So you’ve decided to get a tutor! Maybe you need help with a specific SAT section, need someone to stay accountable to, or maybe you just want to get as close to that perfect score as possible. What should you be looking for in an SAT Tutor? Here are five things that make an SAT tutor great.
1. Your Tutor Should Have A Track Record of Score Improvement
At the end of the day, you want some assurances that your score will actually go up from tutoring. That’s probably the core of why you’re going to tutoring, so look for someone with a history of helping their students’ scores improve. Whether you get this from word of mouth or testimonials, you should hear good things about them.
2. Your Tutor Should Be Good at Teaching and Explaining
How good of a teacher are they? Can you follow their explanations and do the concepts they explain make sense? They should be willing to delve into the subjects, and try new ways of explaining topics if one teaching method isn’t getting through to you. Someone can know everything a student needs to know, but if they can’t teach the material well, it’s all for naught.
3. They Should Be Familiar with SAT Structure
How well do they know the SAT? You want someone who knows the material the SAT is dealing with, but also the SAT itself. They don’t necessarily have to written multiple books breaking down the SAT like Christian, but they need to know the ins and outs of the SAT as a test. They should be able to answer basic questions like how long you should spend on each section, as well as be familiar with different testing strategies that might work for you.
4. Your Tutor Should Be Patient
Your tutor should be patient with you, and never make you feel stupid. One of the main benefits of one-on-one tutoring is that it can go at whatever speed is right for you, and easily loop back to fill in any gaps in your knowledge. They should be able to match your speed and sympathize with frustrations when they arise.
5. Your SAT Tutor Should Be Motivating
You want a tutor that makes you feel ready to take the SAT on! Having a good tutor can help your study sessions outside of the tutoring, as the tutor can set good goals and remind you of all that you have achieved. When you’re feeling unmotivated about the SAT, your brain can get in a loop of all you’re doing wrong, but your tutor can be around to remind you of all you’re doing right. You want to feel confident and prepared for your test, so get out there and find someone who ignites that spark!
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That’s it! We hope you’re feeling better equipped to find yourself a tutor. If you want more SAT and ACT prep advice sure to join our mailing list for a free 27-item checklist and 30-day free SAT email course.