How Private ACT Tutoring Can Make For a Smooth College Application Season

Last updated Feb 5, 2021

SUBSCRIBE

As the parent of a college-bound high school junior or senior, you are sure to have questions about how to help guide your child through the college application process. If you’ve reached the point of identifying the ACT as the college admissions test your student will be taking, you may now be wondering, Would a private tutor help boost my child’s score on the ACT? How does private ACT tutoring work? Can it help make for a smoother college application process overall?

These are all common questions and concerns. The college application process— including the steps necessary for preparing for the ACT—can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. Below are 5 ways to help your student make the process as smooth as possible, including the added benefits that private ACT tutoring can provide.

1. Create a Schedule and Stick to It

Making a plan and creating a timeline are key. With so many college visits, test dates, and deadlines to worry about, creating a detailed calendar with your child will help you both stay on track. The College Board has helpful checklists to get you started.

Be sure to factor in studying for the ACT in the months leading up to test dates. A private tutor can help create a test prep schedule, keeping in mind on which dates the tests are offered. Regularly scheduled private ACT tutoring sessions can help your student improve his or her score—past A+ Test Prep students have shown an average 4-point improvement in their ACT composite scores.

2. Don’t Freak Out About Acceptance Rates

Some top institutions boast admitting only 5.9 percent (Harvard) or 5.07 percent (Stanford) of applicants, but don’t let those statistics deter you. Kevin Carey of the New America Foundation argues in a New York Times article that 80 percent of top students are accepted to at least one elite school. He goes on to explain that the institutions reporting such low acceptance rates are receiving more applications than ever before, thereby bringing acceptance rates down.

Encourage your child to research the average test scores of colleges that interest him and make sure he applies to a range of schools to increase his odds of being accepted. A private ACT tutor can help determine your child’s potential and set realistic score goals for your student, keeping his or her college preferences in mind.

3. Look at the Whole Picture

Don’t let your student get too overwhelmed by one specific facet of an application. Remember, college admissions officers look at the whole picture. Sociologist Mitchell Stevens spent 18 months in a college admissions office determining what makes these gatekeepers tick. He reaffirmed the notion that schools consider GPA, class rank, the rigor of the student’s course load (AP and honors classes), extracurricular activities, and test scores when evaluating applicants.

For students who historically do not do well on standardized tests or who have taken the ACT before and not scored as well as they hoped, it is well worth the investment to hire a private ACT tutor. However, be flexible—it’s also possible that your student may benefit more from an investment in one-to-one subject tutoring to bring up grades in a specific subject or an academic coach to help with study skills or time management.

4. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Students are applying to more schools today than ever before. The Common Application allows students to apply to any of its over 500 member institutions with a single application. This streamlined process can save your child a lot of time and stress. Some schools allow students to write a personal statement rather than answer a specific essay topic; this essay can then be used for several applications. Your student can maximize the use of application materials by customizing for each institution only as necessary.

With extra time saved from using the Common Application, your student will have more time to dedicate to improving grades, working with a private ACT tutor, or participating in an extracurricular activity—all factors that may positively impact your child’s chances of getting into a preferred school.

5. Make Sure Your Child Takes a Break

High school students admit that succeeding in high school and dealing with the college application process have become a sort of competition. The last thing you want your child to do is suffer through his entire senior year due to the stress and uncertainty of what lies ahead. Encourage your child to takes breaks from test prep and college preparation to enjoy the culminating activities of high school.

Working with a private ACT tutor saves your child time and frustration, so she doesn’t get bogged down and lose valuable time trying to navigate through impersonal test prep manuals and practice tests on her own. An A+ ACT tutor knows how to guide your child expertly through both the content and strategies needed to do well on the test.

It’s easy to see how private ACT tutoring can be a great option to maximize a student’s ACT score, but working with a one-to-one tutor also helps your student stay on track during the test prep and college application process. If you’re interested in learning more about how our one-to-one test prep process works for the ACT, or you would like to hear more about our tutoring services for college applicants, feel free to give us a call.

1^st photo by photosteve101, 2^nd photo by Alyson Hurt

0 Comments

What They're Saying

    EXCELLENT  
  48 reviews on
 
 
         
   Angela Jay 
 2024-02-15
 
 
   Best Decision Ever!

A+ Tutoring proved to be a transformative experience for me, surpassing all my expectations. Without hesitation, I wholeheartedly recommend A+ Tutoring to any parent or guardian seeking academic improvement and aiming to unlock their child’s full potential.

