When Should I Start Preparing for the SAT?

As college admissions continue to be more and more competitive, the importance of SAT scores seems to be ever increasing.  

Some recent articles like this one from USA Today suggest that SAT scores are not that important.  The article includes quotes from directors of admissions at Harvard, Cal Tech, and Duke that suggest that SAT scores are only a small piece of the admissions puzzle.

It is true that the scores are just one of many things that these competitive schools consider, but in reality these schools only seem to accept students with very high scores. 

Almost all students who get into Harvard have an SAT score above 2100.

Cal Tech students appear to have even higher SAT scores.

These admissions directors might say that the scores aren't that important, but students who don't have strong SAT scores rarely get into their schools. 

The better your score, the better chance you have of getting into the school of your dreams.


With that in mind, students and parents continually ask me when to start SAT preparation.  The answer varies a little from student to student, but in general here are some tips that will serve almost all students well. 

When should I start preparing for the SAT?

-Many students take the SAT 2 to 3 times

Years ago students would take the SAT once an be done with it.  Because so many students are striving for the best score they can get, many take it more than once.  Many colleges and universities will look at the best scores.  Some will take the top score from each section.

-Students should plan on taking it for the first time in the Spring of their Junior year.

The SAT is offered January, March, May, and June.  Often times the January test coincides with 1st semester finals, so I recommend taking the test for the first time in March.  If you take it in March you will have another opportunity to take it again in May or June.  

AP students should definitely consider taking it in March.  They will be preparing for their AP tests in April and May, so it is difficult to take the SAT at the same time.  

Keep in mind that if you plan on taking SAT Subject Tests, you will want to take them in June.  The Subject Tests assess your mastery of a specific subject, like Chemistry.  Take them in June, near the end of your Chemistry class, so you will be well prepared for them.  If you take a Subject Test in June, you can't take the SAT in June.

Because you will be applying to colleges and universities in the Fall, the last time to take the SAT before applying is in October.  You can still take it in November or December of your Senior year, and send your results after your applications, but this is a last minute solution, and I do not recommend it.

-Students should start preparing 3-months before they take their first SAT.

Over the course of 10 to 12 sessions with a Professional SAT Instructor, like the instructors we train at Tried & True Tutoring, most students can improve their score by about 300-points.  This is a very significant improvement.  An extra 300-points on your SAT score will open up many new school possibilities for you.

Students usually do sessions weekly, so you want to budget about 3-months for preparation.  If you are planning on taking the March test, you might want to think about starting in December or January.

How do I know if I really need 3-months to prepare?

-Find out what type of score you need to get into the college you want to go to.

Find out the score you need.  Go here, to find out the average scores of students accepted into your dream school.

-Take a practice test.

Take a practice test to see how you are currently performing on the SAT.  You can take a free, complete practice test by visiting www.triedandtruetutoring.com, scrolling over STUDENTS, and clicking FREE SAT.

After you take that test, you will get a detailed score report that shows you exactly what you need to do to increase your score!

Arne Duncan Digs Himself Deeper with Racist "Common Core" Comments

Education Secretary Arne Duncan commented on the Common Core Academic Standards which are starting to implemented all over the U.S, stating that the opposition to these standards are coming from "white suburban moms" who upon seeing their students struggle with the change realize that "their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were."

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is to provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so that teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. You can find more information about the common core here.

Why Do People Protest The Common Core?

The most common complaint from students, parents, and teachers is the overemphasis on and poor quality of standardized tests that scores are made to impose. These tests include the CAHSEE, STAR, FCAT, SSAT, SAT, and ACT exams. All of these tests are to determine the "knowledge", "critical thinking", and "college readiness" of the students, but in fact, they are not a great indicators at all.

Students who get Private Tutoring for SAT Preparation tend to score 300 points higher than their peers who don't receive private tutoring. 300 points can be the difference between going to UCLA and going to Cal State Northridge. Is it fair to assume that the student who scored 300 points higher on the SAT is that much "smarter" or "college ready" than the other student? Or is it a factor that they just learned the tips, tricks, and techniques used to maximize the score on the exam?

The emphasis on Standardized Testing is causing a large issue with parents, students, and teachers because we all know that standardized testing can not gauge true intelligence. Truthfully, humans have over 9 intelligences (musical, visual, verbal, logical, bodily, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential), so how is one test going to determine all of that?

Having said that, more and more students and parents are turning to companies like Tried & True Tutoring to prepare for the SAT and ACT exams, in order to score higher than their peers, and get into the university of their dreams.

Standardized testing is not the best way to measure college readiness, however, it is the best way we have available now, and the way that colleges determine who gets admitted into their schools. Therefore, until someone comes up with something better, we have to do what we have to do.

It's clearly a sensitive situation, so teachers, students, and parents are in an uproar about Arne Duncan's comments. Arne needs to consider things before he speaks, since everything he says will be dissected and discussed. His educational reform policies are not only opposed by "white suburban moms", but people of all ages and races.

SAT Exam Prep Tricks & Treats - A Halloween Story for you Scaredy Cats

'Twas the day of Halloween, and all of the students were in class showing off their costumes, anxiously waiting for the bell to ring and school to begin. 

