ACT & SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog

How to Customize Your Online SAT Prep

Posted by Steven Koteff on Wed, Jun 24, 2020 @ 09:00 AM

For ambitious students looking to get into a good college and launch a successful career, SAT prep is a time-honored tradition. For years, increasing numbers of students have been turning to online SAT prep to get themselves ready for test day. In the age of coronavirus, online SAT prep has gone from a convenience to a necessity. But with more and more test prep resources coming online every day, how do you know you’re getting the best online SAT prep for you? Your personal preferences, learning style, financial situation, and more can influence whether online SAT tutoring or online SAT courses are a better fit.

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Topics: sat tutors, sat tutoring, ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, SAT study plan, sat prep, SAT online tutoring, sat online, cost of sat tutoring, sat tutor hourly rate, sat tutor cost

How Much Does an SAT Tutor Cost?

Posted by Steven Koteff on Thu, Jun 18, 2020 @ 09:00 AM

By the time you’re a junior or senior in high school, you’ve probably already heard a lot about the importance of the SAT. This is the standardized test most colleges and universities accept for admissions purposes. Since the SAT has so much influence over your higher education and, therefore, your career, many students work with a tutor for their SAT prep. This is an excellent idea, and something every future SAT-taker would benefit from. But of course, when it comes to selecting a tutor, you’ll have to consider not only the quality of the tutoring, but also the SAT tutoring cost. If you’ve never gone down this road before, there’s a huge range of SAT tutoring rates. In this article we explore what you should expect to pay for your SAT prep cost, and what the rate says about the quality of the education.

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Topics: sat tutors, sat tutoring, ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, SAT study plan, sat prep, SAT online tutoring, sat online, cost of sat tutoring, sat tutor hourly rate, sat tutor cost

SAT & ACT Coronavirus Update

Posted by Stefan Maisnier on Wed, Apr 22, 2020 @ 09:00 AM

College Board Cancels all Spring SAT Exams

Having already cancelled its May 2 SAT test date, CollegeBoard announced this past week that it will be canceling its previously scheduled June 6 test date worldwide as well. This means that there will not be another SAT exam offered until August 29 at the very earliest, so nearly six months will have passed between possible SAT administrations for juniors planning to take the exam this year. In making this announcement, CollegeBoard also indicated that it is preparing an online version of the exam in the fall should in-person administrations still be prohibited by the pandemic. This follows in the footsteps of announcements from both GMAC and ETS that, at least temporarily, each organization would be offering and at-home online GMAT and an at-home online GRE exam respecctively.

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Topics: sat tutors, sat tutoring, ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, SAT study plan, sat prep, college student, SAT online tutoring, sat online, act online, COVID sat, act coronavirus

Self-paced SAT Prep: Pros and Cons

Posted by Morgan Bissett-Tessier on Thu, Apr 16, 2020 @ 09:00 AM

In a previous article, we discussed the three main options to choose from when preparing for the SAT exam: self study, 1-1 tutoring, and group classes. In this post, we take a deeper look at self-paced SAT prep courses specifically, the niche’s top providers, pros and cons, and how to make the most of your experience should you decide to take one of these courses.  

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Topics: sat tutors, sat tutoring, ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, SAT practice tests, SAT study plan, sat prep, college student, SAT online tutoring, SAT self-study

SAT Prep Options: Self Study vs. SAT Tutoring vs. Group Classes

Posted by Morgan Bissett-Tessier on Tue, Mar 24, 2020 @ 09:00 AM

When preparing for the SAT exam, you must decide pretty early on which study approach you will take. Although you can always switch strategies if something isn’t working for you or you don’t achieve the score you want, we’re hoping this article will help you make the right decision without unnecessarily wasting time and money on the wrong SAT prep method. Below you’ll find the three most prominent SAT prep options: self study, 1-1 tutoring, and SAT classes, as well as the pros and cons of each.   

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Topics: sat tutors, sat tutoring, ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, SAT practice tests, SAT study plan, sat prep, college student, SAT online tutoring

SAT Review Series: Reading Comprehension

Posted by Jordan Salley on Fri, Feb 07, 2020 @ 12:25 PM

In the first post of our SAT review video series, we approach working through a standard reading comprehension question.

The SAT reading comprehension section can often be a time crunch for many students. This video demonstrates a systematic approach to quickly reading and analyzing a passage in order to answer questions.

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Topics: ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, study skills, college education, college tips, college freshman advice, college questions, college advice, ACT prep, sat reading, sat prep, college student, SAT reading comprehension

Preparing for the SAT/ACT: How to Make your Own Study Schedule

Posted by Jordan Salley on Mon, Dec 23, 2019 @ 10:47 AM

No matter how many times your parents have repeated it to you, it never quite sinks in – If you fail to plan you plan to fail. While this feels a bit dramatic, in a test like the SAT or ACT it is important to realize that preparation can have a significant benefit on your score and on opportunities that stem from this such as college admission and scholarships. While many students have performed well in high school, standardized admissions tests can be a limiting factor because students often fall into a few common traps, such as the idea that being a good student translates directly into a high performing standardized test taker. While this may be true for some students, it often is not the case. College admissions exams often require knowledge on how to study for and take a standardized exam. The best way to overcome this hurdle is by creating a study schedule and planning for test day ahead of time.

