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FAQ's

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  • How many sessions does my child need? 

    • The answer to that is an unsatisfying one. Each student is different. Some just need three to four sessions, while others need eight to ten. The beauty of private tutoring is that it is personalized. â€‹

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  • Will my child have homework?

    • Yes. I assign about one and a half hours of homework per week. Most students have a lesson about once per week. The homework is all from real tests unless I think the student needs some direct practice in a particular skill.

    • I do not recommend more that one appointment per week as students need time to do homework. 

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  • Can I work with other students? 

    • Yes, you can have a friend or two join you. You are responsible for handling splitting fees. (I limit this to three students at once.)​

    • I do not match students together. Scheduling issues are way too complicated for me to try to do that. 

    • You can save money by splitting fees, but remember you are also splitting attention. Pick someone you can work with well. 

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  • How do I teach?

    • Basically, I teach students strategies that work for most. We look at real tests, walk through them, and discuss ways to approach questions. I use a white board with the tests displayed so students can see what I’m writing. I have an additional camera so I can see the students and they can see me as we work. 

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  • Why by zoom?

    • The pandemic showed me that zoom is actually very good. I can reach more students across the globe using zoom. 

    • What if I’m local? Honestly, no one is local for me any more. My husband and I are traveling across the nation. We have various types of Wi-Fi equipment that use every type of tower. We seldom have problems. 

    • I know many are tired of zoom. When I’m teaching one-on-one, it is almost as good as having the student sit across from me. It’s not the same as a class of twenty kids where no one talks or turns on their camera. 

    • Yes, your student must turn on their camera. I can not see how well they are learning without a camera on. Facial reactions tell me more than just words. 

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  • When should we start tutoring for the SAT/ PSAT? 

    • The answer is usually now. Why wait? The sooner students begin, the more they learn. Now with that said, starting a student in middle school or ninth grade, might be a bit early. I have some that age, but they can usually wait a bit longer. 

    • If your student is a candidate for National Merit, do not wait any longer than the summer before their junior year. The junior year PSAT determines National Merit eligibility. If they are not a candidate for National Merit, I would say to start early in their junior year if not the summer before. 

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  • What is National Merit? 

    • Essentially, it is a scholarship. Students must achieve a particular score on the PSAT in their junior year to qualify. That score changes every year. It is called the selection index and comes from combining the separate Reading, Writing, and Math scores and doubling them. You can read more about it here: NMS.

    • If your student scored around 1200 in their sophomore year, they may be a candidate for National Merit. If they scored much lower than 1200, it would be difficult to jump high enough for National Merit. Every state has a different cut-off, so please look for your state’s data. 

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  • How do I make appointments?

    • Just go to the Tutoring link. You will be able to choose your day and time. You have to make each appointment separately. My calendar is usually open two months in advance.  Schedules pertaining to sports, music, art, and clubs can all conflict with tutoring so please verify your student's schedule before booking appointments. 

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  • How many times should students test? 

    • Again, an unsatisfactory answer here. Certainly, plan on more than once, but you also don’t want them taking each test five or six times. 

    • I recommend every student take the SAT and the ACT once. They can then see which test they are better at and decide which one to take again. Focus on the test that they are best at, not the one you think is somehow better. Colleges do not care what test you take.

    • Make sure to take your student’s schedule into consideration for testing days. You do not want them taking the test on the same day as Prom. Yes, the test is in the morning and Prom is in the evening, but you know what they will be thinking about the whole time: Prom. Schedules pertaining to sports, music, art, and  clubs can all come into play.

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  • Are these tests going away?

    • The short answer is I don’t know. No one does. The companies who produce these tests are multi-million dollar companies. They won’t go down without a fight. 

    • During the pandemic, many colleges have gone test optional. That will probably change. I don’t know if that means they will require the tests again after the pandemic passes or throw them out. If only I had a crystal ball. 

    • Dartmouth has reinstated the test in the fall of 2024. Check out this article as to why?

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