Jenny, a little blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, was dressed as Cindarella, in a beautiful blue gown and blue head band. Greg, a little brown-haired boy with green eyes, was dressed as a vampire, with long fangs and blood coming out of his mouth. The bell rings, a eerie ring on Halloween, "BOOOO, BOOOOO, BOOOO" and all of the children laugh.

"Where is the SAT Exam Prep teacher?" Jenny inquires.

"If she doesn't show up for 10 minutes, we are allowed to leave" Greg replies. "Those are the rules".

After 5 minutes pass, the students are out of the chairs, getting wild, throwing candy, and playing with their costumes, when suddenly, the SAT Exam Prep Witch comes flying through the door.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" cackles the witch. "Hello all my little ones. Please, have a seat, pull out your vocabulary lists from yesterday, and let's review for the SAT exam."

"Is that you, Mrs. Firestone?" Jenny asks. 

"Well of course it's me, princess. Fangtastic. Let's get started. Take a look at this sentence, and tell me which of the 17 grammar errors is occurring".

The students look at the sentence written on the board in her red marker. "Ghouls just want to has fun".

Greg raises his hand, "Subject-Verb agreement!" 

"Goooooood, Greg. Here is some candy". Mrs. Firestone tosses Greg some candy corn.

 "How about this one? I not only summoned a ghost, but I banished it" says Mrs. Firestone. "Who sees the error?"

Jenny raises her wand, "An idiomatic error!"

"Wow Jenny, it looks like you ready to do very well on this SAT exam" says Mrs. Firestone as she giggles maniacally.

Jenny looks at Greg and spells out "C-R-E-E-P-Y" on her paper. They both laugh. 

"Ok my little children, time for a coffin break....I mean coffee." 

While Mrs. Firestone is in the other room, all of the lights go out. All of the children stay silent. The front door to the room creeks open slowly, and the "ghost of guessing" rushes into the room.

It's the ghost of guessing! A ghost which forces students to guess on problems when they haven't eliminated at least two answers giving them a statistical disadvantage to guess on the problem!

"NOOOOOOOOO" screams Greg who wants a perfect score.

"Please don't make us guess" screams Jenny, afraid she will lose her college scholarship by scoring less.

"HELP!" scream the college-bound children.

Mrs. Firestone rushes out of the back room, sees the ghost, and starts conjuring a spell to banish it. She says:

Before the SAT, You're Sure to Have a Fright,

But These Cool Ghouls go to School so they aren't Fools on this night

But We don't Guess on the problems that we don't really know,

Just as sure as a Jack-O-Lantern tonight will Glow.

So go away, only friendly ghosts are allowed here,

And Poof ghost, be gone, so all the children can cheer.

The ghost looks at Mrs. Firestone quizzically and says, "Is that all you've got? You think a little poem and SAT tricks are going to defeat me?"

The ghost slowly approaches Mrs. Firestone, and with all of the SAT exam prep training Jenny received, she is thinking on her feet. She grabs he 982 page SAT manual, pulls it way back over her head, and SWINGS it right into the ghost's head, but it all goes in one ear and out the other.

"Haha" laughs the ghost. "You think a one-size-fits-all-ghost-slaying approach is going to defeat me?"

Greg grabs Tried & True Tutoring's customized SAT manual, based on the initial assessment of the ghost, swings it at the ghost, and boom he goes down! A custom program for this specific ghost of guessing. That's the power of customization.

All of the children cheer for Greg and cheer:

YAY Greg, way to think on your feet! 

The SAT exam prep has prepared you to critically think. 

Now let's go ace the SAT Exam with the help of Tried & True Tutoring, 

and tonight we'll celebrate and and gather our treats.

Happy Halloween and good luck on the Oct 26th ACT and November 2nd SAT!

5 Key Differences Between SAT Exam Prep and ACT Test Prep

There are many differences between the SAT exam and ACT test, and today we are going to explore those differences and highlight the similarities. We are also going to decide which test is "better" to take. 

So what's the Difference Between the SAT Exam and the ACT Test?

SAT Exam Prep Book

The SAT Exam Prep Breakdown: The SAT is composed of 3 Sections - Math, Writing, and Critical Reading. The Math section covers content learned in school up until Algebra 2. The writing section is composed of Grammar questions (70% of writing score) and an Essay (30% of writing score). The Critical Reading section is composed of vocabulary questions, short-passage, and long-passage questions.

The SAT penalizes students for marking an incorrect answer. You get 1 point for a correct answer, and -1/4 of a point for an incorrect answer.

The SAT is organized in such a fashion that problems are positioned throughout sections in order of increasing difficulty. This means, you should not "guess" on the questions at the end of sections, as students are notoriously bad at guessing correctly on these questions.

ACT Exam Prep Book

The ACT Exam Prep Breakdown: The ACT is composed of 5 sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing. The Writing section of the ACT is optional. Some colleges require students to take the Writing Section, some colleges recommend students take it, and some colleges do not look at it at all. Find out what the schools your son or daughter are interested in require before you sign up.

