help please...college study aid redux

Parents Forum
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<p>I received some great input a few weeks ago (thanks again!) about how to help my daughter next year (see two paragraphs below the line below from):</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1078778-study-skill-prep-recommendations.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1078778-study-skill-prep-recommendations.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>We've found several Sylvan/Huntington-type tutors who say they can really help my daughter one-on-one with her poor study, organization, note-taking, etc. skills. My daughter and I can decide which tutor might be the best subjective fit for her personality, but what would be some objective "interview" questions you all would ask the tutor to get beyond the sales spiel...to ensure the best possible chance you're getting someone who can come close to doing what they say they can? I'd appreciate any ideas.</p>

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<p>"My daughter has strong SAT scores and a good GPA, but is very disorganized, a poor class note-taker, and a spacey manager of time (ADHD traits...she chooses against medication). She will be attending a school with challenging academic requirements next fall. I realize that the school wouldn't have accepted her if it didn't think she could do the work, but her traits mentioned above make her quite different from the profile of the average student at this school.</p>

<p>To help her prepare for what's ahead next fall, I would like my daughter to get help this summer with sort of "study aid" class to help her with her study skills (e.g., sessions from Huntington Learning Center, Sylvan, or the like). I've discussed my daughter's situation with some of these organizations...I wasn't greatly impressed with what they offered. Are these organizations the way to go for what we're looking for? Does anyone have other recommendations for this summer that would address my aims? Thanks in advance."</p>

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<p>Sylvan and Huntington Learning Centers are likely fine for some folks. Here is my opinion…they don’t necessarily “individualize” for each child’s needs…and for what you are paying per hour there, you should be able to find a well qualified PRIVATE tutor for your daughter. Ask around…that’s where I would spend my money.</p>

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<p>I ordered a DVD series titled “Becoming a Superstar Student” from a catalog called Great Courses. It has a very nice notetaking method (I teach study skills at a community college and used it this semester) and suggestions for many other study skills. It might be worth a look before you sink a bunch of money into one of the learning centers.</p>