SAT / ACT

All SAT / ACT lessons are one-on-one and booked hourly.  Recent success stories include an 800 on the SAT Math 2 Subject Test and a student who brought her ACT score from 23 to 28 and was accepted to Harvard.

Step 1 is the decision of whether to pursue the SAT or ACT. Most students call me with the intent of studying one of these exams, without having given much thought to the other one. If you have diagnostics from within the last six months, please bring your score reports to our initial consultation. Otherwise, I’ll administer a new test. (In case your scores on the two exams are roughly equal, we will pursue the SAT to take advantage of the Khan Academy program). The initial diagnostic will also help us prioritize the various sections of the exam.

The recommended course of study for the SAT or ACT is a full summer, working with me 2 – 4 hours per week in addition to homework.  After the initial diagnosis, we follow a few prongs of study simultaneously:

  • Review content at the student’s individualized level.  We use Khan Academy for most of the math content review. I also have a series of lectures and quizzes for the “Power Topics”, the most heavily tested / most easily improvable material. 
  • Practice actual test questions and time management. 
  • Memorize key facts and figures

I am also available for SAT or ACT test prep during the school year, though I only recommend it for students who are keeping up their grades and have time left over.  In this case, I recommend 1 – 2 hours per week with me, and I do not assign homework unless specifically requested.  The best way to prepare for the SAT or ACT is to do well in school!!!

I do not diagnose the essay section, but we will practice the essays by default, unless you indicate that you are taking a test without essays.

I do not offer group lessons for the SAT or ACT because high school students focus much better when alone!

My SAT / ACT Experience

My official SAT score is 1580, including a perfect 800 on the math section (score report here).
 
My official ACT score is a perfect 36, including perfect 36’s on the English, math, and reading sections.  (Score report here).
 
My very first teaching position was with an SAT test-prep company in 1990.  I have been tutoring standardized exams on-and-off since then, continuously since 2001, and have been active with SAT and ACT tutoring especially in the 2010s.