Private SAT – ACT Tutoring

Are you looking for

More aggressive score improvement
Focused personalized instruction
Better accountability
Flexible meeting times

Private tutoring is the answer. My private tutoring clients are more engaged, get their specific questions and needs addressed quicker, complete more practice assignments, and see better results than students in traditional prep classes. If you are interested in working with me, please follow these steps:

Read the information below, so you will understand what you get, my process, and the different options for tutoring.
Complete the tutoring application form.
Once you complete the application, email to schedule a 30 minute phone or video call to discuss any remaining questions and schedule your sessions.

Please understand there is a high demand for private tutoring and only one of me. There are times when my tutoring calendar fills up months in advance.

What You Get

I personally work with all private tutoring clients. This means you get a nationally recognized expert with over 20 years experience in test prep — not a college kid trained on a workbook or a school teacher looking to pick up some extra cash.

You can see a full list of my qualifications here. I work with students in person (in your home or at a local library) or on Zoom. In person sessions must take place in the Sugar Land / West Houston area. Zoom sessions can be recorded and sent to you for playback at your request.

I provide all materials. There are no additional charges for books, practice tests, or workbooks. I use a proven curriculum which thousands of students have successfully used to improve their ACT and SAT scores.

What To Expect

Typically I like to meet clients once a week, for two hours at a time, for the 6 to 9 weeks prior to the ACT or SAT test. I know two hour sessions seem long.

How can students focus for that amount of time? I am choosing to work in two hour blocks for a reason: students need to build endurance and focus in order to prepare for the SAT and ACT which are 4+ hours long. Clients commit to a regular meeting time (for example Mondays 7 to 9 pm.) We can reschedule up to two sessions to avoid conflicts with major exams, school activities, or family commitments. I am more flexible when scheduling client sessions over the summer or school holidays.

Sessions are two hours long (100 – 120 minutes.) During each session we will review questions from practice problems and focus on two or more test sections. Overall strategies and test taking tips will be incorporated into all aspects of our work. While a two hour session may seem like a long time to focus, keep in mind both the SAT and ACT ask students to focus intently for over three hours.

One thing that makes private tutoring more effective than a class is our ability to address specific test taking needs. I begin each program by following the ACT or SAT curriculum. Once I see how a particular client approaches the test and works specific types of questions, I will adapt our study plan to help that student maximize his or her score goals.

Regularly I have parents ask if I can help their child in one area, such as math or writing. Generally, I do not tutor for only one part of the test. Often it is easier for a student to improve in an area that is his or her strength than to bring up weaker sections to the same level. The gifted math student may make greater improvement learning high-level math techniques than she does in studying for reading or writing. For this reason, I will not do single-subject tutoring unless a student is already scoring 95% percentile or above in all other areas. After 6 to 10 sessions clients should be fully prepared to take either the ACT or SAT.

Typical Results

My private tutoring clients average greater score improvements than the students in my online or in-person classes. (They also have better homework completion and attendance!) In general, I encourage clients to keep realistic expectations for score improvement. I find students can realistically improve:

100 points per section on the SAT (100 points each in reading/writing and math)
3-4 points on the ACT (per section and composite)

I’ve had some clients blow these numbers away. I’ve seen:

ACT from 19 (cold testing in 10th grade) to 33!!! (Jordan — St. Agnes Academy)
ACT from 22 to 29!!! (Douglas – Episcopal HS)
PSAT improved by 26 points, enough to qualify for National Merit Recognition!!! (Adrian – Memorial HS)
ACT from 24 to 30!!! (Ellie — Maclay School, FL)
SAT improved by 340 points – high enough to commit early to play for UNC!!! (Darby – Clements HS)
ACT from 21 to 27!!! (Cameron – Austin HS)

Keep in mind, improvement is based on student performance and effort.

What Private Tutoring Can’t Do

I’ve worked with many students over the years. I’ve taught struggling students and valedictorians. I’ve coached students who have earned perfect scores and plenty of others who faced unique challenges such as ADD / ADHD, limited English proficiency, diagnosed panic attacks, severe arthritis that limited writing and bubbling exam answers, learning issues so severe the entire exam was read aloud to the student, and other physical, mental, and academic needs. I can help students of all ability levels maximize their test taking potential. I cannot:

Force an unmotivated student do the homework
Correct learning differences, autism, or processing speed concerns
Condense weeks of learning into a single cram session (never works).
Make up for years of under-performance in a few weeks of tutoring
Completely eliminate the effects of test anxiety
Guarantee score improvement for any student. (No one can do this.)

In other words, I don’t have magic pixie dust. I know the techniques work. I know I will come prepared and will do everything I can to motivate and encourage students while holding them accountable for assignments. I’m not stuck teaching according to a set program; I have a Master’s in educational psychology and years of experience that allow me to help students with very different learning styles. But the effectiveness of any program comes down to how well the student takes instruction, completes the practice material, and applies the knowledge on test day. I can’t do this alone.

Cost of Private Tutoring

Hopefully you’ve gotten the idea that my private tutoring programs are in-depth and the experience I bring to tutoring is significant. As you evaluate the cost of tutoring consider what you might pay other highly educated and experienced professionals (your CPA or attorney) and what you have invested over the years in other extracurricular activities (sports teams or private lessons), you can appreciate how private tutoring can add to your overall college admission plan.

Individual Tutoring

$3995 full program (10 meetings)

$2495 basics (6 meetings)

Private Group Tutoring

Group tutoring allows you to enjoy the benefits of small group instruction and meetings in your own home while sharing the cost among the group. You put together your own groups; I never place students into a group. This gives you complete control and allows you to include friends who will motivate and encourage while eliminating those who may distract.

Groups of 2-3 $1695 per student (6 meetings)
Groups of 4-6 $1295 per student (6 meetings)
Private class (7+) $895 per student (6 meetings)

Next Steps

If you are ready to find out more or sign up to begin tutoring, your next step is to complete the Private Tutoring Application.

This information helps me better understand your test preperation needs and goals. Once you complete the application, contact me by email (megan [at] collegeprepresults [dot] com) to schedule a 30-minute consultation to be held by phone or video conference. During this consultaiton I can answer any remaining questions and if you are ready to begin, we can schedule your first session.

Use this link to complete your form online.