I used to work in Princeton during grad school and I made $100/hour to do summer skills tutoring for students. During my tutoring years I found that I could successfully get my students ready for college - but here’s a surprising confession, it’s not worth paying that much for my time!
When it comes to the ACT/SAT/TOEFL test prep, portions of those exams are black and white. You either choose the correct answer, or you don’t. Writing is different. Preparing for the written section of these exams can’t be mastered with books or flashcards.
A cheaper and more practical option is to turn to technology. When you “hire” technology tools to help you prepare for tests, rates are much more affordable. A tech tool is more convenient than working with an in-person tutor. Feedback is not only immediate, it’s unlimited. This allows students to work and revise at their own pace.
When I was tutoring, I worked with multiple students and was reading and re-reading essay drafts, but I found that we got to a point where the writing was “good enough.” That’s precisely why I suggest that my students use writing technology. There’s no stopping point. They can revise until their writing completely meets the top notch standards to get that high score.
If you’re not ready to research, schedule, and commit to a private (human) tutor, you may want to start out with an online option to help with writing test prep.