<p>Hi everyone. I'm planning on taking the test in April and maybe again in June if necessary, and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice regarding tutoring, as it is an option I am considering. I've been scoring like 28-30 composite on the tests I've done (some red book, some older released tests) and hoping to get at least a 33 overall. I get the impression that larger companies like Kaplan and Princeton review are pretty expensive and offer a rather generic approach, so I don't want to go through them. I have some older friends who did private tutoring and said it really helped, but it seemed like those tutors were charging at minimum $50/hour. (I've even heard $100+ for the really good ones.)</p>
<p>Does that seem worth it? How much would you pay for a really great tutor? My parents said they will consider this expense because it will increase scholarship opportunities. A friend of mine brought her score up from 27 to 29 and then 32 last year, which allowed her to get a 50% tuition scholarship to her top choice school. (32 was the minimum required.) A few other people I know used the same tutor and also scored in the 30s. One friend went up from a 30 to 33 with a few tutoring sessions and recently got accepted into Notre Dame.</p>
<p>So any advice here? Are there any parents on here that have opinions? Mine don't really have experience with hiring tutors, so they want me to find out a little more before making a decision.</p>
<p>I am a parent. My daughter recently took the December SAT and ACT and had about three and a half months of private tutoring. The tutoring focused primarily on the SAT, not the ACT, because the SAT ( especially math) tends to be " trickier" than the ACT, which is very straight forward. Her ACT tutoring began about 4 weeks before the Dec 14 test, and even then I don’t think the entire session was geared towards ACT prep. She had two tutors: English and math, and the math tutor told me that she did not need an ACT math tutor- she just needed to practice taking the test. The biggest thing to do in order to succeed on the ACT is to get the timing down. Simply by taking three ACT practice tests she got her math score up from a 30 to a 35. Some of the math was stuff she learned a long time ago- once she reviewed it she was fine. I think the SAT tutoring definitely helped, but I am not convinced that the ACT tutor was necessary for her. I think if you are motivated you can get the same results practicing on your own, as it is not a " tricky" test. That being said, a few sessions with an ACT tutor could not hurt, and I would do it again even though I think my kid could get a good score just practicing on her own. Some people get tutored specifically for science- my daughter had no science tutoring and managed to get a 34 on the science section of the ACT. She did 2 or 3 science sections starting two weeks before the test. She felt that the science section was the hardest part to finish. It’s the only part where she had to guess on the last 4 due to the time, yet she still managed a 34 on that section. I guess the curve was good. </p>
<p>I hope I was somewhat helpful. She is taking the Feb 8 ACT only because I paid for it already. Maybe she can earn one more point, who knows. She will not be tutored for this test- she has been doing two timed practice sections each weekend for the past 2 weeks and will continue ( hopefully) until the test.</p>
<p>I’m a parent.
D did self prep for SAT 3 years ago and scored 2380.
For S, I chose private tutor for ACT which will be taken on either Feb or Apr.
Yes, Kaplan and Princeton review tutors are expensive (more than $100/hr).
I was looking at either a tutor from Wyzant (on-line) but really lucked out and got a fantastic private tutor at Elite for $55/hr.
You can also take group classes or classes on-line from standarized test prep places. It all depends on how motiviated you are.<br>
Based on S lowish GPA, but predicted highish ACT score (34 or higher), he will probably get 0 - 20K in merit scholarships based on the Net price Calculator that I have been running at various colleges that are in the USNWR 50 - 150 ish. If S “self studied,” it would be me tutoring him with all sorts of battles, so the private tutor is worth it.
D got no merit money since she attends a USNWR top 5 school.</p>
<p>I am a professional tutor based out of NY (Long Island), so rates may be higher due to the cost of living. But to give you an idea, I charge between $60-$90/hour depending on location. The lower end of my range would be for short distances or Skype sessions. </p>
<p>I also do a lot of independent contracting for a small tutoring company. They charge $200/hr, with discounts for buying packages. This is the higher end of the spectrum for pricing but the company does get a lot of business.</p>
<p>Private tutoring can be worth every penny. I’ve seen huge increases, but you need to know that success is directly proportional to the amount of work you put in. I push students hard and most of the families I work with expect that. </p>
<p>You want to work with someone that a friend has recommended if possible… Be cautious with the big name companies and cheap tutors. I worked for Huntington Learning Center and I would never recommend spending money on them. Those companies do not pay well. Good tutors start out there and usually leave to make much more on their own. </p>
<p>Feel free to ask me any other questions to help find a good tutor.</p>
<p>In an effort to provide full disclosure, my S’s tutor was to cost $55/hr with 3 students and 1 tutor. But there were no other students. So it ended up being $55 for private tutoring.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses so far. I’m sure this is helpful to other students as well. I am still considering options, but the main thing I’ve heard from friends is that having a good tutor helped them save time studying and keep on track. Also, like the tutor above mentioned, it would be nice to have some access to extra tests.</p>
<p>I mostly wasn’t sure about pricing, but it seems like $50-$75/hour isn’t too uncommon. I live near a major city, so I I guess that makes sense.</p>