Set your goals high as to what test scores you want to achieve and work steadily toward that goal. You don't have to be a straight A student to achieve test scores in the top 15%. This is not an impossible goal if it is YOUR goal and you are willing to work. We provide the guidance, direction, tutoring and support to help you achieve your goal.
Each student begins with a customized written tutoring plan to address his or her specific problem areas. We will assess what your student needs help with and create a plan to review with parent(s) and student. We select from our extensive library of resources and build a custom curriculum for your student. We don't use a "one size fits all" test prep course. The plan's objective is the goal your student has set for his or her test score results.
Our philosophy is unique in many ways among San Diego tutors. If you were trying to learn a sport, would you hire someone that can talk about the sport or someone that can perform the sport under tournament conditions? We believe students learn the most with the least amount of their precious hours invested when they works with a tutor that has had to produce the same results your student is trying to achieve under the exact same test conditions. Therefore, we will provide you with your tutor's college board test or ACT results upon request, and of course, the results are with the New SAT. We encourage you to ask the same from other tutors.
Have you ever wondered how your child completed a course and learned so little in the way of results? Sometimes this happens because the curriculum content doesn't focus on or foster the ability to use the knowledge. Sometimes this happens when the teacher is focused on merely getting through the material with the class. Regardless of why we've all seen this occur, our objective is your student's ability to use knowledge not only the aquisition of additional knowledge. The SAT, as one example, is a reasoning test and all the knowledge in the world won't be of value if you can't apply the knowledge to the problem presented. We measure our success not by completing a prescribed set of tutoring sessions but by the results your child can demonstrate on a standardized test.
A key part of our philosophy in working with teenagers is to improve their self-confidence in their ability to perform well on standardized tests. People often face standardized tests as hurdles to advancement in various pursuits in life, not only college but also graduate school, work or the military. Rather than avoid these tests or fear them, use them to your advantage to showcase how you can perform under pressure. We want your student to face this challenge with a strong belief in his or her ability to prepare and successfully tackle this challenge. This will reduce anxiety surrounding the test and allow your student to concentrate more fully, which is crucial during the test.
Students are extraordinarily busy these days with extracurricular activities that consume hours in sports, music, theatre, work or community services. They are encouraged to tackle a challenging curriculum which often involves AP Classes and the extra homework load associated with those classes. This doesn't leave much "extra" time in their calendar to spend on standardized test preparation. We believe that the most efficient use of their time spent on test preparation will be based upon the feedback from a practice SAT or ACT test. This will focus tutoring on exactly where they need added help. Why waste time in a generic class reviewing everything at the same depth when your student's time is better focused reviewing a selected group of topics in-depth? Is that tutor in front of a group class really committed to YOUR child's success on the test or just covering the material in the course? Maybe your child already has the fundamental knowledge needed for the test but has to learn to work within the time constraints of the test and that should be the focus of the time your student invests in preparation.
If you want to use a generic course, such as Princeton Review or Kaplan, we can work that component into a custom plan. We can spend your one-on-one sessions in the areas you need in-depth practice and assistance. We can be the resource you use to help you complete the homework they assign.
You can use as much or as little of our services as you wish. Come for one session or twenty sessions. There is no long term commitment required.
