Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.
A. SAT, ACT and SSAT tutoring. College Counseling, beginning in, hold on to your hat, ninth grade! It's important that you know that you are on a strong college path, no matter what your college dream...community college, vocational college, Pac-10, Ivy, LAC, etc. I can help you to map out and meet you destination.
Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. Ask for referrals from customers. I have a file of letters from customers who have been happy with the results we have achieved TOGETHER.
Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
A. It's difficult to decide what questions to ask of a service professional, but there are probably some general ones:
1. How long have you been in your profession?
2. Can you provide references of people pleased with your work ( I can even provide references of those not so pleased!)
3. What is your methodology?
4. What are your expectations of the student? (in my case)
5. What is your cancellation policy?
6. Do we have a contract?
7. What are the cancellation terms?
Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
A. I study the SAT, attend courses and seminars at the College Board and am writing a tutorial book/dvd so that students can obtain my tutoring when I am not available.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. The one on one interaction with the students.
Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A. I receive 3 Frequently Asked Questions:
The number one question I get is "Will you tutor an hour for free so that I can see how you work?" The answer is no. I'm certain that there are tutors who do this because they are uncertain of their skills, and feel that this is a way to attract customers. My skills and numerous satisfied clients speak for themselves. As with any job, you can hire me based on my references and past performance, and fire me...but I don't think you will!! I do offer a 30 minute face to face consultation which can be scheduled in Lexington, on Monday evenings. And, I do offer package prices which can reduce the hourly rate of your child's tutoring if that is a concern for you.
2. Do you guarantee a certain score increase? Absolutely not. There are just too many factors that affect scores, that guaranteeing increases just is not possible. I've never had a student not improve his or her score, but you never can guarantee a number. Test site conditions, enough or not enough sleep, illness, all of these (and more) factors can affect your test scores.
3. Do you offer payment plans? Yes, I work with every parent to offer tutoring plans, counseling plans and payment plans that work for you and your child. That's why I don't publish payment information on this or any other site. I even offer scholarships for those truly in need.
Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?
A. I have two!!
This past March, one of my students scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT. This is a great accomplishment, as there are fewer than 700 students a year who earn a perfect score. Considering that more than 2M tests are administered, you can see that this is quite an accomplishment.
Also, I have had students come to me needing help in the essay portion of the SAT. In December, two students had received 6's on the essay portion of the SAT. Armed with my template, practice and tutoring, each of them received a perfect 12, raising their writing scores to perfection on the writing section!
Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?
A. Teachers had begun tutoring the children of my friends. Although teachers are wonderful people (I had been one myself) they are often ill equipped to tutor the standardized tests. They concentrate on English, Math and Creative Writing when students need to understand how standardized tests are created. They then need to create their strategy and tactics to obtain their best scores on the tests.
Standardized tests can be "gamed" to use the current jargon, and most teachers just don't study the tests...they study the subjects.
So, I decided to learn not just "my" part of the SAT (the essay) but how the rest of the test is constructed and therefore how to deconstruct it.
The rest, as they say....
Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?
A. I am an active participant in Collegeboard meetings, and am writing a book detailing my way of acing the test.
I take the SAT and the ACT once a year, and continue to see new patterns and indicators that are incorporated into these standardized tests.
The tutors who work with me have been trained in the methodology and adapt it while working with each individual student.
Q. Write your own question and answer it.
A. How much homework is there??
There will be one, timed, practice test every week. You are expected to take it every Saturday morning, in a test-like setting. In addition, you will be given additional practice problems based on your areas of difficulty. It has been shown that on average, students spend approximately 100 hours on their homework per month. Know how much they spend on SAT homework? About 15 hours. And they expect the same outstanding results as they get in their homework??? Really??? The SAT requires the same level of work as your classes do.
Q. Write your own question and answer it.
A. When Should I Take the SAT/ACT/ SSAT....?
I suggest that you take the SAT in the 10th grade. You're going to take the PSAT in all likelihood, so why not prepare for both tests at the same time?
But ultimately, take the SAT or other test when you are ready. Don't be pressured into taking the exam on a particular date because "everyone" is taking it then. Take it when you're ready. After your practice tests are within a certain number of your goal points, then you should take the exam. Some of my students tutor with me for 3 or more months before they take the test. Then they take the test...ONCE.
