How Can My Family Get the Best Results from Test Prep and Tutoring (and Keep Costs as Low as Possible)?

  • Study during the summer – Students can focus more on their test prep, so you get more bang for your buck. Once the school year starts, students frequently complete far less work than I assign.
  • If your child does not know how to use an online calendar, now is the time to teach them.
  • Enter your child’s email address when reserving appointments so the appointment will appear in their calendar, and they will get appointment reminders.
  • Add independent studying to your child’s weekly calendar.
    • Weekdays during the school year:
      • At least 20 minutes a day. Thirty minutes is better. An hour is great too!
      • A minimum of three days a week, preferably five.
    • Weekdays during the summer:
      • An hour a day. This might be split into two 30 minute blocks.
      • Five days a week. Skip Friday if you absolutely must.
    • Weekends (year-round):
      • At least an hour on Saturdays and Sundays.
      • This might be split into two 30 minute blocks.
      • When assigned, do practice tests on Saturday mornings around 8 AM.
    • The more the merrier.
  • If they can’t fit studying into their calendar, then something must go.
  • Do not allow them to skip their independent study time. If they don’t study, their progress will be slow or non-existent and they are wasting your money.
  • Check-in with your child before, during, and/or after their independent study time.
    • Did they study?
    • Did they check their answers?
    • How did it go?
    • Do they feel like they are making progress?
    • What questions do they have for their next tutoring session?
    • Ask them to explain a few problems to you.
    • Are there any questions you can help them with? Go ahead, it might be fun…
    • Make sure they are doing the work and did not just “scan over a few problems and it looked easy.”
  • Schedule regular appointments – A minimum of 30 (ideally 90) minutes every week. It is impossible to help someone if I only see them 30 minutes a month. If sessions are too far apart your child will not make progress and it is just a waste of time (and your money). Usually, students are motivated by appointments. They provided a deadline. Without a deadline, most students do not study. Sessions are primarily an opportunity for me to teach, but they also serve to establish a rhythm and build momentum to achieving a successful outcome.
  • Add tutoring appointments to the family calendars.
  • Remind your child of upcoming appointments. If you enter their email address when reserving appointments, they will get the 48 hour reminder emails.
  • Make sure their work is completed prior to their appointment. My 48 hour reminder email is not just an appointment reminder, but a reminder to check-in about their independent study progress.
  • Don’t miss or postpone appointments. You pay for missed appointments or changes requested with less than 48 hours notice. If I only see your child once a week, a missed appointment means I will not see them for two full weeks. That kills momentum.
  • Check-in with your child after appointments. Make sure they know what packets to work on, and when their next appointment is. Help them schedule study time to get the practice completed.
  • Study with a buddy. If they have a friend studying for the exam, perhaps studying together will be helpful, or perhaps not. It’s something to consider. I do NOT tutor more than one student at a time, but that doesn’t mean that two students cannot study together on their own time.
  • Regularly encourage and reward your child. Take them out to their favorite fast casual restaurant and praise them. OK, this next part might not be for everyone, but I used to pay my son Carter $10 per practice test ($5 each half – in case his legal team reads this). That was the best $5,000 I ever invested! Just kidding, he only did 50 practice tests. Just kidding, it was more like 35. Times were different back then. Ultimately, it saved our family over $125,000 in scholarships.
  • Register for the test as early as possible. This assures they will have a spot at a school close to home, and can start adjusting their schedule leading up to the test. I once had a student drive to the wrong high school (there are two Riverview high schools!), and I’ve heard of students having to spend the night in Arcadia so they can wake up close to their test site.
  • Nearly all students take the test twice (or more). So, register for the second test date too. This reduces the stress, and assures you have a spot if a second chance is needed (scores usually increase modestly on the second test).
  • Make sure your child has as few distractions (and sleeps as much) as possible the week of the test. Try not to break-up with the love of their life that week either. Yes, this has happened more than once.
  • Reserve extra appointments the week of the test. I usually open additional days the week of the test. Reserve your space ASAP and don’t miss these final appointments.