<p>Hi! I was wondering if it was better to study for the ACT with a tutor or just self-study with a book (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc.). I know that tutors have done zero to raise my standardized test scores.
Does it just depend one's motivation??? That's what I think.
What are your experiences?</p>
<p>If you are motivated, self study is the best because you can control the schedule and study whenever is convenient for you. But if motivation is an issue, then you might seriously benefit from a tutor that holds you accountable for your goals.</p>
<p>In any case, if you want the maximum score, you’re best off trying both, get a tutor and self study. But for me personally, cheap and stubborn as I am, I would do it as self study.</p>
<p>I wrote a previous comments which is applicable to you:</p>
<p>My advice is that you analyze your needs and make your decision based on what you need. CollegeConfidential’s usual stance of “study by yourself, don’t waste money” is solid for self-motivated students (which CC has a lot of), but it’s not for everyone.</p>
<p>First you have to know yourself. What’s your biggest problem? Is it motivation to study? Is it not knowing what to study? What level are you scoring at - below average, average, above average? Do you have a busy schedule and it’s hard to fit in prep time? How much are you or your family willing to spend?</p>
<p>If you have no motivation problems and are decently introspective, self-study is great. You need to learn from your mistakes and put in study time, but following the advice on this forum will help you a lot.</p>
<p>If your problem is motivation, then self study probably won’t work for you unless you have a track record of being able to put in study time. If you’re scoring at a low level, are willing to pay $800+, and just want to sit in a room and have info thrown at you, a class like Kaplan (<a href=“http://www.kaptest.com”>www.kaptest.com</a>), Princeton Review, Veritas, etc. is not bad. It’s not going to do you any miracles for your score, but you’ll be forced to sit in a room and at least spend some time studying and get introduced to the test.</p>
<p>Maybe you don’t have time to do an in-person class, but you still want some structure for what to study and how. Online programs are pretty good for this purpose. I personally bought PrepScholar (<a href=“http://www.prepscholar.com”>www.prepscholar.com</a>) and found it to be helpful. I used it mainly for its practice questions, but they also had some motivational and scheduling features built in that my friends said they liked. YMMV. Basically this gives you structure and guidance at a lower cost.</p>
<p>If you have a really high budget, then tutoring is usually the way you can get the best results, BUT most tutors out there are actually pretty bad and don’t know how to teach. You need to find one that people agree is good. This is a problem when you’re not an expert at the test, since it’s hard for you to distinguish quality.</p>
<p>This guide has good advice on thinking through what methods of prep are right for you or not:
<a href=“https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/l/compare_methods_prep”>https://www.prepscholar.com/sat/l/compare_methods_prep</a>
(Disclosure: I personally bought PrepScholar and am not necessarily trying to advertise it; I think the guide they wrote will actually be helpful to you).</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>