GROUP TUTORING SERVICES FOR THE ACT AND SAT I - YOUR OPINION

GROUP TUTORING SERVICES FOR THE ACT AND SAT I - YOUR OPINION

I MAY HAVE ADDRESSED THIS SOMEWHAT IN ANOTHER POST. MY OPINION ON GROUP TUTORING SERVICES IS POOR. THEY ARE USUALLY EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THERE COULD BE 20 OTHER STUDENTS OR MORE IN THE CLASSES! IN FACT, WHEN YOU COMPARE GROUP TUTORING SERVICES PRICE WITH THAT OF INDIVIDUAL TUTORING YOU WILL SEE THAT FOR THE MONEY YOU CAN GET A HECK OF A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL TUTORING FOR THE PRICE OF GROUP TUTORING. I WOULD ABSOLUTE RECOMMEND INDIVIDUAL TUTORING OVER GROUP TUTORING IN MOST ALL CASES. IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT IS LEARNING DIFFERENCED, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT, DO NOT USE A GROUP TUTORING SERVICE. LEARNING DIFFERENCED CHILDREN ABSOLUTELY REQUIRE INDIVIDUAL TUTORING. MY TUTORING FIRM HAS AT TIMES IN UPWARDS OF 80% OF THE CLIENTS AT ANY ONE TIME BEING LEARNING DIFFERENCED CHILDREN. I SPECIALIZE IN THAT AND HAVE OVER 20 OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN HELPING LD KIDS. FIND A TUTOR IN YOUR AREA THAT HAS SUCH EXPERIENCE. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY CLIENTS I HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE YEARS THAT HAD ALREADY SPENT THE $2000 FOR A GROUP TUTORING SERVICE ONLY TO FIND IT DID NOT WORK AT ALL SO THEY THEN HAD TO HIRE A PRIVATE TUTOR LIKE MYSELF. FOR SOME KIDS, THE ACT AND THE SAT ARE JUST TOO DANG HARD TO BE PUT IN A CLASS WITH 20 OR 30 OTHER KIDS AND LEARN THE MATERIAL. I MYSELF DISCONTINUED GROUP TUTORING ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AS IT DID NOT GET THE TYPE OF RESULTS THAT I LIKED.

NEW SAT I - MY SON HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN UNABLE TO IMPROVE HIS SAT SCORE EVEN WITH TUTORING, WHAT CAN I DO?

NEW SAT I - MY SON HAS REPEATEDLY BEEN UNABLE TO IMPROVE HIS SAT SCORE EVEN WITH TUTORING, WHAT CAN I DO?

THIS IS NOW HAPPENING QUITE A BIT MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. OF COURSE IT IS DUE TO THE NEW SAT I AND ITS INCREDIBLE LENGTH AND ITS MANY OTHER PROBLEMS. WHAT YOU CAN DO IS GET HIS COLLEGE COUNSELOR AND OR TUTOR (IF HE HAS ONE) TO WRITE A LETTER STATING THAT HE HAS TRIED HIS BEST TO IMPROVE HIS SAT SCORE BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON HE JUST CANNOT. HE MAY NOT BE THE BEST TEST TAKER, ETC. BUT HE (OR SHE) IS AN EXCELLENT STUDENT WHOSE MERITS INCLUDE ........ THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY HELPFUL. I HAVE SEVERAL FRIENDS WHO ARE COUNSELORS AND APPARENTLY YOU CAN INCLUDE SUCH A LETTER WITH ALL THE STUDENT'S COLLEGE APPLICATIONS AND OR SEND THEM TO THE ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT(S). YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE THE STUDENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY AND FULL LEGAL NAME. THESE LETTERS DEFINITELY CANNOT HURT AND PROBABLY DO HELP QUITE A BIT. AGAIN, IT SEEMS THAT MORE AND MORE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PERSONNEL ARE BECOMING AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW SAT I. MAKE SURE IN THE LETTER THAT YOU LIST SOME OR A LOT OF THE STUDENT'S GOOD QUALITIES SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THE STUDENT RATHER THAN THE SAT SCORE. I THINK MAKING A COLLEGE AWARE THAT YOU HAVE REALLY TRIED AND EVEN GONE SO FAR AS TO HIRE SOME OUTSIDE HELP SUCH AS TUTORING WILL REALLY HELP. I THINK COLLEGES MORE AND MORE ARE LOOKING AT THE TOTAL STUDENT RATHER THAN JUST TEST SCORES. OF COURSE GOOD GRADES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

