Ron Awad

Travis Morgan, MBA

Dave de Koos

GMAT Tutor

I want a problem-solver.

Dave’s love of standardized testing started well before he scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT; it goes back to his childhood when he would seek out problems, riddles, and puzzles to solve for fun. Now Dave loves to share his passion for logic and problem solving with each of his students, helping them to see through GMAT problems to find the most efficient path to the solutions.  

“I know most people dread studying for the GMAT, but I actually enjoyed every minute of it.  When I decided to do an MBA and started studying for the GMAT, I was delighted to find that the problems were interesting, complex and clever.  I love solving problems and puzzles and figuring things out in different ways – so I had basically been informally preparing for the GMAT my entire life.  I can connect with students to get them engaged with the material and instill in them the same kind of interest and appreciation for the process of figuring out the answers that I have.”

Throughout his 12 years of teaching experience, Dave has come to realize that the key to mastering the GMAT is to gain a deep understanding of the fundamentals being tested and not to focus on tricks. He teaches students to break down complex problems into simple, manageable pieces so that the concepts can be understood at a fundamental level and solutions can reveal themselves.

I want an experienced teacher.

Dave holds a Bachelor’s of applied sciences in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Concordia University. Beyond GMAT students, Dave has taught at all levels of education, ranging from high school to university to continuing education. 

In his free time, Dave enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee (and is a veteran of 3 national championships!) or challenging friends and family to the game of Risk in his living room.