| Our Approach
While every student's educational program differs on the basis of each individual's needs and timetable, there are certain elements which are consistent with all students.
Set up a long-term tutoring plan
Our tutoring program is fundamentally long-term; instruction over a longer period enables students to gain a thorough understanding of the concepts and academic material covered by the test. For all major standardized tests (SAT, MCAT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, etc.), we recommend that private instruction begin at least four to six months in advance of the student's test date.
Introductory diagnostic test
Every student's program begins with a real diagnostic test, review of the test's results, and a tutor-student (and parent, if appropriate) consultation to discuss the student's strengths, weaknesses, goals, and expectations.
Master all subject material
The tutor spends a significant amount of time systematically covering all subject material tested by the exam. For instance, all math concepts that appear on the SAT will be examined in detail.
Familiarize students with test style and questions
As students develop a greater comfort with the subject matter, our tutors start familiarizing them with the ways in which the given test presents information and asks questions. This preparation eliminates the possibility of any genuine surprises on test day, and helps to keep students focused and relaxed as they complete their exams.
Develop students' personal testing strategy
Tutoring for standardized tests would not be complete without a serious understanding of testing strategies. Therefore, our tutors teach their students the most effective techniques for answering the different types of questions on each test, and assist each student in developing his/her own personal strategy for excelling on the test.
Practice, practice, practice
At the end of the day, practice is the only way to ensure that a student is ready to take a standardized test. Our tutors provide practice tests, problem sets, and other regular assignments which allow them to assess student progress and hone in on any troubled spots for the individual student. Practice also ensures that students will be so familiar with their test that it will become routine and predictable, which translates into a less intimidating, easier, and more successful testing experience.
Finishing touches
By the time the test date arrives, our tutors know their students well enough to know exactly how to calm their particular anxieties and to prepare them mentally and physically for taking the test.
For many students - and parents - the SAT is a daunting task. Not only is it a test of significant gravity that often determines the rest of a student's educational (and professional) life, but it is also frequently one's first experience with formal standardized testing.
Does the SAT really have to be such an imposing ordeal?
Not at all. We have spent years studying and analyzing the SAT, so that we can offer students the most effective preparation available for mastering the SAT's content and style. In fact, we are sure that, with the expert guidance of our tutors and the direction provided by our proven curriculum, you can conquer the SAT without the stress and anxiety faced by so many less prepared students.
What is the SAT?
The SAT Reasoning Test is a test of critical reasoning and problem-solving skills created and administered by the College Board.. For years students' SAT scores have been used by colleges and universities across the United States as a standard measure for comparing students from different educational backgrounds, and for judging how successful students will be in college. (Recently, the ACT exam has become a more commonly accepted replacement for the SAT.) Click here for more details about the ACT.
The SAT consists of three sections: critical reading, mathematics, and the newly added writing section. Each section contains a specific number of multiple-choice questions and is graded on a 200-800 scale. (Thus, the highest score one can obtain on the entire test is 2400, and the lowest score is a 600.) There is also one written response included in the writing section. This response is scored on a 2-12 scale.
The SAT is administered seven times per year in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories. Please visit the College Board Web site for more information about test dates and centers in your area.
Our Approach to the SAT
As with our general approach to standardized test preparation, our SAT Prep begins with the creation of a long-term tutoring plan.
Every student's tutoring program begins with a real diagnostic test, review of the test's results, and a tutor-student (and parent, if appropriate) consultation to discuss the student's strengths, weaknesses, goals, and expectations for each section of the SAT exam.
Once the tutor and student have come to a genuine understanding of the student's strengths and weaknesses, and have established a realistic set of achievable goals, it is time to dive a comprehensive review of content, strategies, and techniques for each section of the SAT. As you now know, the SAT is composed of three sections: writing, critical reading, and mathematics. Our curriculum is devised so as to teach students the techniques necessary to excel in each specific section.
