<p>My son took SAT in January and did well in CR and okay in Math, but needs help with the Writing (got a 580). We don't have the "detail" of the test back yet, so can't see what he got wrong, but....So, I am looking into getting him individual tutoring for the June test. Has anyone done individual test prep? How much was it? Did it pay off in results?</p>
<p>It depends on where you live. Rates vary. New York, New Jersey are the highest in the nation as the academic competition is fierce; Alabama, Wisconsin are low.</p>
<p>Make sure you get an SAT prep specialist. Do not settle for a general tutor or school teachers. They approach the SAT from a “fundamentals” as opposed to a “technical” standpoint. It is not what you need. You may have to pay upwards of $300 an hour if you get a top notch tutor from one of the big names. Do not settle for a lower level one to save money as they will give you a student (no offense kids!) and still charge over 100 an hour (paying the student less than 25!!)</p>
<p>To get a GREAT tutor for under 150 an hour you need to seek out the lesser known small tutoring centers that are located near good schools. But be sure to get referrals from parents and students in your community. NO SAT PREP TUTOR IS worth a penny if he/she has no references. (be wary of ads that promise 200 points here and guarantees there) A good tutor will not NEED to promise or guarantee a thing - he just delivers.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with the above. You’ll certainly get a quality and experienced instructor for $300 an hour, but you <em>can</em> find good instructors for much less by finding independent tutors. Try looking on sites like wyzant, universitytutor, and craigslist. Ask the right questions:</p>
<p>1.) Do you have references?
2.) What methods or materials do you use? </p>
<p>“I just go over the questions students get wrong” is a bad sign.
“I don’t give homework” is a bad sign.
“I have xyz secret method that’s been proven to increase scores by 2930 points” is kind of an obnoxious answer – force them to explain their method in detail.</p>
<p>Different tutors will have different approaches – look for ones that can give you coherent, detailed answers. When I get this question, I explain that I start by going over a diagnostic test with students, to assess their abilities in different areas. Then, depending on how much time the student has to prep, I put together a plan for what the student needs to cover, when we’ll cover it, and the (copious amounts) of homework they’ll need to do.</p>
<p>3.) How long have you been teaching the SAT?
4.) What can you score?</p>
<p>I’ve worked for everywhere between $45 to $150 an hour throughout my career, so I know that I can attest that quality, knowledgeable tutors exist at all pay levels. It may take some work to find them, though.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in Skype tutoring at decent rates, I can refer you to some people I know are pretty reliable that work out of the SF Bay Area. They don’t work for me, so I don’t get any kind of kickback, but I can honestly vouch for their integrity and capability.</p>
<p>As a student I am currently receiving private tutoring my a women who formally worked with Kaplan but has since retired. We pay her $50 an hour.</p>
<p>I prepped my own kids for the SAT, did not hire it out. We bought books (the blue book from the College Board, and Gruber’s for Math). They studied, then took practice tests. We went over the tests, figured out what they missed and why, and they made flash cards. Studied again, tested again. Rinse and repeat. For the essays, they did timed writings on the topics, then I “graded” them. Maybe 5 essays total. We set aside a couple hours every Sunday afternoon starting about 4 months before the test. D2, who just finished this process, ended up with a 2380 superscor in two sittings, so it worked for us. It does help that my kids have been heavy readers their whole lives, so the CR portion wasn’t too tough for them – that is the hardest section to prep, IMHO. So… cost of books plus my time.</p>
<p>It is not even mandatory to have a tutor/teacher/parent to help prepare a teen for the SATs. If that teen is motivated, reflective, and hardworking, he/she can get a perfectly fine score. All they need to have is access to are teachers (such as creative writing teachers) to grade their essay, and about an hour set aside every weekday for studying, and three hours on the weekend. I know this may sound a lot, but if you take the average time a teen spends on electronics and social media and convert it to SAT study time you will have more than enough room for the studying. Also, they need four plus hours every two weeks to take a practice test, and then multiple hours the next day to check the test (essay must wait - you CANNOT grade your own essay) and identify the problem spots. They should then choose six to eight areas that they are weak in and study them intensely for the next two weeks.
After doing this for around three months, the teen should be fully capable of getting a very good score. I currently am in this process, and I have watched my practice test scores leap by about 50 points already - and I am only one and a half months in:)</p>
<p>I don’t believe a private tutor is necessary at all. All I did was take a SAT class for about two months the summer before the test and then studied on my own out of the blue book. </p>
<p>You just need to have the ability to focus and use time well. I got 2300+</p>
<p>All I did for the ACT was skim through the Kaplan prep book and do just half of a practice test, and I got 36’s for English and Reading. Though, honestly, I did not expect those high scores. Like others said, it’s not necessarily best to hire a tutor.</p>
<p>i have friends who pay about 50 dollars a session, some times up to $80… theyhave been taking 2 sessions a week (some times even 4, 2 math, 2 English), since the beginning of last year… do the Math…
I feel so sorry for them cuz those tutors do mostly nthn more than what they can do themselves, but urge those kids to practice that’s all…
SO FRIGGIN’ SAD!</p>