Tom Vercoe
Tom is a tutoring all-rounder, with a rare blend of mathematical and humanities expertise. He graduated from Barker College with a 99.90 ATAR, and placed outright 1st in NSW for Legal Studies. With his strong history of academic success in a wide variety of subjects, Tom mixes the creativity of English, content analysis of humanities, and pattern recognition of maths. As well as achieving excellent academic results, Tom is also an accomplished leader, team sportsman, and debater. His interpersonal and communication skills enable him to help students of all ages and academic levels achieve success.
Results and qualifications
- ATAR: 99.90
- State Ranks: 1st in NSW for Legal Studies
- School: Barker College
- University: Bachelor of Law/Arts at ANU (Scholarship)
- Subjects: Legal Studies (99/100, 1st in NSW and 1st at Barker College), English Adv. (95/100, 4th at Barker College), Economics. (95/100, 2nd at Barker College), English Ext. 1 (49/50, 7th at Barker College), English Ext. 2 (49/50, 2nd at Barker College), Mathematics Ext. 1 (94/100, 14th at Barker College), Mathematics Ext. 2 (91/100, 8th at Barker College)
- 100th Percentile with a score of 100/100 in the UNSW Law Admissions Test (LAT)
- Barker College’s Academic Distinction Award (every year 2014-2022), Law Society of NSW’s Mock Trial - Undefeated 2020 and 2021, Law Society of NSW’s Young Lawyers Program
Approach to tutoring
Tom takes a holistic approach to tutoring, encouraging his students to develop in-depth understanding of concepts and content. He focuses on developing his students’ critical thinking and study skills so that they can approach exams independently, without relying on memorisation or rote learning. He believes that the student’s interest and enjoyment of the subject is key to academic success, and personalises his lessons to motivate his students and develop a sense of confidence and commitment. Tom seeks to develop long-term goals with his students. He gives regular feedback on both individual pieces of work and conceptual understanding to build upon the student’s strengths, and aim to improve their weaknesses.
Biography
Tom grew up on Sydney’s North Shore and attended Barker College from year 4 through to year 12. He enjoyed a balanced school life, immersing himself in Barker’s co-curricular programs including debating and mock trial, as well as musical productions and choir, whilst consistently academically performing in the top 5 in his cohort. As an all rounder, he was one of just three students in his cohort of 360 that took both Extension II mathematics and English. He found his passion for law when he got overexcited about a Mock Trial case involving a tree root damaging a sidewalk in year 10. After coming 1st in the NSW in Legal Studies in year 12, he plans to pursue a career as a barrister after studying a Bachelor of Law/Arts at UNSW.
Outside the classroom, Tom is an amateur musician and avid reader of fantasy and sci-fi; during the HSC, he ‘de-stressed’ by reading 22 novels in five weeks (including re-reading Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives for the 5th time).