<p>Recently i had an argument with my parents about getting a tutor or not. They happened to be for a tutor and i personally told them that i could do what ever a tutor could by my self.</p>
<p>Is what i said true? I mean if a person spends aprox. 1 hr a day preparing by himself- do u think it would be equivalent to a tutor?</p>
<p>What does a tutor have that a reg. person not have with extensive books like PR, RR, And the blue book</p>
<p>A tutor has a whole lot of knowledge about the SAT (in theory, anyway) and knows strategies you can use on your test. They also know the common mistakes people make and can help you create a study plan that makes good use of your time. The best tutors should really know how to teach the SAT, not just score brilliantly themselves (not everyone who can score high can teach).</p>
<p>If you learn more from class lectures than reading your textbooks on your own, a tutor would probably be a good idea. If you like to learn on your own, then self-prep would probably work.</p>
<p>Before you decide either way, get those prep books and start studying on your own. Take some practice tests, see how it feels. How you do will give you a good idea.</p>
<p>If you end up not using a tutor, see if your parents will let you do something cool with that cash. ;-)</p>
<p>i say i'd rather study myself, tutors have never worked for me</p>
<p>neil~ take a good(Princeton Review) class and use their tutors on a 1:1 basis only if you need. this kind of prep does far more than self-study...teaches you how to take the test (as opposed to content only) and really builds confidence.</p>
<p>I don't know about you, but for me, personally, the best feature of a tutor is physically being there so I use that time to actually study for SAT instead of procrastinating or slacking off.</p>
<p>I think studying on your own is the best way to go. It's cheap, fast, and easy. So long as you don't procrastinate or waste time. If you get Barron's 2400 Book, they have tons of strategy, and those types of tips that would otherwise be from a tutor. I see no really distinct benefit from having a tutor, other than motivation.</p>
<p>Self studying can work, but the negative aspect of it is the procrastination. Part of the benefits of a tutor is that they kind of force you to do work and practice.</p>
<p>self studying is great as long as you don't procrastinate ^^
I've already finished taking the SATs, and from my experience, I say make your own study plan and self study really hard. It's all about practice. What the tutor teaches you is the same as what the prep book teaches you.</p>
<p>I did self study too. Here is the thing, self study u can improve a lot on CR and Math, but I really had difficulty with writing and I am supposed to be a good writer according to my crazy teachers. SAT writing can't be "coached" through prep books. What is your weak point? If it is not the writing section, thumbs up for self study. If it is, I think u should consider it.
I feel blah bout my writing score, it pulled down my total (:
*Hey try to buy used SAT books frm the seniors before they graduate. Save some money! Good luck :)</p>
<p>I took a course (PR) and ended up self-studying...</p>
<p>my personal feelings/how I would do it over again...
get a tutor to "check in" at intervals-like 3 weeks, etc, to assign work, check essays...that way you get the benefits that they can highlight your weak points but you can study on your own to improve. You don't have to worry about wasting $1000s on dollars doing what you could have done alone. Personally, I do a lot worse when I know that $1000s are being spent on a tutor, and I end up making more mistakes</p>
<p>Yeah, I took a free Kaplan course that I felt was really dumbed down and didn't really help me. I feel like once you're in the top 98-99%, you can't really be helped much by other people- it's more of a refining process after that, which you can probably do best yourself.</p>
<p>I would never pay for an SAT tutor. I don't think there is anything they can tell you that isn't already in books or practice tests.</p>
<p>Take a few lessons with a tutor...even though it sounds stupid, just a few hours with like a professional SAT person really helps...at least for me, i remembered weird stuff because of the couple sessions i had.</p>
<p>Find a tutor in the area who may be willing to offer a free "introductory" session. Ask for his or her own SAT scores, references, and past results. A good tutor should also be willing to offer a money-back score improvement guarantee.</p>
<p>There is already a big thread under "SAT and ACT Tests & Test Preparation" about self-studying versus getting private tutoring. Check it out.</p>
<p>i want to point out there is a HUGE difference between a tutor and an SAT program employee! tutors are often school teachers who will review CONTENT. SAT coaches, as a part of a program ( i always recommend Princeton Review) teach how to take the TEST, wih some improvement on content as well.</p>