The ACT questions are normally more straight forward than SAT questions, but the timing on the ACT is tougher than that on the SAT.

The ACT does not penalize a student for marking an incorrect answer. This means, if you don't know the answer, it is still best to guess. 

The section on the ACT that does not appear in any fashion on the SAT is the Science section. This section does not cover scientific knowledge (i.e, what is the role if the mitochondrion in an animal cell), but rather, a student's ability to make inferences given a data set either in chart, graph, or other form. 

Should I Take the SAT Exam or ACT Test?

There is no clear-cut answer here. It depends on what school you want to attend (some prefer SAT, some ACT, some want both). It also depends on your initial SAT or ACT Diagnostic exam results. Go take the free ACT or SAT assessment at Tried & True Tutoring, and we will go from there!

How to Take a Free SAT & ACT Diagnostic:

SAT Customized Curriculum Based on SAT Diagnostic

Take a Free SAT Exam Diagnostic or ACT Test Diagnostic, and Receive a Full Score Report by Credentialed Teachers for Free. You can do that at Tried & True Tutoring by simply registering your e-mail address! Just go to www.triedandtruetutoring.com, scroll over the "Students Tab" and click on "FREE SAT" or "FREE ACT", and fill in your e-mail address and create your password!

I took the ACT and SAT Diagnostic Exams, now what?

You will receive a full, detailed score report and customized analysis from a credentialed teacher in your e-mail. Now you want to compare your ACT to SAT scores. There is an easy way to convert SAT to ACT Scores:

Calculate Your SAT and ACT Conversion:

Look at your Base SAT and ACT Score. If you have your ACT score (out of 36 with a national average of 20), MULTIPLY it by 66.6666667. This is your SAT equivalent. If you have your SAT Score (out of 2400 with a national average of 1500), DIVIDE it by 66.6666667. This is your ACT equivalent. Compare, and see if you are much better on one exam over the other.

What if I already took the SAT or ACT Exam? Do I have to take another Diagnostic?

It depends on how recently you took the exam, but credentialed SAT and ACT experts at Tried & True Tutoring can look at your exam scores, and write you a full, detailed analysis from the score report you provide to us. Just give us a call, and find out what free services we can provide for you!

How Do I Prep for the SAT Exam and the ACT Test?

After taking the initial diagnostic exam, you will want to develop a game plan or curriculum so you can study the specific areas that will increase your score the most. The SAT Exam Prep books are very large and daunting, so it is important to identify what your weaknesses are, so you do not waste time studying what you already know.

Tried & True Tutoring's credentialed teachers can develop a curriculum for you, if you sign up for one of their SAT or ACT Prep programs. 

Feel free to e-mail info@triedandtruetutoring.com or call (747) 444-9907 with any academic related questions, or SAT Exam Prep or ACT Test Prep questions.

The Taming of the Algebra Tutor - Summer Ends, School Begins

Well, September is around the corner and Labor Day is here. Summer is winding down, although the recent temperature spikes in LA would not indicate anything of that sort. Children go back to school, as we see parents scrambling to find an Algebra Tutor at an affordable rate, blowing up Tried & True Tutoring's phone line like we're giving away free tickets to watch Channing Tatum dance shirtless on stage at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. All you moms out there, settle down, we just provide tutoring. It is tutoring from a credentialed, expert, and trained tutor so your excitement is understandable, since your child will learn and outperform their classmates and be on their way to a better and brighter future. I get the excitement, but please everyone just calm down, take a number, and we will be right with you.

Preparing for Labor Day Weekend

Oh, you were just planning on relaxing this weekend and hanging out with friends? I'm sorry, I didn't realize we would celebrate our union workers dedication to creating those unions just by relaxing. That's what they would have wanted? I was a teacher and if there is one thing I know about union workers is that they love to party. Don't believe me? Check this out.

Is that Principal Anderson surrounded by drinks and balloons while Mr. Jones the science teacher does his best Walter White impersonation? I don't know, but one thing is for certain - these union workers love to party. So you better BBQ as much food as humanly possible, literally be immersed in water at all times, and celebrate for these guys.

Back to School

Ok, now it's all business. School is starting, and parents are rushing to phones, schools, and newspapers to find an expert private algebra tutor, chemistry tutor, SAT tutor, or whatever else they want to have their child succeed in. You would think, how come they can't use the same tutor from last year? Or why are people always looking for a new Algebra tutor? I'll tell you why. Tutors are unreliable, young, and unprofessional, for the most part. Luckily, at Tried & True Tutoring our tutors are treated fairly, extensively trained, and given enough hours so that they can continue tutoring for the long term. Our clients are not scrambling for an expert Algebra tutor, because we have them covered. It is a great feeling knowing how many students we are able to help, as our professional, reliable, and trained tutors are available throughout the country.

And a Big Thanks...

Thanks to all of our tutors, schools, students, parents, marketers, writers, developers, accountants, lawyers, and everyone else that contributes to make Tried & True Tutoring the best place to work. We will continue to provide you professional, expert tutoring at an affordable price. We do what we can.

