: Dan Lerman and his wife launch Laughs on Larchmont, a Los Angeles comedy crawl with three shows at unexpected venues for a good cause.
- [DILFs of Larchmont: LA's Most Exclusive Dad Club](https://danlerman.com/dilfs-of-larchmont/) — 2025-09-12: Dan Lerman tells the story of the DILFs of Larchmont, a Los Angeles dad group that embraces middle age, grilling, and a mention on Conan's podcast.
- [The Free Press: The War on Knowledge](https://danlerman.com/the-war-on-knowledge/) — 2025-09-01: Dan Lerman shares his Free Press article on the decline of knowledge in schools and why factual learning still matters, with the full piece below.
- [SAT Boot Camps in London](https://danlerman.com/sat-london/) — 2025-07-13: Dan Lerman has run a summer SAT boot camp in London for nine years, returning each July to teach British students and enjoy the city with his wife.
- [The Future of the Tutoring Industry](https://danlerman.com/the-future-of-the-tutoring-industry/) — 2025-07-04: Dan Lerman speaks at the National Test Prep Association conference on why tutoring, an ancient practice, is finally moving toward professional standards.
- [The Nick Halaris Show](https://danlerman.com/the-nick-halaris-show/) — 2025-05-09: Dan Lerman joins The Nick Halaris Show to talk about elite tutoring, the pressures of modern education, and building cognitive confidence in students.
- [K Academy: My Quest for Basketball Redemption](https://danlerman.com/k-academy/) — 2025-05-27: Dan Lerman returns to K Academy, Coach K's basketball camp for players 35 and up, hoping to redeem a humbling first run that ended with a broken rib.
- [How I got Mentioned on Conan's Podcast](https://danlerman.com/conan-obrien/) — 2025-04-30: Dan Lerman tells how dropping off hats at the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend studio led the DILFs of Larchmont to a full opening segment on the podcast.
- [Tutor Training Is Finally Here (And About Time, Right?)](https://danlerman.com/tutor-training/) — 2025-04-17: Dan Lerman launches Advanced Tutoring Techniques at Columbia, plans TutorCon in NYC, and works toward a full tutor certification program for the field.
- [GOLDA Guide: The Office Haggadah](https://danlerman.com/golda-guide/) — 2025-04-11: Dan Lerman talks with GOLDA Guide about The Office Haggadah, his childhood Passover memories, and the backyard second-night Seders that inspired it.
- [Bringing "The Office" to Your Passover Seder](https://danlerman.com/the-office/) — 2025-04-10: Dan Lerman shares a Jewish Journal feature on The Office Haggadah, the Scranton-themed second-night Seder he created with Dave Cowen.
- [Parody Haggadahs for Seder](https://danlerman.com/parody-haggadahs/) — 2025-04-08: Dan Lerman shares his parody Haggadahs, sitcom-inspired takes on Passover that blend the teaching of tradition with the laughs of modern TV.
- [Larchmont Comedy Show Entertains Over 300 Neighbors](https://danlerman.com/larchmont-comedy-show/) — 2025-03-24: Dan Lerman recaps the first Larchmont Blvd Comedy Show, which drew over 300 neighbors and raised $2,500 for LAFD Fire Station 52.
- [Meeting Warren Buffett](https://danlerman.com/warren-buffett/) — 2023-05-07: Dan Lerman shares the most memorable lines from seeing Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway meeting, on America, reading, AI, and loving your work.
- [My First Ever Tutoring Class at the University Level](https://danlerman.com/advanced-tutoring-class/) — 2025-02-20: Dan Lerman creates Advanced Tutoring Techniques at Columbia University's Teachers College, a first-of-its-kind class on how to tutor well.
- [The SAT Makes a Comeback](https://danlerman.com/sat-comeback/) — 2024-02-06: Dan Lerman breaks down Dartmouth's move to make SAT scores mandatory again, what it signals for reading skills, and which schools might follow.
- [A Wednesday Night in Larchmont](https://danlerman.com/larchmont-buzz/) — 2025-01-03: Dan Lerman shares the Larchmont Buzz feature on his and Kim's Backyard Comedy Series, the private comedy show running a block off Larchmont Blvd.
