By Sandra Lee
The SAT® is known universally, namely in the United States, to be required or recommended by both private and public universities when assessing applicants. When Collegeboard, the organization behind the SAT®, first created the test, they only administered it to scholarship students at Ivy League schools. Compared to today where over 2.2 million high school students from the class of 2020 took the SAT® right before COVID, which means that there are on average 2 million students competing for a spot in college every year.
Homeschool SAT® Prep vs. SAT® Private Tutoring
The only way to get an edge over those students is to perform well on the SAT®. Parents have a few options—homeschooling SAT® prep or sending them to private tutoring centers. One such option for homeschool SAT® prep includes a free online repository of educational videos. In these online go-at-your-own-pace courses, students navigate their way through a series of videos and online activities related to SAT® material. These free services also claim personalized approaches for each student, but many parents have found that untrue. Namely, because students don’t have access to a personal tutor who knows their unique strengths, weaknesses, and learning style.
SAT® private tutoring bridges the gap between providing on-demand help and study materials. Tutoring for the SAT® has also been proven to be more effective than other forms of prep methods. A 2018 study conducted by the American College Testing Association (the same organization that administers the ACT) found that “working with a private tutor or consultant has a statistically significant impact…this type of one-on-one, personalized activity was found to have a notable effect.” Tutoring is truly the most impactful way to go if you want to improve your child’s score. But the type of tutoring and resources used are equally as important as receiving help.
Our Private Tutoring is the Antithesis of One-Size-Fits-All
SAT® tutoring largely benefits every student because they gain confidence for test day rather than remaining nervous and making uneducated guesses. Studyville tutors prep students to be able to answer every type of question the SAT® will throw at them. College acceptance is tough enough when you include factors such as GPA and extracurriculars. The SAT® is one more thing that you don’t want your child to worry about and schools don’t exactly give SAT® tutoring in class.
So, what is the solution? Like preparing for a piano recital or a sports competition, students need to practice, practice, practice. Honing your abilities to take a high-pressure, timed test is the best course of action. But, much like that piano recital or sports competition, your child needs to have someone to guide them. This creates a controlled setting that’s catered to achieving that specific goal. Studyville provides all of these things and more. Our tutors don’t employ the same methods for all students. At Studyville, we know that everyone studies and learns at a different pace.
How SAT® Tutoring Works at Studyville
There are official studying materials provided by Collegeboard, which regularly releases and updates full practice tests for anyone to download and use. Though Studyville also uses these practice tests, we designed a full curriculum around the SAT® and regularly administer diagnostic tests in conditions that mimic test day to gauge your child’s abilities. Tutoring at Studyville takes forms in two ways, a group setting or a private setting. No matter which one you choose, we instruct all of our tutors to optimize your child’s performance so that they get the most out of every lesson. Studyville allows your student to focus without the distractions of home and school. And, with lessons specifically catered to your student, they will never feel as if they can’t keep up.
Not Sure About the SAT® for Your Child?
Good news! Other nationally recognized student aptitude tests than the SAT® exist in the US. There is also the ACT® which evaluates students on English, mathematics, reading, and science. However, despite the similarities, there are still some differences that you will need to take note of. SAT® tutoring is not interchangeable with ACT® tutoring. You can learn more about the differences here. Once you’ve decided which test is right for your child, book lessons, or give us a call at (225) 408-4553 so we can discuss your options in-depth and answer any questions.