Prior to selecting A+, I carefully researched and evaluated other services. My goals were twofold: to prepare my son for the standardized testing required for preparatory school and college applications, and to enhance his time management skills and study habits.

Mr. John’s personalized approach resonated with my son’s personality and specific learning needs. Despite my son’s demanding sports schedule, Mr. John was incredibly flexible and accommodating. The sessions were comprehensive, combining instruction, engaging conversations, and homework assignments to reinforce existing concepts and introduce new ones in advanced math, English, and science.

The tangible outcomes were apparent: not only did my son’s grades improve by at least one grade level, but he also secured early admission to prep school! Moreover, I observed a significant boost in his confidence and overall demeanor.

I am deeply grateful to Mr. John, Ms. Dorothea, and Mr. Dan for their exceptional dedication and support. They truly went above and beyond to ensure that we felt fully supported throughout the process. Their contributions have made a profound impact on my son’s academic journey, maximizing the value of my investment.
  
 
 
       
   Kenneth Greenspan 
 2023-11-28
 
 
   Extremely professional and thorough
  
 
 
       
   Leah Reinhard Peshek 
 2023-11-15
 
 
   I just wanted to thank A+ for helping my son achieve his goals. He worked with 2 instructors Andrew and Barbara for both the SAT and AP exams. Whatever they did it was magic! Not only did he get the results he wanted- he surpassed them. It was hands-off for me, he scheduled and communicated with his instructors on his own, which taught him responsibility and accountability. Yet, their lesson follow-up emails kept me in the loop. I can’t recommend them any more highly. If you decide to use them you won’t be disappointed, you will see a student who is better prepared for their studies as well as any tests they choose to take- they even seem more mature and confident. A+ I’m giving you an A+ Thank you so much, Leah Reinhard.
  
 
 
       
   Rebekka Hartwell 
 2023-10-28
 
 
   We had a great experience with A+ Test Prep and Tutoring. I appreciated that the tutor tailored the sessions around our daughter's needs and worked with her strengths. I can definitely recommend this program to anyone needing some extra support.
  
 
 
       
   Rhiannon Kelly 
 2023-08-31
 
 
   My son needed assistance preparing for an exam. We reached out to A+ test prep and they were wonderful. They were able to schedule him for tutoring without an delays. Their knowledge, assistance and guidance speaks volumes. A+ exceeded all outlets expectations. Thank you
  
 
 
       
   Andrea Emmons 
 2023-07-06
 
 
   The tutors were terrific, very thoughtful and really understood my child's needs in terms of studying. The hours worked well with our schedule and the homework assigned was super helpful!
  
 
 
       
   V Penz 
 2023-06-22
 
 
   A+ Test Prep provided superior tutoring custom-tailored to meet my son’s specific needs and learning style. His SAT score increased by 160 points with 12 hours of tutoring!!! That put him well-within range for all of the schools to which he is applying. A+ truly listened to make sure they exceeded our expectations starting with matching our son with Rob. He is an experienced tutor who set goals and developed a specialized plan. Rob taught clear, structured, organized lessons, helped my son plan his practice and homework, and taught test stress-management and relaxation techniques. These lessons also helped fill-in gaps from the pandemic.  The writing, reading and math lessons and strategies  Rob taught gave Dylan a strong foundation of critical-thinking skills which will serve him well in college, the work-force, and beyond.  A+ staff, including Rob, gave prompt, detailed and insightful feedback after each session. You will get ENORMOUS value for your financial investment with A+.  I investigated 6 other tutoring companies and am confident A+ was the best for tailoring their tutoring to a program that best fit my son’s learning style!!
  
 
 
       
   Megan Gasper 
 2023-05-26
 
 
   This tutoring program literally changed my daughters test scores by 1000 points, and they were so helpful, and communicative with me the entire time. I really recommend them for every student, whether they are trying to make their test scores better, or make their scores above excellent
  
 
 
       
   Zarah Adams 
 2023-05-04
 
 
   We chose A+ for Preparation to help our daughter prepare for college entrance exams. May daughter had Pam for the verbal portion of the exam. Pam was amazing! She asked about extra-curricular activities and demonstrated genuine interest in my daughter's role as a student in and outside of the classroom. Pam also noted how important these activities are to colleges. John was the tutor for math and science. He helped my daughter feel comfortable and confident in her skills. My daughter's ACT composite score went up 5 points! I would highly recommend A+ for Test Preparation!
  
 
 
  
 
  Load more