This is Why Teachers Quit

Having great teachers in the classroom, or in the home for 1-on-1 in-home private tutoring is of the utmost importance for education, and some of the teacher statistics shown in this infographic contribute to the reasons why we don't retain good teachers for long enough in the classroom.

There are many obvious reasons teachers quit the profession quickly: low pay, strict content standards (what you're allowed to teach), and high stress. However, there are ways for school administrators, or owners of tutoring companies, to increase the retention rate of good teachers.

Why is it so important to keep good teachers teaching? One simple fact. The more better, qualified teachers you have working, the less bad, under-qualified, rookie teachers you have to hire.

How to Hire & Retain Good Teachers

I own a company called Tried & True Tutoring (if you didn't already know), and I have many strategies to retain our good teachers.

1. Constant support and collaboration - tutors don't want to feel like they are "on an island" when working with the student. They want support from parents and administrators. As an administrator, it is your responsibility to create a collaborative environment where administrators (educational professionals), teachers (implement educational tools) and parents (personal interest in student's success), and student all work together toward a common goal. The team environment will make sure that everyone is accountable for their actions, and everyone knows what their specific job is. When you know your specific responsibility, you can do it better. The problem is, we rely to heavily on teachers, and we do not provide them enough support.

Don't leave your teachers "on an island", because just like a cornerback in football covering Randy Moss in his prime, he will get burned, injured, and be out of the business in 3 years.

2. Only hire the best of the best. Thoroughly vet, test, and rigorously interview each qualified applicant. There are many people applying for teaching positions - 95% of them are underqualified. Develop programs that test content mastery for the teacher, and also rigorously test their teaching style. If you are bored during the "mock teaching", or you do not understand the concepts, neither will your students.

3. Rigorous Training & Professional Development - As an administrator, you are very confident that you can teach any student, any subject, any time. I know with my professional experience and expertise, teaching japanese to a monkey on a bus in Africa is really no problem. I may not be able to teach the chimp to be fluent, but I will get him to maximize his understanding of the content based on his cognitive levels. We need to have the same confidence in our teachers that we have in ourselves. The only way to have the confidence in our teachers, is to know that we have professionally vetted them, and then trained them to a level where they are indeed a PROFESSIONAL.

A professional doesn't quit a job after 3 years. Amateurs do that. If we spent more time training our teachers in the public education system, we would have much greater retention of great teachers, and much better results from our students.

Take a page from Tried & True Tutoring's training program and know why we retain tutors and students for longer than any competitor. I know this has now come off as "preachy", but I believe it stems from frustration when I hear administrators saying "what can we do to make our education better". There are an infinite amount of changes that need to be made according to modern technology, but I will save that for a different article.

The most important thing is hire good teachers - and the only way to do that is to know who you are hiring inside and out, and then train them to be a true, bonafide professional. No amateurs wanted when it comes to the education of our children.

NBA Finals vs High School Finals - Similarities and Differences in Preparation

LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, or Manu Ginobili are all NBA champions. These same 6 professional athletes are going to be competing for a championship in the NBA finals in 2013. Dwayne Wade spoke a great quote at his press conference after a game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers which resonated with me: "We have champions in our locker room. You know you don't become a champion by luck."

You don't become a champion by luck. It's so true on many levels, in any field. You can not reach the top of your field, or become a champion, by pure luck. It takes hard work, dedication, and determination. Dwayne is playing through injury, night after night. Ray Allen takes 1000 extra jump shots every practice, for the past 15 years. Tim Duncan has been perfecting his craft for 17 seasons and has won 4 NBA titles. All of these players have one thing in common beyond natural talent: hard work, love for the game, and dedication to greatness.

Our students need to approach their finals like it were the NBA finals. Now, the difference between school finals, and NBA finals, is that everyone makes it to the school finals. Maybe if it were more of a competition, students would try harder to make it there, but regardless, all students must take their finals.

In order to succeed on a final exam, it is just like succeeding in the NBA finals - it takes hard work and dedication. Instead of 1000 repetitive jump shots like Ray Allen, do 100 chemistry problems of varied problem types. Instead of playing through injury - study through sickness, friend and family obligations, and other distractions. Do you think Ray Allen loves to take 1000 jump shots after each practice? He will be the first to say that no, he does it because he has love for the game. Students need to practice their chemistry, algebra, and calculus problems not because they love homework, but they love themselves, and they want to become the best they can be. Do you think Dwayne Wade wants to play through his nagging knee, painful injury night-after-night? He does it for the love of the game. 

Stay focused. Work hard. If our students understood that studying for finals is just like competing for an NBA championship, maybe they would try harder, take it more seriously, and have more long term success.

If you need help preparing for your finals like a champion, please visit us at www.triedandtruetutoring.com

Summer Camp or SAT Exam Prep

If you have a high school student, you know that college admissions are becoming ever more competitive.  Colleges look at a number of factors when considering students, but high school grades and SAT or ACT score remain the most important of those factors.  

