Why Get a Tutor?

The realm of college admissions has been getting more and more competitive in recent years, especially with regards to standardized test scores. If you want to stick with the competition, hiring a private SAT or ACT tutor can prove extremely advantageous. Although it’s true that the SAT and ACT have been getting more competitive, the data isn’t very apparent at first. The average SAT and ACT scores vary quite little from year-to-year. However, when looking at the top-scoring band (95th percentile and up), there is a clear increase in the number of high-achieving students. In order to be competitive, especially at many top colleges, students need to stand out in terms of test scores.

The number of students scoring highly on the SAT/ACT has only been increasing in recent years.

Source: Compass Education Group

To the question of “should I hire an SAT or ACT tutor,” the answer is entirely dependent upon your needs. Indeed, if you’re looking to make yourself more competitive of an applicant, a private tutor can only help you. Not only will you have a better shot at admission, but you might also land a merit scholarship worth thousands. Test prep can be hard to manage on your own, and that’s precisely where tutors come in. Hiring a tutor can make the whole process much easier and more enjoyable for you, among other things. Down below, I’ve compiled a list of the three main benefits I believe you’ll gain by working with a private SAT or ACT tutor.

Accountability

Let’s face it: finding the motivation to study is hard. Hiring a tutor cuts out all the excuses for you. With a private tutor, you’ve got a weekly schedule to stick to. In addition to meeting with you weekly, a good tutor will have you practice your skills before the next session. They may assign you some extra homework or readings to reiterate and reinforce your knowledge. While your prep plan may be flexible (and will certainly vary between students), working with a tutor ensures you’re staying on track to earn your target score.

Letting a tutor handle the creation of a test-prep schedule for you takes a huge burden off of your shoulders. With a schedule in place, it becomes much easier to stick to your test prep promises. When you hire a tutor, you enter a commitment to improve your test-taking abilities. Working with someone ensures that you stay dedicated to honoring this commitment. A good tutor will simplify the test-prep process to where you can focus purely on learning, letting them handle everything else.

Guidance

Arguably the most important point on the list is the professional guidance that an SAT/ACT tutor can provide you. When you work with a private tutor, you’re working with a subject-matter expert. As a result, your tutor should be able to answer all of your questions quickly and confidently, in addition to knowing where to get additional resources to help you prep. Furthermore, a good tutor knows exactly what your weaknesses are and how to target them. Often times, students just don’t know what they need to work on. Having a tutor is a great asset: it ensures the student focuses on the right material, maximizing the effectiveness of their test prep.

While free services may have questions and answers to aid in studying, they miss out on other crucial aspects to test prep. These services offer limited (and sometimes confusing) explanations to questions, leaving students stumped and unwilling to proceed with their prep. On the other hand, a tutor can explain a question or concept in multiple ways. They can also offer several strategies to approach a question, allowing the student to choose what’s best for them. Tutors are certainly the way to go if you’re looking for a personalized approach to the test-prep process.

Confidence

Besides for the added focus and guidance you’ll get, working with a tutor can instill a sense of confidence in your test-taking abilities. With the recent increase of top-scoring students on both tests, it’s too easy to feel down about your own scores. However, those students went through a lot of hard work and dedication to get those scores. A private tutor will remind you that anyone (including you!) can achieve a top score like that, as long as they’re willing to put in the work.

When you hire a tutor, you should also be assured that you hired somebody who knows exactly what they’re doing and truly can help you improve. Almost every private tutor out there is experienced, knowledgeable, and has a proven track record. They know precisely what you should focus on to maximize your score increase while minimizing time lost. They’ve successfully taught many different students before you, so there’s no reason you should be worried about not improving. All of these qualities should put your nerves at ease, and come test day, enable you to do your best!

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