<p>Ive never been a big fan of is it worth it? threads. Seems like a prime target for a complete range of opinions. All valid, of course, but no clear definitive answers.</p>
<p>However, Id be interested in thoughts, ideas, suggestions.</p>
<p>Daughter got her ACT score for the February test 30. (First time she took the ACT.) Not bad but for a couple of schools she is currently interested in, a point or two higher seems to make a very big difference.</p>
<p>Her lowest section, by far, was science. </p>
<p>I contacted some tutoring companies in our area and they are charging between $150 to $200 an hour. I will admit , I was a little shocked. Is that normal? More of a DC suburb price level I imagine?</p>
<p>Do you think, or in your experience, does an hour or two with a private tutor reliably increase her chances of getting a better Science section score?</p>
<p>And is there also just as good a chance that there is a likelihood, by sheer fluke or unintentional consequences, that her currently very good Math and English sections scores could very well just as easily drop on the next test and thus negate a possible Science increase?</p>
<p>Yes, to all of the above…her science score MAY go up while her others go down…</p>
<p>But, an hour or two with a VERY experienced ACT tutor may give her the tricks and tips for ALL the sections (not just the science)…I am assuming she did not prep for the first test except for doing the sections in a practice book on her own…</p>
<p>What is all comes down to is a 30 is a very, very good score…unless she is shooting for a top 10-20 school, it will not prevent her from being accepted…but even with a 32, those top schools are not slam dunks…</p>
<p>So I guess the answer is, it depends…college list, rigor of classes, GPA etc…whether a higher ACT score is “necessary”</p>
<p>Oh, and btw, your prices for hourly ACT tutoring are a little on the high side from my perspective…but NYC are higher…</p>
<p>There are a few videos series posted on Youtube that address the Science section of the ACT very specifically and directly. I wish I remembered the names…one was a lecture series by a man who stands in front of a blackboard or a white board…I know my son found his series very helpful. I don’t think a private tutor is ever a bad thing…but I hear you that $400 is a whole lot of $$ to spend for a 1-2 point boost with no promises. We were in the same boat, he watched the stuff on youtube, I printed out all the Science sections I could find online for him to practice with and hoped for the best.</p>
<p>It appears that many colleges bump up their scholarship amounts at the score of 31-32, and this can be THOUSANDS of dollars difference. So, yes, it can be worth it IF your daughter will take the tutoring seriously and give it her best shot, especially if she went in with no prep. Often there are tips just on how to interpret the questions and the best way to find answers that can provide an increase in scores.
If you combine the extra prep with a favorable test it may net you a great result. Certainly worth a try! Look around at what tutoring is available though, don’t just pick the one that says they are the best!</p>
<p>My son had 16 hours of act tutoring prior to taking the Feb ACT. We found a tutor who works with small groups of students so it was fairly economical. I don’t know how may of the 16 hours were devoted to science, but I guarantee that it was not more than 4 hours. I live in Georgia and the tutor told me that he spends the majority of his time on math and english since they are the sections that UGA and Tech care about. My son scored a 33 in science and told me that he would not have completed the science section if he had not gone to tutoring. I don’t have a prior ACT score, but I can’t imagine he would have scored a 33 if he had not completed the section. Yes, the right tutoring can be very effective.</p>
<p>As far as the cost, I live in the northern suburbs of Atlanta and interviewed a tutor from the Princeton Review. His “discounted” rate (only available if I pre-pay for 24 hours) was $175. I forget the nondiscounted rate. Sadly, $150 - $200 sounds like the going rate for private SAT/ACT tutoring.</p>
<p>There are also online solutions for ACT tutoring as well.</p>
<p>There are quality tutors who will charge a fraction of that rate. The reasons why the rate is so inflated is because 1. they can, 2. overhead, 3. A flawed commission-based payout system. Tutors only ever see $20-$40 of the money you’re paying for doing all the work.</p>
<p>There are ways to find quality tutors who don’t pass on those costs for you. Unfortunately, due to CBs restrictions I am unable to disclose any website or tutor names, but if you PM me, I would be glad to provide you with more information.</p>