Quality SAT Exam Prep and ACT Prep Tutoring require students' time and energy, but so often students are prepping when they should be focusing that time and energy on their high school classes.  As important as SAT and ACT scores are for college admissions, high school grades are still more important.  This is why more and more parents and students are opting for SAT Exam Prep and ACT Prep Tutoring over the summer.

Our students typically spend 15 to 30 hours meeting one-on-one with a tutor, 20 to 40 hours doing homework focused on specific SAT and ACT problem types, and 9 to 18 hours taking complete SAT or ACT practice tests.  This means that the typical student will spend 40 to 90 hours on SAT Exam Prep or ACT Prep Tutoring.  This doesn't include the time spent when they actually take the test, and most students take SATs and ACTs 2 to 3 times. 

Juniors and Seniors in high school already have a lot on their plates.  Adding in these SAT Exam Prep hours and ACT Prep Tutoring hours can be overwhelming, and in my 10-plus years of preparing students for the SAT and ACT, I have seen some students crack.  This is why I always push students to prep over the summer.

Of course, no one wants to give up their summer.  Summer is a time for fun, but, when managed wisely, students can prep for the ACT or SAT at a comfortable pace, leaving plenty of time for fun. Starting early is the key.

Students should expect to spend about 3-months on SAT Exam Prep or ACT Prep Tutoring.  Students usually meet with a tutor once a week.  Each meeting last one-and-a-half hours.  After each meeting students can expect about 2-hours worth of homework.  After every three meetings, students take a complete practice test.  Most weeks students will spend fewer than 4-hours preparing for the SAT or ACT.

The first SAT is usually given the first week of October.  The first ACT is usually given the first week of September.  If students get started in July, they should be able to meet weekly with a tutor, and still enjoy much of their summer vacation.

SAT Exam Prep is not exactly summer camp.  There are no pools, no trips to the beach, and no arts and crafts.  But, SAT Exam Prep during the summer might make your student's school year a lot easier.

Visit us a www.triedandtruetutoring.com for info about our SAT Exam Prep and ACT Prep Tutoring packages.

Mothers, Teachers, or Private Tutoring Services, this Mother's Day thank the person with the biggest impact on your education

Mother's Day is just around the corner and that means that finals are soon approaching.  We will spend one day showing our mothers our appreciation by buying them flowers, taking them out to restaurants, and sending them cards.  Then they will spend weeks pushing their kids through finals, finding private tutoring services, and making sure that those final projects get in on time, only to then have to come up with a plan for the summer.

This got me thinking about just how important mothers are when it comes to education.  School teachers and private tutoring services instructors are all important to students' education, but mothers give us role models that teach us how to learn.  In a 2010 article from England's "The Telegraph," the connection between mothers and success in school was made.  


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8012011/Mothers-are-strongest-role-models-for-childrens-education-report-claims.html


In that article Prof. Ian Walker says, "It seems the mother-daughter relationship is now the transmission mechanism for social mobility. It used to be said that the father was the breadwinner and that would dictate household education decisions. If the father was richer you could afford to stay on at school rather than go out to earn a living. That is clearly no longer the case."

Walker's study found that the longer mothers stayed in school, the longer their sons and daughters would stay in school.  Mothers with graduate degrees would most likely have children who would go on to earn graduate degrees.  Interestingly, the educational level of fathers did not seem to have nearly as much of an impact.

This Mother's Day you can thank your mother for one more thing, education.  Mothers, you can be proud.  What better gift can you give your children than education.

The team here at Tried & True Tutoring wants to thank all the mothers out there who inspire their children to seek education.  Happy Mother's Day!

The ACT Part 2

Yesterday, I explained a few general ways that the ACT and SAT differ.  Today I would like to go into some more specifics about the ACT.


The ACT test prep focuses on 5 key areas:

1. English
The ACT test prep for the English section focuses on grammar rules.  Most people do not speak grammatically correctly.  The ACT takes advantage of this.  It gives students sentences that sound correct, but that might actually be incorrect.  
The ACT test prep teaches students to make choices based on grammar rules, not based on the way sentences "sound."

2. Math
The ACT test prep for the Math section focuses on Basic Math, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Trigonometry.
The ACT test prep also focuses on tricks that students can use to take advantage of the multiple choice nature of the test.  Because the ACT is multiple choice there are many clever techniques, which wouldn't work on a regular math test, but which do work wonders on the ACT.

3. Reading
The ACT test prep for the Reading section teaches students to identify specific question types and methods for breaking down long, complicated reading passages.
The ACT presents students with 4 page-long passages.  The first passage focuses on prose.  The second passage focuses on social science. The third passage focuses on humanities.  The fourth passage focuses on natural science. Each of these passages has ten questions.
The ACT test prep teaches students that there are three types of questions:  general questions, specific questions with line numbers, and specific questions without line numbers.  The ACT test prep teaches students to look at the questions first, and then scan the passage for answers to those questions.  Students then break down the passages into shorter, more manageable pieces.

