How To Prepare For the SAT/ACT

There are three main ways to prepare for the SAT/ACT: Online courses, group classes, or individual tutoring. When deciding which method to select keep in mind your students’ temperament, pricing, and time. We recommend taking at least 4 practice tests and dedicating about 40 hours of study outside of taking the practice tests. Typically, this takes students between 6-12 weeks to accomplish. Parents and teachers can support their students by asking their students to explain how their students went about solving the problem.

Online Course

An online course is great for students who have a busy schedule, follow instructions well, and find it difficult to speak up in class. An online course allows students to learn at their own pace. They can review content, take quizzes, and learn with minimal support. Students may not make progress using an online course if they don’t engage with the content, skim past quizzes, and don’t keep up with the course. Our online course with a live instructor allows students to check in with an instructor twice a week to help keep them accountable and review content that they may be struggling with. If a student has a high score in one section and a low score in the other, an online course can be a great option as well.

• $ least expensive
• Learn at your own pace
• Flexible

Boot Camp

A boot camp, or small group class, is great for students who enjoy structure, clear assignments, and are outgoing in class. A boot camp provides students with a positive atmosphere, a dedicated time slot, and an instructor to help prepare them for the SAT/ACT. Students will get the opportunity to review content, learn approaches, and learn from one another. Whether your student is competitive or cooperative, learning alongside other students can encourage your student to perform well and engage in the course. We keep our boot camps at 8 students maximum to ensure the instructor has time to address individual student’s needs. Most students struggle with very similar parts of the SAT/ACT and having comradery in that struggle is encouraging to students who might feel alone.

• $$ Affordable
• Structured
• Social Support

Individual Tutoring

Individual tutoring is the ideal way to teach but is typically not necessary unless your student doesn’t have much time to prepare, is aiming for a perfect or very near-perfect score, or requires special attention. An instructor can address the student’s individual needs, teach at the student’s pace, and tailor their approach to help the student reach their goals in the time frame the student has available.

• $$$ Can be expensive
• Tailored to your student
• Accelerated pace

There are tons of options when shopping for a prep program and the cost doesn’t necessarily speak to the quality of services. See our article on how to pick a tutor to learn how to evaluate different programs and find something that works for you.

Or, save yourself the trouble and choose us!