The Case for ACT/SAT Tutors

Would you ask for help to learn how to drive stickshift?

Or help making risotto?

Or help for a difficult classical guitar solo?

Then why wouldn’t you ask for help mastering high school’s most important tests? 

There’s been a great deal of discussion about more colleges going “Test Optional” on top of the revelation about blatant cheating on the tests.

But despite the news swirling around the ACT and SAT, the reality is that the tests remain a “necessary evil” for every student preparing for college. Every teacher may want each child to learn the required material but realistically won’t have the time for serious preparation on an individual level.

Enter the professional tutor—in a scholastic universe where 75 points on the SAT and 3 points on the ACT can be an important component to make a difference between a reach school and a safe school.

Just like life skills such as driving a car, a tutor will walk your student through every section of the SAT/ACT. Indeed, many parents and students do not realize just how different the two tests are. 

A tutor understands the nuances of the ACT English versus the way the SAT Writing and Language questions work. The best way to remember math formulas is to practice using them—with an expert to guide the way and to identify student weaknesses.

Importantly, after assessing the strengths and weaknesses in all academic areas—from social studies to the sciences, a tutor can focus your student’s energy to improve areas that need more help. 

A tutor also knows how to motivate and encourage on one hand and address the natural nervousness a Big Test presents. This is especially valuable when taking a timed exam. Again, a tutor can help you establish a comfortable test pace for each exam, much like a music teacher illustrates the rhythm of a jazz piece versus a driving rock anthem. Through increasing confidence, pressure becomes an asset, not a hindrance.

So however you prepare for the SAT and ACT, a tutor is a logical and ethical step to success. And while we encourage every parent to invest in their child’s preparation, know that VEC has been down this path before—and can connect you with a tutor who is a good fit for your future collegian.

--Mike Ryan