4. Science
The ACT test prep teaches students that the Science section is really a chart reading section.  There are 40-questions in the ACT Science section.  Out of those 40-questions only 3 require actual science knowledge.  Because these questions might focus on topics from Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics the ACT test prep does not focus on specific knowledge.
The ACT science section presents students with charts, graphs, and questions on those charts and graphs.  The ACT test prep teaches students to eliminate unnecessary information and focus on key terms to answer questions based on those charts and graphs.

5. Writing
The ACT test prep teaches students to write in an essay format that has been proven to score highly on the ACT.
The ACT prompts students on a topic.  Students are then given 30-minutes to write an opinion essay on that topic.  These topic usually focus on issues of interest for high school students.  The ACT test prep teaches students that there is a standard essay format which tend to score highly on this section. 

ACT vs SAT Part 1

The SAT has been a standard in college admissions for many years, but recently, more and more students are choosing to take the ACT exam, and as a result, ACT Prep Tutoring has become increasingly competitive.

The predecessor to the ACT was created in 1959 by a University of Iowa Professor who was more interested in students' practical knowledge than in their cognitive reasoning.  Over the years the ACT test prep has become more and more popular first in the midwest and now nationwide.  Since 2007 the ACT has been accepted at all U.S. Colleges and Universities.

At Tried & True Tutoring students frequently ask us, "should I take both the ACT and SAT?" The simple answer is, "sure, it doesn't hurt to take both, but you don't have to take both."

We don't recommend preparing for both tests at the same time.  We like to keep ACT Prep Tutoring and SAT Prep Tutoring separate.  There are some significant differences between the two tests and preparing for them both at the same time can be counterproductive.

We recommend that students take a practice SAT and a practice ACT.  We will then score the two tests to determine which one is the best fit.

Many students prefer the ACT and choose to focus on ACT Prep Tutoring.  They like the ACT because its questions seem more straightforward.  Many students think the ACT is easier.  I can promise that it is not.  In fact, the ACT may be harder in many ways.  The SAT supposedly tests reasoning skills.  As a result of that, it is more susceptible to tricks.  ACT Prep Tutoring is different.  It focuses on a wide variety of knowledge based concepts.

I'll fill you in on some of the specifcs of ACT Prep Tutoring tomorrow...

For more information about our ACT Preparation program please visit http://triedandtruetutoring.com/inner.php?page=SAT-amp-ACT-Preparation-Overview. 

Three Secrets to the SAT Essay

At Tried & True Tutoring we work with hundreds of SAT students every year, and one of the things that most consistently confuses students is the essay.  The SAT essay was introduced in 2005, and, for the most part, it remains a mystery to most.  The SAT is a test based on standardization.  It is a test that is supposed to fairly assess the reasoning skills of high school students from varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds all across the United States.  How then, can the SAT fairly assess and standardize an essay assignment?  The answer is surprising.

Because the SAT Essay must be standardized, the College Board (the Company that designs and administers the SAT) has had to come up with some "creative" grading practices.  The essay is scored by two graders.  Each of these graders awards the essay a score from 1 to 6 (1 being the lowest, 6 being the highest). These two scores are added together to create a total score between 2 and 12. Because these graders are required to grade hundreds of papers per day, they each have no more than two to three minutes to look at any one paper. This is a far cry from the way your Honors English teacher might go through a paper.  A grader will read your paper once, and, based on his or her initial reaction, will give it a score.

Graders are judged, by the College Board, on how consistent their scoring is with that of other graders. As a result, their goal is not to judge the true merit of the paper, but to determine what the paper looks like.  In other words, if you write a paper that looks like a 12, you will probably get a twelve.

Here are three things you should focus on when trying to make your paper look like a 12.

1. The Longer the Better

Papers that score 12 are almost always a full two pages long.  There is nothing that will make your paper look more like a 12 than using all of the space that the College Board gives you.  

I would love to say that articulately arguing and proving your point is the most important thing.  I would love to say that, but I can't.  It's just not true.

If you want to score a 12 use two full pages.  If you write two full pages of nonsense, you might not score a 12, but if you write one page of genius, you definitely won't score a 12.

2. Use the best examples you can come up with . . .EVEN IF THEY AREN'T REAL!

When you write your paper, you will most likely want to write a standard four or five paragraph essay. You will create a thesis (an opinion), and you will choose two or three examples to back up that thesis.

You want to pick examples that conclusively prove your thesis, and it doesn't matter if those examples are true!

The College Board wants to make sure that graders can quickly grade your paper, and this means that they don't have time to verify whether your examples are true or not.  In fact, the graders are instructed by the College Board not to grade based on the accuracy of your examples.  Because the SAT is standardized, the College Board must treat every student exactly the same.  This means that if it wanted to check an example one student used, it would have to check every example that every student uses.  This would be impossible.

So, pick examples that really back-up your thesis.  Don't worry about whether or not they are true.

3. Begin your essay with a direct response to the question.

Over the years, your English teachers have most likely taught you to begin your essays with "Interest Catching Devices," evocative questions, or meaningful quotes.  Don't bother on the SAT essay.  Answer the question asked directly in the first line.  

If the question asks, "Should men take more responsibility for their role in sexual harassment," answer, "Men should take more responsibility. . . ." or "No, men should not take more responsibility. . . ."