OF COURSE YOU CAN ALSO TRY TO TAKE THE ACT. I MYSELF IN MY OWN TUTORING BUSINESS HAVE HAD RARE CASES WHERE STUDENTS JUST COULD NOT DO WELL ON THE SAT I, THEN WE SWITCHED TO THE ACT AND THEY DID GREAT!! MORE AND MORE STUDENTS ARE TAKING THE ACT THAN EVER BEFORE. YOU CAN THANK THE SAT FOR THAT; THE NEW SAT I'S LENGTH HAS MADE IT VERY UNPOPULAR.

NEW SAT I - ARE STUDENT'S DOING WELL ON THE NEW SAT I?

NEW SAT I - ARE STUDENT'S DOING WELL ON THE NEW SAT I? YES. ACROSS THE BOARD AVERAGE SCORES ON THE SAT I OF INCOMING COLLEGE FRESHMAN ARE DOWN COMPARED TO THE OLD SAT I (THE SAT I WAS CHANGED MARCH 2005). I THINK MOST COLLEGES REALIZE THIS. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT THE NEW SAT I IS TOO LONG! IT IS ABSURDLY LONG. IT IS LONGER THAN THE GMAT (GRADUATE SCHOOL TEST), GRE (ANOTHER GRADUATE SCHOOL TEST), AND THE MCAT (MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS TEST)!!!!!!!!!!! ISN'T THAT ABSURD? I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? MOST STUDENTS JUST CANNOT PAY ATTENTION FOR 5 HOURS (THAT IS TOTAL "AT TEST" TIME). IF YOU HAVE EXTENDED TIME THE TEST IS EVEN LONGER STILL!! RIDICULOUS. I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD OF SEVERAL STUDENTS WHO SIMPLY COULD NOT STAY FOCUSED THAT LONG. THAT IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE. WHY ARE WE GIVING A TEST TO HIGH SCHOOL TEENAGERS THAT IS AN HOUR OR MORE LONGER THAN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS TEST THAT THEY GIVE TO COLLEGE GRADUATES? THAT JUST SIMPLY MAKES NO SENSE. THE COLLEGE BOARD SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THE NEW SAT I SO THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO ADMIT THEY MADE A FUNDAMENTAL ERROR WHEN THEY IGNORED THE STAMINA OF TEENAGERS. ALL THAT MONEY SPENT, BUT LITTLE OR NO COMMON SENSE USED. THE BEST DEFENSE I GIVE TO MY STUDENTS IS I TELL THEM TO TAKE THE ENTIRE DAY OFF SCHOOL THE DAY BEFORE YOU TAKE THE SAT I. THAT WAY YOU CAN AT LEAST REST, REFRESH YOURSELF, MAYBE HAVE SOME FUN, GET YOUR MIND OFF THE TEST, ETC. THIS SEEMS TO GREATLY HELP. I HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS FEEDBACK ON THAT.

