D is a junior, and has had trouble with standardized tests in the past. Friends have recommended one on one tutoring companies (Summit, Inspirica). Are they worth the cost? What experiences have people had? Thanks.
I got my own personal tutor (not through any organization or anything she just sort of does it and is the go to tutor for my town), and I can say from this experience it is SO worth it to get a tutor, but only if you give it time. I spent the whole summer prepping with my tutor and she got me from around a 2010 to a 2310 on my actual SATs. So if you have the time to devote to actually studying and preparing with the tutor I recommend it.
Might be worth it. Some are good; many are charlatans. Great test prep can make a huge difference, but a very motivated student can do it on her own, esp. if she makes great use of this site.
Scoring high on the SAT is a great boon to college applications down the road. Self-teaching doesn’t yield top results, and consumes a lot of precious time.
I’ve been a private tutor for more than five years now, and I see my students improve their SAT scores by an AVERAGE of 400 points. Some of them rocket up to a 700 point increase, which is something I think can only be delivered by a top private tutor.
I’ve also worked for tutoring companies where the score increases they boast average only about 200-300 points.
If you can find a solid private tutor in your area, I’d go with them over a company. You get a much better tutor for less cost (companies charging upwards of $100/hr only give their tutors $30-$50).
For example, I charge only $70/hr for proven results. So check out yelp or another tutoring search and see what you can find!
And I will say that it’s much better to study with a tutor than by the book. There are so many little tips and tricks to know that get lost in the books. Also, a really good tutor gauges where the student is understanding a method, and can use that to broaden their understanding to other problems.
If you have any other questions about the process, let me know!
Clearly, a tutor will try to tell you that self-studying is jneffective ^^. I think it relaly depends on your daughter; if she can make herself sit down and study from a book like actually do it, then she doesn’t need a tutor. Also, can she pick apart her mistakes and analyze them
herself? Many academically-achieving students can already do this, but it is up to your daughter to decide.
tl:dr With three things( motivation/discipline, ability to oneself from mistakes, college confidential) your daughter will be fine self studying. If she is lacking even one, then go with test prep. Here, I will agree with the above poster dont
pick a generic tutoring place like PR or Kaplan’s. Private tutoring works best, but is also the most costly option. IMO, if you choose to go with test prep help, look into PrepScholar. It is fantastic!!
*ability to learn from one’s mistakes
My son took a SAT prep class for 6 weeks where he was taught test taking strategies and time management skills. He scored approx 500 points higher than many of his peers and qualified for scholarships that more than paid for the class. His class was given by a local
person who was an admissions counselor for one of our local private colleges.
Quoted for truth @wanderlustgal
Wow. Conflict of interest in laid bare. Yikes.
He previously worked as an admissions officer. Sorry I wasn’t more specific @marvin100. He has not worked for the college for several years when he formed his own company.
Phew, thanks for the clarification, @carolinamom2boys !
It will take longer to do self study, but it is mostly a matter of lots of practice. Son went from ACT 25 to 33 to 36 composite completely by self study. The key is to concentrate on the areas he is deficient in. Look on Amazon for the best prep materials for the ACT, there isn’t much SAT material out yet.
Look at colleges with him and determine some that he would like to attend. His goal is a score at the 75th percentile (or above) for each college he is interested in.
I’ve found the classes useful for mid-range kids. They can get you to 90% rank , but if you are looking to get to 99+% a tutor may be more useful. There just are not enough kids willing and capable to strive for perfection to populate classes except in the largest metros and on-line. At that level he will probably bring up one or two areas more than need a general boost.
If you son is the type that needs a class to be motivated, definitely try it. He should also join or form a school study group.
Since he is a junior your have some time. Get the prep books and sign up for a test in the winter. Have him think of it as a trial run. You’ll get a baseline and can retake in the spring and next fall if necessary.
@TooOld4School great answer! quick question, what books did your son use and/or think were helpful?
He liked:
1.Official ACT prep book and/or online course - old real ACT tests
2. Gruber ACT - good secondary practices tests
3. ACT prep black book OR I used to hate the ACT too (strategies only - not prep books)
4. 5 Lb ACT book by Manhattan - lots of tests. Manhattan is the premier prep company IMO