SAT Graders do not like essays that straddle the fence.  They like essays that present a clear opinion on the issue, so pick one side, and stick to it! 

By opening with a thesis (an opinion statement) you make it clear to the reader that you have formed a solid opinion.

While these techniques work wonders on the SAT, don't try them with your English teacher at school.  For more tips and tricks on the SAT, visit our site www.triedandtruetutoring.com, and stay tuned for more blogs and videos that will give you the inside track on SAT success!

How Teachers Can Integrate Technology Into Their Classrooms

The importance of technology is obvious to anyone living in this day and age - children, parents, and grandparents are even starting to use mobile technology such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops as they become more familiar with it. Even if technology is foreign to an individual, the user-friendly software allows even the most novice user to experience the benefits of these devices. So why haven't teachers and schools incorporated technology in the classroom?

The answer is, they are trying, but it is a slow, arduous process. The educational system in America is so regulated, so antiquated, and so massive, that educational reform can take months, years, even decades. This is why Tried & True Tutoring exists - to privatize education so that we provide swift and effective reform. We do not have time to wait for the government to reform our educational system which has been stagnant for over 50 years - it is time that we as parents, guardians, and students take matters into our own hands to make sure we are educated for the jobs of today.

Employers are seeking out those who can do:

Web Design
Web Programming
Web Development
App Development
Graphic Design
SEO Marketers
Social Media Experts
Accountants / Book Keepers

Employers are seeking out those who can use the following softwares:

Quick Books
Microsoft Excel
Final Cut Pro
Power Point
Prezi
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Publisher
Dreamweaver
and more.

Now the question is: are ANY of these classes or programs taught in your public elementary schools? Middle schools? How about High Schools? The answer is d) none of the above.

Tried & True Tutoring is reforming education, focusing on skills that will prepare your student for the jobs of tomorrow. If your student is not getting what they need from school, failing school, falling behind, or just searching for an alternative, talk to a Tried & True Tutoring teacher today. We will develop a program and curriculum that is customized your student's needs. Visit www.triedandtruetutoring.com for more information.

Here's a Quick Way to Choose the Right Tutoring Company

With a growing need for privatized education in America, more and more tutoring companies are sprouting up all over the nation. As a parent, you want to make sure you will receive the equal or greater value to the money you are spending for private tutoring. So how do you choose?

There are a few factors you will want to consider before deciding to go with a tutoring company:

1. Who are their teachers? Where do they recruit their teachers from?
2. What type of training program do their tutors go through?
3. What type of curriculum do they provide? Who created the curriculum?
4. What type of assessments do they provide? Who created the assessments?
5. How many local tutors are available in case one gets sick or wants to stop working?
6. Are they accredited by the Better Business Bureau? How long have they been in business?
7. Are they available for customer service 24/7, or are they only open during after school hours?
8. Do they travel to your home, or do you have to take them to a location?
9. Does their website have all of their information?
10. Do they have references they can provide?

All of these questions should be answered before choosing a specific tutoring company to work with. With such unregulated education, it is very important that you do your due diligence to find out who specifically you are hiring to work with your children.

Remember, all tutoring is not created equal. Tried & True Tutoring continues to hire on the most prestigious tutors with extensive educational teaching experience, as well as a deep well of knowledge in the subject areas they are teaching from a solid educational background.

"In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to do math at a grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So lets do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind, lets give our kids that chance." - Barack Obama, Feb 12th 2013, State of the Union Address.

As teachers, we understand the importance of a solid education form passionate, driven, and educated teachers. We look forward to helping your child get on track for a bright and successful future. Visit www.triedandtruetutoring.com for more information.

1-on-1 In-Home Private Tutoring - Better Than The Classroom

A quick synopsis of Marc Meinhardt - the writer of this article.

4.29 High School GPA
1470/1600 SAT (With No Test Prep)
UCLA Psychobiology Graduate (Pre-Med)
California Chemistry Teaching Credential (Post-Graduate Work Completed)
3 Years of Classroom Teaching Experience (Chemistry, Physics, Biology)
15 Years of Private Tutoring Experience (Elementary, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Single Variable and Multivariable Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, SAT Preparation, ACT Preparation, LSAT Preparation, GRE Preparation, TOEFL Preparation, ISEE & SSAT Preparation, ASVAB Preparation, etc.)

If I had received consistent private, 1 on 1 in-home tutoring, there is no telling what an amazing success I would be today.

As a teacher, the downfalls of teaching 40 students at one time is blatantly obvious - you can lecture to the masses, but you can not provide 1 on 1 support to all of your students in the class every day. For all you math wizards out there, 50 minute classes, 40 students per class, = 1.25 minutes per student. However, you don't get 50 full minutes of instruction. How about roll call, handing in homework, paperwork shuffling, management issues, etc. You are lucky if you get 45 seconds of teaching per student.

So how do teachers work around this problem? Simple. They preach and lecture to the masses. The teacher's hope is that enough students understand the process of various problems, and that they are able to assist their fellow classmates. However, even the few students that "understand" the Chemistry or Physics content from class, most just understand the process rather than the concept. Not only that, they are not professional teachers and really have no experience or expertise in training and teaching others. This is a sad case of the blind leading the blind.