- [Turning Creative Dreams into Reality: My Artist's Way Accountability Group](https://danlerman.com/artists-way/) — 2025-01-08: Dan Lerman builds an accountability group around Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, with a $100 penalty per missed week to keep creatives finishing it.
- [Becoming A Confident Learner](https://danlerman.com/becoming-a-confident-learner/) — 2024-12-27: Dan Lerman explains cognitive confidence, how self-belief shapes intellectual growth, and practical steps to build confidence as a learner.
- [Qualities Of Great Educators And Coaches](https://danlerman.com/great-educators-and-coaches/) — 2024-12-10: Dan Lerman shares three qualities of exceptional educators after nearly two decades teaching: empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard.
- [[ARCHIVED] Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action](https://danlerman.com/supreme-court-strikes-down-affirmative-action/) — 2024-12-16: Dan Lerman breaks down the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision ending race-conscious college admissions and what the change means for applicants.
- [Ivy League's New Priority: Athletes, Experts, and Super Fans](https://danlerman.com/ivy-leagues-new-priority-athletes-experts-and-super-fans/) — 2024-12-16: Dan Lerman recounts a lunch with three Ivy League admissions officers and the unexpected pathways they say can boost a student's chances.
- [The League of Exceptional Tutors](https://danlerman.com/lxt/) — 2024-08-15: Dan Lerman explains why tutoring lacks any real training path and shares his ideas for a certification program through the League of Exceptional Tutors.
- [Marquis Who's Who Recognizes Daniel Lerman, PhD, for Pioneering Education and Premium Tutoring Services](https://danlerman.com/marquis/) — 2024-05-09: Daniel Lerman, PhD, is selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who, recognizing his teaching career across St. Paul's, Saint Ann's, Oxford, and Columbia.
- [My Most Viral TikTok](https://danlerman.com/viral-tiktok/) — 2024-11-15: Dan Lerman shares his most viral TikTok along with a bonus funny video from his Practical Professor account.
- [I Got A PhD in My Spare Time For Less Than $20,000](https://danlerman.com/phd/) — 2024-02-15: Dan Lerman explains how he earned a PhD in Cognitive Science in his spare time for under $20,000, using passion, employer funding, and scholarships.

## Categories
- [Best Posts](https://danlerman.com/category/best-posts/): Start here. The handful of posts that best capture what Dan Lerman writes about, from tutoring and cognitive science to comedy and the Office Haggadah. If you only read a few, read these first.
- [Tutoring](https://danlerman.com/category/tutoring/): Tutoring, education, and my work in cognitive science. This is the serious side. "It's Official! The Professional Tutoring Program (PTP) is Live" announces the launch of a project I built with Columbia University. The Professional Tutoring Program had been in the works for a while, and seeing it go live was a big moment.
- [Haggadah](https://danlerman.com/category/haggadah/): Everything related to The Office Haggadah, a project that keeps surprising me with where it goes. "GOLDA Guide: The Office Haggadah" covers another feature of The Office Haggadah, this time on the GOLDA Guide. Every time it gets picked up somewhere new, I am genuinely thrilled. "Bringing 'The Office' to Your Passover Seder" is about our feature in The Jewish Journal. Getting press for a parody Haggadah is not something I ever planned for, but here we are.
- [General](https://danlerman.com/category/general/): The stuff that does not fit anywhere else. Kids, concerts, creative projects, basketball redemption arcs. "Reflections on the Eve of a Second Child" starts with an admission: in some ways, I am embarrassed to be writing about this. Having a child is not unique. But the feelings before it happens are worth putting down.
- [Comedy](https://danlerman.com/category/comedy/): Comedy is my second career, or maybe my first one that I came to late. Either way, this is where I write about it. "DILFs of Larchmont: Microcomedy and Shopify Store Announcement" asks the question: what do the DILFs of Larchmont do when they finally get five uninterrupted minutes to themselves? The answer involves a Shopify store.