Methods

While all reputable SAT teachers focus on strategy, content and attitude, I am able to hone in on the nuances of each of these pillars of the exam to fit the needs of my students.

I tailor my programs to the specific goals, strengths/weaknesses, time/financial constraints of my students and their families. And I set lofty yet attainable goals and reasonable time frames for students who are not certain of the degree of improvement that is likely and the amount of preparation required to achieve such improvement.

I use actual SAT questions/exams as well as my own materials to prepare students most efficiently for the exam. I assign a manageable amount of material for students to work on between sessions, but that amount varies somewhat for each student depending on the student’s initial score, goal score, time frame, academic workload and extracurricular commitments.

While refinement of strategy is an integral part of my curriculum, I focus more on gaps in specific content knowledge than do most SAT Instructors. And I am able to recognize and fill in those gaps quickly. For instance, if a student struggles with idiomatic use of prepositions (like whether to use “as” after regarded or considered) I will help that student spot these errors using a combination of rules and memorization of high frequency idioms. Or if a student balks at combination problems, I will illustrate to the student specific ways to organize the information systematically, so the student won’t miss an arrangement and will be confident with this type of problem–and all others–come exam time.

I use reliable, quality software that enables me to write directly on exam problems or on a blank page, either of which I can screen share with the student while using Skype or other platform.

Although I fully recognize the importance of the exam, I bring a sense of humor and a big-picture perspective to my sessions. This test is just one of many factors universities consider and I trust that what students learn from our sessions isn’t limited to the SAT.