Mathematics
Concepts and formulas
Our tutors know the mathematics concepts tested on the SAT inside and out. They will review, with you, each and every one of the concepts, problem-solving techniques, and formulas that may appear on the test, paying particular attention to the material that has been overlooked or grazed over in the high school curriculum.
Strategy
Our tutors are well versed in the most effective strategies for approaching problems. These techniques enable students to find the correct answers in the shortest amount of time possible, which eventually allows students more time to think through the more challenging questions at the end of each section.
Frequently-tested problems
Since the SAT asks many of the same types of questions on every SAT exam, there are certain types of problems that tend to appear with greater frequency on the SAT math section. We will show you what types of problems the SAT asks and the best techniques for answering them quickly and accurately.
Practice problems
Using real SAT exams, the instructors will guide you through each of the different types of problems presented on the test (e.g., questions in geometry (triangle, circle, and other shapes), algebra, ratios, percents, etc.). Special attention will be focused on the areas of math where students struggle most, since these areas offer the greatest room for score improvement.
Critical Reading
Vocabulary
The surest way to a better score on the critical reading section is to develop a comprehensive working vocabulary. As a result, we place tremendous emphasis on helping and motivating our students to build their vocabularies. As part of this preparation, we utilize an extensive collection of flash cards and lists of the words most commonly appearing on the SAT during the last 25 years! Using our tutors' techniques, students have no trouble committing these invaluable lists to memory, and begin performing far more successfully on critical reading questions.
Sentence completion strategies
Sentence completion questions are among the easiest to "crack" because there are proven ways to eliminate wrong answer choices and avoid the traps laid by the test makers that often lead unprepared students to choose incorrect answers. Our tutors train our students to identify traps, narrow down choices, and understand words in context, even when they may not know the exact definition. With our help, students learn how to break down and answer sentence completion questions more accurately and more quickly than they ever could before.
Cracking reading comprehension
Many students and parents make the mistake of believing that only those who have been reading constantly since childhood can do well on reading comprehension questions. In reality, critical reading is a learned skill, and our tutors teach students reading techniques that enable them to analyze passages by breaking them down and separating the important information from the distracting "fluff."
One of the keys to effective reading comprehension is being able to deduce the meanings and points of view of different passages. We work diligently with our students to help them enhance their deductive reasoning skills and teach them the strategies necessary for answering the specific types of questions in this section.
Writing
What is newer does not have to harder
The introduction of the writing section of the SAT provoked a substantial amount of angst among parents and students alike. In reality, there is no need for worry. As with every section of the old and new SAT, the proper preparation will help you overcome any question or part of the writing section.
Grammar is the key
At the heart of the writing SAT is a need for a thorough understanding of English grammar and usage. The multiple choice portion of the writing section uses three types of questions to test these grammatical concepts, while the essay component requires students to apply that knowledge when composing responses to particular prompts. Since many elementary and high schools neglect serious grammar study, we invest a significant amount of time teaching our students all grammatical concepts tested by the SAT, including identifying run-on sentences; subject-verb agreement; comma, colon, and semicolon usage; word usage; and much more. Receiving our innovative and thorough grammar instruction will not only prepare you to excel on the SAT; it will also better equip you for writing at the college level and in any professional field.
Mastering multiple choice
Having reviewed, in minute detail, the grammar concepts tested by the SAT, our tutors then explain and breakdown the several different types of multiple choice questions presented on the test. Utilizing real exam questions and practice exercises, our tutors walk students through as many questions as necessary to ensure that they have not only learned the grammatical concepts but have also learned how to apply them with ease to the various SAT writing problems.
The essay
The essay section of the SAT requires students to craft a response to a given prompt (which could involve almost any topic) within 25 minutes. With such a short period of allotted time, it is absolutely essential for students to have a comfortable grasp of the writing process. Therefore, we help our students to master the arts of brainstorming, organizing, and outlining ideas quickly and effectively, and teach them how to present their ideas persuasively and completely, using examples, precise explanations, and other analysis. After hours of practice with our tutors, not only do SAT writing scores improve, but students also see improvement in all written class work. |
