Is this even possible? We are being quoted $400 a week (200 for Enlish, 200 for math). We want to go the private tutor route for prep put this seem so over the top.
Any suggestions appreciated.
My son raised his score by over 300 points, just by taking many, many practice tests. He said the tutoring/classes weren’t nearly as helpful as just taking lots of tests.
What about the online help? Khan Academy?
Khan Academy for the SAT.
There are pretty good one-on-one virtual tutoring services for about $100/hr. I have one I like but I don’t want to promote them here, you can PM me if you want it. I won’t say it is perfect but it worked great for my S’s SATII where we could not find a local tutor and his honors class in the subject didn’t cover everything.
Plus you don’t have to drive anywhere. 
TBH, tutoring is usually a fancier way of getting someone to focus for longer periods of times than they normally would. It isn’t really necessary unless you have problems understanding something (which usually isn’t the case for SAT)
Google The Study Shack in NYC
I respectfully disagree with that. Not everyone is auto-didactic. Also OP didn’t ask if tutoring was worthwhile but where to get less costly help.
I bought a $20 study guide book for each of my kids.
Skype ACT tutors of high quality can be found for around $50/hr and up. They probably won’t live in NYC, but it’s not like that matters if you’re meeting with them online. Nearly any private tutor should be able to tutor you via Skype, even if that’s not normally a service that the tutor offers. The only issue is making sure that you keep the time zones straight!
Fair enough, to each their own. But if the OP doesn’t absolutely need a tutor, I see no reason to shell out the money (perhaps I’m biased as I come from a lower class family). There are many people who are able to self study and achieve very high SAT scores, and I do believe (again respectfully my opinion) that most have the ability to do that if they could figure out a way to concentrate repeatedly.
No one is saying your opinion is wrong. They are saying it is irrelevant to the OP’s question: they want a less expensive private tutor.
Oops, I meant only to reply to you. But my answer is no more irrelevant than the first 3 posters who gave alternative methods. To answer a question, one doesn’t necessarily need to give a direct answer. The OP’s main question is help finding a cheaper tutor, but the root is getting a better SAT score. If we direct the answer to the root, than that solves the problem regardless. Not trying to start an argument, just wanted to point that out. Sorry if I sounded aggressive.
@Postmodern well said
Having a qualified, expert test-prep tutor on your side helps nearly everyone, even the brightest students. Yes, you can save money by prepping by yourself, but you’re probably leaving points on the table by self-studying for the most important test of your life thus far.
Think of it this way: if you were arrested for a crime you didn’t commit, then would you A) represent yourself at trial, B) accept a public defender, or C) hire a lawyer? I know which one I would choose. My point is that when the stakes are high, the expense of hiring a professional is well worth it.
Get a college student to tutor the SAT. I (Columbia student) tutored several students for a nonprofit college prep program. It depends on how much you need to improve, but I’m sure you’ll get better prices
Many of us who are now full-time tutors began our tutoring careers during our college years. I’m definitely a better tutor now, but I will concede that I was definitely more affordable back then. ; )
OP, I am on a Yahoogroup called parentsofnyteens. It was started by a mom in brownstone Brooklyn but probably half of the members are from Manhattan and Queens. It has a related blog of recommended tutors. PM me for info, as I don’t think I can post that here.