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Topics: ACT/SAT, High School Test Taking, study skills, college education, college tips, college freshman advice, college questions, college advice, ACT prep, sat prep, college student

The PSAT: Your First Step to SAT & ACT Success

Posted by Method Test Prep on Wed, Sep 06, 2017 @ 11:54 AM

This fall, many high school juniors––and even some sophomores––will take the PSAT. In all likelihood, this will be their first experience with standardized college admissions exams. You may have heard that students’ PSAT results “don’t count” and “don’t matter.” While it’s true for most students that college admissions committees won’t use PSAT scores to gauge their college readiness (that is, after all, what the SAT and ACT are for), the view that the PSAT doesn’t matter at all is both shortsighted and counterproductive. In truth, PSAT scores can provide valuable insight into your strengths and weaknesses; when used correctly, the results can help students take a big first step toward success on the SAT and ACT.
 
But what do we mean when we say used correctly? There are several ways to take advantage of your scores, some more practical and valuable than others. Here are three tips for getting everything you can out of the data on your PSAT report.
 
1. Don’t get too distracted by the overall section scores; instead, focus on the detail. The highest-level scores provided by your PSAT report will be in the form of two numbers, each out of 760: your Math score, and your Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (ERW) scores. (Note that on the SAT, both of these are scored out of 800.) Students and parents tend to obsess over these scores, forgetting about the other numbers the PSAT report provides. While they do suggest something about overall performance, these numbers are not terribly revealing. Instead of focusing on your 540 in Reading & Writing and your 580 on Math, pay closer attention to your subscores, listed on a scale from 0 to 15. These scores reveal more specific areas of strength and weakness. For example, let’s suppose you do score a 580 on the Math. That number alone tells you that you are “above average” (average for juniors is around a 510), but not much else. The subscores, however, can reveal where that 580 came from. Perhaps your “Problem Solving and Data Analysis” subscore was a very strong 12 out of 15, but your “Heart of Algebra” score was an 8. This immediately reveals that you need to direct your focus toward reinforcing your algebra skills, which include interpreting, creating, and rearranging equations and expressions.
 
2. Make a list of topics you need to work on; use the test to isolate examples. It will be easier for you to formulate a prep plan if you translate the information within your PSAT score report into your own summary. Use your subscores to assemble a list of topics that disproportionately impacted your score. Furthermore, take a look at the answer sheet provided on the final page of the report to isolate the specific questions you found difficult. You’ll have your test booklet, so you will be able to see the exact questions you could not answer or that you answered incorrectly. Consider taking pictures of these questions with your phone, or even printing them out and pasting them into a notebook. Now, you have a suite of problems and questions that will form the basis of your prep. And by the way, even if you’re planning on sticking to the ACT, know that the (P)SAT and ACT share lots of content: the subscore categories presented by your PSAT report are just as likely to reveal potential strengths and weaknesses on the ACT.
 
3. Use the scores to establish a baseline and formulate goals. Realistic expectations and goals are are both very important. Assuming you put in a decent effort while taking the PSAT, your scores reflect where you stand without any concerted prep. Now, you can use the report to begin planning. How many topics must you focus on to increase your scores? How much time are you prepared to dedicate to SAT or ACT prep? Do your initial scores suggest you may benefit from a prep course setting (students who score around average are more likely to benefit from multi-student group courses than are students whose scores are on the extremes), or would small-group or private tutoring be more productive? Is your goal to increase your score by 50 points, or by 300 points? On which section can you focus to maximize the points earned for the time spent studying? The answers to all of these questions lie within your report: you simply have to use the data at your fingertips.
 
Remember: though the PSAT may seem inconsequential, the information it provides can be extremely helpful in raising your scores. Using the PSAT to develop positive and proactive momentum can mean the difference between productive, meaningful prep and last-minute frantic cramming. So take advantage of all the PSAT report has to offer––when all is said and done, you’ll thank yourself for doing so.
 
-Evan Wessler, Vice President of Education––Method Test Prep

 

 
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Topics: ACT/SAT, ACT, SAT test, ACT test, SAT study help, ACT study help, ACT/SAT study skills, ACT-Math practice, PSAT

College Admissions: The Early App

Posted by Mark Skoskiewicz on Wed, Nov 14, 2012 @ 03:45 AM

If you're a college senior or junior, then you probably know that many colleges offer an early application option. There are two main types of early options: early action and early decision. The deadlines for these applications are usually in late October or early November, so now if you are a senior in college now is the time to make the move! For juniors or underclassmen, keep this in mind for the future.

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Topics: ACT/SAT, College Applications, College Admissions

The ACT and SAT: What Should You Do With Your Scores?

Posted by Mark Skoskiewicz on Fri, Nov 02, 2012 @ 08:25 AM

College admissions tests are hard! No matter how well you prepared for them the first time, you may not have gotten the score you wanted on your first try. Many people retake the tests at least once in order to learn from their mistakes and improve their scores.

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Topics: ACT/SAT, ACT, SAT, College Admissions