If a student has an expert tutor watching his every process and move when working on problems, there is so much help that can be bestowed upon the student. The one-on-one environment allows the teacher to correct and modify every single process the student makes. Not only can you affect his learning for the specific class, but our tutors, skilled and experienced tutors, are able to modify the student's way of thinking, way of organizing, and way of approaching problems which will yield benefits that will last for the rest of the student's academic career.

Having a private mentor with you all the time is not inexpensive. How could it be? Not only is it like a personal assistant, but it's an expert in a certain field. Although private tutoring can become costly, it is no where near the expenses of a private school, which offers something of much less value than private tutoring.

Not all private tutoring is created equal. Students teaching students is very common, however Tried & True Tutoring does not employ anyone who doesn't have a college degree, or working on a degree from a prestigious university. Tried and True Tutoring does not employ anyone without tutoring experience. Tried and True Tutoring does not employ unreliable, immature tutors. Tried and True Tutoring goes through a rigorous process to select only the cream of the crop; and even after that, we rigorously train each and every one of our tutors. I always tell my tutors, "If you can learn to teach like me, we will both be extremely successful".

To increase your student's confidence, skill level, organizational skills, grades, college acceptance letters, and anything else related to academic success, then go with a Tried and True tutor. Their skill and experience will be evident during the first session, as well as every subsequent session. Our tutors will take your academic skill and success to new heights. Listen, if you need basic homework help or a few last minute questions, then maybe you can can get the correct answers from an inexperienced tutor who knows the content, but if you are really trying to change your future, and bring your success to heights you've never thought possible - go with Tried and True Tutoring. Don't waste your money on a inexperienced tutor - invest in a professional tutor - invest in your future. Visit www.triedandtruetutoring.com for more information.

Happy Martin Luther King Day from Tried & True Tutoring

Tried & True Tutoring would like to say Happy Martin Luther King day to all our students, teachers, administration and staff.

MLK day is a day where we can all be thankful for the bravery and strength that Martin Luther King and others had to fight through the trials and tribulations of our history, so that we could live under the blanket of freedom and equality today. The hard work he put in every day allowed us to have the freedoms that we sometimes take for granted today.

Tried & True Tutoring continues to provide affordable, professional, 1-on-1 in-home private tutoring to all students who have a desire to achieve greatness. Let us help you get into your top college choice, by maximizing your score on your SAT or ACT. Or let us help you get into dental school, law school, or any graduate program through our DAT, LSAT, or GRE Preparation. Visit www.triedandtruetutoring.com for more information.

How to Succeed in 2013

"I'm just not good at math. I'm more of an English person."
"I'm just not good at English. I'm more of a math person".

This whole concept is a fallacy. You can be good at anything you want to be good at - whether you are naturally inclined to succeed in one subject over another does not affect your overall success in that course if you put in the necessary work.

It is true, some students will learn that 3 x 14 = 42 much more quickly than others - however, all students (unless those students have a specific processing disability) can become above average in all subjects, if they put their mind to it.

The truth is, most students never put in the adequate time and training to really succeed in their academics. At the first sign of struggle, the student will mentally check out of the classroom, and if they are not pushed to succeed by parents and teachers, many of them will fall by the wayside. Young students don't know the importance of education, unfortunately, so they do not put in the effort to become great at academia - many times, they do not put in the effort to become great at anything.

All of the greats in our society - sports icons, leaders of political parties, singers and musicians, great scientific minds - all have put in countless hours perfecting their craft. It is important that a student puts in the time in order to become truly successful.

Many times, student's do not know "where to start". They have the internal motivation to succeed, however, they are so far behind, that they do not know how to begin. This is common. Luckily, Tried & True Tutoring is here to help your student get caught up in any class they are struggling with. Not only do we help with specific classes, like Math, Reading, Writing, Statistics, Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, Algebra 2, etc, but we can help the student through our remediation programs in order to get their skills up to grade level state standards. This ensures that they will be able to learn the new material the teacher is explaining, rather than sitting dumbfounded in class since they are so far behind.

Success and failure can both snowball very quickly. When you get "on a roll", you will be amazed at what you can achieve in a short period of time. However, if you begin to accept failure, you will be amazed and how quickly your life can unravel.

During 2013, make a promise to yourself to learn more and work harder. Do not do this for your parents, your friends, your loved ones, or your teachers - do it for you. A solid education will provide a foundation for you to do whatever you want to do with your life. You only have one life to live - and there are many paths in life that you can take - make sure that you can select from a variety of paths. America provides us the freedom to do anything we want within the confines of our laws - education will allow you to fully take advantage of your freedoms.

Happy New Year to all of our parents, teachers, students, administration, and staff. We look forward to a successful school year. The next SAT is January 26th, 2013, and the next ACT is February 9th, 2013. Get off to a good start and give us a call today. We'll get you set up with a customized curriculum at an affordable cost, so that you can maximize your potential this year. Visit www.triedandtruetutoring.com for more information.