I HAVE HEARD SEVERAL RUMBLINGS FROM THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COMMUNITY THAT THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS ON THE NEW SAT I, AND COLLEGES ARE NOW EVEN MORE ENCOURAGING THE TAKING OF THE ACT MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE. IN FACT, SOME SCHOOLS EVEN PREFER IT. THEY ARE ALSO MORE INCLINED TO LOOK AT YOUR GRADES, EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, APPLICATION ESSAYS, ETC. AND GIVE THEM EVEN MORE WEIGHT THAN EVER BEFORE. I THINK THE SAT I HAS HARMED ITSELF GREATLY SINCE MARCH 2005. RECENTLY, MANY MANY COLLEGES STARTED TO ALLOW THE ACT TO BE SUPER SCORED. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. SUPER SCORING OF THE ACT MEANS THAT THE COLLEGES WILL NOW TAKE YOUR HIGHEST SCORE FROM EACH OF THE 4 SECTIONS OF THE ACT (NO MATTER FROM WHAT DATE) AND AVERAGE THOSE SCORES TO MAKE YOUR OVERALL "SUPER" SCORE OR HIGHEST SCORE. WHY IS THIS SO GOOD? WELL, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS CHANGE THEY WOULD ONLY TAKE YOUR HIGHEST ACT TEST SCORE BY DATE INSTEAD OF PICKING YOUR HIGHEST SECTION SCORES AND AVERAGING THOSE. THIS IS A HUGE BENEFIT FOR STUDENTS TAKING THE ACT NOW. I THINK THE REASON THIS HAS EVOLVED IS DUE TO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW SAT I.

IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE INFORMATION ONLINE AT THE COLLEGE WEB SITE PLEASE EMAIL SOMEONE OR CALL SOMEONE IN THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE OF THE PARTICULAR COLLEGE. THESE NUMBERS AND EMAILS ARE UNDER THE CONTACT SECTION.

BEST TIME TO TAKE YOUR FIRST SAT OR ACT?

BEST TIME TO TAKE YOUR FIRST SAT OR ACT? THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. FOR THE PAST TWO DECADES OR MORE THE ADVICE IS TO DO NOT TAKE YOUR FIRST SAT OR ACT UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR. WHY? WELL, FOR ONE THING THE ACT AND THE SAT ARE DESIGNED TO BE SENIOR YEAR TESTS. LOTS OF THE MATERIAL ON THOSE TESTS ONE WOULD NOT EVEN BEGIN TO STUDY UNTIL JUNIOR OR SENIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL. IT JUST DOES NOT DO ANY GOOD TO TAKE THESE TESTS TOO EARLY. THE REAL REASON YOU SHOULD EVEN TAKE AN ACT OR SAT AFTER CHRISTMAS OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR IS TO SEE HOW WELL OR HOW POORLY YOU DO! ITS NOT TO GET FINISHED WITH THE TEST THAT EARLY. IF THAT HAPPENS WONDERFUL! BUT IT USUALLY DOES NOT HAPPEN. TAKING THE TESTS AFTER CHRISTMAS OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR IS DESIGNED TO INFORM YOU OF HOW WELL YOUR ARE OR ARE NOT DOING. IF YOU DO NOT DO WELL THEN YOU HAVE THE ENTIRE SUMMER TO GET SOME HELP AND TAKE THE TESTS AGAIN YOUR SENIOR YEAR. IF YOU DO WELL ON YOUR FIRST ONE THEN GREAT! YOUR DONE YOUR JUNIOR YEAR. I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT ABOUT 20% OF THE STUDENTS I KNOW ARE ABLE TO TEST WELL ENOUGH TO GET THE SAT OR ACT DONE THEIR JUNIOR YEAR. YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THE TESTS ARE DESIGNED FOR SENIORS, NOT JUNIORS OR SOPHOMORES. THAT IS WHY THEY ARE CALLED COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TESTS. THEY ARE TO BE TAKEN WHEN MOST OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM HAS BEEN COMPLETED. TAKING ONE OF THESE TESTS TOO EARLY CAN HAVE SOME NEGATIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT'S SELF ESTEEM, NOT TO MENTION WASTING AN ENTIRE SATURDAY. AFTER CHRISTMAS, THERE ARE 4 SAT'S IN SPRING AND USUALLY 3 OR MAYBE 4 ACT'S IN THE SPRING ALSO. I WOULD SAY THE ABSOLUTE BEST TIME TO TAKE ONE OF THESE WOULD BE IN MARCH OR APRIL OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR. THAT IS NOT TOO EARLY AND THAT IS NOT TOO LATE.